Author's Note: I've been waiting to write these next few chapters for weeks. They're going to be very fluffy with some pretty sexy times as well, though not in this chapter. It's time for our heros to finally relax and enjoy each other as they've not been able to before.
Much beta love to BMG who always tirelessly reads what I send her even when I send it all in a flood. *hugs* Love to all who have messaged and commented as well! Comments are better than chocolate!
It was nearly two am when the Doctor and Donna finally made their way up the hill towards the Tardis. Wilf made sure to walk with the two of them after leaving Sylvia standing in the doorway, the good-byes had been much more heartfelt this time and the tears had been minimal.
It had been a splendid night where the Doctor and Sylvia had gotten to know each other a little better, and the tentative peace that was found had been solidified. As long as the Doctor kept his word, then Sylvia Noble would welcome him into her home.
Donna and the Doctor were holding hands as they climbed the final few steps up the allotment, the doors of the Tardis were already open in eager welcome as they came around the final bend in the path however the Doctor turned slightly away from the Tardis, his sure steps taking him back to Wilf's little shed before he knelt beside the telescope and put his eye to the viewfinder.
Donna and Wilf followed him curiously, uncertain what he was looking for through the telescope but keeping their silence as they watched him loosen the holding screws and shift the tube towards the stars of Orion.
The Doctor looked back to the viewfinder and moved the telescope several more degrees before he twirled the locking screws back in place and stood up to face them. He motioned to Wilf to take a look through the lens, only moving aside when the older man came to lean over the eyepiece.
Wilf looked back up at where the scope was pointing, before he glanced through the viewfinder once more. "That's Gamma Orionis isn't it Doctor?"
The Doctor smiled and nodded at Wilf's words. "Or more commonly known as Bellatrix. It's part of the constellation that humans call Orion the hunter and is the star that forms its right shoulder. It lies about 240 light years distance from earth."
Wilf nodded as the Doctor repeated facts any person with a basic appreciation of astronomy would know. It was also the twenty-seventh brightest star in the northern sky, but he had a feeling that was not the reason why the Doctor was giving him this astronomy lesson. "Yes Doctor, It's also a blue giant star and one of the brighter stars in the night sky."
Donna was watching the exchange with fascination, her thoughts stilling when she realized just what it was the Doctor was about to do. She watched the Doctor's face light up when Wilf responded, his hands excitedly pointing back up to the star so that Wilf could look at it with his naked eye. He leaned close to Wilf, his hand settling on his shoulder as he continued. "What you don't know yet is that there is a system of five planets that orbit that star. Three of those planets are uninhabitable because they are too close to the radiation zone of the star and thus have little to no atmospheres. The fifth planet in the system is also too far out to comfortably support life, but it is the fourth planet that is in the perfect spot to harbor life. It's called Bellatrix prime, because it's the primary planet where life first formed in that system. The people there are called the Bellatraxians and they're a gregarious, welcoming people. Their planet is a little to the edge of the habitable zone so it's a bit on the cooler side, which led to their culture evolving along an almost Scandinavian line at least in art and clothing but not in warfare. I don't think they've ever waged war on anyone." The Doctor caught the look on Donna's face as he continued to babble, her smile was fighting to break free but he could also tell she was absolutely exhausted. "Anyways, they're a very peaceful people who love visitors and their planet has the most amazing aurora you have ever seen!"
Wilf was looking at the star with wide-eyed wonder, squinting his eyes almost as if he could make himself see across the vast distances to the planets orbiting that distant sun. The Doctor was giving him a glimpse into a wondrous future that the human race would one day see, and he couldn't stop the surge of emotion when he thought of those distant times. And his Donna was already out there, striding amongst the stars, meeting aliens and helping save those worlds as well. He felt so proud of her in that moment, he thought his heart might burst with the feeling.
The Doctor glanced back to Donna, her beaming smile and the warmth of her thoughts filled him until he wanted to shout to the heavens. He had wanted to make sure that Wilf knew just where Donna was going next, and to maybe plant the kernel of an idea with Wilf to one day come on an adventure with them.
"I'm going to be taking Donna to that planet next, though it will be in the distant future. There is life there now, and it's intelligent life that is just starting to reach out into the stars. One day, humanity will take its place out there and that day is coming sooner than you realize. It's utterly magnificent Wilf!"
Tears were shimmering in Wilf's eyes when he bent down to look through the eyepiece once more, the faint smear of blue-white light seemed to shimmer slightly with atmospheric haze though he had to wonder if that wasn't partly because of the moisture in his own eyes.
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll make sure to keep watch up here and dream of her striding across the stars. My girl out there meeting all them aliens, helping you to save worlds. It's all that I could've ever dreamed of Doctor."
He stood up and smartly saluted the Doctor, the playful grin poking through his tears when he saw the thunderstruck look on the Doctor's face. He had a feeling that the Doctor was not used to his travels with his companions being blessed by their families, Wilf for one was glad to be able to be the one to help Donna buck tradition.
Donna was as caught up in the Doctor's words as Wilf had been, her gaze traveling up to that distant smudge of light and she couldn't help but wonder what was so special about this planet that he was taking her to visit. He had told her that he had planned this trip for a while already, but he wouldn't elaborate on why he was so excited for it. She hoped he would enlighten her before they actually landed on the planet, he did sometimes forget to do that.
"You be careful out there, sweetheart. We'll see you at Christmas and can't wait to hear all about your adventures!" Wilf leaned forward and kissed her cheek fondly, his eyes dancing when he added. "I personally can't wait to see your mother's face when you tell her about you and the Doctor."
The Doctor's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing when he saw the answering smile on Donna's face. "Oi! I thought we were going to wait tell them."
Donna's thoughts slid teasingly through his, the ghosting of breath across mental nerves causing a shudder to race through his body. "You weren't exactly subtle in there, Doctor. At least only gramps picked up on it."
She grinned when the blush raced across the Doctor's cheeks, his hand quite predictably rising to the back of his neck before he managed to retort. "Well… I thought that I was actually on my best behavior, well for the most part anyways. It didn't devolve into yelling too many times in there."
