The projection of Rose faded away, leaving the two staring at the wall and coral y-beam. Rian felt the Doctor's arm tighten around her, and she found herself being pulled into the Doctor's arms. He rested his head on top of her, his tears falling from his face and into her hair.
He gripped her tightly as if she were going to disappear as well. He softly kissed the top of her head, appreciating the fact that Rian was still there with him.
But as he opened his eyes, he pulled away from Rian in shock. "What?" he cried.
Rian quickly turned around, her mouth falling open in shock as she took in the sight in front of her. Standing by the door of the TARDIS, was a woman with red hair, standing with her back to the Doctor and Rian, in a wedding dress.
She turned around quickly at the words and yelped in surprise. "What?"
"What?" Rian said, staring at the woman in shock.
"Who are you?" the woman asked, becoming agitated.
"How?" the Doctor asked, looking over at Rian, who was looking just as confused as he was.
"Where am I?" she asked, confused anger beginning to leak into her voice.
"What?!" the Doctor cried again, staring at the woman, completely dumbfounded.
"What the hell is this place!"
"You can't do that, I wasn't... we're in flight! That is... that is physically impossible! How did..." the woman cut the Doctor off.
"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now. Where am I?" the woman demanded, glaring at the two of them as she took a few steps forward.
"Inside the TARDIS," Rian said, moving forward to look at the screen on the console.
"The what?" she questioned, following Rian.
"The TARDIS," the Doctor agreed, leaning over Rian's shoulder to look as well.
"The what?" the redhead asked again.
"The TARDIS," he repeated, barely looking up from the console. Both Time Lords were more worried about how the redhead got into the TARDIS rather than who she was.
"The WHAT?"
"The TARDIS!" the Doctor exclaimed, looking up from the console to give her a look.
"The what?" she asked once again, although less forceful, as she approached them.
Rian turned to the woman and gave her a tired, weak smile. "It's the TARDIS.
This did nothing to placate her, however, and only made the redhead more upset. "That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things!"
"How did you get in here?" Rian asked as the Doctor sped around the console.
"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it," she groaned. Rian scrunched her brow slightly as she looked back at the Doctor.
"Who the hell is Nerys?" the Doctor asked, leaving the console to get a closer look at the woman.
"You're best friend," she snapped.
"Hold on, wait a minute... what're you dressed like that for?" the Doctor asked, analyzing her appearance.
"Theta…" Rian shook her head incredulously as the woman gave him a withering look.
"I'm going ten pin bowling," she said sarcastically as she glared at the Doctor. "Why do you think, Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!"
"I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away! And then you... I dunno, you drugged me or something! We're having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!"
Rian glanced over at the Doctor who was being uncharacteristically quiet, flipping switches and pushing buttons. She was taking the appearance of this random woman better than him.
It was obvious that he didn't want to think about Rose at the moment, he didn't want to consider the fact that he'd never see his dear friend again. The Doctor was more than content with avoiding the problem, while she didn't feel the same.
She wanted time to grieve, to stew over what happened. If the Doctor had the time to do that, he would just blame himself more and more, like he did with all his other losses.
For now, they would both occupy their thoughts with helping this woman with whatever she needed, and then they'd she'd grieve.
Rian flinched in surprise as the Doctor grabbed her hand lightly, acknowledging her thoughts.
Squeezing his hand gently, she turned around at the sound of footsteps moving.
"Wait! Don't do that! Please!" Rian cried, the two of them racing after the redhead in hopes of stopping her.
Rian let out a sigh as the woman threw open the door. No matter the situation, the view was always beautiful. Yet she knew that wasn't why the woman was stunned.
She gently placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, hoping to offer some sort of comfort as the Doctor spoke. "You're in space. Outer Space. This is my… our spaceship. It's called the TARDIS."
Rian had to stop herself from correcting him for calling the TARDIS it, but she didn't want to confuse the woman even more.
"How am I breathing?" she whispered, staring at the supernova they had used to speak to Rose only minutes ago.
"The TARDIS is protecting us," he told her.
"Who are you two?" the woman asked, turning her head to look at the two quizzingly.
"I'm Rian, and he's the Doctor. And you?" Rian questioned.
"Is that short for something?" the woman asked, avoiding the question.
