Alyssa landed in the Tardis that she knew belonged to either the Ninth or Tenth Doctor. She looked around, and saw the tenth doctor messing with the controls
"Hello doctor."Alyssa said, he turned around and looked at her with a sad expression. Alyssa frowned and walked toward him and put her hand on his cheek "what's wrong."
"Rose's gone." the doctor said and alyssa instantly knew what happened.
"Im so sorry."Alyssa said
"I know." He said before he looked back at the Tardis and started piloting it before looking back at Alyssa but his eyes fell on something behind her. "What?" He said shocked
"Doctor what's wrong?" She said before turning around and there was Donna in a wedding dress.
"Who are you?" She asked looking between Alyssa and the doctor. Alyssa was smiling dumbstruck as she watched the exchange between the two of them
"But" the Doctor said,
"Where am I?" Donna said
"What?" The Doctor said looking at Alyssa not understanding the smile on her face.
"What the hell is this place?" Donna said, looking around and at Alyssa who caused even more confusion in her
"What?" The Doctor said before finally breaking out of his orginal shock "You can't do that. I wasn't. We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible!"
"Not Impossible dear just really unlikely." Alyssa said, and the Doctor looked at her
"Oh you be quiet," before the Doctor turned back to Donna "How did?"
"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now where am I?" Donna said,
"you're inside the Tardis" Alyssa said the same time the Doctor said "Inside the Tardis."
"The what?" Donna said
"The Tardis." The Doctor and Alyssa said together,
"The what?" Donna just repeated as the two repeated themselves until the Doctor finally broke the cycle by saying "It's called the Tardis."
"That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things." Donna said
"It is a word Donna, I forgot how much of a handful you were." Alyssa said as she walked over to the console and started helping the Doctor.
"Handful? Me a Handful?" Donna said, shocked before shaking her head and turning to Alyssa "How do you know my name!" she yelled
"Oh crap." Alyssa muttered, and the Doctor started questioning Donna again
"How did you get in here?" The Doctor said,
"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."
"This was not Neyrs." Alyssa muttered,
"Who the hell is Nerys?" the Doctor said,
"Your best friend." Donna said
"Well no, that's me." Alyssa said as she leaned against the tardis console,
"Hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?" The Doctor said,
"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!"
"We didn't kidnap you Donna." Alyssa said once again
"I haven't done anything!" The Doctor reaffirmed,
"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!" Donna said before running towards the Tardis doors despide both Alyssa and Doctor's warnings
"I wouldn't do that!" Alyssa yelled,
"No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't!" The Doctor said, before Donna opened the doors and saw space in front of her, and both the Doctor and Alyssa both walked over,
"You're in space. Outer space. This is my space ship. It's called the Tardis." The Doctor said,
"How am I breathing?" Donna asked,
"The Tardis is protecting us." Alyssa said,
"Who are you two?" Donna said
"Im Alyssa." Alyssa said,
"I'm the Doctor. You?"
"Donna." Donna said,
"Human?" The Doctor said,
"Yeah. Is that optional?" Donna said, looking between the two of them,
"Well, it is for us." The Doctor said,
"You're aliens" Donna said
"yes." Alyssa said,
"Yeah." the Doctor said
"It's freezing with these doors open." Donna said, causing the Doctor to slam them closed and run back to the console. Alyssa and Donna following
"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" the Doctor said as he pulled out a tool and looked 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" the Doctor started, before Donna finally slapped him, Alyssa just letting out a smirk.
"What was that for?"
"Get me to the church!" Donna yelled,
"Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?" Rushing over to pilot the Tardis,
"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." Donna said walking around before her eyes fell on one of Rose's blouses, and she ran over and grabbed it "I knew it, acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?" Thats finally when Alyssa finally stepped in
"We didn't abduct you, and that's our friends."
"Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?"
"No," Alyssa said, trying to take the blouse from her,
"She's gone." The Doctor said,
"Gone where?" Donna said,
"I lost her." The Doctor said looking back down at the Console,
"Well, you can hurry up and lose me!"
"Donna!" Alyssa yelled snatching the blouse from her, but Donna just turned back to the Doctor
"How do you mean, lost?"
"Right, Chiswick." The Doctor yelled and continued piloting the ship as Alyssa threw the Blouse through a door way and went to help the Doctor pilot the ship back to earth however they had to land somewhere completely different as the three exited the Tardis
"I said, Saint Mary's. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"
"Something's wrong with her. The Tardis, it's like she's" The Doctor said before running back into the Tardis. As Donna realized the size of the outside of the ship and walked around it, "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. 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?" The Doctor continued talking being completely oblivious to Donna as she started walking away, "Doctor!" Alyssa yelled, as she followed after Donna.
