Author's note: We're finally at the penultimate chapter! Man this christmas night was harder to get through than I thought it would be. I wanted everything to be just right though and it took some definite doing! The epilogue will hopefully be coming along sooner rather than later and then we will be able to continue on to new adventures.
Many thanks to my amazing beta BMG as always for reading my long rambling emails and always responding in such thoughtful detail. Much love to youreintown and dm12 as well as noteissignedlc for all your amazing support through this crazy process. We're almost there! FINALLY.
Please note also that I've named this universe now the "Phoenix Universe" as the stories needed a home since there will be more than one installment in this fixit universe. Thanks again and now I'll shut up and let you get to the reading!
After dinner, Donna and Sylvia shooed the men out of the dining room so that they could start cleaning up before settling down for dessert and to exchange gifts.
The silence between Donna and Sylvia was far less strained than it had been earlier in the evening, and Donna, with the Doctor's help, had begun to once more strengthen the barriers in her mind. The cacophony of mental noise was a strain on Donna though, and she found that she couldn't wait for everyone to head off to bed so that she could finally find some peace and quiet.
Sylvia shook her head as she looked over the mess in the kitchen, but she was more surprised that there were so few leftovers from the massive dinner that she had made. The Doctor and Jack had polished off nearly every single platter that had been laid on the table.
"Does he always eat like that?"
Donna looked up from the sink with a confused frown, her eyes darting back to the living room before she clarified. "The Doctor? Or Jack?"
"Both." Sylvia responded with an exasperated sigh.
Donna just smiled softly as she turned back to the now full sink, taking the first pile of plates and dumping them in the water before she then started washing them. "The few times I've seen Jack eat he does seem to be something of a bottomless pit. The Doctor however, has a much higher metabolism than we do, so that when he does remember to eat it is usually in very large quantities. He also absolutely fiends for bananas, which is why he brought the banana cream pie. He needs more potassium than humans do and so he tends to gorge himself on them when he can."
Sylvia joined Donna at the sink, taking each wet dish as it was handed to her and drying it before carefully setting it aside. She listened to the fond emotion in Donna's voice as she spoke of the Doctor, the distant look on her face caused Sylvia to steel herself for the future that now seemed to be inevitable. Donna was head over heels for the Doctor, so much that Sylvia was surprised she hadn't noticed it before. Now that she knew how they felt about each other, she wondered how she had ever managed to miss all the signs.
The way they had behaved towards each other for the last few visits should have been telling enough, but she had refused to let herself see what was plain before her eyes. She supposed she had been hoping that Donna would still, one day, tire of travelling with the Doctor and that she would return to earth and have a normal life. She had to stifle a laugh when she realized that Donna had never done anything normal in her life. It was with a sad pang that she remembered Geoffrey had always loved and supported Donna's adventurous spirit, far more than she ever had.
"Tell me more about him and about the two of you. I suppose if he's going to be my son in law, I should know more about the man."
Donna nearly dropped the dish she had been washing when she heard her mother's request, her hands fumbling the plate for a brief moment while she goggled at her mother. She could feel the Doctor's surprise as well at the question, though she could tell that he was pleased that Sylvia seemed to be trying to overcome her aversion to the thought of her daughter being with an alien. The fact that Sylvia wanted to know more about the Doctor might just mean that she would eventually be completely accepting of the two of them being together.
Go ahead, Donna. It might actually help her overcome some of her baseless fears with regards to your safety.
Donna took a deep breath when she heard the Doctor's words, her eyes sliding closed before she resolutely nodded and turned back to her mother. She stopped when she noticed her mother watching her intently, her gaze not having missed the nod nor the distracted look in her eyes. "Does he always talk to you in your mind?"
Donna swallowed convulsively at her mother's question, her thoughts stilling as she fought for control of the unnatural panic that seemed to flare out of nowhere. It still felt strange that her mother now knew about her telepathy and that her mother wasn't screaming and calling her a freak, but she was trying to be supportive in the only way she knew how. She could feel the Doctor hovering in the back of her mind, there should she need him, but staying back and letting her try to cope with these emotions on her own.
The Doctor knew first-hand how it felt to be persecuted for telepathy of any kind, and humanity was far too young to be readily accepting of such an ability as Donna's. Her family had truly been the biggest test, and though they had passed with flying colors, he knew that not everyone would be as welcoming of Donna's differences.
"We do seem to communicate in our minds more often than not, Mum. It has actually helped us in a few situations already, but it's just something that we need to do." She paused with her hands in the sudsy water, her thoughts floundering for a moment as she tried to put her feelings into words. "When I was being held by the Master, I didn't know what was happening to me most of the time. The Doctor's barriers were still in place, but the Master was peeling them away a layer at a time. It was in my rare moments of clarity that I was able to reach out to the Doctor, though I didn't understand how I was able to do so. I remember screaming out his name when I was first taken, then I blacked out from the pain."
Donna's hands were shaking as she let herself remember the agony and confusion she had felt during those terrifying days that she had been held in captivity, her mind was clinging to the Doctor as she let herself finally begin to share what she had actually gone through. He held her mind close to his, his essence lending her the strength to continue when she was struggling to find her way now that she had begun.
The Doctor had not expected her to delve into her time aboard the Master's ship, but Donna as always had surprised him. In sharing what her bond with the Doctor meant, she instantly reflected back on the time when she had first become aware of that bond. The Doctor was merely a silent specter as she travelled down that path, an anchor should she become lost in the memories.
Sylvia was standing rooted to the spot as Donna began to speak, her lips were quivering while she listened to the agony that her daughter was unable to conceal. She had never asked what Donna had been subjected to when she had been taken that first time; truth be told, she had never really wanted to hear what had happened on that distant ship. She couldn't understand how this time hadn't made her fearful to continue traveling with the Doctor, but instead it seemed to have solidified her bond to that man.
Donna pulled her hands out of the soapy water, her gaze meeting her mother's as she reached for a towel before she continued. "The Doctor had done all that he could to protect me after the metacrisis, he wasn't lying when he said that we were both going insane. However, he didn't understand what had happened when I had sparked off the chain of events that led to his consciousness being implanted in my mind."
Donna sighed softly as she let the pain that she had felt over the last few months wash over her, the fear and worry that had finally been resolved with their time on Bellatrix faded into a dull pang that she knew would only serve to give her strength the more time wore on. She glanced over to her mother, not at all surprised to see the stunned look on her face as she continued to speak. She didn't know why she felt compelled to share this experience with her mother, but she figured it was a good a place as any to explain how her bond with the Doctor had finally manifested.
"I'd told you about how the Master had taken me because of the fact that I had the Doctor's mind buried within me, but I don't think he quite understood what that meant at the time that he had to act. A link was forged between us in the instant of the metacrisis, a bond that his people had considered a marriage bond for many centuries. In burying my mind, he'd inadvertently severed that bond with nearly disastrous consequences. When the Master began to peel away the layers of protection from my mind, that bond rose to the surface and I was able to reach out to him across all of time and space to let him know what was happening before it was too late."
Sylvia set the plate that she had been drying aside before she turned back to Donna with a perplexed look as she struggled to understand what Donna was telling her. It all sounded so fantastic and utterly ridiculous, but the evidence of Donna's strange new ability was completely undeniable. "I don't understand why this Master person wanted you, Donna, or why he would want the Doctor. Who was he and why do you refer to him as the Master? What was he trying to do?"