"Historian," Rian explained, hoping it was enough to get the woman's name. "I'm the Historian like he's the Doctor."
"Donna. Donna Noble."
"Human?" the Doctor asked from behind Rian, looking Donna up and down.
"Yeah. Is it optional?" she responded, taking the moment to analyze the couple.
"Well, it is for us," the Doctor said casually, causing Donna's gaze to snap up towards his face.
"You're aliens," she stated, beginning to believe them.
"Yeah," Rian agreed lightly, hoping she was keeping the redhead somewhat calm.
Donna didn't respond for a moment, staring intensely out the door. She drew her arms close, hugging herself tightly as she pondered everything that occurred in the last five minutes.
"It's freezing with these doors open," she told them, and the Doctor reached over her shoulder to slam the door close, startling both women.
He raced back to the console, swallowing roughly with his back to the others, taking the moment to breathe.
"I don't understand it and I understand everything!" he said, drawing the attention of the women. "This- this can't happen! There is no way a Human Being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be…"
He cut himself off as he began looking around the console frantically. Rian watched curiously as he grabbed an ophthalmoscope and began scanning Donna's eyes.
"Theta, that's a bad idea…" Rian trailed off as the redhead's face began to tighten angrily.
"Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic—"
Donna slapped him. Hard.
"What was that for!" he cried indignantly.
"Get me to the church!" she yelled back, and the Doctor stared at her in shock. He shook his head and turned back to the console.
"Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"
"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna snapped, looking around the room cautiously.
"I knew it. Acting all innocent," she walked over to the console seat and grabbed Rose's purple blouse that was slung over the back. "I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?"
Rian walked over and snatched it out of Donna's hand and hugged it close to her chest. "That's our friends."
"Where is she, then? Popped out for a spacewalk?" Donna said sarcastically, missing the melancholy look on their faces.
"She's gone," Rian whispered, unable to look at the woman. "She's home with her family far away."
"We lost her," the Doctor interjected, causing Rian to glare at him.
"Well hurry up and lose me," and Rian turned her gaze to the redhead. "What do you mean lost?"
"Right! Chiswick," the Doctor said, turning away from Donna as Rian rushed out of the room, her shoulders heaving ever so slightly.
– Page Break –
Donna stood near the door, trying to stay as far away from the Doctor as she could as they waited for Rian to come back from wherever she went.
The tension in the air was palpable, and she was regretting even looking at the purple blouse that had been in the room. How does one lose a friend like that?
She wouldn't lie and say she wasn't scared the Doctor would drop her into space if she upset Rian who was obviously his girlfriend. So, she was keeping her mouth shut until the girl came back, which would hopefully be soon since she needed to get back to her wedding.
"What?" Rian shouted as she fell out of the doors of the blue box.
The Doctor rushed over and helped her up, and helped wipe the soot that was on her dress and sweater.
"What'd you do to her?" she accused as she peaked through the doors.
"Nothing! I think she's recalibrating," he said, which shocked Donna out of her shock. She began walking around the box again, this time feeling it to make sure these two aliens weren't playing a sick joke on her.
He ran back inside and waved his hand lightly as a puff of smoke flew towards him. He wandered around the console, and this seemed to seal the deal for Donna.
"Donna," a voice startled her. Rian was standing to her right, her hand on gently on Donna's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
The two women ignored the Doctor's rambling, Rian more concerned about how Donna looked like she was able to pass out or cry.
"Leave me alone. I just want to get married," she jerked her shoulder out of Rian's grip and stumbled backwards.
"Come back to the TARDIS," the Doctor said as he approached the two, having noticed that neither were paying attention.
"No way. That box is too... weird," she shook her head, and the Doctor stared at her slightly offended.
"It's... bigger on the inside, that's all," he offered and Rian stared at him in disbelief.
"Look," Rian cut in. "Donna, if you come back to the TARDIS we can help you get to your wedding on time."
Donna shook her head, looking down at her watch. "It's ten past three, I'm going to miss it."
"You can phone them. Tell them where you are," he suggested, and Rian looked up praying to Rassilion for strength.
"How do I do that?"
"Haven't you got a mobile?"
"I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said 'Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets'?!"
"This man you're marrying, what's his name?" he asked suddenly.