Wilf and Donna were both looking at the Doctor with identical smirks on their faces, the latter had her arms crossed over her chest in a manner that made him far too uncomfortable. He did have to admit though that he was happy that at least Wilf knew about them, and that he seemed happy about the news. That was at least one positive that had come out of this night.
He could feel the pull of that distant planet getting stronger with every moment, and with a soft sigh he muttered. "On that note, I think it's time we were off."
Wilf laughed softly making sure to hug each of them one more time before he stood back and watched them make their way back to the Doctor's barmy blue box, waving good-bye madly until the box finally disappeared from view.
He took a deep breath and with a happy little dance in his step, he hurried back to his telescope so that he could look up at Bellatrix and imagine Donna up there walking beneath alien skies.
The Doctor practically ran into the Tardis, but it was mostly out of eagerness to finally be on their way. He could feel the ship reaching out to him with a soft question, already letting him know that she had programmed the coordinates for Bellatrix Prime if he was ready to depart. The Doctor was grinning from ear to ear, his mind darting in and out of the consciousness of the Tardis before he looked up at Donna and with a flourish, threw the final lever home.
Donna held on to the rail as the ship seemed to dance around her, the lights flickering in an odd, almost playful pattern that she had never seen before. She was looking from the Doctor to the time rotor, her mind bobbing uncontrollably through the manic dance of the Doctor's emotions. His eyes were shining and his lips were parted slightly as the ship screamed through the vortex, he was watching the monitors with an earnest focus before he turned those dancing eyes to her.
"What's on Bellatrix Prime, Doctor? You sound like you've been planning this for a long time now."
The Doctor just grinned before he perched up on the jump seat and motioned for her to join him. The journey was going to take a while and they would have time to pack before they got there, but he wanted to let her know just how special this place was to him and soon would hopefully be to her as well.
Donna was watching him with a strange expression, before she simply shook her head with a soft chuckle, knowing that she could spend her entire life trying to figure the Doctor out and she would only end up with a blinding headache. Padding across the control room, she shimmied up onto the jump seat next to him, her feet swinging playfully before she looked up at him with an expectant grin.
The Doctor was nearly vibrating with excitement, his body bouncing lightly in the seat before he blew out the breath he had been holding and leaned against her. His fingers threaded through hers and just like that, the manic frenzy in his mind calmed. It was eerie how he was able to do that sometimes, Donna felt like she could get whiplash sometimes from the mercurial shifting of his moods.
"I've been to Bellatrix Prime several times in the last few centuries, helped them out of a spot of trouble with the Red Carnivorous Maw and have since fallen in love with the planet. It is a colder planet so the primary species has evolved with that in account. They are roughly humanoid, but are covered with a light fur that can range from nearly white to a dark red with black being the rarest and most revered color for the species. Many of their seers and augers are black pelted." He was chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip while he let his gaze wander through the control room, his mind momentarily lost in everything that he had ever experienced with those wonderful people.
"Ah yes, never stroke their fur without their express consent as they consider that the highest insult, but they are generally some of the most peaceful peoples in the galaxy. I wasn't kidding when I told your grandfather that they have probably never waged war on anything in their entire existence."
Donna was listening to the Doctor with rapt attention, her body already shivered when he mentioned that it was going to be a colder planet. She sighed softly at that fact. "Why can't we go back to a beach planet Doctor? You know I hate the cold."
He grinned and tapped a finger against her lips lightly, his eyes dancing and thoughts bubbling playfully through hers before he answered. "Ah but this planet is special, Donna! It's what Time Lords used to refer to as a nexus world and there's only a few of them scattered throughout each galaxy."
She cocked her head at that term, rolling it around on the tip of her tongue before asking the inevitable question. "And just what is a nexus world Doctor?" She felt like a bleeding idiot when he led her into questions like this, but she could tell that he was loving the mystery and needed her to play along with him for just a little while longer.
"It's a world where the patterns of time and thought and reality all merge into one, creating a unique connection between all the living beings on the planet and surrounding the entire world in a low level psychic field." The Doctor paused for a moment, his mind racing before he settled on a different description. "Think of it like the Force in Star Wars, all the living beings on the planet are tuned to this psychic field and share a connection with it."
Donna half-heartedly chuckled at his description, though she knew now was the time to fess up to her little secret. "Um, I've never seen Star Wars Doctor." She watched him stop mid-thought and turn an absolutely incredulous look towards her, she wanted to practically melt through the floor. Who'd have ever thought that she would be living a life like she was now, where she was travelling to distant worlds and that knowledge of an old science fiction movie would be a requirement?
The Doctor just shook his head, unable to believe his ears but already grinning as he knew just what they were going to be doing when they settled in on Bellatrix. "That's it, we're going to have marathon. The original trilogy only as the prequels were utter rubbish. You're going to love it!"
She couldn't help but laugh softly at his enthusiasm, which was so infectious she knew that she would just love to have the time to properly watch him geek out. Even if she didn't remember a blasted thing about the movie, she knew it would make him happy. "Whatever you say Prawn, now you were going to tell me more about this mystery planet."
He came back to himself with a start, nodding his head before he started babbling again. "Now unlike the force, this field is unique to the planet and other nexus worlds like it. The reason I'm taking you there though is that telepaths are especially tuned into this psychic field and can manipulate it in small ways for different purposes."
Donna pulled back when he said that, fear fluttering through her body as she thought of just how much she could be overloaded on such a world. "Why would you take me there, Doctor? You know I'm still struggling to learn to control my abilities."
The Doctor leaned close to her, his hand rising up to cup her cheek before he leaned close and brushed a soft kiss across her trembling lips. "It's not like that at all, Donna. It is like a warm embrace, or being cradled in the womb. It surrounds you and connects you in a way you've never felt before." His gaze grew distant once more and she could just feel the edge of those memories flicker through his mind, it was almost more than she could bear to see the peace that he had found on that world. A peace that had eluded him for far too long.
"It's not invasive in any way and will press in as much as you allow it." He pulled back from her, his gaze locking onto hers while he let her feel the intensity of his desire to share this beautiful place with her. "Like I said, it connects people in deeper ways and on deeper levels than could easily be achieved anywhere else in the galaxy and it would be a safe place for you to start to maybe stretch your wings a little bit."