"Donna." Alyssa said, as the Doctor caught up,
"Leave me alone. I just want to get married."
"Come back to the Tardis." The Doctor said,
"No way. That box is too weird." Donna said,
"It's bigger on the inside, that's all." the Doctor said,
"Oh! That's all? Ten past three. I'm going to miss it." Donna said,
"We can get you there in time, Come on Donna." Alyssa said,
"You can phone them. Tell them where you are." The Doctor said,
"How do I do thatt?" Donna said,
"Haven't you got a mobile?" the Doctor said,
"She's in a wedding dress," Alyssa said,
"So?" the Doctor said,
"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!" Donna said,
"This man you're marrying. What's his name?" The doctor said,
"Lance." Donna
"Good luck, Lance." The Doctor said
"Doctor Don't be rude." Alyssa said, as Donna just got more angry.
"Oi! No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married. To hell with you!"Donna said, before running off,
"I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not from Mars." The Doctor said making Alyssa chuckle before they both ran after Donna.
"Taxi!" Donna yelled trying to get a Taxi, but it just drove past her "Why's his light on?" as the three of them scanned the streets for open taxis,
"There's another one!" The Doctor said, as he spotted one,
"Taxi! Oi!" Donna yelled for the taxi but it just drove past, As Alyssa saw another one
"There's one!" Alyssa said,
"Oi!"
"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?"
"Doctor stop being rude to her!" Alyssa said,
"They think I'm in fancy dress." Donna said,
"Stay off the sauce, darling!" A taxi driver yelled out,
"They think I'm drunk." Donna said,
"You're fooling no one, mate!" two people in a car yelled,
"They think I'm in drag!" Donna said quite offended, and Alyssa let out a sigh of exasperation as she said
"Hold on, hold on." before puting her fingers in her mouth and whistling causing a taxi to make a u-turn and stop in front of them. and the three of them got in the back,
"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency. I'm getting married. Just hurry up!" Donna said,
"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today." the Taxi Driver said, and Alyssa started digging through her pockets, for the change left over from when she bought chips for the Doctor and Rose.
"Oh, my God. Have you got any money?"
"Hold On, I'm looking," Alyssa said, as the Doctor answered
"Er, no. Haven't you?" the Doctor said,
"again Pockets!" Alyssa and Donna said together, and before Alyssa could really figure out if she had any money in her pockets the taxi driver made another u-turn and dropped them off where he got them. They got out as Donna spilled many insults at the taxi driver,
"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." Donna said, after they had gotten out.
"Is it Christmas?" The Doctor and Alyssa said,
"Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve."
"We have been traveling a while Donna," Alyssa said, As they scanned the street, and Donna saw a phone box down the way.
"phone box! We can reverse the charges!" which they started running towards,
"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" the Doctor asked,
"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?" Donna said, as the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and sonicked the phone.
"Just call the direct." the Doctor said,
"What did you do?" Donna said,
"Something Martian. Now phone. I'll get money!" The Doctor said before rushing off, as Donna struggled to get in contact with anyone, and she left a voice mail describing where she was, she hung up the phone and walked up to random person before asking for a ten pound, Alyssa looked around at the Doctor as she saw Santa started playing a song and started advancing on the Doctor, her eyes jumped between the Doctor and Donna, as Donna yelled out "Taxi!"
"St Mary's Chiswick. Thanks for nothing, spaceman and spacewoman! I'll see you in Court." Donna yelled, out before getting in the taxi,
"oh you have got to be kidding," Alyssa said, as she saw who was driving the taxi, a santa, a santa she knew was evil, she looked at the doctor before letting out a sigh and ran and managed to get into the Taxi before it drove off with Donna.
"Oi what are you doing?"Donna said
"making sure you get to wherever your going safely." she said, looking nervously at the driver, her hand nervously going towards her gun as her eyes kept glancing at the rearview mirror.
"I promise you, mate, I'll give you the rest when we get there. Oh, I look a mess."
"No you look lovely," Alyssa said, as Donna took off her veil,
"Hurry up." Donna said,
"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!"
"Donna" Alyssa said, as the memories of the episode came back to her, she reached out a hand to Donna her other hand fully grabbing onto her gun,
"What the hell are you doing? I'm late for the wedding. My own wedding. Do you get that?" Donna said,
"yeah Donna we aren't going to Chiswick."
