{"Well that's not something you see everyday."}
"Do it!" I jumped at the booming voice of the general, "I can't." I shook my head backing away in agony. It was all too much, so many voices. So many people, a whole planet of people destined to be destroyed. "Do it now!" I let out a shout as my eyes glowed a dark yellow, I threw my hands out as a shield began to form. "That's it, keep going!" Shouting louder, I tried but I wasn't strong enough. I never would be, grunting I flew back as a counter to my power and everything went black.
————
The golden energy flies into the Tardis and solidifies back into the bride, both Theta and I stare in shock. "What?" Theta gaps staring at the women in the wedding dress, "Who are you?" She demanded angrily, "But-" He was interrupted by her again, "Where am I?" She yelled causing me to slightly jump at the loud pitch. "What?" I asked myself as I held my head, a headache coming on. "What the hell is this place?" She spun around in horror and shock, "What? You can't do that. I wasn't. We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible! How did-"
"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now where am I?" She shouted at the top of her lungs causing me to grunt in displeasure. "Inside the Tardis." I told her, "The what?" She asked with a glare. "The Tardis." I repeated, "The what?"
"The Tardis!"
"The what?"
"It's called the Tardis."
"That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things."
"How did you get in here?" Theta asked as he looked around in confusion, "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."
"Who the hell is Nerys?" I asked, "Your best friend." I chuckled and crossed my arms, "I don't have friends." I grumbled as Thera held up his hand. "Hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?" My head snapped over to him in shock, my eye twitching in slight irritation at his question. "I'm going ten pin bowling. 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 don't know, you drugged me or something!"
"I haven't done anything!"
"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!"
She runs down the ramp to the doors, "No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't!" I shouted rushing after her, She opens the doors and looks at a pretty gaseous nebula. "You're in space. Outer space. This is our space ship. It's called the Tardis." I explained slowly to her causing her to nod in awe. "How am I breathing?" She asked lowly turning to look at me, "The Tardis is protecting us."
"Who are you?" She asked watching me, "I'm Kate, that's The Doctor. You?" I asked her with a gentle smile, she turned back to the view. "Donna." She uttered out, "Human?" Theta asked from behind us. "Yeah. Is that optional?" She asked him turning to look at him, "Well, it is for us." I stated with a small smile.
"You're aliens."
"Yeah."
"It's freezing with these doors open." I slam the doors shut and go back to the console to stand next to Theta as he started wondering around the console. "I don't understand that and I understand everything. 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 grabs an ophthalmoscope and uses it to look into Donna's eyes. "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 slaps Theta causing me to wince.
"Well that's not something you see everyday." I muttered in slight amusement.
"What was that for?" He shouted in shock, "Get me to the church!" She yelled in absolute anger. "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?" He shouted back moving around the console flicking switches and hitting buttons. "Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." Donna grabs a blouse that is hanging over the railing.
"I knew it, acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted? Have you been abducted, Do you need help?" Donna asked as she turned to me, I grunted grabbing Rose's shirt and moving to her bag that the Tardis had brought in. I shoved it in, and nodded up at her within a second her bag was gone. Probably never to be seen again, "That's my friend's." Theta spoke nonchalantly as he watched me. "Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?"
"She's gone."
"Gone where?"
"I lost her." Theta shrugged, he looked sad for a moment but then it was gone. "Well, you can hurry up and lose me! How do you mean, lost?" She asked with a frown, he didn't seem to care much. "Right, Chiswick."
The Tardis has landed in an area surrounded by buildings. "I said, Saint Mary's. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?" She snarled looking around in disbelief. "Something's wrong with her. The Tardis, it's like she's recalibrating! She's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" Theta uttered worried about the Tardis, Donna is making the traditional circuit of the Tardis.
"Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous. I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a, box of metal or. Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he? Donna!" She rushes away causing me to sigh. I really didn't want to run right now but I guess we can't let her get away. Theta grabbed my hand an pulled me along after him.
Donna cannot cope with the reality of dimensional transcendentalism and is walking away. "Donna." I called moving after her, "Leave me alone. I just want to get married." She cried in irritation. "Come back to the Tardis." Theta tried to get her to come back, he gestured towards our home. "No way. That box is too weird." Donna shook her head and continued walking, "It's bigger on the inside, that's all." I chuckled lightly.