"The Master was my oldest friend from Gallifrey, Sylvia. I grew up with him and even attended school with him. Time saw us growing apart as our lives took different paths and in the end, he ended up being my greatest adversary."
Donna looked up with a start when she saw the Doctor in the doorway to the kitchen, his gaze pained as he remembered the better times that he had shared with Koschei before he had gone completely insane. She crossed the small distance between them and wrapped her arms around the Doctor before she turned back to face her mother. She could tell by the expression on Sylvia's face that she was shocked by such an open display of affection between them, but she was struggling to set aside her prejudices in light of what Donna was sharing with her.
"The Master was always looking for a means to best me. He was always searching for something that would give him an advantage in our struggles and he thought he had found that advantage in Donna. What he didn't realize was that we were both going insane being separated because of the bond between us, and quite frankly I knew that I was running out of time." The Doctor cut himself off before he got into just what that final end would mean as now was not the time to educate Sylvia in the intricacies of Gallifreyan physiology. She was trying hard to accept everything that Donna was telling her and for once she was not shouting at either of them because of something or other.
Sylvia scowled softly when she heard the Doctor's words, her confusion giving her more courage than she was feeling at the moment before she was able to ask. "Why were you going insane, Doctor? I understand somewhat why Donna's mind was compromised, but I don't understand what happened to you. You said that you would try to find a way to fix her, but earlier you had mentioned that you weren't able to think clearly enough to find a solution."
Donna pulled away from the Doctor, her gaze steady as she crossed the space that separated her from her mother. "Because the bond that formed between us was a two-way bond, Mother. By burying my mind in the manner that he did, he severed that bond in a way that only death had done for his people. By burying everything that I had become, he was effectively killing me and dooming himself to complete insanity. There had never been such a metacrisis before and so unfortunately he just didn't understand what he was dealing with when he acted so swiftly to try to save me from burning."
Sylvia's shocked gaze flew back to the Doctor as she finally began to understand why he had been so devastated when he had brought Donna back to them on that fateful night. She had thought that it was because he had lost a traveling companion, but now she understood that it was actually so much more. "You mentioned that this bond that formed was considered a marriage bond amongst your people, Doctor. Would your people look at you as being married now?"
The Doctor froze at the unexpected perception in Sylvia's question, her eyes were boring into him like daggers when he realized that they had revealed far too much, too soon. Donna stood still beside her mother, her thoughts completely calm while she waited for him to make the decision on just how much to reveal to her mother.
He sighed softly as his gaze darted around the small kitchen, his head turning when he heard a soft laugh from the room behind him as Wilf and Jack continued to talk. He, however, knew that both men were not oblivious to the confrontation that was happening at that moment. No help would come from that quarter, and try as he might, he couldn't think of any way to dodge the direct question.
"My people are dead and gone now, Sylvia. What they would think no longer really matters, does it?"
Sylvia crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing at the Doctor's neat evasion. "You didn't answer my question, Doctor. You said earlier that you were the man who was going to marry my daughter. By your people's standards, are the two of you already married?"
Donna stood stock still next to her mother, her thoughts flying into a blind panic when she felt the certainty settle over the Doctor's thoughts. He had not been wanting to tell her just what their bond truly meant, but it seemed that Donna had felt compelled to share the importance of it with her mother.
The Doctor couldn't really even blame Donna because there was no other way to describe their bond than she had done, nor could she underline just why they were both going insane when that link had been forcibly suppressed. Sylvia Noble stood across the kitchen, facing him down with as much intensity as he had ever seen in any being. She had him neatly cornered and he knew that there was nothing he could do in order to avoid answering the question.
He had never wished for Daleks to invade the earth or an army of Cybermen to appear before, but he found himself fervently wishing for either threat to give him the time needed to avoid answering her direct question.
Donna was merely watching him, her thoughts giving nothing away as she waited for him to decide just what he was going to reveal. She hadn't agreed with him when he had made the decision to hide the true depth of their relationship, though it had made sense to not give her mother a complete heart attack right away. She figured it was better that Sylvia figure out the details of their relationship now or there would be hell to pay when she did realize it at a later date.
The Doctor grimaced as Donna nodded once in encouragement before he returned his attention back to an expectant Sylvia. "Yes we are, Sylvia. We were married the instant of the metacrisis, though I didn't realize it at the time. I don't know what I would have done or how I would have reacted if I HAD realized it at that time."
The Doctor's hand rose to rub unconsciously at the back of his neck as he waited for Sylvia to berate him or once more threaten to throw the both of them out of her house. He honestly didn't know what to expect from her when she had shown that her moods were completely mercurial where her only daughter was concerned. What he hadn't expected was for the woman to burst into hysterical tears and grab her daughter up in a bone crushing hug.
Donna squeaked in surprise when her mother embraced her, her eyes darting to the Doctor in confusion before she was able to make sense of her mother's confused ramblings. "Why did you feel you had to lie to me, Donna? You know that I only wanted you to be happy and that I never thought that you would have a chance once he came into your life. Why did you feel you had to hide what had happened between the two of you?"
Donna pulled back with a surprised start, her wide eyes staring incredulously at her mother before she blurted out. "Seriously, Mum? You're asking me why I lied? You couldn't stand the Doctor and you certainly never accepted the fact that I travelled with him. Why in the world would you accept that I'd been married to him in some weird alien way?"
"Oi! It was not some weird alien way. It's a profound bonding of two souls together in a way that only death or regeneration can break."
Sylvia laughed softly through her tears as she pulled away from her daughter, her eyes truly inspecting her son in law for the first time. "I don't understand half the things you say, Doctor but I am sure that you will tell me everything as time allows."
The Doctor looked at her strangely, not quite sure what to make of Sylvia's sudden strange acceptance and he could tell that Donna was just as taken aback. "There will be plenty of time in the future I'm sure, Sylvia."
Sylvia looked from the Doctor to Donna with a rueful smile before she muttered. "It seems I have no choice but to accept you now, Doctor. You've finally given me reason to understand and believe your devotion to my daughter and it wouldn't be fair if I continued to stand in the way of the two of you making a life together."
The Doctor nodded slowly in response, his hands itching to clasp Donna's close as he navigated the treacherous moments ahead. "It would've been hard on Donna, but we would have made do no matter what happened. We really had no choice in the matter."
Sylvia looked between the Doctor and Donna, her sharp gaze looking for and finding all the subtle signs that the two of them were unable to hide. The Doctor was right, the two of them were bound together and nothing she said or did would change that. She could continue to make it difficult for the two of them, or she could take her late husband's advice and try to accept them for who and what they were.
"It's hard to let go of my anger over everything you have done in Donna's life, Doctor. But now I finally understand just why you treated her the way you did."
"Do you really mean that, Mum?"
Sylvia looked to her daughter, not at all surprised by the uncertainty in Donna's tone. She had been truly horrible to the both of them, but she had been acting out of fear for her daughter's future. She truly had believed that Donna would have been hurt and left back with them, a shadow of her former self where all of her wonderful achievements had been so callously robbed from her. The fact that the Doctor had been suffering as much as Donna had somehow made things easier for Sylvia to finally accept.