"Lance," she said with a grin.
"Gotta love Lance," he muttered and winced when Rian smacked him in the back of the head.
"I knew I was dating an idiot, but an asshole too?"
He turned to her, hurt evident on his face. "Hey!"
"Oi! No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" Donna yelled at the Doctor and ran off, leaving the two behind.
"I'm- I'm not... I'm not... I'm not from Mars," he said weakly as he began running after her.
"That's what you're concerned about?" Rian cried, passing him as she ran in the direction Donna went.
– Page Break –
"Taxi!" Rian heard Donna yell down the road.
She ran in Donna's direction, the Doctor several paces behind her. "Donna!"
The woman ignored her, watching angrily as taxis drove past. "Why's his lights on?"
"There's another one!" the Doctor pointed, running toward the road in is attempt to stop it.
"Oi!" Donna cried as another passed her.
Rian watched the two with unimpressed looks as they kept trying to flag down different taxis.
"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?" the Doctor asked, quickly raising his hand apologetically at Rian when she glared at him.
"They think I'm in a fancy dress," she noted as one rolled down his window. "Stay off the scotch darlin'!"
"They think I'm drunk," Donna said with a scowl. "You're foolin' no one mate!"
"They think I'm in drag!" she exclaimed, looking down at her dress.
"Rassilon help me," Rian muttered before walking in front of the two. "Do either of you even have any money to pay for the taxi?"
Donna and the Doctor glanced at one another, the Doctor expecting the woman to pull a wallet out.
"Pockets!"
"Rian?" the Doctor turned to her and she stared at him unimpressed.
"When have we ever carried money on us? I'm just… I don't… Ahh!" Rian threw her hands in the air and stormed away from the pair.
"Well she doesn't have any Christmas spirit," Donna muttered, and the Doctor glanced at her curiously.
"Is it Christmas?" he looked back to where Rian disappeared, not really paying attention to Donna.
"Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve," Donna slapped his shoulder, pointing off in the opposite direction Rian went. "Phone box!"
"How come you're getting married on Christmas eve?" he asked as they ran towards the phone.
"Can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine, lovely," she explained as the Doctor opened the door to the booth.
"What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?" she asked, and the Doctor looked back towards Rian again who still hadn't shown back up.
"Just… Just call the direct," he pulled out his sonic and scanned the phone.
"What'd you do?" Donna demanded.
"Something… Martian. Now, phone. I'll get money," he said, running off.
"Stupid martian," Donna gritted out before dialing her mum's number.
"Mum, get off the phone and listen. I'm in…" she trailed off as she looked around. "Oh, my God, I dunno where I am! It's... it's a street. And there's WH Smith... but it's definitely Earth."
She hung the phone back on the receiver and growled in frustration before looking around for someone at random. She signed in relief as she noticed a woman and ran over to her. "Excuse me... I'm begging you. I'm getting married, I really am and I'm late and I just need to borrow a tenner and I'll pay you back I promise and it's Christmas."
When the woman rummaged through her purse and found the note, Donna thanked her profusely before running back to the road.
"Taxi!" this time, one stopped for her and she thanked the heavens. She slid into the back seat before leaning out the window.
"Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in Court," she yelled out to the Doctor.
"Donna!" a different voice cried out. She glanced back to see a red faced Rian running past the Doctor. But the driver was already pulling away when she tried to finish her sentence.
– Page Break –
"Where'd you go?" the Doctor asked, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him.
"Look, we don't have time for this right now. The driver was a -"
"-Masked Santa, I know," he told her, but he looked back at the ATM where there were Santas playing trumpets ominously. He pulled out his sonic and pointed it at the machine, watching as bank noted began flying in the air, causing a commotion.
"Come on," Rian reached for his hand and they ran towards the TARDIS. The raced through the maze of streets and alleys, Rian leading the way.
"And don't you dare use the hammer today, she's still digesting," Rian said as they pushed through the doors and moved towards the console.
"We don't have time to be gentle right now," he argued back, and she patted the console.
"Sorry girl," she winced as he used the hammer to get the engine starting. The rotor began rising and falling and Rian moved the screen around to look at their coordinates.
"Taxi P227 JVP," he told her and she nodded, typing them in to try and find Donna.