"Oh! That's all? Ten past three. I'm going to miss it." She cried out in panic as her shoulders slumped. She started to tear up, "You can phone them. Tell them where you are." Theta suggested, I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "How would she 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 at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets!" I mean I under the wedding dress but I usually had pockets in my dresses or wore jackets over them.
"This man you're marrying. What's his name?" Theta asked shoving his hands in his pockets. "Lance." She smiled at his name causing me to smile as well. She really seemed to like him, just like I do Theta. "Good luck, Lance." Theta muttered causing me to smack him, "Oi! No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" Donna runs away, "I'm, I'm not, I'm not, We're not from Mars."
—
"Taxi!" It drives past ignoring her. "Why's his light on?" She snaps angrily, she had a point. "There's another one!" I pointed out, "Taxi! Oi!"Another drives past with its For Hire light on. "There's one!"
"Oi!"
"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?"
"They think I'm in fancy dress."
"Stay off the sauce, darling!" Another driver yells, "They think I'm drunk." She stated in irritation. "You're fooling no one, mate!" One driver shouts as he drives past us, "They think I'm in drag!" Donna through her hands up in offense.
"Hold on, hold on." I place my fingers in my mouth and make a very piercing whistle and a taxi does a quick U turn to pick us up, "Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency. I'm getting married. Just hurry up!" She demands, "You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today." The taxi driver spoke turning to us with a frown causing me to glare in shock. It was Christmas, really!
"Oh, my God. Have you got any money?"
"Er, no. Haven't you?"
"Pockets!" I groan, The taxi driver dumps us back where he picked us up. "And that goes double for your mother! I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas spirit."
"Is it Christmas?"
"Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve. Phone box! We can reverse the charges!"
"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" I asked her, "Can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon, Morocco. Sunshine, lovely. What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?" Theta uses his sonic screwdriver and gets a dialling tone, he hands the phone to me. "Just call the direct." I told her with a small smile, handing it to her. "What did you do?"
"Something Martian. Now phone. I'll get money!" Theta joins the queue at a cash machine. "Oh, answer the phone! Mum, get off the phone and listen. I'm in. Oh, my God, I don't know where I am! It's a street, and there's WH Smith but it's definitely Earth." Theta gives the London Credit Bank ATM the sonic treatment, and goes straight to Please Take Your Cash without the rest of the preamble. Donna accosts a woman in the street as I watch it all go down, slightly entertained by it all.
"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." Theta takes the money from the ATM, I spot a trio of Santas playing God Rest Ye Merry on brass instruments. "Taxi! St Mary's Chiswick. Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in Court." Donna gets into the taxi, which is driven by another Santa. "Donna!" Donna drives away. The Santas point their instruments at us, so Theta zaps the ATM, which sends banknotes flying across the street. He grabs my hand as we escape through the crowd of people who rush to grab the money.
"I promise you, mate, I'll give you the rest when we get there. Oh, I look a mess." She takes off her veil, "Hurry up."
We return to the Tardis, "Hold on a minute. I said Chiswick. You've missed the turning. Excuse me, we should've turned off back there. We're going the wrong way!" I get the Tardis going as the taxi pulls onto the flyover, missing another car by inches. I grunted flipping another switch, "What the hell are you doing? I'm late for the wedding. My own wedding. Do you get that?" The Tardis is tracking Donna, "Turn around! Turn this cab around right now! Are you deaf or what?" Donna tugs at the Santa's hood and its mask falls off to reveal that it is a robot. "Oh, my God."
She tries to open a window, "Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Get me out! Help me! Help me! I'm being driven by a robot!"
Sparks are flying as she fights me back, I hiss lowly when Theta hits the console with a hammer. "Don't hit her." I yell flipping another switch, "Behave!" I snap at her, she slightly calms down but not very much. The Tardis swoops down and bounces off the tarmac. "You are kidding me." The Tardis weaves through the traffic as Theta moves towards the door. "You got it?" He asks in a shout, I nod as I move her alongside the taxi. He opens the doors holding, trying to keep his balance. "Open the door!"