He puffed a frustrated sigh, running his hand distractedly through his hair before he muttered. "I promised to show you the beauty in these abilities of yours Donna, but so far I haven't been able to deliver much on that promise. This place is amazing and it's one of my favorite places in the galaxy. I just want to share it with you too. I want to feel that connection with you more than anything because I know it will be breathtaking."
Donna leaned closer to him, her eyes searching his while she finally let herself sift lightly through the memories he shared with her. All she could sense in those memories was an overwhelming sense of peace and balance that he had always found so elusive elsewhere in the galaxy. It had been a haven of sorts for him when he had needed grounding in the past, and he had never shared it with anyone else nor had he ever had a desire to before. Now he was wanting to share it with her, more so he was wanting to show her how she could better control and maybe grow to love her new abilities. She took a deep breath, her eyes rising to his so that he could see the leap of faith that she was always prepared to make for him. "All right, Doctor. I won't deny that I'm a little nervous, but you have me intrigued now and I really am tired of being scared of these new abilities all the time." I just don't want you to think I'm completely useless.
The Doctor just pulled her into his arms when he heard the thought flit through Donna's mind, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head. "You are anything but useless, Donna. You've been doing brilliantly and have handled things far better than I could have dreamed. It's okay to relax your guard around me Donna. I don't think you're useless because you haven't mastered a skill in only a few short weeks that took me centuries. Be patient with yourself, Donna. You're absolutely brilliant and it breaks my hearts when you doubt that."
She sighed softly and just snuggled into his chest, feeling some of the fears melt away with his words though she knew that it would be a long time before she ever felt she could give herself any slack. "I'm trying Doctor, I really am. I know you hate when I speak about myself like that, hell I hate it when I speak about myself like that, but it's been my armor for so long I do it without even thinking sometimes."
Donna could feel him frowning against her temple, though his thoughts were only soothing as they flitted through her mind. "Well, we'll continue to work on it together. And I won't stop complimenting you till you finally do believe it yourself. Because they're all bloody well true anyways!"
She burst out laughing at the defiant tone in his voice, the laughter breaking the tension that had unexpectedly arisen between them before she made herself look up into his eyes again. "It's a deal, Doctor."
He flashed that blinding grin of his before he swooped down and kissed her nearly senseless. "Well then, come on! Let's go get packed and make sure to take that black fur coat that you wore on the Ood Sphere, you'll need it and you looked positively divine in it."
She groaned as he pulled her off the jump seat, taking two bouncing steps for every one of hers while he literally dragged her up the steps to their respective rooms. "All right, all right! I'm coming Doctor, no need to drag me." She couldn't help but laugh at the exuberance that was pouring off of him in waves.
"Hurry up and pack, Donna! We'll be there shortly and I don't want to miss the auroras when they rise. You'll see, it'll be brilliant."
Donna shook her head with a laugh before she turned and slipped into her room, a soft smile on her lips when she saw that the Tardis had already started some of her packing for her.
"Thanks for the head start ducky, we wouldn't want to keep him waiting now would we?" She murmured to the Tardis, the thrill of the ship's amusement tickling her senses when she used the nickname that the Doctor had so hated. It was their little secret, and the Tardis for one didn't mind at all.
Donna came down from her room wrapped in the warm fur coat that she had worn before, with a matching hat and fur lined boots. She wasn't sure how cold it would be when they arrived but she wasn't taking any chances. She hadn't been kidding when she told the Doctor that she hated the cold.
The Doctor was already standing by the control console, a single blue suitcase already sitting packed by the door before her brown and white checked suitcase and pink overnighter appeared beside it. She could barely contain the smile when she saw him bouncing on the balls of his feet while he waited for her to finish packing, his fingers were idly flipping several switches to bring up information on the monitor before he noticed she had come up beside him.
He grinned and pulled her close, fingers lightly stroking over her fur clad arm before he pointed to the monitor. "The place we are staying at is in the planet's northern polar circle and it's their arctic night so don't expect the sun to come up while we're there."
She made a face at that bit of information. "And why're you taking me during this time?" She questioned with an arch of a delicately sculpted brow.
The Doctor just grinned in response, his eyebrows waggling in a positively lascivious manner that had her playfully slapping his arm. "Trust me, Donna. You won't be worried about the lack of daylight, there's so many fun things to do in the land of eternal night."
"Oi! You're starting to sound like a total sex fiend."
He leaned down and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, the whisper of his lips over sensitive flesh caused a shiver to race through her body. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
She looked up at him with a soft gasp, her eyes darkening before she was able to find her voice. "Not at all, Doctor. Not at all."
His smile could have lit a sun, but their teasing was cut off by the gentle bump of the Tardis materializing on Bellatrix Prime. He was off like a bullet, turning several knobs and locking the Tardis down before he raced to the door and threw them wide.
"Here we are, Donna! Welcome to Bellatrix Prime!"
She walked around the control console, her eyes straying past the Doctor to the frigid snow swept landscape behind him. The scene beyond seemed to be glowing beneath the starlight, the white of the snow sparkling like a million diamonds. She saw what looked to be a wooden door set into the side of a low hill a little ways down a narrow path, but otherwise the view outside looked to be rather desolate.
She paused by his side, letting her gaze wander over the landscape before coming back to rest on the door. "Is that where we're going?"
"Yup." The Doctor popped, his arm held out to her so that they could pick their way across the path towards the promise of warmth.
Donna huddled her face deeper into the collar of her coat when she felt the wind bite into her skin, her eyes stinging from the flakes of snow and ice that had been disturbed by their arrival as they swirled around the pair madly before flying off into the night once more. The Doctor paused to pull the door of the Tardis closed before he led the way down the path.
"The Bellatraxians don't like anyone arriving outside their designated landing sites, they keep their strict peace by ensuring everyone arrives and leaves in the same manner though they do allow me to park the Tardis in my rooms once I check in." Donna could feel the soft whisper of sound from the Tardis, reminding the Doctor to not forget about her like he had sometimes in the past when he found himself lost in the wonder of this place.