"Yes, I mean it Donna. I don't want to hear any more of what happened when that horrible man took you, it's over and done with and in the end it ended up healing you when nothing else could."
She laughed as Donna threw her arms around her neck, her gaze rising to the Doctor as he crossed the distance between them and placed his hand on her shoulder. She could tell that he was holding himself back while she embraced her daughter, but in that moment she saw the depth of his devotion to Donna. She finally let herself believe what she was seeing and swallowed the last of her bitterness and anger. Donna had been right when she had said that she had to accept the choices that she made if she wanted to be any part of her life, and she somehow knew that if she didn't embrace Donna's relationship with the Doctor then she would never see her again.
With that sobering thought, she pushed back from her daughter's embrace and fixed both of them with a determined look. "I want there to be a proper earth ceremony though, Doctor. Donna may be married to you in the way of your people, but in my eyes she won't be married until it's done properly here on earth!"
The Doctor groaned and Donna rolled her eyes before she muttered. "No church weddings, Mum. We'll plan the ceremony when we're ready, but I refuse to be married in any church. I'm cursed where big ceremonies are concerned."
The Doctor grinned softly, his eyes dancing as he murmured. "We could do a destination wedding. Get everyone on board the Tardis and go someplace exotic! UNIT has a chaplain I could steal for a few days, I'm certain. It'd be good to see the Brigadier again."
Donna slapped his arm playfully before she turned back to find her mother shaking her head with a bemused smile. "On earth, Doctor! I'll have to make sure to have a long talk with the old girl so that she knows not to take us on any side trips on our way to our destination."
Sylvia just smiled before she stepped away from the Doctor and Donna, her steps carrying her to the living room where she found Jack and Wilf sitting stiffly on the couch waiting for the raised voices that never came.
Jack gazed uncertainly in her direction before he rose to his feet and tugged on his braces, his eyes darted to the door of the kitchen before he looked back to Sylvia Noble with a winning smile in place. "Is it time for dessert already?"
Sylvia just shook her head at the smile, her eyes narrowing before she muttered. "As if the both of you don't already know everything that just happened."
Jack shook his head, his hands spread wide before he looked up to see the Doctor and Donna standing in the doorway with surprised smiles on their faces. "It's alright, Jack. She knows everything now."
Wilf sat up in surprise, his head whipping around to look at his daughter in confusion before he asked. "What do you mean, Doctor? What's going on?"
Sylvia crossed the distance that separated her from her father, dropping to her knees and taking his hands in hers she murmured. "The Doctor and Donna it seems, are already married according to the customs of his people. It seems that they've been married since before the Doctor left her here without her memories."
Wilf gaped up at the both of them, his eyes darting back and forth before he blurted, "Why did you leave her here if you were already married then, Doctor? I thought you cared about her more than that!"
Jack burst out laughing as he heard Wilf's confused question, shaking his head as he muttered, "You sure do know how to complicate things for yourself, Doctor. Why don't you tell them the story and I'll get everyone some champagne to celebrate."
The Doctor just scowled at Jack as he slipped out of the house, presumably to go and find some champagne though he decided not to pry too much into the means by which Jack would procure the festive drink. At least Jack hadn't decided to disappear in the middle of the Noble living room.
"It wasn't like that at all, Grandad. Please let us both explain what happened."
Wilf nodded expectantly as he looked between the Doctor and his granddaughter, the tears that he had felt burning his eyes faded away as the two of them finally described in excruciating detail just how painful the last few years had been for the both of them.
He reached out to hug his daughter close, not at all surprised when she returned the fervent embrace as the Doctor and Donna laid everything out so that they could completely understand what had happened to get the both of them to this point in their relationship.
Wilf's heart broke when he realized how much the separation had hurt both the Doctor and Donna and he found that he couldn't be happier that they had been able to overcome all the obstacles that had been placed in their way. Against all odds, they had been reunited and he would do everything in his power to make sure that he supported them in any way possible.
Jack returned to find the Doctor and Wilf sitting on the floor in front of the couch while Donna and Sylvia were sitting on the couch admiring a beautiful glass bowl. He burst out laughing when he noticed that the half eaten banana cream pie was sitting on the ground beside the Doctor as he was tinkering with Wilf's old telescope.
"Did I miss anything important?"
Donna looked up at Jack and grinned softly, her eyes flicking to the Doctor who seemed to be bouncing on his heels as he focused on pulling the lenses out of the telescope. "Other than the Doctor bouncing off the ceiling from a sugar rush?" She laughed at the indignant squawk from the Doctor though he didn't do more than wave his hand in her direction before returning to work. "Everything's alright now, Jack. Mum and Grandad know everything that happened since the metacrisis."
"We're sorry we didn't wait for you to open gifts, but you can blame him for that." Sylvia was pointing at the Doctor who looked up from the telescope with a start.
"What did I do? I just couldn't wait to show Wilf his new telescope lenses! There's a break in the clouds and I wanted to have a chance to show him how much of an improvement these lenses are."
Wilf grinned over at Jack as he held up the wooden case that was filled with velvet and lenses, his eyes were sparkling as he gushed, "The Doctor said that they could increase the magnification by a factor of five to ten times!"
Jack laughed softly as he settled on a chair that had been pulled into the living room, setting the two bottles of champagne aside so he could admire the lenses that were nestled into their protective slots. "Bellatraxian glass is some of the best in the known galaxies, Doctor. Is it a good idea to bring it to earth in this time period?"
The Doctor scoffed at Jack's concern, his eyes dancing as he looked from Wilf to Donna. "Wilf has already promised to leave Donna his telescope so that we can make sure to take it off planet when the time comes. Besides, they'll be housed inside an ordinary everyday earth based telescope, no one will know to look for them."
"Besides, Jack, you have all sorts of alien artifacts in Torchwood, how is something like this any different?"
Jack leaned back and raised his hands in mock surrender, the laughter bubbling uncontrollably before he was able to answer Donna's query. "Hey, no need to gang up on me! I may be a former Time Agent but he is the highest authority on time in the universe. If he says it's okay, then who am I to argue?"
"Ha! As if that ever stopped you from arguing before, Jack. But it's nice to know that you finally acknowledge that fact!" The Doctor just grinned triumphantly at Jack before he returned back to his dissection of Wilf's telescope.
Jack just shook his head before looking over to Donna and Sylvia, his eyes widening when he let himself really look at the bowl that they were cradling. "Is that what I think it is?"
Donna nodded softly as she held the bowl up for Jack to see better, her hands were cradled protectively around the deep bowl and she hesitated for a moment before letting Jack take the bowl.
He held it up to the light, his fingers ghosting lightly along the delicate curves and swirls that danced along the soft midnight blue edges. The center of the bowl seemed to be burning with its own inner fire and he blinked several times when he thought he saw flashes a golden light flicker into being before fading away once more.
"I've only ever seen their art and glasswork a few times in museums across the galaxy, I must say this is the most exquisite piece I've ever seen."
Sylvia was beaming at Jack's words as she watched him examine the bowl, her curiosity however, was piqued when she heard him gush about having seen other pieces before. "Why is it so rare to see their artwork, Jack?"