"Do what?"
"Open the door!"
"I can't, it's locked!"
Theta uses the sonic screwdriver. Donna gets the window open, "Santa's a robot." She speaks the obvious in horror. "Donna, open the door." Theta shouts, "What for?" She asks in disbelief, "You've got to jump!" I yelled from the console. "I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!" The robot accelerates away. I pull down another lever, there are more bangs from the console and the Tardis gives chase, bouncing off the roof of a car. When it is close enough, Theta tries the screwdriver on the robot driver. It clamps its hands onto the steering wheel, "Listen to me. You've got to jump."
"I'm not jumping on a motorway." She yelled in disbelief, "Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!" He shouted back in irritation, "I'm in my wedding dress!" Came her response. "Yes, you look lovely! Come on!" Donna opens the door, Thera reaches out for her. "I can't do it." She looked panicked and I could tell she was upset but Theta held out his hand. The one thing he could always do when you felt unsafe. "Trust me."
"Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost? Did she trust you?"
"Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive. Now, jump!" Donna launches herself out of the taxi and lands on top of him. The Tardis doors slam shut and it zooms upwards.
We step out once we land, Theta is emptying a fire extinguisher in through the Tardis doors.
A lot of smoke is coming out, "The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?" Theta asked Donna who shrugged, "Doesn't matter." She grumbled, I suddenly grunted and rushed off to the side puking. Theta was quick on his feet to rub my back, handing me to small rag from his pocket as Donna watches silently.
"Did we miss it?" I asked a minute later after wiping my mouth, "Yeah." She nodded watching me with a worried look, "Well, you can book another date." I told her with a gentle smile, "Course we can." She paused staring at me, "Your pregnant." I raised my eyebrow in slight shock before nodding, "Yeah. Good guess." I uttered out as I rubbed my stomach, she shrugged.
"Eh. You've got that glow and I figured if you weren't a kidnap victim, you had to be his wife or something. No one would willingly put up with that all day." She pointed to him causing me to laugh, Theta pouted in hurt. "Hey!"
"You've still got the honeymoon." I told her, ignoring him who was grumbling behind us. "It's just a holiday now." She shrugged lightly, "Yeah. Yeah. Sorry." I muttered looking over the view, it was beautiful. "It's not your fault." She smiled gently, "Oh? That's a change." Theta muttered from behind us, "Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right." I chuckled shooting him a look at her comment. "Yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently."
Donna sits on the edge of the roof, looking towards St Paul's Cathedral and the City beyond, I sit beside her. Theta takes off his jacket and puts it around my shoulders causing me to smile up in thanks as he sits beside me. "Oh and you'd better put this on." He hands her a gold ring, "Oh, do you have to rub it in? Shouldn't you have one." She asked me looking down at my hand causing me to smile, "I'll explain later." I told her, "Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden. With this ring, I thee bio-damp." She puts it on with a nod as he speaks to her. "For better or for worse. So, come on then. Robot santas, what are they for?" She asks.
"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas." I explained to her, "Why, what happened then?" She asked us causing both Theta and I to cock our heads in confusion. "Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?" Theta asked causing her to shrug, "I had a bit of a hangover." She muttered nonchalantly, "We spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this family. My friend, she had this family. Well, they were. Still, gone now."
I smiled gently at the fact that he was at least talking to her but he still had a stern look on his face. "Your friend, who was she?" She was ignored by him causing me to sigh, "Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the Tardis? I don't know. What's your job?" He asked her doing a once over in confusion. He was wondering why she was so important, "I'm a secretary." He stands up and moves over to her other side before he scans her with the sonic screwdriver.
"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." I scoffed and reached around her to smack him upside his head. "Stop bleeping me!" She demanded giving me a grateful look. "What kind of secretary?" I asked her, "I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping. 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 going to fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. 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."
"When was this?"
"Six months ago."
"Bit quick to get married."
"Well, he insisted. And he nagged, and he nagged me and he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in." She shrugged with a gentle smile on her face. "What does HC Clements do?" I asked her, "Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths." She explained causing us both to nod, "Keys." I uttered out, "Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian couple."