He simply smiled at his ship fondly before whispering. I wouldn't dream of it, old girl. Besides you and I have something to talk about later. The responding purr from the Tardis was enough to fill him with an eager anticipation of the weeks to come. He continued down the path with Donna for a little ways more, before he gasped and suddenly stiffened against her.
Donna looked up with alarm when she heard the Doctor gasp and shudder, his head momentarily thrown back before he came back to himself with a start. "Doctor, what is it?" She frowned when she felt the now familiar buzzing in the back of her mind, surprised that she hadn't felt it the moment she stepped out of the Tardis.
"We've just left the Tardis' temporal field, I'd forgotten how strong my connection was here." He shuddered once more, but Donna could tell that it was a shudder of near ecstasy rather than one of pain as she had first feared.
The Doctor's eyes were filled with his hunger to get her to their room in order to help her lower her barriers safely so that she could revel in the energy that was surrounding them. He felt like he was swimming through a sea of molten fire, his entire body was tingling and his nerve endings were on fire when he felt his telepathic synapses explode with sensation. It was completely overwhelming when the field first enveloped him and it always took him several moments to get his raging senses back under control.
Donna was staring up at him with parted lips, her mind having been flooded with some of the sensations he was feeling though he tried to be careful to not completely overwhelm her. She could feel the shivers racing through his body as every nerve ending was teased with delicious sensation and she suddenly found herself yearning for the contact even more. In that moment, she completely lost her fear of the planet and finally opened herself up to the excitement of what she would learn here with him.
The Doctor took several more panting breaths before the sensations finally began to die back down, his own mind adjusting to the new heightened senses with the ease borne of long familiarity. He looked down at Donna with a mischievous smile, tugging lightly on her arm so that they could resume their walk towards the hotel entrance.
"Doctor, how long has it been since you've been here?"
The Doctor cocked his head while he thought back, the years having melted into one another so much that he was having trouble pinpointing exactly when he had last visited. "It was definitely before the Time War, afterwards I could never bring myself to come here." A brief wince of pain at the memories, before he muttered. "I was hurting too much to even consider coming here to find solace, it somehow felt like a betrayal when I was the last one."
She gripped his arm tightly when she heard those words, her eyes flicking to his face before she saw the shadow of pain vanish as he patted her arm in gratitude. "It's only been about twenty years though for the Bellatraxians since I was able to save them. With their connection to the Nexus, they were able to tell that my face sometimes changes, but that inside I am still the man that saved them." He grinned slightly when they reached the door that had been set into the hillside, disengaging his arm from hers before he reached out to pull the door open for her. "They're used to telepaths from all parts of the galaxy coming here to experience the Nexus, and their hospitality is known throughout this quadrant."
Donna gasped when she saw the corridor beyond the door. It had been hewn right into the rock of the mountain behind it, the length broken regularly by large wooden beams before it continued off into the distance. She eagerly stepped inside the door, stamping her feet on the ground to remove any excess snow before she sighed at the delicious warmth that welcomed them both.
The walls were covered from floor to ceiling in the most intricate carvings she had ever seen, the delicate swirls of an alien language melting into beautiful stylized creatures that she had to assume were representative of the mysterious Bellaxtraxians. The corridor was lit with a soft blue light that seemed to emanate from the stone itself, the carvings burning with their own inner fire for a brief moment before the light faded once more. She felt the Doctor lean close as he led the way down the corridor towards a large open space at the end. "The carvings are a welcome blessing to all who enter into this place. The flash of light you saw there was from the psychic energy that was woven into the carvings as they were made so that any who walks by them are instantly overcome with a profound sense of peace." Donna did have to admit that she was feeling far more settled then she had in a long time, though the buzzing was intensifying in the back of her mind. She knew now what it was, that the pressure of the field around them was vibrating along her barriers in an attempt to get her to reach out and lose herself in its embrace.
They continued down the corridor for a little while before coming out into a large open reception area. The large area vaulted above their heads, large wooden beams crisscrossing the space up to a domed ceiling that was filled with a huge chandelier that held nearly a hundred softly glowing spheres. Donna gasped softly at the sight around her, the lush warmth of the wood throughout the space was instantly welcoming and a stunning contrast to the cold desolate path up above.
It was obvious that though this part of the planet at least looked to be bleak and desolate, its people more than made up for it with the vibrancy of their art and architecture. It was then that she noticed the gazes of several beings had settled almost expectantly on the both of them.
Donna smiled softly when she saw the soft down that covered their bodies from head to foot, but their faces were still far more humanoid then she had expected. She could instantly tell the males from the females because of the delicate turns of cheekbones and the soft slant to their eyes, their tufted pointed ears were twitching in curiosity before they each bowed at the waist to the two of them.
The Doctor's face was split with a huge smile and he bounded across the space towards the counter, leaving Donna to follow behind him at a more sedate pace. He addressed a slightly older looking male whose chocolate colored fur was shot through with grey, his deep liquid eyes were shining with emotion when the Doctor approached.
"We were so happy to hear that you were coming, Doctor though we didn't know which face you would be wearing this time. It has been too long since you've last seen us, the Nexus has not been the same without you."
The Doctor tugged his right ear slightly at the male's words, his eyes turning back to Donna before he nodded. "It's been longer than you realize for me Nishtano, and so much has happened since I last saw you."
The male that the Doctor had named Nishtano closed his eyes briefly in acknowledgement of the Doctor's words, before he murmured. "You have come to us to heal then?"
The Doctor nodded. "And to teach, Nish." He held his hand out to Donna, pulling her up to his side he introduced her. "This is Donna Noble, we're here together to join with the Nexus and learn."
Nishtano clapped his hands in delight when he heard the Doctor's words, his eyes snapping to Donna with an almost feral grin. "She's a fledgling then Doctor?"
Donna looked from the Doctor to Nishtano in total confusion, she had heard the term fledgling before but she was uncertain as to how it could possibly relate to her. "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean."