Jack glanced at the Doctor, not at all surprised to see the Time Lord look at him from the corner of his eye before he nodded at Jack. It seemed like he really was trying his best to include Donna's family in their lives and their travels, so he figured no more harm could be done as they already knew far too much for anyone in this time period. The Doctor was always careful with the companions that he chose and though he had been incredibly reticent about any outside information when Jack had first begun travelling with him, he could tell that Donna had had a calming effect on him that now seemed to extend to her family.
"The Bellatraxians are a very welcoming race but they are protective of their art and sculpture. The entire planet is connected and when pieces leave the planet, they believe it can affect the natural balance of energy on their world, at least they do in later centuries. In the beginning, they traded with anyone that wished to visit but as time wore on, they became much more protective of their wares and so would only trade or gift pieces when a truly great debt was owed."
The Doctor sat up with a groan, his hand rising up to rub the stiff muscles in his neck as he continued where Jack left off. "We visited them early in their space faring history, before the edict on the transport of their art offworld had been issued. We actually met the artist who made this piece and she made a second piece for the two of us to keep so that we could remember her fondly."
Donna smiled as she remembered the pleasure Largana had expressed when Donna had gushed over her amazing glasswork, her eyes catching the Doctor's warm gaze before she turned to her mother. "You would have loved meeting her, Mum. She was incredibly talented and was able to take the natural energy of the planet and infuse it into her pieces in a way that seemed to bring the pieces to life. She was so humble though, she truly didn't think that her talent was anything special."
The Doctor nodded at Donna's words, his gaze shifting from Sylvia to Wilf for a moment before he pulled on the gloves from the case and lifted one of the perfect lenses into his hands. He held the glass up to the flickering light of the fire, a pleased smile flashing onto his lips as several rainbows flashed across the walls of the room. "None of them really see their gift as anything special, they see it as an extension of the bond that they share with the planet. It truly is a wonderful time to visit them and it's a shame that they become so closed off in the future, but then that happens to any truly telepathic people at one point in their history or another."
Sylvia leaned forward to take the bowl from Jack's hands while she thought about the Doctor's words, her eyes shifted to Donna as she cradled the lovely bowl against her chest. "Is it very common for telepathic people to cut themselves off from the rest of the universe, Doctor?"
The Doctor let out a long sigh at Sylvia's question, he could almost hear the unspoken question of what sort of trouble Donna could expect from having this ability. He tried to think of the best way to answer Sylvia's question without getting into the inevitable discussion on the ethics of telepaths using their abilities for less than noble pursuits, but then he supposed that any being had the ability to be good or bad depending on the situations in which they found themselves.
"It does seem to be a recurring theme across the universe come to think of it, but then can you really blame them? Their world can be so noisy for them, and some of them never do learn how to properly block out the clamor of another being's thoughts."
Sylvia gasped softly when she heard the Doctor's words, Donna's earlier outburst suddenly making perfect sense. "Is that what you meant when you said earlier that you were learning how to control this new ability?"
Donna nodded when she heard her mother's question, her thoughts momentarily distracted when she felt the Doctor gather her mind close. He could feel how Sylvia's question had discomfited her because it brought to light just how far Donna still had to go in learning to control her telepathy, and that strong emotion of any kind hampered her control. But it was still a work in progress and he couldn't have been more proud of the progress she had made in such a short time.
"Yes, Mum. That's exactly what I meant. I'm still working on it, but the Doctor is a good teacher and I do seem to be getting better with every day."
Jack shifted uncomfortably on his chair, his eyes were darting back and forth between the Doctor, Donna and Sylvia as they spoke about Donna's ability in frank detail. He cast about for a way to change the subject and take the attention off Donna before the silence became too uncomfortable.
"So everything is really alright with the Doctor and Donna actually being married and not just engaged?"
Jack's gaze shifted from Donna to her mother, not at all surprised to see that Sylvia's eyes were still slightly swollen from the tears she must have shed when she realized what had happened between the Doctor and Donna. She started smiling though as she looked at Donna and he realized that she was truly happy for her daughter now that she had finally let go of her anger over the Doctor's past actions. He breathed a sigh of relief when that question seemed to be just what was needed to change the mood in the room.
Wilf just grinned from ear to ear, his gaze was fond as he looked up at Sylvia and Donna. "Well, they've decided that we're going to be having a proper wedding soon, Jack! I think that's definitely cause for celebration."
Jack held up the two bottles of champagne that he had managed to find, Wilf's excitement suddenly seemed to be contagious. "Well then, let's grab some glasses and have a proper toast."
Donna set aside the bowl that they had all been admiring before making her way to the china cabinet and pulling out five mismatched champagne flutes. Jack had come up beside her and set the bottles on the table so that he could help her with the glasses.
She bit her lip when he came close to her, that strange sensation that she had felt when he'd first arrived grating across her nerves before fading away once more.
Jack cocked his head when he saw Donna wince slightly as he came up beside her, his head whipping back to the Doctor when he noticed the man suddenly sitting up straighter. The Doctor set his sonic aside and jumped to his feet, moving to join Jack and Donna so he could whisper, "We've got a lot to talk about when Sylvia and Wilf go to bed, Jack."
Jack's jaw clenched when he heard the Doctor's words, but he could only nod and plaster a smile on his face when he saw that Wilf and Sylvia were coming to join them. He never did like it when the Doctor got that serious look on his face, but then he had worried that the evening would most likely not end on an entirely pleasant note. The Doctor's earlier comments about this strange prophecy had promised that.
Wilf took the first bottle of champagne and held it up to the light, his eyes widening slightly when he noticed the year on the label. "Dom Perignon, 1975? Blimey, Jack this must have cost a fortune! Where did you find this at this at Christmas?"
Jack just grinned at Wilf, his blue eyes sparkling as he tapped the black leather strap on his arm. "Trade Secret, Wilf. Let me just say, I wanted to have the best for this truly momentous occasion."
The Doctor just scowled softly at Jack's comment, though he could understand why Jack would say such a thing. "Come on, Jack. It's not that momentous. People do get married every day, you know, even people from different species in some parts of the universe."
Jack laughed and shook his head, his eyes darting to Donna with a smirk when he noticed she wasn't looking too kindly at him either. "You don't get married every day, Doctor. I've been waiting two thousand years to finally see you take the plunge. I'm just glad that you invited me to share in this happy time with you and with Donna's family."
He pretended not to notice Sylvia's startled reaction to his declaration of having waited two thousand years for anything. He had to admit that she was doing far better than he had expected her to do, but then anyone that was tied to the Doctor tended to eventually grow accustomed to strange and fantastic things happening.
Wilf had peeled the foil off the cork and stood looking at the Doctor and Donna with a tear standing in his eye. He had honestly never thought that he would see this day and he couldn't be happier that Donna had finally found the man that she had been meant to be with. He placed his thumb against the cork, his eyes traveling over the assembled group before he popped the cork free to cheers from everyone.
Sylvia handed glasses to her father then passed the filled glasses until everyone stood with a flute in hand. Her fingers were trembling as she held them wrapped around the stem and she took a moment to compose herself before she looked to her father who looked ready to launch into a speech. "Why don't you start, Dad?"
Wilf looked at his only daughter with surprise before he noticed that she was having a hard time controlling the tears that were once more standing in her eyes. He nodded softly and turned back to take a long hard look at the Doctor and Donna.