"Yeah. We're not from Mars."
"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken."
—
Everyone is bopping to Slade, under a big disco ball, and having a great time when we enter, I raise an eyebrow in shock as Theta winced. Donna's entrance stops the fun, "You had the reception without me?" She asked in shock, "Donna, what happened to you?" A man steps forward, I assume it was Lance. "You had the reception without me?" She snarled again this time angry, "Hello. I'm the Doctor. This is Kate." I give a fake smile an elbow him in the side causing him to grunt. "They had the reception without me." She gapped turning to us.
"Yes, I gathered." Theta uttered while I placed a hand on her back, "Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" A blonde snarled causing me to have some irritating flashbacks. "Thank you, Nerys." I scoffed, she was supposedly the bestfriend we had. Yeah, right! "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." They all start talking at once, "Where were you the whole time?"
They finally shut up with Donna bursts into tears. Lance hugs her and everyone applauds, except Nerys. Donna winks at us causing me to chuckle and Theta to smirk.
Later, as Lance and Donna are dancing together, all happy again. Theta and I are standing off to the side watching everyone. "I have wandered, I have rambled, I have crossed this crowded sphere. And I've seen-" Theta gestures to a man holding a smart phone, and borrows it to look up HC Clements.
"Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl, what is this man to do. So reel me in, my precious girl."
HC Clements, sole proprietor - Torchwood.
"Come on, take me home. Cos my body's tired of travelling and my heart don't wish to roam."
Theta hands back the phone with a small smile.
"Well, you took me in, you stole my heart, I cannot roam no more. Cos love it stays within you, it doesn't wash up on a shore. Then a fighting man forgets each cut, each knock, each bruise, each fall. But a fighting man cannot forget-"
I spots the man making the video record of the wedding, walking over I ask to take a look with Theta behind me. "Oh, I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are." He watches the replay of when Donna turned into gold energy and flew off. I frown in shock, "Can't be. Play it again?" I demand, "Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."
"But that looks like Huon Particles."
"What's that then?"
"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years. So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" Theta runs outside to see robot Santas approaching, he rushes back nodding at me as I turn to Donna. "Donna! Donna, they've found you." I rushed out as she turned to me in horror, "But you said I was safe." She demanded as Theta finally moved over. "The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out." He rushed looking around in panic. "My God, it's all my family."
"Out the back door!" There are robots out there, "Maybe not." We look through the French windows, "We're trapped." A robot has a remote control. "Christmas trees." I stated looking at the trees in the corners, "What about them?" Donna asks, "They kill. Get away from the tree!" Theta shouts moving to the center of the room. "Don't touch the trees!" I shout too, pulling kids away from the trees. "Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!"
"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to. Oh." The plastic baubles are floating off the trees, which are real. Then they start to zoom at the people and go Bang! when they hit something. Panic, the presents go tumbling, and one man gets thrown into the air and lands squarely on the wedding cake. Donna and Lance hide underneath a table.
Theta looks up over the DJ's sound desk to see six Santa's all lined up in front of the bar. He nods at me causing me to cover my ears and take cover. "Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver." He flips the microphone and speaks into, he really knows how to make the littlest things hot as all. "Don't let him near the sound system." He jams the screwdriver into the deck, and the resulting harmonics shake the robots to pieces.
"It's all right, Stan. You'll be all right. It's all over."
"Michael? Connie? Oh, Senita, do something useful."
"What is it? What were they?"
"Just stop wittering. Just help them."
"Look at that. Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession." I explained causing Theta to nod but Donna turned to us. "Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt." Donna utters in sadness as she looked towards us. "Nah, they wanted you alive. Look." He throws a bauble to Donna, "They're not active now." I told her so she doesn't panic much. "All I'm saying, you could help." Donna muttered lowly, "Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" We rush outside.
"Donna, who is he? Who is that man?"
"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." I muttered out with a frown, "But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asks in shock, "If we find the controller, we'll find that out. Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky." The ambulances have arrived, "I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give us a lift?"
—
"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." I explained to her causing her to frown in confusion, "Who are they?" She asked me causing me to shrug, "They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf. Cyberman invasion. Skies over London full of Daleks?" It wasn't that long ago at all maybe a week at max, "Oh, I was in Spain."
