The Doctor and Rita stood beside the bar away from the crowd watching the red head dance around with her family and friends happily.
Rita sighed at the sight remembering a memory of her human self once at a party like this doing exactly what she was now. Off at the side staying quiet. The Doctor noticed a man on his phone and politely asked if he could borrow it for a moment. He turned around towards the bar and used his sonic screwdriver discreetly.
The screen flashed and starts to scroll through information about HC Clements. The word Torchwood then popped up and the Doctor blinked remembering when Rita opened her fob watch freeing her Time Lady self and technically loosing her human self in the process. But he remembered her words.
It's still me.
But was it really still her? He knew who she was and it hurt losing either one of herself. The Doctor sighed quietly and glanced over at the Time Lady softly smiling. She was watching the people on around the room enjoying themselves and didn't notice his gaze on her just, thinking. The Doctor then handed the phone back to the man who owned it thanking him. He turned around and leant against the bar just like the Time Lady crossing his arms he watched the people dancing. He jolted suddenly feeling someone tap him on the shoulder. Turning his head he saw it was Rita and sighed relaxed a little.
"There's a camera man from the wedding." She told him and he raised his brow. "He got the whole thing. Want to take a look?" She asked grinning.
"I knew keeping you around was a good idea" he smirked then followed her walking through the crowd to the camera man.
"You can't get rid of me Doctor" she laughed at his comment. "The TARDIS wouldn't let you, at least I don't hit her"
"Are you so sure about that, she was full of smoke earlier" he raised his brows at her, the Time Lady shook her headat him.
"Excuse me?" Rita spoke up. The man turned around from the camera and looked at the Time Lords. "We were wondering if we could see the footage from the wedding, the thing that happened to the bride" she explained.
"Oh, I taped the whole thing." He nodded turning back round and stepping out the way for them to see. The Doctor took his glasses out of his suit pocket and placed them on leaning in slightly with Rita as the camera skipped to the correct part. "They've all had a look." He told them both. "They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News." He stopped at the point just before Donna disappeared. "Here we are." He played it and the three watched the reply of Donna screaming, turning into gold energy and disappearing.
"But that's" Rita looked at the Doctor.
"Can't be. Play it again?"
"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." he then rewinded the recording then replayed it. The Doctor and Rita leant closer to the screen.
"But that looks like Huon Particles." He looked at Rita then back at the screen.
"What's that then?" The man asked.
"That's impossible." Rita frowned. "Extremely old, ancient."
"Huon energy doesn't exist anymore." The Doctor removed his glasses. "So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" He and Rita both looked at each other then sprinted off heading towards the window. The Doctor moved the curtain and surely the Santa's were there approaching the building.
"No, no no" Rita ran towards the red head and the Doctor screamed for her.
"Donna, they've found you." He ran up to her and Rita.
"But you said I was safe." He looked at her scared.
"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out." He told her.
"My God, it's all my family." She gasped. Rita took the woman's hand and the Doctor ran ahead.
"Out the back door!" He shouted. They ran out of the door and skidded to a stop the Doctor putting his arms out beside him to stop not only himself but the two behind him.
"Maybe it was better inside!" Rita pulled Donna's hand dragging her back inside with the Doctor behind following. Donna ran to another door looking out the window she gasped.
"We're trapped" Two robots Santa's stood outside slowly walking towards the window. One of the Santas slowly lifted its arm to show a remote control. The Doctors eyes widened at the sight of it.
"Christmas trees." He spun around staring at the tree.
"What about them?" Donna asked sounding slightly terrified.
"They kill" Rita coldly replied after a sudden memory of her human self in the parallel world unlocked with the Doctor just after he regenerated springing up in bed sonic screwdriver in hand disabling and destroying the murderous Christmas tree.
"Get away from the tree!" The Time Lords shouted at the humans laughing and enjoying themselves.
"Don't touch the trees!" Donna screamed running to them all and forcing them back.
"Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees!" The Doctor shouted waving his arms about and running in front of the people to make them move back.
"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot." Donna's mother groaned.
"He may be an idiot at times but he has good reasons.. most of the time" Rita glared at him.
"Why?" The woman looked at Rita asking. "What harm's a Christmas tree going to.Oh." She looked up in awe. The Time Lords spun around and frowned at the baubles which gracefully floated into the air.
"Well that's new" Rita pointed out before one came zooming over to her crashing to the ground and exploding causing the Time Lady to dive out of the way almost colliding with the floor only for the Doctor to grab her arm and stop her from falling face first into the floor. "Thanks she muttered" as People started to panic throwing their hands around and diving for cover. The Doctor grabbed the Time Lady's hand and sprinted for the DJ desk. They dodged the screaming terrified people and exploding baubles.
"Santa!" Rita shouted in the direction of the bar where multiple robot Santas were stood. They slowly turned their heads in her direction then stopped when facing her. "Someone has a little word of advice!" She pointed her thumb at the Doctor beside her.
"If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system." He warned them. Rita shoved her hands into her ears at the same time the Doctor jammed the sonic into the desk causing the room to buzz with the painful high pitched noise. He gritted his teeth at the sound and noticed the Santa's start to violently shake and then explode into pieces" Rita pulled his arm and the sonic out stopping the noise and allowing a sigh of relief to escape her lips.