Sparks began to fly out of the console as the TARDIS tried her best to get to Donna.
"Behave!" the Doctor used the mallet to try and get the sparks to stop.
"Theta!" Rian cried as the TARDIS veered dangerously to the right. "Sorry!" he called back.
"We're almost there!" she yelled over the sound of the rotor. "Come on, sexy."
"You stay on controls, I'll get Donna," the Doctor told her as he ran over to the doors. As he threw open he saw Donna pounding on her window to be let out.
"Open the door!" he called out.
"Open the door!" he repeated, gesturing wildly when Donna called back, albeit weakened by the window.
He pulled out his sonic, and watched as the latch on the door popped up. Donna rolled down the window and leaned out of it.
"Santa's a robot!"
"Donna, open the door.
"What for?"
"You've got to jump!"
"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping, I'm supposed to be getting married!" she yelled at him, but flinched as the car began to quickly accelerate.
He winced slightly as he heard the sound of sparks popping out of the console followed Rian curse wildly behind him. His foot tapped the ground frantically as the TARDIS was maneuvered in line with the taxi. With the Santa momentarily distracted, he pointed his sonic at it and sonciced it, causing it to slump forward, deactivated.
"Listen to me! You've got to jump," he reached out to Donna.
"I'm not jumping on a motorway."
"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, come on!"
"Doctor! Hurry up!" Rian called out, her voice full of tension.
"I'm in my wedding dress!" Donna yelled at him, causing both aliens to roll their eyes.
"Yes! You look lovely! Come on!"
He watched full of hope as Donna opened the door and stood in the doorway.
"I can't do it," she cried.
"Trust me," he told her calmly.
"Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost? Did she trust you?" Donna asked, her breath quickening.
"Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive," he told her, his voice full of something she hadn't heard from him before. "Now, jump!"
Rian looked back, pretending she hadn't heard Donna's question and watched as she launched herself into the Doctor's arms.
She quickly pulled on a lever, turning the door towards the sky. Rian began hitting button after button, pulling lever after lever, until the familiar sound of the TARDIS began to flood the air.
"Now then," she said moved away from the console to stand over the heap that was Donna and the Doctor. "Doctor, I need your help," she gestured at the console that was half on fire.
— Page Break –
Rian sat next to Donna, their legs dangling off the roof they were on, listening to the Doctor run around the TARDIS frantically trying to figure out what was smoking.
"Are you okay Donna?" she asked as the woman glanced at her watch sadly.
"It's already half three," she shrugged.
"I'm sorry we missed it," Rian read Donna's saddened face.
"Well, you can book another date," she offered.
"Course we can," Donna said monotonously.
Rian glanced over at the Doctor who was standing behind Donna with his jacket hesitantly trading it between hands.
"Still got the honeymoon," she said hesitantly, causing Donna to shrug.
"It's just a holiday now."
"Look," Rian turned her body towards Donna to give her her full attention. "I'm really sorry, Donna. It's our fault."
"It's not though," Donna shook her head.
"Maybe not," Rian trailed off, feeling horrible about the whole situation.
"Wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right," Donna told her, and Rian swallowed uncomfortably.
"Right, well, hypothetically, you can't go back into your own past," she told Donna who nodded unconvincingly.
A tense silence filled the air, at least for Rian, before the Doctor joined them.
He placed his jacket over Donna's shoulders before sitting down beside Rian. "The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours."
"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat," she told him, causing Rian to laugh a little.
"Oh and you'd better put this on," he pulled a ring out of his pocket.
"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna frowned, staring at it.
"Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden," he slipped it onto one of her fingers. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."
"For better or for worst," Donna played along with a small smile. "So, come on then. Robot Santas. What are they for?
"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. W-I met them last Christmas," the Doctor explained, and Rian placed her head on his shoulder.
"Why, what happened then?"
"... Great big spaceship? Hovering over London? You didn't notice?" he asked, his voice going up slightly in disbelief.
"I had a bit of a hangover," she waved him off, causing Rian to look at her in alarm. Even she remembered that night and that was when she was still Victoria.
"I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate. With this... family. My friend, she had this family. Well, they were…" he trailed off, feeling Rian squeeze his hand slightly. "Still… gone now."