The two of them were standing close together with glasses raised, their eyes were similarly hooded as they waited for his toast. He had never noticed how much they mirrored each other's actions and expressions even before this metacrisis thing that they spoke about. They had just fit so well together from the moment he laid eyes on them, and now finally it looked like things had come round full circle.
Wilf coughed as emotion seemed to well up to choke him, his eyes were suddenly filled with tears as he raised his glass in a salute to the happy couple. "To Donna and the Doctor. I could tell that the two of you belonged together from the moment I saw you. I'm so happy that in all the universe you've found each other and that you'll be able to spend your lives doing amazing things. To many years of happiness together."
There was a chorus of answering congratulations as Sylvia and Jack raised their glasses before everyone took a drink. There was a pause as everyone savored the delicious champagne, before Jack broke the silence.
"So when's the earth ceremony going to be?"
The Doctor chuckled into his champagne, his eyes darting to Sylvia as she seemed suddenly keen on the Doctor's answer. He could feel Donna frantically shushing him in his mind, her panic at having to plan a wedding spurring him to tease her slightly. "Oh, I don't know, Jack. Soon enough I'm sure. I'm still not discounting the possibility of a destination wedding for everyone. I'd love to have Sarah Jane and the Brigadier come as well if at all possible."
He grinned as he felt the sigh of relief that Donna was unable to control, her eyes darted to her mother with a grimace before she took another drink of champagne. She knew that her mother would want to help with the plans and she really had no reason to not allow her to help sort out the details. If she left it to the Doctor, he would just pile everyone into the Tardis, set the old girl on random and hope for the best.
"There's also a special Gallifreyan ceremony that I think would be special to share with the family."
The Doctor said the last with a significant look at Donna, his mind already made up to ensure that Donna Noble was bound to him in every way possible. Some of the vital elements would have to be substituted of course, but the Tardis would be able to help him prepare everything that was needed. It would be the final bonding between the three of them actually and the Doctor found that he couldn't wait to begin preparations.
Donna caught brief flashes in the Doctor's mind of what the ceremony entailed, her eyes widened when she very clearly saw herself in his mind's eyes clad in the traditional robes of a Time Lady. She shouldn't have been surprised by the surge of nearly primal hunger that screamed through him at that image, but then she had always thought him a bit daft in how he seemed to view her. The robes he envisioned her wearing were anything but revealing and looked incredibly stuffy and uncomfortable, but the Doctor was nearly overcome with desire just at the very thought of her dressed in the way of his people. Donna couldn't hold the Doctor's gaze for long and she had to look away with a brilliant blush only to catch her mother watching her intently.
Sylvia's eyes were thoughtful as she watched the interaction between the Doctor and Donna, her eyes not missing the look they exchanged before Donna blushed and broke away from his gaze. She couldn't even imagine what it must feel like to have the thoughts of the person you loved constantly in your head and she felt a surge of something akin to envy before she ruthlessly stamped the emotion down. It was strange to not instantly think critically of Donna, and Sylvia started slightly when she realized how much envy she had really felt towards her daughter in recent years. She had gotten the chance to travel and see amazing things when Sylvia had never had that opportunity, it had made her into a bitter woman and she found that she didn't like that woman very much. Maybe, it was beyond time to try to change that behavior.
She had to clear her throat in order to speak, but it served to get everyone's attention. "I thought you said your planet is gone, Doctor? Is it still possible to have that ceremony?"
The Doctor was surprised by Sylvia's question, but he was touched that she actually thought to ask the it. She was watching him carefully and had seen the flash of pain cross his face before his expression had changed to a much more heated look as he had gazed at her daughter. He could tell that Sylvia was pretending not to notice the look that he had just given her daughter. He cleared his throat to gain a moment to find his composure before he was able to answer Sylvia's question.
"Yes, Gallifrey is gone and some parts of the ceremony will have to be adapted because we can't travel to the planet. But the Tardis has extensive gardens that contain many of Gallifrey's flora and fauna. The ship will be able to act as a surrogate for the ceremony and it would be a lovely segue into a more traditional earth ceremony. There's also a telepathic element to the ceremony that the Tardis would be able to share with everyone who attended."
Both Wilf and Sylvia seemed stunned by the Doctor's words, though Wilf was the first to find his voice. "We'd hear the ceremony in our minds, Doctor?"
Jack just grinned wolfishly as he thought about all the trouble that could possibly bring, especially if he was in any way involved in the mind link. "Oh that could be trouble, Doctor."
The Doctor just rolled his eyes at the innuendo dripping from Jack's words, Sylvia's own shocked expression at Jack's tone did nothing to calm the immortal's chuckles. "It wouldn't be like that, Jack! By the vortex, no! It would be a sort of physical manifestation of the telepathic elements rather than a psychic joining."
"Well, that's different then, Doctor! I don't want anything running around in my head thank you very much!"
He grinned at Sylvia's heated declaration, his eyes flashing to Donna to make sure she didn't let on that the Tardis would be in Sylvia's head the instant she stepped foot aboard. Oh dear, he'd better make sure that he had a stern talking to the Tardis in order to make sure she didn't take her displeasure out too much on Donna's mother. The ship could be willful in the extreme and she knew as well as the Doctor what Sylvia's cruel tongue had done to Donna over the years.
Donna felt the worry flash through the Doctor's mind at the thought of Sylvia Noble on the Tardis and she knew exactly why he was so concerned. Truth be told she was a little worried as well, but she knew that in the end the ship wouldn't do anything to harm her mother but would only let her displeasure be known in subtler ways.
"Why don't we go back to the living room and get comfortable. It sounds like we have a lot to discuss." Wilf picked up the opened bottle of champagne while Jack grabbed the second bottle and they all returned to the living room.
Jack set the bottle of champagne on the table and smiled up at the Doctor as he and Donna were the last to join them. "So, Doctor, a destination wedding. Just what did you have in mind?"
The Doctor groaned at Jack's question, his eyes promised murder to Jack who just smirked at his discomfiture. Oh the man was just having too much damn fun, but the Doctor supposed he could deal with a little teasing. After all, he was married to Donna Noble and her mother hadn't chased him out of her house with her axe. He could definitely handle Jack Harkness. Whether or not he would die from embarrassment was another thing entirely.
Donna's soft chuckle echoing through his mind did nothing to soothe his agitation, the subtle caress of fingers drifting along his cheek caused him to jump in surprise before he could control his reaction. He had a feeling it was going to be a long few months before these weddings were finally behind him.
Looking down at Donna's sparkling eyes, he realized that he wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
It was early into the morning hours that Sylvia and Wilf finally bade Donna, Jack and the Doctor good night. They had discussed the future with much enthusiasm, Jack's teasing barbs striking home far too often for the Doctor's comfort.
Sylvia at least had seemed to take Jack's jibes at face value after her shock and her initial assessment of Jack being a bit of a Casanova were only confirmed. She could see that there was a deep bond between the three of them though, one that had obviously been borne of much shared suffering and for the first time in a long time she finally felt that her daughter's future might just be in good hands.
The Doctor watched Sylvia and Wilf make their way upstairs, his eyes following the creaks of the floor as they walked to their respective rooms before he reached into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver. He pointed the device at the radio and twiddled with the dials for a few minutes before he nodded softly and pocketed the device.