"They had Cybermen in Spain."
"Scuba diving."
"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it. Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation."
"But what do they want with me?"
"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 picks up a coffee mug, "And that's you." I pick up a pencil, "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap." He shakes the mug while I shake the pencil, then I drop the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the Tardis."
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?"
"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"
"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"
Theta gets a computer screen to work. It shows a plan of the building. "They make keys, that's the point. And look at this. We're on the third floor. Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes? 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?" Theta asks as we step into the lift, "Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance acted shocked but he didn't really seem shocked. "No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor."
"It needs a key." Donna stated with a frown, "I don't." He sonics the LB button. "Right then. Thanks, you two. I can handle this. See you later." She scoffs then steps into the elevator, "No chance, Martians. You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight."
"Going down."
"Lance?"
"Maybe I should go to the police." Lance started to back away, "Inside." Lance gets in the lift, "To honour and obey?" Theta muttered causing me to raise an eyebrow. "Tell me about it, mate." Lance muttered in irritation, "Oi."
—
We enter an area lit in eerie green, "Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asks, "Let's find out." I muttered. "Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?"
"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it. Oh, look. Transport." Those weird two wheel electric stand up jobs. Donna can't help laughing, we all probably looked like idiots. The thing is, Theta had the most serious look on his face which is why I think she started to laugh and in doing so it made me laugh.
Then Theta started to as well while Lance watched us as if we were crazy. We arrive at a bulkhead door labelled Torchwood. Authorised personnel only, Theta turns the wheel to open it to reveal a ladder, "Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything." Theta told her, "You'd better come back." We both chuckled at her as he starts up the ladder. "I couldn't get rid of you if I tried."
"Donna, have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we going to do?" Lance asked her as he not so subtly eyed me while I stood under the later not so subtly checking out Theta's ass. I noticed it earlier but I never really said anything, this right suit of his really brings out his nice form. "Oh, I thought July." Theta climbs up to another sealed cover operated by a wheel, like in a submarine.
He opens it and climbs out onto the top of number 8 in the Thames Barrier. We wait patiently as he comes down to us again, he jumps down wiping his hands before grabbing mine and pulling me out of the small room. "Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."
"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked, "Oh, I know. Unheard of." We enter a room with lots of bubbling tubes. "Oo, look at this. Stunning!"
"What does it do?"
"Particle extrusion. Hold on." He runs up to one of the tubes, tapping it lightly. "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, our people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." Theta rambled causing me to smile gently at him. "Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance demands glaring at us with a frown, "Oh, we are freelancers. But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form." I explained, grabbing a vial of the stuff. "And that's what's inside me?" I turn a knob on top of the container, and the liquid glows gold so does Donna.
"Oh, my God!" She gapped in awe and horror, "Genius. Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then. Ha!" He jumps backwards causing me to roll my eyes, Donna jumped too looking shocked at his outburst.
"The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!" Donna slaps him, he spins around his mouth open in shock. Well I can't say he didn't deserve that one because he did insult her, I would have slapped him too.
"What did I do this time??" I snorted looking away when he turned to me, "Are you enjoying this?" She snaps causing him to look down slightly guilty. She takes a deep breath before nodding, "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?" She asked him, "Yes." He lied causing me to sigh, which she seemed to hear. "Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?" She asked us, "Because they were deadly." I told her slowly causing her eyes to widen, "Oh, my God." She gapped in shock. "I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose someone else."
"Oh, she is long since lost." The wall in front of them slides up to reveal a tiered hole descending into the earth. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" Lance runs away. Black robed robots turn their guns on us, "Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" I muttered to myself, "Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" She hissed, "Really? Seriously? What for?" I frowned in confusion.
"Dinosaurs."
"What?"
"Dinosaurs?"
"What are you on about, dinosaurs?"
"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Trying to help." Donna shrugged, "That's not helping." Theta muttered. "Such a sweet couple." She uttered out watching us from somewhere. "Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" Theta asked, "High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." She chuckled darkly, "I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you!" I shouted up at the ceiling. "Who are you with such command?" I glared at her, "I'm the Doctor." Theta stepped up before I could causing me to frown an him to hold my hand with a small nod. "Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart."