"Your friend, who was she?" Donna then looked at Rian. "What about you? Were you there with them?"
The Doctor ignored Donna's question while Rian contemplated. "I… I think I spent that year with my dad. We shared a bottle of scotch while we thought about…"
She stared off in space, a frown overtaking her face as she remembered her dad crying to himself when he thought she had already gone to bed, holding one of Ianto's shirts tightly.
Donna stared at her inspectantly, not realizing she wasn't going to continue.
"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know," he thought to himself, reaching out to Rian to get an opinion.
"Nothing that I can think of right now," she apologized, but watched him unimpressed as he pulled out his sonic and held it in front of Donna's face.
"What's your job?"
"I'm a secretary."
"It's weird, I mean - you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important…" he muttered, doing his best to ignore the two irritated glares being thrown at him.
"Theta I swear…"
"This friend of yours - just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" Donna snapped, slapping the sonic away. "Stop bleeping me!"
"What kind of secretary?" Rian asked her gently, watching as a grin popped on Donna's face as she thought.
"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping," she explained. "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought - I'm never gonna fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee."
As Donna got lost in though, she missed the worried glances shared between Rian and the Doctor. "And Lance - he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny."
"And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him - one cup of coffee. That was it," Donna finished with a smitten smile.
"When was this?" the Doctor asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Six months ago."
"Bit quick, to get married…" the Doctor trailed off while Donna shook her head.
"Well... he insisted," she told him. "And he nagged... and he nagged me… And he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."
"HC Clements, what do they do?"
"Oh, security systems, you know... entry codes, ID cards - that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'," Donna said casually, her attention on the city before her.
"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-girl, Space-boy."
"Yeah. We're not from Mars," the tried again, but Rian just shook her head. It wasn't worth the effort.
"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."
– Page Break –
Rian wanted to die inside a little when they walked into the reception hall to see everyone happy as ever, not even worried about Donna's safety.
It almost made her laugh though when Donna struck an annoyed stance and caught the attention of some of the guests, who Rian was certain were Donna's mum and Lance.
"You had the reception without me?" Donna shrilled, staring at the party in shock.
"Donna... what happened to ya?" Lance asked, still standing closely to a blonde girl.
"You had. The reception. Without me?" Donna cried, waiting for someone to answer her..
When no one stepped up, the Doctor waved cheerfully. "Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is Rian."
"They had the reception without me," Donna turned to them in anger.
"I'm sorry, Donna," Rian told her while the Doctor nodded. "Yeah, I gathered."
"Well, it was all paid for - why not?" the girl that was with Lance spoke up.
"Thank you, Nerys," Donna snapped.
"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end - 'I'm on Earth'? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know—" Donna's mum chattered on, though Rian couldn't really hear her over the crowd's murmur.
Just when she thought it couldn't get any louder, Donna burst into tears, causing Lance to run over to her and hug her tightly. As the crowd applauded the reunited couple, Donna looked up at the aliens and winked, causing Rian to chuckle.
– Page Break —
Donna couldn't help but feel like the Doctor and Rian looked out of place as they danced among the crowd. Neither seemed like the sort for… oh, what's the word.
Bloody hell, she shouldn't be thinking about them right now, it's her wedding reception after all. She was happy to be dancing with Lance, Nerys, and her mum.
But even with how happy she was, she couldn't help but be worried about the way the Doctor glanced around the room or how sad Rian's face was when no one was looking at her.
The Doctor pulled away from the dance to grab a phone out of some random guy's hand, Rian trailing behind, looking a bit more sad to be out of the Doctor's arms. Whatever they were doing on the phone made the Doctor look the most serious Donna had ever seen.
"Donna!" someone cheered from behind, drawing her away from the Doctor. It was one of my her mum's friends son, his name something she'd never cared enough to learn.
"Is this the fiance Lance? Congratulations," he cheered, patting her shoulder in excitement. "Sad to hear about the ceremony, but its a lovely reception."
"Thank you," Donna smiled falsely at him, mentally willing him to leave her alone.
"Care to dance?" he asked, extending a hand, not noticing the loathing on her face.
"Well-""Donna!"
Rian and the Doctor were running towards her, leaving the cameraman confused on the other side of the room.
"Donna, they've found you."