"Sorry" he muttered to her. "But it worked"
"I'm fine,desypher" she told him. "Are you?"
"I'm always okay" he smiled and she gave him a look that he couldn't decipher. He knew it wasn't a good look and lightly shook his head then jumped over the sound system and skidded on his knees across the floor.
"Showing off are we?" Rita raised a brow mimicking him while smirking.
"What we got then?" Rita asked picking up one of the heads. "Oh look!" She beamed turning to the Doctor and showing him. "A second control! Now isn't that clever?"
"Hmm very" he hummed taking a look himself.
"They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession." He told Rita then noticed Donna watching and slightly turned to tell her as well.
"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt." She looked at him her face looking hurt.
"Nah, they wanted you alive." He turned to Rita taking one of the baubles now disabled. "Look." He threw her one.
"They're not active now." He told her.
"All I'm saying, you could help." She told him.
"Doctor she is right" Rita looked at him a little saddened.
"Rita we can't" he informed her telepathically and she sadly nodded knowing whatever wanted Donna was more important.
"Got to think of the bigger picture." He moved the head next to his ear for a moment. "There's still a signal!" He jumped up pulling Rit with him and the two of them rushed out. The red head slowly followed.
"Donna, who are they?" Her mother asked her causing the bride to turn around and stare at her mother not able to give an answer. "Who is that man and woman?" She asked. Donna stared at her for a moment before turning and running out of the same door the Tome Lords used a few moments ago.
"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor moved about with the robot head scanning it with the sonic.
"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked running out of the reception and standing next to the Doctor and Rita.
"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." He replied continuing to scan it. "Ooo!" He moved the sonic to the sky. "It's up there. Something in the sky."
"Or above the sky" Rita added and the Doctor nodded at her a little.
"Robot Santas, something in the sky" Rita listed. "You don't think?" She looked at the Doctor.
"No can't possibly be" he shook his head at her. "I saw their ship explode, remember" he looked at her raising a brow.
"I think" she touched her head wincing in a slight pain. "Every time I try and think about something from before... you know" she shivered a little. "In the parallel world my head either starts to hurt or I just can't remember, I get random memories of the parallel world like it's being triggered at some really random times."
"No idea" he looked at her truthfully. "As soon as this is all sorted and we're back on the TARDIS I can do some tests, okay?" He asked and she nodded, the Doctor then groaned a little looking at the sonic.
"Signal gone?" She asked him and he nodded then grabbed her hand running over to where Donna was standing with Lance.
"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?" He looked at her a little shocked that she knew his name. "It is Lance?" She asked and he nodded at her. "Can you give us a lift?" She pointed to herself and the Doctor before they ran off and the two humans followed before the man could answer.
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The Doctor, Rita, Donna and Lance ran into the 'H C Clements' building and the Doctor started to explain.
"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 two Time Lords ran to a computer and the Doctor began to scroll through it then moved on to another and thumped it's monitors when it didn't work.
"That will only break it. But really? Not again can't they ever just leave the alien stuff to you and possibly me?" Rita muttered the last part under her breath and the Doctor smiled to himself hearing what she said and very glad that Rita was too busy focusing on the computer.
"Who are they?" Donna asked and the Doctor and Rita stopped and blinked at her not sure if she was joking or being serious.
"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." She looked at the Doctor confused.
"Cyberman invasion," Rita said and the woman still had no idea what they were talking about.
"Skies over London full of Daleks?" He questioned.
"Oh, I was in Spain." She shrugged.
"They had Cybermen in Spain."
"And pepper pots" Rita added.
"Pepper whats?" Lance looked at her confused.
"Doesn't matter" she waved her hand at him.
"I was scuba diving," Donna told them.
The Doctor and Rita frowned at the woman not sure how she exactly missed that. "That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." He the Doctor ran to another computer and started to scroll through.
"Torchwood was destroyed, thanks to us but HC Clements stayed in business." Rita looked over at the Doctor who nodded at her sadly remembering what happened that day.
"I think someone else came in and took over the operation." The Doctor added pretending to sound okay but coming out just a bit cheerier than normal.
"But what do they want with me?" The red head asked.
"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. " Donna looked at him confused and clearly not understanding what he was talking about. "Rita? Mind helping me explain to her?" She picked up a mug and a pencil agreeing to help him explain it to the woman.
"Say that's the TARDIS" he pointed to the mug Rita was holding and she held it up slightly.
"And this is you Donna, sorry I don't have anything else to represent you as" Rita pursued her lips holding up the pencil. She then began to lightly shake the pencil. "The particles inside you activated. Then the two sets of particles magnetised" she then started to shake the mug.
"and whap!" He cclappedhis hands together and Rita popped the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS", He told her summing it up.
"Which should be impossible, but it happend"
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna looked between the two.
"Yes, you are." He grinned and Rita swirled the pencil around in the mug before placing it down.
"4H. Sums you up. Lance?" The Doctor asked sitting in a chair and using the sonic screwdriver on the computer screen. "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."