"There, I've set up a low level dampening field. They won't be able to hear anything we say now."
"Keeping secrets from the in laws already, Doc?" Jack asked with a laugh, the haunted look in his eyes the only thing that belied his sudden tension with the Doctor's precautions.
Donna leaned back with a soft sigh, the headache that she had been fighting all evening suddenly began to throb in her temples. Her family had been a much needed distraction to keep her from focusing on the strange sensations that seemed to be emanating from Jack, but their departure had caused the sensations to suddenly explode to the forefront of her thoughts. She jumped when she felt the Doctor's hand wrap hers gently in its grasp, his mind cradling hers as he helped her strengthen the disintegrating barriers in her mind in order to help her focus through the pain that was quickly escalating beyond her control.
"I'm sure you noticed that I didn't tell them about my time sense, Jack." Donna snapped, her tone far more sharp then she had intended.
"Easy, Donna. I was only trying to keep the mood light; I'm frankly surprised that either of you revealed as much as you did tonight." Jack said the last with a glance at the Doctor, his brow cocked in question at the brooding Time lord.
The Doctor shook his head, his gaze turning to the staircase for a moment more before he turned back to the regard the immortal before him. He had grown so used to the sensations around Jack that they no longer bothered him and had even become a sort of comfort when he was near, especially during the year that never was. He had always known that Jack at least was close during their horrific imprisonment aboard the Valiant, though the two of them had rarely seen each other beyond the few times the Master had brought Jack in to witness some of his more grotesque tortures. It had taken that year of nearly constant awareness for Jack's sense of wrongness to finally fade away, but it had not been an easy adjustment and he knew that Donna would also need time to properly adjust.
"Events moved way beyond my control and we had no choice but to answer the questions as they arose."
"It was too late to continue trying to lie to them, besides they would have noticed if we had tried to lie. My family would have eventually found out about my telepathy, I just hadn't meant for it to be tonight."
"Then what happened tonight, Donna?" Jack leaned forward, his earnest gaze pleading with her to trust him as she had trusted her family not to revile her for suddenly being so very different.
Donna looked to the Doctor, her mind struggling to read the maelstrom of his thoughts at Jack's question. He had always been an intensely private man and he knew that that reticence extended to anything to do with Donna and her abilities. However, Jack had already witnessed firsthand the power of Donna's abilities and he was far more accepting of differences in people than almost anyone else could be. Besides, he did need his help if he was to have any hope of unraveling the mystery of the prophecy before it was too late. With a subtle nod of encouragement, the Doctor murmured. "It's alright to tell him, Donna. He knows most of it already."
Donna sighed softly, her own sense of self-preservation causing her breath to catch in her throat for a moment before she blurted out. "I can feel you, Jack. I feel the timelines bending around you in much the way the Doctor can, but I don't understand why I couldn't feel you when we were in Cardiff before."
Jack fell back against his seat, his eyes wide as he looked between the Doctor and Donna. He flashed back to that radiation chamber in the distant future, the Doctor's words echoing through his mind. "You're just wrong, Jack."
He felt his gut clench in disgust at Donna's words, disgust mostly at himself and the nature that he had never asked for. "I didn't ask to be like this, Donna. In fact, I had already made the decision to sacrifice myself for the Doctor. I gave everything for him to have a chance to defeat the Daleks. It's not my fault!"
Donna leaned forward, her hand reaching out to grab his before he could pull any further away. Her eyes were watering as she realized what her words had done to the tortured man who sat in front of her. He had never asked for the curse of immortality, nor had he asked to become a fixed point in time. She had just reminded him in no uncertain terms of the price of that immortality and that his presence was in fact painful to those he considered his closest friends. "I didn't mean it like that, Jack. I just wanted you to know that I could feel your presence in much the same way as the Doctor could, and that I was merely surprised at the sudden ability to do so."
"The only time that Donna has been close to you since the metacrisis has been in Cardiff, and she had been completely overwhelmed with the energy of the Rift at that time. I think that the rift shielded her somewhat from the effects of your unique nature."
Donna looked to the Doctor though she didn't let go of Jack's hand, her lips caught between worrying teeth as she looked between him and Jack. "I also have grown tremendously since Bellatrix Prime, Doctor. Perhaps that has something to do with the sudden change as well?"
The Doctor cocked his head, his thoughts racing as she tried to fit together all the pieces of the puzzle. Donna had seen Jack's timelines for a split second, she had seen a shift as the timelines had flared before the sight had faded. He didn't like missing so many answers, especially where she was concerned, but in the end he could only carry on and hope that all the pieces would come together when he needed them most.
Jack was looking between the two of them, his stomach was still churning with revulsion but Donna's words had helped to take some of the sting from his recriminations. He had spent many centuries hating himself after the Doctor had basically called him an abomination, it had been part of the reason that Jack had hated the Time Lord as much as he had over the years. It had been because of traveling with the man that Jack had been resurrected in the first place and it had been because of him that the chance to return to a normal life had been snatched away. If only he had undone what Rose had done in those early hours instead of running away, Jack wouldn't have had to suffer through the last two millennia of torment.
Jack blew out a frustrated breath, his hands clenching as he struggled with the old familiar rage that seemed to well out of a bottomless pit. He had made his peace with the Doctor and the life that he had been condemned to, he had put most of his hatred behind him and had struggled to continue to find the balance in this never ending life.
Jack's gaze met the Doctor's, the torment in the Time Lord's gaze for everything that he had suffered because of ever having met him helped to soothe some of his anguish. "I'm sorry that it hurts you to be around me, Donna. I'm sure you both won't be coming to earth much now that you're becoming more and more like him." Jack said, while struggling to keep his bitterness from showing.
"Not a chance, Jack. You're our friend no matter what happens, and I won't let this change that in any way. The Doctor cares very much for you as do I, and nothing is going to keep you from being a part of our lives. I didn't want to lie to you about this change, Jack, that's all. I wanted you to know that I finally understand a little bit of what was done to you, and what you have to live with every day in your endless life. I wanted you to know that I understand, because I've gone through something similar."
Jack snorted softly, pulling his hands out of Donna's glass so fiddle with the strap on his vortex manipulator. "I know you have, Donna though it's not quite the same. Still, I guess we're kindred spirits."
Donna nodded, leaning back when Jack had retrieved his hands so that she could press close against the Doctor as she navigated this emotional minefield. "We are, Jack. And all because we met a crazy alien."
"Oi! I can't help it if you both decided to see all of time and space with me, you knew that there would be risks involved. Granted I never quite expected anything like this to happen." The Doctor stated the last with a sheepish glance between Jack and Donna as they both stared at him, his hand rising to uncomfortably rub the back of his neck before they both started laughing.
The laughter was infectious and seemed to dispel the last vestiges of fear and reproach from the room. The Doctor pulled Donna close for a moment, his eyes closing as he let his thoughts tangle with hers for a delicious moment before he looked back to Jack.
"I didn't want to give your Christmas present to you in front of Sylvia and Wilf. They wouldn't have understood what it was for anyway."
Jack cocked his head at the Doctor's words, his interest piqued when he noticed the smile that suddenly appeared on Donna's face. "What'd you get me, Doc? A night with the two of you?"