She transports herself in, a huge spider hissing at us. "Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?" I rolled my eyes at the giant spider. "Empress of the Racnoss." She corrected him, "If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one?" I ask her looking up with a disgusted frown, "Such a sharp mind." She hissed back at me. "That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."
"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?"
"They eat people?"
"HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?" Theta asked with a wince as I look over in confusion. "He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Theta points to a pair of feet sticking out of the web across the ceiling, wearing black and white shoes. "Oh, my God!" Donna gasps in horror, "Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The spider hissed happily. "You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out."
Lance is on a balcony above the Empress. He makes the shush gesture, "Except for me." She hissed, "But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me." Donna shouted up at her trying to distract her long enough for Lance. "The bride is so feisty." Lance is sneaking up behind the giant Empress with a fire axe. "Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!"
Lance starts to swing the axe, The Empress turns and hisses at him. Lance laughs, and the Empress joins in. "That was a good one. Your face." He pointed as both of us watched sadly, it was easy to see that he was a bad guy. "Lance is funny." She chuckled, "What?" Donna gapped in hurt, "I'm sorry." Theta and I muttered together in sadness. "Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!" Donna shouted again causing them to laugh again. "God, she's thick. Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map." I glared at him as Theta glanced at her with a sympathetic look before looking away.
"I don't understand."
"How did you meet him?"
"In the office."
"He made you coffee."
"What?"
"Every day, I made you coffee."
"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." I explained to her causing her eyes to widen, "He was poisoning me." She gasped, "It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." Theta told her slowly, "This time, it's personnel." Lance chuckled evilly. "But, we were getting married." Donna cried in sadness, "Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal." I wanted to smack the shit out of this guy.
"Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?"
"It's better than a night with her."
"But I love you."
"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?" I glared at the evil man, he was horrible. "Who is this little physician? And his woman?" She asked causing Lance to shrug, "She said Martian." Theta grunted not agreeing with him, "Oh, we're sort of homeless. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"
"I think he wants us to talk."
"I think so, too."
"Well, tough! All we need is Donna."
"Kill this chattering little doctor man."
"Don't you hurt them! She's pregnant." The spider paused for a split moment causing me to frown, "No, no, Donna. It's all right." I told her gently watching the spider who stared back. "No, I won't let them." She angrily snarled, "At arms!" The robots point their guns at us, "Ah, now. Except."
"Take aim!"
"Well, I just want to point out the obvious." He continued, "They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." She hissed at us as Theta pushed me behind him. "Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her." I hand him the container behind his back, he brings it around and turns the knob on the Huon container. "Fire!" The Tardis builds itself like smoke around us, "Off we go."
"My key! My key!" The Tardis dematerializes, "Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before." I held her as she cried into my chest, Theta watching with a sad look. I gave him a small smile while rubbing her back as she slowly began to calm down, "It's alright." I muttered comforting her.
—
"We've arrived. Want to see?" Theta asked as we moved over to the door, "I suppose." Donna shrugged still upset about Lance. "Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." He goes to the door, "Come on. No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first." I smiled at her causing her to grumble. "All I want to see is my bed." She grunted not really feeling like doing anything any more. "Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth." Lumps of rock floating around a dust covered sun. "We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."
"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked with a frown, "All around us in the dust." I told her gently watching the beautiful sight. "Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny." Donna muttered sadly, "No, but that's what you do. The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."
"So I came out of all this?"
"Isn't that brilliant?" A large rock drifts past, "I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna pointed out causing me to chuckle, "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get-" He gestured building a ball with his hands, "The Earth." Donna finished for him causing him to nod. "But the question is, what was that first rock?" A seven pointed star spaceship comes out of the dust cloud.
"Look."
"The Racnoss."
"Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?" Theta asked confused as he begins to speed us up, Donna and I watch. "Exactly what you said." The rocks and dust are attracted to the spaceship, he runs back over to watch as well. "Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." I speak as they come together, we all grunted as the Tardis shook and made a loud Bang! "What was that?"