"Turn around! Turn this cab around right now! Are you deaf or what?"Donna said, before reaching up and grabbing the Santa's hood and pulling it back, Alyssa grabbed Donna's arm and yanked her back as the santa mask fell off and revealed a robot
"Oh, my God." Donna said as she turned to the window as Alyssa brought out her gun and pointed it at the robot. as Donna began pounding on the window asking for help from the other drivers before her eyes landed on the Tardis which was flying towards them, Alyssa glanced at the rearview mirror and let out a sigh of relief as Donna said, "You are kidding me." as the Tardis weaved through the traffic before coming to rest right besides the taxi,
"Open the door!" he yelled,
"Do what?" Donna said, back,
"Open the door" Alyssa and the Doctor said together, and Donna tried to open the door,
"I can't, it's locked!" Donna yelled, and Alyssa let out a annoyed sigh as she brought out her sonic screwdriver and unlocked the door, and Donna opened the window,
"Santa's a robot." Donna yelled,
"Donna, open the door." The Doctor said,
"What for?" Donna said,
"We've got to jump!" Alyssa said as she looked between the Doctor and the robot,
"I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!" Donna yelled, as the robot started accelerateing away, "Oh you have got to be kidding me," Alyssa said beforre she used her sonic and pointed it at the robot which made it clamp it's hand on the steering wheel before the Doctor caught up with them
"Listen to me. You've got to jump." Alyssa said, as the Doctor stared at the two of them
"I'm not jumping on a motorway." Donna said,
"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!"
"I'm in my wedding dress!" Donna said,
"Yes, you look lovely!" Alyssa said "Go on!" she said pointing her gun at the robot,
"I can't do it." Donna said,
"Trust me." the Doctor said,
"Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost? Did she trust you?"
"Yes, she did." Alyssa said,
"And she is not dead. She is so alive. Now, jump!" the Doctor said, and Donna jumped into the Tardis as Alyssa scooted over to the door as the Doctor quickly got Donna off of him and held his arms out for her,
"Your turn." the Doctor said, and Alyssa looked down at the road, "come on Alyssa don't wimp out on me now. Jump." And Alyssa jumped into the Doctor's arms and they both fell to the floor and the Tardis doors shut before it flew away,
"Cutting it a little close dear." Alyssa said,
"Always." he said, before getting up and they both got to piloting the tardis onto a roof.
as the Doctor put out a fire in the Tardis. Alyssa and Donna looked over the city, "The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours." The Doctor said joining the two after he emptied a fire hydrant into the Tardis, "You all right?"
"Doesn't matter." Donna said,
"Did we miss it?" Alyssa asked,
"Yeah." Donna said,
"Well, you can book another date." The Doctor said,
"Course we can." Donna said,
"you've still got the honeymoon." Alyssa said, the both of them trying and failing at cheering Donna up,
"It's just a holiday now."Donna said,
"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry." The Doctor said,
"It's not your fault." Donna said,
"Oh? That's a change." The doctor said,
"Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right." Donna said, causing the Doctor and Alyssa to share a glance,
"Yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently." The Doctor said, before Donna sat on the edge of the roof, and the Doctor took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders before him and Alyssa sat down as well.
"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat."
"Oh and you'd better put this on." The Doctor said bringing out a gold ring,
"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna said,
"Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden. With this ring, I thee bio-damp." the doctor said as he put the ring on Donna's finger,
"For better or for worse. 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. I met them last Christmas."
"Why, what happened then?" Donna said,
"Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?" The Doctor said,
"I had a bit of a hangover." Donna said,
"I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this family. My friend, she had this family. Well, they were. Still, gone now." The Doctor said,
"Your friend, who was she?"
"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the Tardis? I don't know." The Doctor said,
"What's your job?"
"I'm a secretary." Donna said, and started scanning Donna,
"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."
"Everyone's important Doctor," Alyssa said,
"This friend of yours. Just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" Donna said, as the Doctor continued scanning her "Stop bleeping me!"
"Well our friend didn't hit him in the face, but I used to smack him in the back of the face sometimes,"
Alyssa said, and they fell into silence again before The Doctor broke it,
"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked,
"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." Donna said explaining her job,
"When was this?" Alyssa asked,
"Six months ago."
"Bit quick to get married." the Doctor said,
"Well, he insisted. And he nagged, and he nagged me. And he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in.
"What does HC Clements do?" Alyssa asked,
"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,
"Keys." The Doctor said,
"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 boy and girl."