Donna burst out laughing, reaching for the pillow behind her and throwing it at the incorrigible immortal. Jack dodged the pillow with a laugh, waggling his eyebrows playfully at Donna before he looked back to find the Doctor scowling at him.
"Oh, come on, Doc. You weren't this stodgy in your last body!"
The Doctor just shook his head with a grumble, his mind flashing back to when Jack had first travelled with him and to some of the times that they had quite literally danced around each other. He had always thought of his ninth self as being far more staid than his current incarnation, but perhaps Jack did have a point. He had at least been willing to banter more with Jack during that time, but then he had had nothing to lose because he knew that nothing could come of it. Now, he wasn't so sure.
He merely nodded in acceptance of Jack's words, before he reached into his pockets to pointedly steer the conversation in another direction. "It's hard to lock on to you sometimes because your timelines are always in flux, I've been thinking of a way to fix that for a while."
Jack leaned forward excitedly as the Doctor reached into his pocket, his eyes tracking the movement almost hungrily as he waited to see what the Doctor had in mind. "It's just as hard to lock on to you, Doctor. You cross your own timestream so many times it's a wonder you haven't ripped more holes in reality."
The Doctor grinned sheepishly when he heard Jack's words, his eyes locking with Jack's as he responded. "Yes well, this will help with that as well. We have needed each other many times over the years, and we haven't always been able to do anything about it in a timely manner."
The Doctor pulled out a small disc that seemed to be glowing softly, his fingers holding the device lightly before he motioned to Jack. "Could I please see your vortex manipulator, Jack?"
Jack held the device against his chest with a frown, his eyes darting between Donna and the Doctor as he felt the first flash of fear at the Doctor's unknown present. "You can't trap me on earth again, Doctor. I've held myself to higher standards than any other Time Agent ever dreamed of upholding. I helped at the Medusa Cascade and I've helped the earth innumerable times in the past." Jack knew he was babbling but he couldn't help himself, he felt fear clutch at his insides at the thought of being stuck on this backwards world with no possible escape.
The Doctor shook his head, his pained gaze letting Jack know how much he had regretted his action in the past. Stranding Jack on earth had been something of a life sentence that Jack had not deserved after he had served humanity so well over the previous centuries. "I'm sorry that I deactivated your vortex manipulator, Jack. It was wrong of me to do so and I realize now it must have seemed like a punishment when you had done nothing but remain a loyal servant of the good of humanity. Trust me, I'm not going to strand you on earth again."
Donna reached out to touch Jack's hand, her mind trying to convey her own sense of comfort to Jack even though she knew that she would never be able to feel anything back from him in return. She knew that he could feel the mind touch, and it was enough to startle his gaze to meet hers. "It's alright, Jack. He did a lot of things that were frankly stupid and shortsighted in regards to his previous companions, he's not going to make mistakes like that again. I won't let him."
Donna grinned when she felt the indignant squawk of the Doctor's retort in her mind. "Do you deny that you've acted before weighing all the consequences before, Doctor?"
The Doctor's disgruntled expression was all the answer that Donna needed and she merely grinned in triumph at him as his mouth continued to work as he tried to find a suitable retort.
Jack laughed softly when he saw the Time Lord thoroughly discomfited by Donna as usual, his confidence was always reeling around the feisty ginger and he found that he loved seeing the Doctor constantly challenged by her witty repartee. The brush of Donna's mind and the sincerity he had felt in that touch calmed Jack in a way that no words would ever be able to achieve, he reached up and unbuckled the strap of his vortex manipulator before he could change his mind. "It's taking me a lot to trust you right now, Doctor."
The Doctor nodded solemnly when he heard Jack's words, his hearts clenching with very real grief and guilt when he realized Jack had every reason not to ever trust him again. He glanced to Donna, his thought conveying his thanks that she had been able to get Jack to trust him before he looked down at the time travelling device in his hand.
He pulled his sonic out once more and popped the casing of the device open to reveal the complex 51st century circuitry beneath the face. He laid the manipulator on the table and deftly detached two tiny wires from within the case before he attached the tiny disc he had pulled from his pocket.
Using the sonic to secure the connections and build in a small perception field around the entire device, he then carefully nestled it inside the manipulator and sonicked the case closed once more. His fingers danced across the controls of the manipulator and he nodded in satisfaction before handing the device back to Jack.
Jack reached out to take the manipulator back, surprised at how naked he had felt without the familiar strap around his wrist. He looked down at the readout and felt his eyebrows nearly climb into his hairline when he saw the new tiny display on the bottom corner of the device. "Is this was I think it is, Doc?"
The Doctor nodded at Jack's question, his smile was nearly blinding as he leaned forward to explain what he had done. "It's a direct tie to the Tardis' temporal circuit. The new display you see on the face is actually a base code display of the proper relative time in the Tardis. It will allow me to always lock on to you in the correct time line and it will also allow you to lock on to me at any time as well. If either of us should ever need each other's help in the future, this will make sure we always arrive in the correct time."
Jack whistled softly in appreciation of the modification, his mouth was working soundlessly for several moments while he struggled to convey the emotions that were nearly choking him. "I don't know what to say, Doc. This is… This is showing a huge amount of trust in me."
"You've been deserving of that trust for millennia, Jack. I was just a little late in finally showing it."
Donna laughed softly, her eyes dancing as she remarked, "You've always been a bit rubbish with feelings, Doctor."
The Doctor looked back to Donna with a smile, his mind flashing back to all the times he had denied just how he had felt about her and how so much could have been changed if only he had figured it out a little sooner. "You're helping me get better with that, Donna."
Jack was grinning as he listened to the banter between the two, his fingers lovingly caressing his manipulator before a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Isn't it dangerous for a device like this to be out there, Doctor? Couldn't it be used to track your whereabouts if it were somehow taken from me?"
The Doctor shook his head, his eyes bright as he responded. "It's keyed to your genetic code, Jack but it works much like a Tardis key. It has a built in perception filter so people won't go poking around trying to find the modification should anything actually separate you from the device. But there's a telepathic element in Tardis keys that is duplicated in this device. It was the Tardis that actually created this and she made it in much the same way as she makes her keys. If anyone were to get a hold of your manipulator and actually figure out what that modification was, they would be unable to enter the Tardis because she decides who she allows to enter. If the wrong person were to try to open the door or transport into the Tardis, she would either melt the key in their hands or she would reflect the transport beam back to its point of origin. She's perfectly capable of defending herself and she has had to in the past when one of my keys fell into the wrong hands."
Jack nodded thoughtfully, one of his questions about Doctor and his keys having finally been answered. "I was wondering what happened when an old companion died or their keys fell into the wrong hands. I'd always wondered if handing out keys so readily was such a good idea; I should've known that you would've thought about such an eventuality."
The Doctor just grinned in reply, his fingers rising to tap the side of his head. "That's because I'm brilliant, Jack."
Donna just scoffed at the Doctor's self-aggrandizing comment, her eyes rolling as she playfully swatted him on the arm. "Don't get too cocky, Timeboy. There have been plenty of times when you were a big dunce!"
Jack laughed softly when he heard Donna's words, his mind was already dancing with so many possibilities with regards to the future and the fact that he now knew that the Doctor and Donna both wanted him to be a part of that future. The fact that they had made sure that he always had a means to return to them should the need be there helped still the self-loathing with which he had always struggled. Yes, Donna was pained by his presence much as the Doctor had been since his unintended metamorphosis, but they both had gone out of their way to ensure that Jack knew he would always be a friend. It was truly the best Christmas present that he could have ever received.