The Doctor just smiled at her. "She is indeed a fledgling, Nish though a very powerful one. I couldn't think of a better place to teach her the beauty of her abilities and help her find the connection that so many have discovered here."
The younger Bellatraxians were looking at Donna with an almost frightening intensity before she heard their words whisper quite clearly through her mind. Welcome to Bellatrix Prime, Donna Noble. May you find peace and fulfillment in the Nexus.
Donna jumped when their thoughts echoed through her mind even though her barriers were still rigidly in place, her eyes flying to the Doctor's as she gasped. "Doctor?"
Nishtano hissed softly to the pair of them, his eyes flashing before he turned his attention back to Donna. "Forgive my daughters, Miss Noble. They have never encountered a fledgling before and have not yet learned the proper etiquette for when we do. Our people are borne already attuned to the Nexus, so it is only when newcomers arrive to learn of its power that we use the term fledgling. It has been a while since we have had one such as you, so they were unprepared for meeting one of which they had only heard stories. Please accept my humblest apologies." The pair of girls were looking at her with what could only be mortification in their eyes, their hands to their mouths as they both babbled their apologies.
Donna shook her head with a soft laugh, feeling bad for the both of them as they had only tried to be welcoming to her. "It's alright really, it was just a surprise is all."
The Doctor just smiled when he saw Donna instantly try to soothe the two agitated girls, her heart instantly going out to the both of them when she saw that they might have gotten into trouble simply for welcoming her in the way of their people.
The two girls cast nervous glances at their father, but they could tell that Donna's words had eased the worry that he had instantly felt when Donna had been taken by surprise with their actions. It looked like no harm had been done, and it was a valuable lesson for the both of them as well.
The Doctor turned his attention back to Donna, taking a brief moment to explain how she had heard that thought despite her defenses being up. "It's quite simple actually to project a thought to a person's mind even if their defenses are up. Think of it like waving to someone across a room, it's really just a broad thought transmission."
Donna nodded in what she hoped was understanding, though she was still trying to process all the information that she had learned in just the last few minutes. Her head was spinning with the relentless buzzing in the back of her mind, and she could feel her defenses starting to fray under the pressure.
The Doctor noticed her struggle and turned back to Nishtano and his daughters. "Forgive my urgency, Nish but would it be possible to be shown to our room now? The time for Donna's first lesson is fast approaching and I would rather it be under controlled circumstances."
Donna scowled slightly at being discussed in such frank terms with a virtual stranger, though it was obvious that the Doctor knew him well. She let him feel the flash of her annoyance, though there was no real heat behind the thought.
It's traditional here, Donna. They are used to people coming here to learn all the time so they will think nothing of it, and I don't want your shields to dissolve without careful guidance or you could very well black out from the overload of the Nexus. Just a little bit longer, Donna, I promise.
She nibbled her lower lip at his words, feeling her mind flex in unconscious anticipation of feeling even a fraction of what she had felt explode through the Doctor back on the ridge. She found herself looking forward to learning, but more importantly she was looking forward to sharing this journey with the Doctor.
Nishtano personally led the both of them down a side corridor off the reception area, there were only four doors set at large distances down the corridor and he led them to the one that was furthest down the hall. He keyed in a code beside the doorframe and then had both the Doctor and Donna scan their handprints so they would be able to enter on their own. He then bowed once more to the both of them before murmuring. "Please enjoy your stay, Doctor. We are honored as always to have you visit us and if you or Ms Noble need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."
The Doctor returned the bow equally as formally as did Donna, before they bid their host farewell and stepped into their room.
Donna gasped when she turned around and saw the interior of the room, or suite of rooms to be more accurate. Once again the walls were hewn from the bedrock of the mountain, though there were colorful pieces of art scattered at random through the entryway.
The Doctor grabbed her hand and with a grin of pure delight he dashed into the room and took her straight to the balcony that overlooked a pitch black canyon. She gasped when she looked up and saw the bright splash of red from the Orion Nebula taking up nearly a quarter of the sky, the smudge of the galactic center shimmering right beside the breathtaking sight.
"There's a force field around the opening so that you can sit out here no matter the time of year and enjoy the view without having to worry about freezing to death." The Doctor babbled beside her, his eyes completely focused on Donna as he watched her lose herself in the view.
She was distracted momentarily by a faint flash of light that shimmered through the sky, the red and blue glow streaking from horizon to horizon before fading once more. "Doctor, what was that?"
He leaned close, nuzzling the side of her neck so that he could inhale deeply of her scent, his eyes sliding closed in ecstasy before he responded. "That is another of this planet's treasures, but the nebula is too bright right now for them to really come out. Later on you'll be able to see the aurora, and to hear them."
She let her head fall back with a sigh of pure delight, her eyes sliding closed at the mesmerizing caress of his lips so that it took a moment for his words to register through the fog of desire that was rapidly clouding her senses. "Hear them, Doctor?" she gasped in confusion.
"Mmhmm." He hummed into her neck, teeth nibbling playfully for a moment before he pulled away. "There are tiny creatures that live in the upper atmosphere that are excited when the aurora appear, they go into a mating frenzy and sing through the displays. It echoes through the Nexus and can sometimes be heard around the entire planet." He took her hand and led her back into the room, his steps taking them to each door to see what hidden delights were waiting for them.
She was enthralled with everything he was telling her, her eagerness to be able to experience everything fully with him was overcoming her earlier stupor. "I can't wait to hear it, Doctor!"
He grinned when he found the bedroom with a huge oversized bed that was covered in colorful quilts, his gaze flicked from her to the bed while he seemed to be fighting with himself. "Hmmmm, we are going to have so much fun in that!"
She burst out laughing at his comment which was merely an echo of her own thoughts as soon as she had seen it, but he then tugged her hand and they continued to explore. The bathroom was fitted with all the modern amenities but it was what was behind a door next to the shower that caused Donna to nearly melt into a puddle then and there.
Inside the room that they had found were two large pools of water, gently lit by the glowing stone that made up their basins. A faint mist hung in the air and she could see the steam rising off of one of the pools which was several steps higher than the other pool. Water cascaded through an opening in the stone between the pools before falling with a musical splash into the cooler pool below. Donna knelt down at the edge of the lower pool, trailing her fingers through the lukewarm water before she walked to the upper pool and groaned at the delicious heat that enveloped her hand.
