The fury and the fire spread ever close, people were gripped in the clench of panic, scattering in all directions, and explosions shook the market place.
The Doctor, Donna Noble, and the chair bound Wilfred Mott had seen reactions like this before from the human race, their tendency to inflict sheer malice and hate upon themselves when the mad thought of the end was all too inviting.
"What do we do?" Donna asked as she clung closely to her grandfather.
"Get him into the TARDIS" The Doctor ordered, opening the doors.
Donna pushed Wilf's chair into the big, bright blue box as another explosion was set off beside them, almost throwing the elder soldier out of his chair.
Donna jostled the chair up the ramps of the console room, Wilf was awe struck at the refurbished insides as The Doctor slammed the doors shut behind them.
Donna ran over to her best friend and wiped the sweat off his brow with a handkerchief.
As she tended to him, the TARDIS again began to play '
"Awww no, not with this again? Worse than the cloister bell this" a weary Doctor complained.
"It's playing it again, that song...does that mean...?"
"Yes, we're going to war, I'm sorry Donna, I am so so sorry" The Doctor said
Donna felt terror overtake her once again.
"Gramps can't manage this, he's too old, what do we do?"
The Doctor grabbed both her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead
"We will get him somewhere safe, I promise you"
Donna nodded in agreement; she dried her eyes, and turned back to Wilf.
"Don't you worry Gramps; the Doctor will sort it all out"
"Don't let him take all the credit Donna, you're a Noble in more than name, yours is also a Noble spirit, and we'll need a lot more of that where we're going"
"And where exactly are we going Gramps?"
"To get an army of course, I know just the folks who'll sort this out, you remember me and my friends don't you Doctor? Minnie, the young menace, fifteen years on she's as mischievous as ever, still visits me at the cottage, oh she's a priceless thing, got into knitting and bridge the last year or so, had a game with that Netty Wilhelm from down the road, the one who's son used to look after Donna when she was a nipper, oh how she crushed so hard on him..."
"Has one hell of a memory doesn't he? I don't even remember most of my babysitters" The Doctor admitted.
"Is it by choice?" Donna asked.
The Doctor stared blankly into the distance.
"Maybe, or I just hadn't found the one that understood me"
"I think you're pretty easy to read" Donna said.
"Oh you two always made a better couple than you do friends, go on, make a retired old fool like me so happy and tell each other how you feel..."
"Completely impossible Gramps, this bod's got the hots for Isaac Newton" said Donna, pointing to The Doctor, who was all a flutter.
"Oh the temperature's not all that warm" The Doctor said, blushing, Donna jabbed him in the shoulder.
"You're in his orbit Doctor, don't lie to yourself, when it comes to feelings, you've lost all sense of gravity...
"Hang on, did you say 'gravity?"
"Yeah, what other word would it be?" Donna asked.
"It was Mavity the whole time we were on the ship" The Doctor insisted.
"That it was" Donna realized, "Come to think of it...that IS strange, what do you think was the cause of that?"
"No, I think what happened was the TARDIS had already triggered the HADs protocol while we were in it, bounced across a couple of sliding timelines and we wound up in 1863 of a parallel universe, that'd explain why the Isaac we met looked Asian. Somehow he came up with 'mavity' instead of gravity and it informed that universe's history, and since we hadn't left it yet, our transient brainwaves synched up with the timeline alteration accordingly"
"You mean to tell me this blue bin of yours took us away from our own reality?" Donna angrily said.
"Well, it's happened before, all of reality in danger, a future projection of me took control of the TARDIS and programmed it to travel outside of all known sectors of time and space"
"So there's hostile action here...on Earth? "
"Potentially everywhere Donna" The Doctor revealed, being as fair to her as he could, he couldn't promise her anything positive at this stage, it was best she be prepared.
Donna pressed her head comfortably against The Doctor's chest; The Doctor cradled her and rocked her gently, kissing her on the forehead.
"Doctor, you will sort this out won't you? My Donna, her Rose, and Shaun, you'll keep them safe?" Wilf said, holding back tears.
The Doctor approached Wilf; he knelt down and gently gripped his worn old hands.
"I will try, just...try not to panic if I don't, OK?"
"Panic is never a soldier's sort of sport son, keep calm, carry on, that's the way to do it"
"That I will...thanks Dad" The Doctor said, beaming with a much needed smile, before dashing over to the console.
"Right, let's get Wilf to safety and then we'll try to heal the world and let them all know its Christmas time shall we?"
Wilf took Donna to one side.
"I don't care who he has the hots for in this year or any other century Darling he'll only have eyes for you and you for him, so you fight to keep him, that's what we do, you know, we're always in for a fight, and you best promise me you'll always win. I sure would love to see it happen before I die"
Donna kissed Wilf on the cheek.
"I will Gramps, you have my word, and I won't let this go, promise"
Wilf smiled back, he didn't know how long he had left, or how long he could withstand the giggle, but what he did have was faith in this bright box, with bright minds, and brighter hearts.