"Trouble." I state as the Tardis starts throwing us about, "What the hell's it doing?" Donna asks as she tries to hold on herself. "Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles. Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" Theta shouts from the other side as we worked together trying to stop the pull.
"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or fade or something?"
"Backseat driver. Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" The surfboard device from Boom Town. "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good..Now!" The Tardis dematerializes, "We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" We take off down the long corridor.
"But what do we do?" Donna asks, turning to us. "I don't know. I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history." Theta uses a stethoscope on the Torchwood door, "But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?" Donna questioned, "There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but our people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck."
Theta keeps talking, both of us not paying attention to Donna. "They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet." We finally realize she is gone, I winced whoops. "Oh!" He sonics the door open to reveal two robots pointing a gun at us.
—
The Huon particles zoom straight down into the hole so kindly dug by Torchwood. Theta and I moved silently in the chamber, "The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages."
"Who will? What's down there?"
"How thick are you??" Lance shouts at her in annoyance, "My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh! The web star shall come to me." The spaceship starts to move towards the Earth as lots of somethings start to climb up the hole. "My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."
"Use her, not me! Use her!" Lance shouts, "Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady friend. The Empress does not approve." The web releases Lance, and he falls into the hole. "Lance!"
"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat." Energy lances out from the spaceship's lower four arms, wreaking havoc in the streets. The little girl screams as one beam cuts through the road until someone snatches her out of its way.
"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." A robot walks up the steps, "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man." Theta removes the robot mask and robe as I step out from behind him. "Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!" He points his sonic screwdriver at Donna, and the web starts to give way. "I'm going to fall!"
"You're going to swing! I've got you!"
Screaming, Donna swings across the hole, past the Empress and stops underneath the landing where we were standing. The strand of web was just six feet too long. She drops to the ground with a clang, "Oh. Sorry." Theta winced as I burst into laughter, slapping my hand over my mouth. "Thanks for nothing." She groaned before standing up as even the Spider Alien began to laugh. "The doctor man amuses me."
"Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now."
"These men are so funny."
"What's your answer?"
"Oh I'm afraid I have to decline." She mocked faking her sadness, she didn't care and that's what seemed to flip in Theta. "What happens next is your own doing."
"I'll show you what happens next. At arms! Take aim! And-" She shouted, "Relax." The robots slump, "What did you do?" Donna asked looking around at all of them. "Guess what I've got, Donna?" A robot remote control, "Pockets." He beamed at her, she cocked her head looking at him confused. "How did that fit in there?"
"They're bigger on the inside."
"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh."
"Oh, but We're not from Mars."
"Then where?" She asked slowly as she moved around just a tiny bit. "My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey. I am the Queen." I stated with a permanent frown, "They murdered the Racnoss!" She hissed angrily at me with a seething glare.
"I warned you. You did this." He takes some Christmas tree decorations from another pocket. "No! No! Don't! No!" Theta throws the baubles into the air then uses the remote to direct them. He uses some to blow holes in the corridor wall to let the Thames in, whilst the rest surround the Empress. Fires break out, and manhole covers burst under the pressure. Water comes flooding into the lair and down the hole. Alien screams come upwards, "No! No! My children! No! My children! My children!"
I watch silently as Theta's eye stay dark as he watched the alien suffer a tremendous loss. Rubbing my belly, Donna noticing my silent dilemma. "Doctor! You can stop now!" He finally snapped out of it, looking towards me in his own horror as I looked back slightly scared of him.
This was all my fault.
"My children!"
"Come on. Time I got you out." Soaked to the skin, we head up the stairs moving into the long tunnels. "Transport me!" The Empress is beamed up, "Oh, they will suffer! So suffer! This planet shall be scorched!"
"But what about the Empress?" Donna asks, "She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!" We continue to the ladder hatch, finally getting into the small room we begin to climb to the top. There we stand on gate 8 staring in awe, "Just there's one problem." I stated looking at Theta, "What is that?" He asked looking back at me. "We've drained the Thames." We all burst into laughter.
—
The Tardis is parked across the road, "There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything." I laughed patting the Tardis which hummed back at me. "More than I've done." He gives her a quick sonic scan, "No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine." Theta waved off, "Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of." Donna scoffed at the situation. "I couldn't save him." Theta spoke sadly, "He deserved it." She stared at me as I raised an eyebrow before she looked down sadly, "No, he didn't. I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."