"Hot spring water is channeled into every room in this hotel, though most don't have bathing pools like this. It looks like Nish pulled out all the stops for me this time."
Donna just whimpered before she rose to her feet once more, tempted as she was to simply throw her clothes off and dive in headfirst she could tell by the Doctor's expression that there was still more to explore. "He seems like he's very nice. How come you've never mentioned him before Doctor?"
The Doctor took Donna's hand and led her back out of the bathroom and towards a small set of stairs that led up into the rock itself, his fingers unconsciously brushing the back of her hand as he thought about her question. "I don't know Donna, though this place has always had a special place in my hearts. Since it has been centuries for me since I was last here, I guess I just tried not to think about it or him much so that I wouldn't miss it as much. His daughters had just been born when the Maw attacked and unfortunately his mate was killed in that attack but he was able to save them." A look of pain flashed so briefly across his face when he spoke about the death of Nishtano's mate that Donna wondered if she had seen it, but there was no mistaking the sorrow in his thoughts. As he so often did with his failures in the past, he still blamed himself for not being able to save everyone.
"Bellatraxians mate for life because of the bonds that they form through their connection to the Nexus, it is very rare for one to take another mate if they end up surviving the loss in the first place. Children however keep them going, and it's obvious that his daughters gave him the strength to carry on." He finished with a sad sigh, his eyes clouding for a moment when he thought of everything he had lost as well before he came back to reality.
Donna brushed her fingers across the Doctor's cheek as he passed by her, her mind reaching out to him in a gentle embrace before she followed him up the narrow winding staircase. The silence stretched between the both of them as they climbed the stairs, but it was a companionable silence rather than the painful silences that they had sometimes shared in the past. She could feel her connection with the Doctor strengthening with each passing day, and somehow she knew that their time here would forever change their relationship.
She gasped when she rounded the final turn in the stairs and was met with the vista of the night sky above her head. She continued up the final steps, her wide eyed gaze dropping from the breathtaking view to take in their surroundings.
The Doctor was standing with his hands thrust into the pockets of his great coat, his intent gaze watching her reaction as she saw that three low divans were scattered around the circular space. She could just see the generators for the force field atop the high wall that enclosed the space, the seven foot wall guaranteeing a cozy intimacy while interfering as little with the view as possible. She could already feel the thoughts racing through the Doctor's mind and knew that this was what he had been waiting to show her.
"Doctor, I don't know what to say."
His answering smile was hesitant as he answered with an uncharacteristic show of nerves. "Say that you like it."
She closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing a hungry kiss to his lips. His arms wrapped around her in response, squeezing her tightly against him when he felt her joy echo through their bond. "I love it, Doctor. I absolutely love it and can't wait to properly settle in."
The Doctor simply held her for a moment longer before he felt the buzzing in the back of her mind rise in intensity once more. "Hold that thought, Donna. Let me go get the Tardis before she thinks I forgot about her again, then we can walk you through your first immersion in the Nexus."
He motioned for her to relax on one of the divans, his fingers fluttering briefly along her temple before he pulled back. "Do you want to do it up here under this beautiful sky?"
She smiled up at him at the unintended double entendre, her hand rising to clutch his close to her cheek for a moment more. "Yes, Doctor. I think it'll be absolutely perfect up here."
His beaming smile was all the response she needed before he straightened up and bounded to the stairs. "I won't be long, Donna. Just try to relax, then the fun can begin."
The last was said with so much innuendo she now knew it would be impossible to relax while she waited for him to return, but she found she didn't care one bit. She let her eyes drift closed, deciding to catch a little cat nap before the Doctor's fun began.
The Doctor made his way back up the stairs to the observation dome, having finished settling the Tardis into her corner in the room downstairs. He had walked into the kitchen to find a tray with a pitcher of water, several glasses and a platter with cheese, crackers and fruit prepared for him to take back out to the room. He smiled when he saw that the Tardis had included a bottle of red wine and two wineglasses for later.
The Doctor smiled at the thoughtfulness of his ship, slipping the wine bottle into his pocket before placing the glasses on the tray and heading back out into the room. He tended to lose track of time when he was with the Tardis and he didn't want to leave Donna alone for much longer right now.
His mind instinctively reached out to hers when he stepped out of the Tardis, his grip tightening on the handles of the tray in preparation for the rush of sensation from the Nexus. Feeling once again as if he were plunged face first into a delicious sea of fire, the Doctor quickly made his way back to the stairs leading up to the observation dome.
His steps were hurried as his thoughts were filled with the desire to share all of this with Donna, and finally show her the beauty that was her world now. He had never shared this place with anyone in the past, it just hadn't felt right before and now he found that he was fraught with nerves when he thought about it.
Coming up the final few steps, the Doctor's breath caught when he saw the sight before him. The nebula had tracked almost completely across the sky and was just now starting to dip below the horizon on the far end of the canyon, he knew that it would only be a matter of time now before the aurora finally started to shine. But it was the vision of Donna lying on the low settee that caused his hearts to stutter for a moment before they kicked into overdrive.
He let his eyes roam over her body, his heightened senses licking over her form and dipping almost compulsively through the shining strands of her aura. She was blazing with a golden fire, her mind and body glowing with waves of energy as her spirit shimmered just slightly out of sync with the raging force of the Nexus. Her barriers were still in place, though they were weakening and he knew that once they came down she would be blazing with all the power that was even now screaming through her body in a never ending flow.
It was completely different than when his consciousness had been within her mind, threatening to burn her from the inside out. This was her own beautiful presence, her own unique fire screaming out to him through the web of the Nexus in a new and even more intimate caress then he had ever felt before.
Swallowing convulsively, he forced his legs into motion again and made his way to her side, the feel of her mind reaching out to him causing a soft smile to dance across his lips before she turned those gorgeous blue-green eyes up to him. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost, Spaceman."