"Yeah. We're not from Mars."
"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken." Donna said, as they walked back into the Tardis.
They got to the Receptions to see not heartbroken people but people who were partying. "You had the reception without me?" Donna said, as people started noticing that she was there, and the music screeched to a halt
"Donna, what happened to you?" A man said in front of them,
"You had the reception without me?" Donna said,
"Hello. I'm the Doctor." The Doctor said
"They had the reception without me."
"Yes, I gathered.
"Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" a Female next to the man said
"Thank you, Nerys." Donna said,
"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."
"Might I interject?" Alyssa said, interuppting the lady who had walked towards them, "Someone out of the blue disappears from a wedding day half way up the aisle, and you think it's a trick? are you kidding me? what were you supposed to do? Not party! did you file a police report, did you spend any amount of time actually trying to find her? No you go and throw a party, Proves you don't really care about her,"
"How dare you, who even are you?" one of the females said,
"Im Donna's friend and that's more then I can say for all of you." Alyssa said, before looking back at Donna, who was staring at her shocked, as the guests all started talking at once, and then she started crying, and a man who the Doctor and Alyssa both assumed was Lance hugged her,
After that the party returned to normal, and the Doctor and Alyssa were on the sidelines scanning the party, before the Doctor's eyes fell onto a man with a phone, and he walked over to it and borrowed it, as Alyssa and the Doctor both looked at it. the Doctor typed in the name of the company Donna worked with and as it was searching, soniked it until a single result popped up 'Sole Proprietor: Torchwood' before the doctor closed the phone and handed it back to the man, they scanned the party, and Alyssa noticed the Doctor's face fall, she held a hand out to him "Shall we?" She said, and the Doctor smiled as he took her hand and pulled him to dance. "Im sorry about Rose truly I am, I wish I could've stopped it,"
"you couldn't have stopped it Alyssa, and thats okay, the important part is that she is alive, both her and her mother. Thats the important thing." He said, they danced together for a few more minutes before the Doctor's eye fell on a cameraman and they both danced over and asked the man whether or not he taped the wedding, and with luck he did.
"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." The Camera man said before playing Donna walking down the aisle before turning into gold and flew off. The Doctor looked at Alyssa for a second before asking "Can't be. Play it again?" The Doctor asked and the Cameraman did exactly that
"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." the cameraman said, as the three of them watched them again
"But that looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor said, and Alyssa frowned as it didn't really exist anymore,
"What's that then?" The cameraman asked,
"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years." The doctor said starting to rant before realization came across his face, "So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" The Doctor said, before the two ran outside, and saw through a window that Robot santas were advancing on the building it took Alyssa less then a second to run back to Donna, the Doctor following, "Donna, they've found you." Alyssa said, as the two reached her,
"But you said I was safe." Donna said,
"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out." The Doctor said looking around,
"My God, it's all my family." Donna said, as Alyssa scanned a way to get out of the building,
"Out the back door!" She yelled, and the three of them rushed over to get out only to see two santa robots advancing on the building.
"Maybe not." The Doctor said, before they rushed to another door to see two more advance on the building before one of them rose a remote. "We're trapped." Donna said, The Doctor looked around and saw a large christmas tree.
"Christmas trees." The Doctor said,
"What about them?"
"They kill." the Doctor said before rushing over to the tree, "Get away from the tree!" The
"Don't touch the trees!" Donna yelled out to as the three rushed over to them,
"Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!" As the three moved kids away from the tree.
"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to." Slyvia, who was Donna's mother said, before some of the baubles floated off the tree "Oh." the baubles danced around a bit before they rushed at people and started exploding, causing the party to abrupt into chaos. Alyssa pulled the doctor away and they both ducked behind a table. Before the Doctor noticed that wires ran up to the top of the table, it was the audio system. The Doctor and Alyssa peeked over the edge to see Santas lined up, looking at them with their instruments pointing at them, The Doctor and Alyssa stood up with his sonic ready before he yelled out
"Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system." saying the last bit into the microphone Before he japped the screwdriver into the system and activated it and a piercing sound rang out across the room, before the robot santas crumbled to the floor. Alyssa nudged the Doctor who finally took his screwdriver out of the system, and Alyssa ran towards the robot and picked up the remote control,
"Remote control for the decorations" Alyssa said, holding it up to Donna, and handing it to the Doctor, before looking back at the robot "but there's a second remote control for the robots."
"They're not scavengers anymore." The Doctor said, as he investigated the robots as well "I think someone's taken possession."