"Best Christmas present they could have." Sylvia and Geoff hug each other, "Oh, no. I forgot you hate Christmas."
"Yes, I do."
"Even if it snows?" Theta makes the Tardis lamp turn yellow and fire off a bolt of energy into the sky. Instant snow shower, I smiled up at the beautiful sight with a gentle laugh. "I can't believe you did that!" Donna laughed just as happily as me, "Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." He shrugged nonchalantly.
"Merry Christmas." Donna smiled at us, "And you. So, what will you do with yourself now?" I asked with a cock of my head. "Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something." I laughed, almost everyone who meets Theta wants to travel the world after. "Well, you could always-" He paused looking at me, I shrugged. "What?" She asked watching us, "Come with us."
"No."
"Okay."
"I can't."
"No, that's fine."
"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you live your life like that?" Donna asked with a frown as she eyeballed me, "Not all the time." Theta told her but she shook her head. "I think you do. And I couldn't." Donna replied with a small smile, "But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful." I told her gently as I rubbed my belly to comfort myself. "And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you were stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death."
"Right." Theta nodded slightly offended, "Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner. Oh, come on." She offered. "I don't do that sort of thing."
"You did it last year. You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty." She did have a point.
"Oh, all right then. But you go first. Better warn them. And don't say I'm a Martian. I just have to park her properly. She might drift off to the Middle Ages. I'll see you in a minute." I smile gently at her as Theta goes into the Tardis me following close behind, and the engines start up. "Doctor! Kate!" Donna shouts causing me to laugh, I stood by the door as he went to the console. I knew she wasn't done so he landed again and ran over to me as I open the door. "Blimey, you can shout." I teased with a smirk, "Am I ever going to see you again?"
"I'd like to think so." I mused causing her to nod, "Just promise me one thing. Find someone." She uttered, I looked up at him as he looked away. He was having trouble, I knew that but I couldn't understand why. I've always known him and understood him but now I don't know anything. "I don't need anyone, I've got Kate." He snipped slightly his eyes dark. "Yes, you do. Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you. I know she will if she has too but she also needs to worry about herself. She's pregnant with your child, Doctor. You need to get yourself together."
"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna. Good luck. And just be magnificent."
"I think I will, yeah. Doctor?"
"Oh, what is it now?"
"That friend of yours. What was her name?" Donna asked slowly as she watched our reactions. Mine was numb and his was somber, "Her name was Rose." The Tardis starts to dematerializes, then shoots straight up into the sky before vanishing.
——
I sat up against the headboard of our bed, my hand rubbing stomach as I watched Theta. He was laying across the bed staring at the ceiling with a blank look, "Are you alright?" I asked gently, he smiled and turned to look at me. "In a year and eight months we will have a baby and your healthy as an ox. I couldn't ask for more." I gave him a sad smile as I teared up, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I cried out causing him to jump up and pull me into his chest, "No no babygirl. Why are you crying?"
I looked up at him, "Rose. If I hadn't come along you would've been happy." He immediately moved his body, his eyes turning dark. "No." His hands shook as they gripped my shoulders tightly, "Don't you EVER say that to me. Do you understand?!" I stared at him in shock as he began to cry, both of us crying together.
"I love you so much, Nora. You are my everything and our baby will be my everything. Yes, Rose was important but you are more than that. I love you. I care for you! And nothing in the world will ever change that." He stared me down, I paused staring back before grabbing his shirt and pulling him into a heated kiss.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
That night we were one again and so much more. We held each other as we healed one another, it was the only way we knew how too. We loved each other more than anything and our baby would be just as important to us.
We actually had quite the Christmas.
—————————
So announcement, I have decided to take a small break. I'll be back, don't worry I just need some time again to get my brain back on track. It's taking a lot of power for me to actually write for some reason but I promise I'll be back just give me a few days. Hopefully it won't be longer than a week or two.
When I do get back, should I start updating daily on this fanfic or continue with my Saturdays?
A little hint of her life on Gallifrey at the beginning.
9405 Words