He shook his head as he set the tray the Tardis had provided down, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the wine bottle and corkscrew. Setting the bottle aside for the moment, he filled two glasses with water and handed one of them to her. "The Tardis sends this with her love, she is excited to be back here actually."
Donna smiled as she took the water, her gaze flicking to the wine bottle before she looked back to him with her brow arched. "Does the Tardis feel the Nexus in the same way as you, Doctor?"
He noticed her glance and grinned softly, raising his glass to hers in a teasing toast. "We'll get to the wine soon enough, Donna. I just wanted you to be completely focused for the time being. And yes, she does experience the Nexus just as we all do though her connection is on a much deeper temporal level."
Donna's eyes widened when he mentioned that, her gaze traveling around the room before coming to rest on him once again. "I didn't even realize that I wasn't seeing any time distortions since we left Cardiff really. Is that because of the extra protection that the Tardis gave me?" She nibbled her lip thoughtfully, squinting her eyes but nothing suddenly flared to life. Now that she noticed the lack, she realized that she didn't want to lose her new abilities and that she was already coming to greatly depend on them. It was another way that she felt connected to the Doctor, something else that the two of them shared that he hadn't been able to share with anyone else since the loss of his planet so long ago.
The Doctor set aside his water glass and reached for her hands, taking her glass as well and setting it down before opening his mind to hers, pulling her close so that he could help soothe the fears away. "It's partly because of that extra barrier yes, though Chiswick really is very quiet from a temporal standpoint anyways. If you'd seen anything there, then I would have been very worried and we most likely wouldn't have left when we did." She held tightly to his hands, her eyes locked with his while she listened to his words and her fear slowly faded away as he continued. "And here, the temporal distortions are linked intrinsically with the Nexus and are sensed in a completely different way than Time Lords can feel. Which is why I don't feel them in my usual way and why you don't see them either, it's all part of that extra level of perception achieved on worlds like this one."
Donna was nodding softly, the buzzing in her mind rising to the forefront of her mind once more when he mentioned the field that was even now clamoring for her attention. She took a deep breath and looked up into his soulful brown eyes, his gaze devouring her in the soft rose colored light that was fast fading as the Orion Nebula had almost completely set. She could see the flashes of color spreading across the sky once more, the blues and reds now joined with pale greens that were growing in intensity.
Taking a deep breath and deciding that it was now or never, Donna looked up at the Doctor with a hesitant smile. "I think I'm about as ready as I'll ever be Doctor."
He grinned that special manic grin that she so loved, his eyes shining as he instructed her to sit back on the settee and to get into a more comfortable position. His fingers were stroking along her arms lightly, noting the gooseflesh left in their wake before he took her hand in his once more. "The first step is to relax, Donna. It will seem very overwhelming when you first feel it, and the sensations are going to be unlike anything you've ever felt before but you can't fight against them."
He stood and pulled another settee across the room, arranging it so that he could sit cross legged on it facing her but not touching her. His eyes were suddenly dark fathomless pools as he let his senses open completely to the energy that was swirling around the both of them. He could feel the tiny streamers licking across hyper sensitized nerves, his whole body shuddering in near ecstasy while he let himself sink deep into the flow once more. "Think of it as a river, but a river with a fierce under current, so you have to be careful when you dip into it. Let it flow through you, you are the vessel that it will fill and you will be able to experience all that it has to offer as you get more comfortable with the new sensations."
Donna was taking deep calming breaths, clinging to his words like a lifeline before she licked her lips in nervous response. "How do I open myself to it, Doctor? I know it's there, but it feels like it's walled away somehow."
The Doctor smiled encouragingly, his mind pulling out of hers so that she would have full control this first time around. "It's walled away Donna because your mental barriers are still in place. I want you to remember how we practiced building up those barriers in the first weeks aboard the Tardis, how you built the barriers layer by layer until they were nearly impenetrable." She nodded at his words, her mind flashing back to those first lessons in the early days when everything had seemed so completely overwhelming. "You just need to let those barriers down slowly, Donna so that you won't be overwhelmed with the rush of sensation. Remember it can be very overwhelming but don't worry, I'll be right here with you."
Her eyes slid closed at his words, her mind turning inward so that she could feel along the ridges and seams that she now so effortlessly built within her mind. She could feel the extra layer of protection that the Tardis had laid over her mind in Cardiff, how it seamlessly blended with her own layers until it all seemed to be a single piece. She could feel the Doctor's energy so close to her, his mind withdrawn so that she could focus fully on the task before her. She missed his manic thoughts racing through her head, but she knew that she needed all her wits about her this first time around. She could tell that he desperately wanted her to share in this with him, that it was something that he had held close to his hearts for centuries and that the moment was finally here he could barely contain his eagerness. She took one last deep breath for luck, then set about slowly dropping the barriers one by one.
The Doctor leaned forward as he felt the pulsing brilliance that was Donna being revealed one layer at a time, her spirit shining through to him in ever brighter waves as the layers were dropped one by one. He opened his eyes, grinning maniacally as the feel of her opening herself to the beauty around him layered over his own vision until the world looked to be on fire around her body. Wreathing her presence in golden flame, she finally trusted in her ability enough to open herself to the beauty that he promised would be hers to experience.
The shivering started slowly with her fingers and her toes, her muscles quivering with tension that only seemed to spread up her arms and legs as she continued. The Doctor remembered his first experience with the Nexus and could only imagine what it would be like for her when the last of her barriers fell away. Her body was already reacting to the new influx of sensation in the only way it could, the excess energy racing through her in a lightning cascade that soon rose up her body and thrummed through her chest until she felt like she was going to burst with the influx of raw power.
The Doctor sat across from her, his gaze transfixed as he watched the slow transformation course through Donna. He could tell that one tenuous barrier was all that was left, and though she paused for a moment more, her eyes flashing open to lock onto the Doctor's hungry gaze before she let it melt away.
Her back arched and her head was thrown back with a soft cry as the energy of the Nexus exploded through her mind and body, her senses suddenly expanding in ways she had never felt before as the world around her changed into a vision of utter beauty. She was thrown back against the settee with the flood of new sensation, her body shuddering in near orgasmic pleasure when fiery tendrils of psychic power exploded across already raw and tortured nerves.