"But you said I was safe," she gasped, looking around frantically.
"I'm sorry, Donna," Rian apologized. "But the biodamper isn't working. Now come on, we need to get everyone out of here."
"Oh, my God - it's all my family…" Donna stared in horror at the filled room.
"Back door!" Rian yelled, running through but stopped when two Santas rounded the corner.
"Maybe not," the Doctor amended, pulling Donna and Rian backwards toward the hall. They split up, going to different windows to find the building surrounded by the Santas.
"What are the remotes for?" Donna whispered, causing the Doctor to spin around and scan the room frantically.
"Christmas tree," he muttered.
"How are they gonna use a remote control on a Christmas tree?" Donna exclaimed, staring at the Doctor like he was crazy.
"They kill," he told her, running towards the center of the room. "Everyone away from the tree."
"Don't touch the tree, stay away!" Rian joined in, helping him shoo the people as far away as possible.
"Get away from the Christmas trees, everyone get away from them!" he yelled, pushing a group of girls away.
"Stay away from the tree!" Rian pleaded, keeping a heard of angry dads and granddads away.
"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot! Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna... oh!"
Rian watched in horror as the baubles began to float above the crowd, the others fascinated by them, whispering among themselves about the science behind it.
She fought back a startled scream as the baubles began exploding. She covered her neck briefly before running after the Doctor who was walking through the crowd indifferently toward the DJ table.
"Oi! Santa! Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver," he held up his sonic near the microphone. Rian began to wildly gesture to the party goers to cover their ears. "Don't let him near the sound system."
She winced as the loud noise reached her ears while the party goers dropped to the floor. The Santas around the room began to violently shake, before dropping to the floor, shattering against the floor.
The Doctor placed his sonic back into his pocket as he walked towards one of the Santas. Rian went to follow him, but hesitated as she heard Donna's worried cry. "Michael? Connie?"
He reached down and picked up a controller that was peaking out from under the robe, outwardly ignoring Donna.
"Oi, Martians, do something useful!" she said again before turning to her mum with an irritated look. "Just stop wittering, just help 'em"
"Look at that, remote control for the decorations," the Doctor showed Rian and Donna, one of their helmets and remotes in his hand. "But there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."
"Never mind all that, you're a doctor and people have been hurt," Donna said softly.
"Nah, they wanted you alive, look," he tossed her the Christmas bauble. "They're not active now."
"All I'm saying - you could help," Donna pushed, but the Doctor continued to avoid her gaze.
"Gotta think of the bigger picture," he muttered towards her as he stood up. "There's still a signal!"
Rian hesitated in following him, taking a moment to place a hand on Donna's shoulder. "Look, Donna. Sometimes we have to make a choice to save more people in the greater scheme of things. Call 999, they'll be able to help more than we can right now."
She glanced between Donna and her mother between making a break for the Doctor, trying to keep up with him. She didn't miss the fear in her mum's voice as she asked Donna who they were. And she didn't miss the sound of Donna's feet as they ran after her.
– Page Break –
Donna thought of the terrified look on her mother's face as she ran after Rian and the Doctor. She wasn't quite sure why she did, it's not like she was an alien herself. What was she going to offer them that they didn't already have?
When she had finally caught up to the two aliens, she saw that Rian was speaking to the Doctor in a rather low tone, and he had a tight, unpleasant look on his face.
Almost as soon as she went to interrupt them, they simultaneously looked toward Donna, erasing their tense appearances from their faces.
"There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force," the Doctor explained, holding his sonic screwdriver to the head.
She shook her head, struggling with this whole day. "But why is it me? What have I done?"
"If we find the controller, we'll find that out," he told her, continuing to scan the head. "Oh! t's up there," he gestured. "Something in the sky."
The sonic beeped quickly in his hands, causing the Doctor to curse quietly, though Donna wasn't able to pick up exactly what he said. Though she figured it had to be bad if Rian's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise.
"I've lost the signal - Donna, we've got to get to your office, H C Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance?" he asked, pointing to Donna's fiance. "Is it Lance? Can you give me a lift?" he darted off, leaving the rest of them to stare at him in disbelief.
"Sorry about him," Rian smiled awkwardly before rushing after the Doctor, Donna quick on her heels.