"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt." Donna said
"Im Sorry Donna, about your family," Alyssa said, but didn't move from where she was crouching,
"they wanted you alive. Look." The Doctor said, throwing a bauble at Donna and it didn't explode, "They're not active now."
"All I'm saying, you could help." Donna said, and Alyssa handed the robots head over to the Doctor, who continued messing with it,
"Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" the Doctor said, and the two of them jumped up and followed them, Donna soon joined them,
"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor said, as he sonicked the head,
"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna said,
"Nothing Donna," Alyssa said,
"However, If we find the controller, we'll find out why, Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky." The Doctor said, as the Sonic showed readings coming from the sky. As Alyssa and the Doctor both tried to find the exact location but with no luck, and they soon lost the signal all together,
"I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started." The Doctor said, before looking at the man "Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give us a lift?"
Lance did in fact give them a lift to the main office building as they all ran into the building, and to a computer. "To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." The Doctor said,
"Who are they?" Donn asked,
"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." The Doctor said, but Donna just gave him a lost expression, "Cyberman invasion. Skies over London full of Daleks?" he asked, but none rang a bell for the Doctor,
"Oh, I was in Spain." Donna said,
"They had Cybermen in Spain." the Doctor said,
"Scuba diving."
"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." the Doctor said, before he rushed to another computer "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation." before he hit the computer monitor.
"but what do they want with me?"
"Somehow Donna, you've been dosed with Huon Energy," Alyssa said
"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." the Doctor said, beforee picking up a coffee cup and a pencil, the cup being the Tardis, "And that's you." Holding up the pencil, "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap." he said as he shook the pencil and the mug before dropping the pencil into the mug, "You were pulled inside the Tardis."
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna said,
"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up." the Doctor said, and Alyssa shook her head
"Don't take that personally Donna." Alyssa said, as the Doctor went over to a computer and started sonicking it,
"Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" The Doctor asked,
"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?" Lance said, as the four all looked at the computer screen, the doctor had brought up a 3d model of the building,
"They make keys, that's the point. And look at this. We're on the third floor." the Doctor said before walking over to the lift and entering "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?"
"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?"
"No we are showing you this building has a secret floor," Alyssa said, as she brought out her sonic as she too entered the elevator
"It needs a key." Donna said,
"we don't." Alyssa said, as she sonicked the Lower basement button,
"Right then. Thanks, you two. We can handle this. See you later." The Doctor said,
"No chance, Martians. You're the two who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight." Donna said, as she stepped into the elevator,
"Going down." Alyssa said,
"Lance?" Donna said, to Lance who was standing outside the elevator,
"Maybe I should go to the police."
"Fat load they would do." Alyssa said,
"Inside." Donna said, and Lance stepped into the elevator,
"To honour and obey?" The Doctor said,
"Tell me about it, mate." Lance said, and Alyss reached up and smacked the back of the Doctor's head as Donna said "Oi."
The trip was silent before they finally got to the lower basement and they all exited into a green lit corridor. "Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked,
"Let's find out." The Doctor said,
"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?"
"HC Clements? hard to believe he's not a part of it." Alyssa said, as the four of them looked around
"Oh, look. Transport." the Doctor said, looking at some Segway-like vehicles. they each got one and they started down the corridor. Alyssa looked in between the four of them and couldn't help laughing which Donna and the Doctor joined in. before they finally parked the vehicles and got off, and the Doctor went over to a door and started turning the wheel to open it, inside was a ladder,
"Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything." The Doctor said,
"You'd better come back." Donna said
"I couldn't get rid of you if I tried." the Doctor said before starting up,
"Donna, have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we going to do?" Lance said,
"Oh, I thought July." Donna said, smiling at him before turning back to watching the Doctor, who soon came back down,
"Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." The Doctor said, as soon as he reached the three,
"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna said,
"Oh, I know. Unheard of." the Doctor said, looking at Alyssa who smirked, before they continued investigating the basement.
They quickly came across a laboratory, with various different vials that were bubbling "Oo, look at this. Stunning!" the Doctor said, as Alyssa and the Doctor both went in and investigated the laboratory,
"What does it do?"
"Particle extrusion. Hold on. Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, our people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." The Doctor said,
"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance said,
"We're freelancers," Alyssa said
"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." the Doctor said, pulling out a small container with some liquid,
"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked, before the Doctor turned the knob and both the liquid and Donna both started glowing gold,
"Oh, my God!" Donna said, as she looked at her body before the Doctor turned the knob again and the glow subsided.