Donna stifled a yawn as she finally felt the waves of exhaustion begin to wear her down, her mind was quickly becoming frazzled with all the added stimulus from Jack's presence and she turned to look at the Doctor with a question. "What about the prophecy, Doctor?"
The Doctor sighed when he heard Donna's question, his eyes rising to lock with Jack's questioning gaze before he nodded. "Something happened towards the end of our visit to Bellatrix and I need you to keep an eye out for anything unusual."
Jack leaned forward expectantly, his hands clasped before him when he heard the sudden change in both the Doctor and Donna's voice. "Of course, Doc, anything I can do to help. But I thought you didn't usually take prophecies seriously?"
There was no mistaking the grimace that crossed the Doctor's face, the sour taste of worry for a moment overwhelming the Doctor's senses. He never worried for himself in the past, but he knew now that he had so much to lose and not only was he in danger but Donna was as well. It was that concern that kept the worry churning in a tight ball of worry deep in his gut and had caused the return of his nightmares as well. Donna did her best to comfort him, but even she was unable to completely chase away the demons when he realized just how much he stood to lose should anything happen to her. There were just too many possibilities, and the timelines were still too in flux for him to be able to make much sense of anything.
"I don't usually put much stock in the ramblings of seers and augers, Jack. However, the augers on Bellatrix are more closely tied to me than other seers have been before. I'm inclined to put more faith in their words."
Jack sat absorbing everything the Doctor was saying, the uncharacteristic gravity in his words causing Jack to realize that the Time Lord was actually very worried about what might be coming. "What did they say, Doctor?"
The Doctor sat back against the cushions of the couch, his eyes sliding closed for a brief moment before he started to speak. Jack listened to everything he said, the words causing the dread to pool heavily in his stomach. The Doctor's voice was completely lifeless as he recited a prophecy that could very well spell disaster for them all, his gaze was locked on his clenched hands almost as if he was afraid to look at Jack once he had finished his recitation.
Jack mulled over the words for a while, his mind casting about for some thread that might shed some light on what was to come. He had never liked prophecies much because he had always felt that they were just the ramblings of madmen that people used to control others. The fact that the Doctor was concerned about the words of these augers was enough to cause Jack to try to find something that could give them an advantage when the time came.
"Well, it's easy enough to figure out who the Lord of Time is, so we definitely know that this prophecy is directed specifically at you, Doctor."
The Doctor nodded at Jack's words, his gaze turning to Donna when she stirred beside him. "We're pretty sure that I'm the Phoenix. The Doctor believes that that is not the actual term that the augers used, but it was the closest approximation that the Tardis could provide. The word that they used describes a luminous being arisen from its fiery demise."
The Doctor turned back to Jack with a grimace. "Phoenix works just as well, it's difficult to directly translate that word into either of our languages. Suffice to say that the description does fit what happened to Donna with the metacrisis a little too perfectly and I don't like it when things fit together too neatly."
Jack frowned when he heard the literal translation of that puzzling term in the prophecy, he was racking his brain trying to figure out the other pieces of the puzzle. "It sounds like this all stems from what happened in your home system though, that whatever happened there is still having ripple effects throughout the cosmos."
The Doctor blew out a frustrated breath, his hand rising to run agitatedly through his hair before he muttered, "I know, Jack and it's tearing me apart to know that people are out there suffering because I cheated fate. The Ood spoke a prophecy in regards to my regeneration or death, I wasn't sure which one actually but I managed to sidestep that fate because of the Master's actions. We're all walking along a divergent timeline now because of those events, and somewhere in the universe people are dying because of that chance."
Donna shook her head angrily, her body turning to take both his hands in hers. "We've already had this discussion dozens of times, Doctor. It is not your fault that any of this happened. You were prepared to die that day, and quite frankly I don't know how either of us survived that encounter with your people. For whatever reason, you were given a second chance and even the Ood said that there was nothing that could have been done differently. You need to stop blaming yourself for something that was completely out of your control."
The Doctor's retort was cut off by Jack speaking up. "She's right, Doctor. From what you've told me, there was nothing you could have done differently. If you'd actually died that day, who knows what effects it would've had on the rest of the universe. Who knows what other timelines might have spawned from that event and what might have happened? I think this is the best possibility that anyone could've hoped for and all we can do is watch for the signs of whatever is coming."
The Doctor sighed but he realized that he couldn't deny the truth in their words. "It's hard to let go of the habits of a lifetime, Jack. All of reality has changed because of me, even though I had no control over those events. I should be the highest authority in the universe when it comes to matters of time, but far too often, I find that I am merely a puppet for some higher purpose."
Jack grinned ruefully when the Doctor echoed the thoughts Jack had had as well on so many occasions in the past. "We're all puppets at one time or another, Doctor. It's how we react when the time comes that really matters."
Donna nodded, her hand tightening in the Doctor's grasp for a moment before she turned her gaze back to Jack. "You've both held yourselves to a higher standard over the centuries, you've chosen to protect people and the timelines more often than anyone can imagine. Just because you sometimes feel like you're out of control, doesn't mean that you don't do the right thing when you have to make the hard choices."
Donna sighed softly as she thought of the all the regrets that the Doctor carried, all the times that he hadn't been able to save people simply because of their own stubbornness. She could feel the Doctor's mind flexing against hers for a brief moment, the surge of sorrow was sudden and startling before he very deliberately forced it back into the shadows once more. She could only imagine the suffering and sorrow that Jack had to live with on a daily basis, she had to think that his striving for a better purpose was sometimes the only thing that could would keep him sane as the millennia passed. "All we can do is be on guard, Doctor. With Jack's help we may get some warning, but I for one want to listen to the augers last warning. I want to continue to live my life with you and share in this second chance you've been granted." She raised his hand to her lips, her eyes shining as she whispered, "I, for one, couldn't be more grateful to finally have this chance to be with you."
Jack grinned softly, raising his forgotten champagne glass in acknowledgement of Donna's declaration. "Hear, hear! We never would've made peace either, Doctor if this new timeline hadn't been formed. I promise to keep an eye for any unusual activity coming through the rift, I'll also keep an eye on the rifts in the neighborhood just in case anything unusual happens there. In the meantime, there's nothing we can do but rest and get ready for what promises to be a rough time ahead."
The Doctor's grip on Donna's hand tightened, his gaze drifting over to Jack with surprise when he felt the surge of affection at Jack's words. "Thank you, Jack. It goes against my nature to just sit back and wait for what might come, but it seems like I have no choice."
Donna sighed in relief, her hand rising to rub her head tiredly before she turned and snuggled up against the Doctor. He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her close against him while he and Jack talked long into the night about what could be done once all hell broke loose.
He had a feeling that there would be no warning and that whatever was coming was going to stretch their resolve to its breaking point. He let his mind wander as he pondered the words of the prophecy once more, but he knew that nothing more would be forthcoming until the universe was ready to reveal more clues.
The conversation eventually drifted to the impending New Year's party and the Doctor could only groan as Donna and Jack began to excitedly discuss the entertainment. He had a feeling that this party would be one that he would remember for centuries to come.