"Is that your thing, apologizing for him?" she called out.
"Only sometimes."
– Page Break –
The journey to the office building had been extremely awkward, with Rian biting her lip to avoid making the atmosphere more weird.
Lance had driven them, though he wasn't quite happy about it, having given not just Rian and the Doctor odd glances, but also Donna.
And as soon as he had parked in front of the building, the Doctor had basically launched himself out of the car, Rian like always, right behind him.
Having led the two aliens through the building, Donna took the Doctor to her office. He leaned over the computer and began typing and coding frantically.
"This might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute. " The Doctor explained, not bothering to look up.
"Who are they?" Donna questioned, not missing the dark look that crossed the Doctor's face.
"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf," Donna couldn't help but stare at him, his tone suggesting that she should know exactly what he was talking about.
"The Cyberman invasion?" Rian added, staring at her slightly worried.
"Skies over London were full of Daleks?" the Doctor asked, and Donna felt slightly irked at their assumptions.
"I was in Spain," she explained, but Rian shook her head.
"There were Cybermen in Spain."
"Scuba diving," she said, because why would she notice a bunch of robots if she was swimming all the time.
"That big picture, Donna, you keep on missing it," he told her as he got up to go to a different set of computers.
"Torchwood was destroyed, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over the operation," he explained, smacking the monitor when it seemed to freeze.
"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked, unable to hide the timidness in her voice.
"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. Say... that's the TARDIS," he picked up a nearby mug.
"And that's you," holding a pencil in his other hand.
"The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetized and WHAP!" he tossed the pencil into the mug, startling Donna and Lance. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna asked hesitantly, trying to understand the metaphor.
"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance? What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" The Doctor turned his attention to Lance.
"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager," he snapped defensively.
Rian could tell that the Doctor was trying very hard to note roll his eyes every time Lance even looked in his direction, let alone spoke. He flashed his sonic at the screen, which caused pages to pop up as the Doctor had hoped.
"Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance questioned, and the Doctor continued before he could say anything else.
"They make keys, that's the point. And look at this…" he gestured at the computer, which had a 3D model of the building displayed.
"Does that say we're on the third floor?" Rian asked, leaning forward as the Doctor moved out of her way.
"Yup," he exaggerated the ending of the word, standing up. "Come on, you lot."
"Where's the nearest lift?" Rian turned to Donna and Lance, and Donna directed the group.
"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" the Doctor asked, after he pushed the call button.
Donna nodded as the lift arrived on their floor.
"Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"
"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?"
"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor," he said, and winced as Rian pinched his arm.
"It needs a key," Donna said, staring at the two aliens as if they were crazy.
"I don't," the Doctor said, pointing his sonic at the lock, which sparked briefly.
"Right then, thanks you two, I can handle this. See you later," he turned to Donna and Lance expectedly, both who had vastly different expressions on their faces.
Donna looked as if she were about to chastise the two for even considering leaving her behind, while Lance seemed to be grateful to have the opportunity to leave the Doctor and Rian far, far behind.
"No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight," she joined the two in the lift, and then stared at Lance expectedly.
"Going down," the Doctor said, who seemed mere moments away from abandoning Lance where he was, which was exactly where Lance wanted to be.
"Lance," Donna said pointedly, becoming almost as impatient as the Doctor in that moment.
"Maybe I should go to the police," he reasoned weakly, and Rian rolled her eyes at how stubborn he was being.
"Inside," Donna said, leaving no room for argument.
Lance awkwardly entered the lift and stood beside Donna.
"To honor and obey?" the Doctor said, glancing over at him in a moment of peace.
"Tell me about it, mate."
"Oi!" Donna and Rian cursed in unison, causing both men to swallow in fear of their partners.
Soooo, it's been a while. Sorry about that! I went abroad, I've been doing lots of classes and work, and overall just felt a gigantic sense of writers block. For those of you who have followed me one this writing journey, I really appreciate you sticking with me! I hope that you enjoy this story and where I take it.
I will be posting chapters as I write them, and I hope to post fairly regularly, but there's a chance it won't be. The next chapter should be coming in the next week or so though!
Thanks again for all your constant support! If you enjoyed, please follow, favorite, and review!
I don't own Doctor Who, just Rian and her storyline :)