No wonder the Doctor loved this place, she could feel the living force of the planet pulsing through her body and her mind filling it to near bursting before flowing out in a new expansive connection with the world around her. She could feel the Doctor so close to her, his mind and soul already so entwined with hers that she had obviously mistakenly thought they had already achieved the deepest levels that they could.
She turned to look at him, her eyes widening when she saw the swirl of energy wreathing his form in a fiery nimbus. His timelines shimmering in infinite possibility around his body, while those timelines melded so perfectly with her own.
When Donna saw the swirling dance of their timelines, the strands of energy entwining so perfectly before streaming off into the distance she finally understood what he had seen when the Ood had showed him the new timeline that had been formed aboard the Master's ship. She understood now that the single shining strand of time marching across the galaxy in glorious power had in fact been their own beautiful timeline. Now she finally understood why he had been so happy and so focused when he had returned to the Tardis that day, and why he had finally given in to his emotions and taken that first plunge with her clasped tightly in his arms.
Her hands reached out to him, fingers ghosting mere inches from his body while they swirled through the lines of power radiating out to him. Is this how the Bellatraxians saw him? Is this how they always knew who he was no matter the face that he wore? It was the most stunningly beautiful sight Donna had ever seen and she couldn't help but gasp. "God, you're beautiful."
His gaze flew to her eyes, the startled gasp from her lips enough to cause him to smile softly in response. "Now you know what I see when I look at you, Donna."
She shook her head, her fingers still plucking at the ghostly strands of energy like they were a musical instrument. The sensation of her stroking with her heightened senses was enough to cause his whole body to clench in a sudden desperate need for more. "No, it's more than that Doctor. All this energy, all this fire burning through and around you, it's no wonder we're all drawn to you."
He took her hand in his, his fingers stroking along the inside of her wrist in the same almost there motion that she was using on him. His senses flaring out so that he could dance playfully through the energy that swirled around her, causing her body to tense and her back to arch in whimpering pleasure off the settee. "It's more like I'm the one who is drawn to you, all of your beauty and love and compassion that is not diminished no matter the circumstances that you face. Your ability to find joy in the most mundane of things, that sense of wonder that I had lost so long ago you've given back to me and for just this one moment I wanted you to see how amazing you are."
She was focused on him, her mind overwhelmed with the flood of new sensations that were setting off far too many nerves in her already frazzled body. She dipped into the river just as he had described and for a moment felt herself begin to flail as the current he had warned about threatened to sweep her away.
The Doctor frowned when she whimpered, her suddenly frightened gaze looking up at him as her hands flew out trying to find purchase on something, anything that was solid. "Doctor, what's happening? How do I stop it?"
He reached out to her, his hands grabbing her flailing arms before he thrust himself into her mind in order to feel what she was feeling. It was not a gentle joining like he had done in the past, but with their heightened senses it definitely felt far more intimate than it ever had in the past. He smiled when he felt what was frightening her, his arms reaching down to pull her up against his body so his lips could brush across her temple in a comforting gesture. "Just breathe, Donna and let it flow through you. Remember what I said before? Don't fight it, it's the power of the entire planet and will sweep you away if you try to fight it. Just relax and let it guide you, I'm right here with you."
She seized onto his mind with an almost painful intensity, her heart hammering when the tide seemed to grow in strength, threatening to sweep her away before she was finally able to trust in his words and let herself completely relax. Just as suddenly as it swept through her, the tide lessened to a gentle flow and cradled her body in its brilliant warmth.
Her eyes snapped to his when she felt that embrace, the wonder clear on her face though his beaming smile told her that he felt it too. She was awestruck at the beauty of the world around her, her body vibrating with all that it was feeling until she thought she would go insane. It was almost too much to handle, and when that thought flitted through her mind, it seemed that the flow sensed her fear and lessened itself just enough to become more bearable.
The Doctor was smiling like a loon when he felt the natural control she asserted on the flow around her, her mind already applying all that she had learned in her lessons with him to control this new sense that was even now raging through her. She was far more adept than even he had realized, and with the ease borne of her amazing spirit and ingenuity, she settled against him with a look of wonder on her face as the sky above them exploded in light.
She jerked when she heard the hauntingly beautiful song echoing through her mind, the ghostly shimmer of thought screaming from the sky and into the minds of any who could hear. The auroras were dancing overhead, the reds and blues filled with a faint shimmer that seemed to move of its own accord.
"Doctor, what's that singing?"
He lay down on the settee next to her, pulling her close into his arms so that they could lay beneath the singing sky together. "Remember those creatures I mentioned? They're like tiny fireflies living in the upper atmosphere, using the energy field from the aurora to excite their mating drives. But more importantly they can feel when someone new joins the Nexus for the first time and shares in the connection that all living beings have on this world." He just hugged her tight to him, wanting her to realize just what it was that he was saying. "They're singing for you, Donna Noble. They're singing their welcome just for you."
She was staring wide eyed up at the dancing sky overhead, her eyes brimming with tears at the beauty she was finally able to see, the beauty that he had always been promising her since her abilities had first started to manifest. She sat up and leaned over him, her shimmering eyes conveying everything that she could barely form into thought before she leaned down and kissed him with all the love she felt in her heart. "Thank you for bringing me here, Doctor. Thank you for sharing the beauty of this world with me, and thank you for showing me what it means to be truly loved and welcomed."
He looked up into her eyes, lips quirking into a gentle smile even as his mental fingertips still idly played with the aura that was blazing so brightly to him. "You're so very welcome, Donna. Now let's lay beneath the singing skies and listen to their welcome. I still have so very much to show you, but not tonight. Tonight's for you to simply feel welcomed and cherished."
She snuggled back down into his arms, her eyes watching the dancing display overhead as her mind continued to echo with the jubilant song of welcome. She finally knew that she had found where she belonged and it would always be at his side, his companion through thick and thin. He was her love and she was his, they may not have gotten around to saying it yet but she had a feeling that time was no longer that far off. For now, she was content to lay in his arms enjoying the singing skies and the warm sense of belonging that finally chased the last of her doubts away.