"Genius. Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then. Ha!" the Doctor said, before jumping back in realization "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!" The doctor started before Donna slapped him, "What did I do this time??" he asked,
"Are you enjoying this? Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"
"Yes." The Doctor said, lying
"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?" Donna asked,
"Because they were deadly." Alyssa said,
"Oh, my God." Donna said,
"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose someone else." The Doctor said,
"Oh, she is long since lost." A female voice said, from somewhere, before a window opened before showing a hole where a bunch of robots were waiting, "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"
"Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" The Doctor said, As he and Alyssa approached it,
"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" The female voice said,
"Really? Seriously? What for?" Alyssa said,
"Dinosaurs." Donna said,
"What?" the Doctor said,
"Dinosaurs?" Donna said again,
"What are you on about, dinosaurs?"
"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Trying to help."
"Donna you watch way to much T.V" Alyssa said,
"That's not helping." The Doctor said,
"Such a sweet group." the female voice said,
"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?"
"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." The Female voice said,
"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you!" The Doctor said,
"Who are you with such command?" the voice said,
"I'm the Doctor." the Doctor said,
"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart." The voice said before a red spider like creature appeared on the other side of the room,
"Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?" the Doctor said,
"Empress of the Racnoss." the Empress said,
"if you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one?" The Doctor asked,
"Such a sharp mind." The Empress said,
"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." the Doctor said, trying to explain what the Racnoss were,
" Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?"
"Kind of is, yes." Alyssa said, causing the empress to hiss at her,
"They eat people?" Donna said, as the Doctor looked up and noticed something,
"HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?" He asked Donna,
"He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna started before the Doctor pointed upwards, "Oh, my God!"
"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The empress said,
"You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out." The Doctor said,
"Except for me." the Empress said,
"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 said, as she noticed Lance sneaking up on the empress, with an axe in his hand,
"The bride is so feisty."
"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!" Donna said, and Lance was about to hit the empress only to stop and start laughing, the empress joining in.
"That was a good one. Your face." Lance said,
"Lance is funny." the empress said,
"What?" Donna said,
"I'm sorry." Alyssa said,
"Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!" Donna said,
"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." Lance said,
"I don't understand." Donna said,
"How did you meet him?" the Doctor asked Donna.
"In the office."
"He made you coffee." Alyssa said, trying to get the idea across that Lance was the one who put the Huon particles inside her,
"What?" Donna said,
"Every day, I made you coffee." Lance said,
"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor finally said,
"He was poisoning me." Donna said, finally realizing what they had been meaning,
"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." The Doctor said,
"This time, it's personnel." Lance said,
"But, we were getting married."
"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." Lance said,
"Is that what she offered you? you her consort?"
"It's better than a night with her." Lance said,
"But I love you." Donna said,
"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'm going to interject here actually, the human race is not nothing Lance and what is here is so much better then what you can get with her, didn't you hear our explanation, oh wait no you didn't because you snuck off, The Racnoss are carnivores they devoured entire planets, and you honestly believe she would keep you alive? Sorry to disappoint you Lance." Alyssa said "as soon as her plan changes or shifts even if she does succeed she will turn on you. quicker then you can say oops."
"Who is this fiesty woman?" the Empress said,
"She said Martian." Lance said,
"Oh I am so much more then a martian, my name well one of my names is among the stars, but if you wanted to know where we are from?" Alyssa said "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?" the Doctor interjected,
"I think he wants us to talk." Lance said
"I think so, too."
"Well, tough! All we need is Donna."
"Well tough"Alyssa mocked "you aren't getting her." She said bringing out her gun,
"Kill this chattering little doctor man and the fiesty female," the empress said, and the robots brought up the guns
"Don't you hurt him!" Donna yelled,
"No, no, Donna. It's all right." The Doctor said,
"No, I won't let them." Donna said,
"At arms!" the empress said
"Ah, now. Except."
"Take aim!" the empress,
"Well, I just want to point out the obvious." the Doctor said
"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." the empress said
"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." the Doctor said, right when the empress yelled fire, he turned the knob and the Tardis appeared around them. "off we go." the Doctor said before rushing towards the console. "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." The Doctor said, but Donna and Alyssa werent paying attention to him as Alyssa watched Donna sit down and start crying, she instantly went forward and took her into a hug as she comforted Donna the best she could. as the Doctor piloted the Tardis somewhere.