"There must be something" Rita asked him.
"Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance shook his head looking at the two.
"Ah ha!" Rita beamed pulling up another chair and sitting in it beside the Doctor as the screen flickered to life. "Oh look at that 3rd floor" she muttered looking at the screen.
"They make keys, that's the point. And look at this." He pointed at the screen. Ri- the Stone" he corrected himself. "Is right. We're on the third floor."
"You remembered" she smiled as they headed to the lift.
"Of course I would." he shook his head. "The Doctor and the Stone, hmm fancy"
"Did tell you I liked it" she shook her head smirking a little as they walked into the lift.
"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?"
"Not sure." Rita replied. "Want to take a look?" She asked and he grinned.
"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance looked at the Doctor.
"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor." He turned to where the buttons for each floor where on the wall.
"It needs a key." Donna frowned.
"He doesn't. Hopefully, I won't soon" Rita smiled while the Doctor soniced the button labeled 'LB'
"Right then. Thanks, you two." The Doctor looked at the two humans. "We can handle this. See you later."
"Bye!" Rita waved at them.
"No chance, Martians. You're the two who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting either of you out of my sight."
"Going down." The Doctor announced.
"Lance?" Donna looked at him.
"Maybe I should go to the police." He sounded scared looking between the Doctor and Donna.
"Inside." Donna snapped at him, he sighed stepping into the lift.
"To honour and obey?"
"Tell me about it, mate." Lance muttered.
"Oi." Donna hissed at them.
"Allons-y" Rita muttered unenthusiastically as the lift descended, feeling the Doctors narrowing eyes on her.
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The Doctor and Rita stepped out of the lift and looked around the area which was dimly lit with a green light. "Where are we?" The red head asked then looked at the Doctor and Rita. "Well, what goes on down here?" Donna then asked.
"Let's find out." The Time Lords said in unison.
"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked as they walked down corridor.
"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it."
"Not the only one who thinks that" Rita spoke up. "Oh I think this day is getting better and better" she beamed.
"Oh, look. Transport."
"I'm not walking" Rita muttered and the Doctor raised a brow.
"Who said you were going to?" He asked about to jump on one of the Segways.
"Well there is only three Doctor" she pointed out as Donna and Lance walked over taking a segway each.
"Doesn't mean we can't share. We did ride a horse once" he pointed out.
"So we did" she grinned the memory filling her mind. "Wasn't he called Arthur?"
"Indeed he was. Come on then" he grinned at her and the Time Lady rushed over jumping on the back wrapping her arms around his waist to cling on. "Sorry" she muttered feeling her cheeks heat up a little.
"Allons-y!" He shouted speeding off feeling himself start to heat up trying to get rid of the feeling by laughing. Donna and Lance then started sped off as well trying to catch up sith the Time Lords.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Rita raised a brow thinking for a moment. "These are only meant for one person right?"
"Oh you're not that heavy Rita and when have you even thought about being safe?" he rolled his eyes strolling down the corridor Lance and Donna were too busy in conversation behind to hear the Time Lords.
"You said otherwise when I kept jumping on your back to travel to and from France" she protested.
"I lie and since when have you ever thought about being safe?"
"Well I would rather walk then this thing catch on fire and I end up having to regenerate. And I already know that rule" she muttered rolling her eyes then placing her chin on his left shoulder to see where they were actually going.
"You comfy there?" He moved his head a little to see her and raised a brow.
"Could be better with a pillow." She smirked.
"Cheeky"
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Donna and Lance soon sped up a little and the three Segways rolled along in a line. Donna looked at the Doctor and Rita then Lance who held such serious faces and bit her lip then burst out laughing. The Doctor and Rita both looked over at the woman seeing how ridiculous she looked. A woman in a wedding dressing riding a segway. This was something new, even for the Doctor. Lance looked over at the three like they were mad. Which the Doctor and Rita most likely were.
The Doctor stopped the segway and Rita jumped off and brushed herself off a little and stretched her arms a little. "Oh, come on we wasn't on that thing for that long" he rolled his eyes at her.
"You wasn't halfway hanging off of one of them." She threw back.
The Doctor moved over to a door and used the wheel to open it and looked up. "Could have told me to just move up a little" he muttered then looked at Donna and Lance "Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything." He pointed at them. "Come on Stone"
"You'd better come back." Donna warned them.
"We couldn't get rid of you if we tried." The Doctor grinned then climbed.
"I don't make promises I can't keep Doctor" she grinned and the Doctor stopped looking down at her raising his brows.
They reach the top and the Doctor opened another door operated by a wheel almost identical to the first one below. He climbed up then held out a hand for Rita who grinned accepting his help and climbed out.
"Well that's a nice view" she commented. "Thames flood barrier" She looked at the city in the distance. "Very nice" she nodded.
"Best get back down to Donna" he looked out at the city. "Did kind of promise her." He nodded. "Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." The Doctor jumped down the last final steps as Rita moved out the way brushing off her hands.
"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?"
"Not like that hasn't been done before" Rita muttered glancing at the Doctor. "Very pretty up there though", she smiled a little. "We should go."