"We've arrived. Want to see?" The Doctor said after he sucessfully stopped the Tardis
"I suppose." Donna said, as he started to use the scanner,
"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." the Doctor said, after looking at the scanner, before he turned around and walked to the door and opened it, Alyssa following
"Come on." Alyssa said,
"No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first." The Doctor said, as Donna got up and walked over to them,
"All I want to see is my bed." Donna said,
"Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth." the Doctor said, before he opened the door to reveal space with rocks floating around and the 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." the Doctor said, pointing out the sun for Donna,
"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked,
"it's all around us, in the dust." Alyssa said,
"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny." Donna said,
"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." the Doctor said,
"So I came out of all this?" Donna said,
"Isn't that brilliant?" the Doctor said, before a big rock floated past them,
"I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna said, jokingly making the three of them 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"
"The Earth."
"Exactly, but what was that first rock?" Alyssa said, and a star looking spaceship drifted in from the dust,
"Look." Donna said,
"The Racnoss." The Doctor and Alyssa said together, The Doctor said before he ran back to the Console
"Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"
"Becoming the first rock." Alyssa said the same time Donna spoke, as the dust and rocks drifted towards the spaceship
"Exactly what you said."
"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." the Doctor said, as he had rejoined the two. Right before a bang hit the ship, and the Tardis started shaking. Alyssa managed to get the doors shut before the three rushed back to the console.
"What was that?" Donna asked,
"Trouble." The Doctor and Alyssa said together,
"What the hell's it doing?" Donna said,
"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles. Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" The Doctor said,
"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna said,
"If only it was that simple Donna." Alyssa said, as she worked on the console
"Backseat driver. Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" the Doctor said before pulling out the Extrapolator, and waited a few seconds before hitting it. Which changed where the Tardis landed. The three of them ran out of the Tardis as the Doctor yelled "We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" before they ran off, and into a closed door,
"But what do we do?"
"I don't know. I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history." the Doctor said
"that is true, he does have a history." Alyssa said, as the Doctor used a stethoscope on the door,
"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?" Donna said,
"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck. 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." the Doctor said right when a piercing scream erupted in his head
"DOCTOR!" he heard Alyssa's voice scream as she was grabbed with Donna by robots and taken to the Empress where she was strung up with Lance and Donna above the hole.
"I hate you." Donna said to Lance,
"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." Lance said
"Will you two shut up im trying to think." Alyssa said as she looked around for a way to get out of their predicament.
"My golden couple, together at last. Your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"
"Yes!" Lance and Donna said together,
"You're supposed to say, I do." The Empress said,
"Huh. No chance." Lance said,
"Say it!" the Empress said, and both Donna and Lance both begrudgingly said it.
"I don't. Activate the particles. Purge every last one." The empress said, causing both Lance and Donna to start glowing gold,
"Lance you know how I said she would turn on you? I meant it." Alyssa said, making Lance sigh
"And release!" The Empress said, before the golden huon particles fell down into the hole.
"The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages." the Empress said,
"Who will? What's down there?" Donna said
"Donna the ship we saw? a bunch of Racnoss were in it." Alyssa said, the same time Lance said "How thick are you??"
"My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh! The web star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."
"Use them, not me! Use them!" Lance cried out,
"Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady friends. The Empress does not approve." The Empress said, before the web released Lance and he fell into the hole,
"Lance!" Donna yelled,
"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat. My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man." The Empress said, as the Doctor unmasked himself,
"Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!" The Doctor said, before he pointed his screwdriver and made the web loosen just enough for Donna to feel it
"I'm going to fall!" Donna said,
"You're going to swing! I've got you!" The Doctor said, as Donna swung down and right below where the Doctor was. "Oh. Sorry." The Doctor said, before looking back up at Alyssa,
"Thanks for nothing." Donna said,
"Alyssa your turn," the Doctor said as he used his sonic and caused Alyssa to swing to where the Doctor was, as she climbed the rope midswing and landed in the doctor's arm "there we go." he said smiling at her,
"The doctor man amuses me." the Empress said,
"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." the empress said,
"What's your answer?" the Doctor said,
"Oh I'm afraid I have to decline." The empress said,
"Then Im sorry, what happens next is your own doing." Alyssa said,
"I'll show you what happens next. At arms! Take aim! And" the empress said, only to be interrupted by the doctor
"Relax." the Doctor said, and all the robots slumped over,
"What did you do?" Donna said,
"Guess what I've got, Donna?" The Doctor said as he pulled out the remote control Alyssa gave him earlier,
"Pockets." Alyssa said,
"How did that fit in there?" Donna said,
"They're bigger on the inside." Alyssa and the Doctor said together,
"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh."
"Oh but we are not from mars," Alyssa said,
"Then where?" the Empress said,
"our home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on." The Doctor started and both the Doctor and Alyssa said together "Gallifrey." and the Racnoss hissed at them
"They murdered the Racnoss" The Empress said
"and you didn't ask my name earlier,"Alyssa said, "the golden angel. We gave you a second chance. but that's all you get even I can't stop this." causing the Racnoss to hiss at them again,
"I warned you. You did this." The Doctor said, as he pulled out the Christmas baubles.
"No! No! Don't! No!" The Empress yelled out as the doctor threw the baubles up in the air and made them fly around the room, and some around the empress. as water and flame erupted the room. The water flooding, the hole, and screams came from the hole.
"No! No! My children! No! My children! My children!" The Empress wailed out,
"Doctor! You can stop now!" Donna yelled up but the Doctor just stared ahead, Alyssa looked down at her and then at the Doctor before putting a hand on his arm "it's time we stop." she said, and the Doctor looked down at Donna,
"Come on. Time I got you out." the Doctor said, and thats exactly what they did as the empress transported away. They climbed up the ladder the doctor found earlier,
"But what about the Empress?" Donna said, as the went up the ladder,
"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!" The doctor said, before they finally got to the top of the flood gate, and they started laughing,
"Just there's one problem." Donna said, as she and Alyssa took in the site around them.
"What is that?" The Doctor said,
"We've drained the Thames." Donna and Alyssa said together
they quickly got back to the Tardis and took Donna home, "There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything."
"More than I've done." Donna said, and Alyssa took out her sonic and scanned her
"No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine." Alyssa said,
"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of." Donna said,
"I couldn't save him." the Doctor said,
"He deserved it." Donna said, causing the two of them to raise their eyebrows, "No, he didn't. I'd better get inside. They'll be worried." Donna said,
"Best Christmas present they could have." The Doctor said, as Sylvia hugged someone, "oh, no. I forgot you hate Christmas."
"Yes, I do." Donna said,
"Even if it snows?" the Doctor said before he pressed something inside the tardis and a bolt of energy shot into the sky and snow started falling
"I can't believe you did that!" Donna said,
"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." the Doctor said
"still snow nonetheless." Alyssa said, smiling at the Doctor,
"Merry Christmas." Donna said,
"And you. So, what will you do with yourself now?" The Doctor asked,
"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." Donna said,
"Well, you could always" the Doctor said,
"What?" Donna said,
"Come with us." The Doctor said,
"No." Donna said,
"Okay." the Doctor said,
"I can't." Donna said,
"No, that's fine." The Doctor said, trying to hide his disappointment,
"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you live your life like that?" Donna asked,
"Not all the time." the Doctor said,
"I think you do. And I couldn't." Donna said,
"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful." The Doctor said,
"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." Donna said,
"Right." the Doctor said,
"Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner. Oh, come on." Donna said
"No." Alyssa said, "As much as I would love too."
"I don't do that sort of thing." The Doctor said,
"You did it last year. You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty." Donna said,
"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." the Doctor said, he and Alyssa went into the Tardis and started piloting the Tardis away.
"Doctor! Alyssa!" Donna shouted, and they stopped and popped their heads out at her.
"Blimey, you can shout." The doctor said,
"Am I ever going to see you again?" Donna asked,
"If you look." Alyssa said,
" If I'm lucky." The Doctor said at the same time.
"Just promise me one thing. Find someone." Donna said,
"I have someone. her." the Doctor said looking at Alyssa,
"you need someone else Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you when she can't" Donna said,
"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna. Good luck. And just be magnificent." The Doctor said,
"I think I will, yeah. Doctor?" Donna said, as they were about to leave once again,
"Oh, what is it now?" the Doctor said,
"That friend of yours. What was her name?" Donna asked,
"Her name was Rose." The Doctor said, before walking back into the Tardis while Alyssa stayed out,
"Donna you will find someone, someone better then Lance, someone who will like you for all the reasons he didn't." Alyssa said, and Donna smiled softly,
"Stay with him you two are a good couple." Donna said,
"Right," Alyssa said, "Bye Donna." before she stepped back into the Tardis. she smiled at the Doctor as he piloted the Tardis away
"Merry Christmas Doc," Alyssa said, causing him to smile at her, "Merry Christmas." he said, right before she disappeared in her familar golden light.