I swear that RTD (Or just whoever was in charge of series 2-4) just loved to have one episode in each DW series where they just didn't want the Doctor in the episode that much. I don't know why but it is just a feeling I have.
This is probably my favourite one of those episodes though because Rose comes back! I am a sucker for ten x rose and tentoo x rose but this isn't one of those fanfictions so sadly Rose isn't going to be like that.
Just a small warning for anyone who does really dislike any Rose hate etc then I'm sorry but these last few chapters of this book have some of that with Rose being a bit off with the Stone. All will be explained in the last chapters, however. :)
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The Doctor had his arm linked with the Stones, the two of them wondered the beautiful market place they found themselves in. It had been exactly a week since the incident on midnight, the Stones stomach looked much better with the bruise barely noticeable and the Doctor seemed better as well. The three had decided try and not do anything to dangerous for a while, something the Doctor wasn't too keen on at first since the forced him to sit back and let the Time Lady pilot the TARDIS alone. After the pleading look in her green eyes asking for him to step back and let her he couldn't say no.
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The Doctor laughed lightly rubbing a powder between his fingers sniffing them before turning to the blonde next to him grinning as they made their way through the crowded alley filled with multiple stalls. "I think this was one of your most brilliant ideas!" He said over the loud crowd around them.
"I did say it would be a brilliant idea sweetheart." She beamed as they wandered around. "I did promise you."
"You do like to keep your promises don't you?" He raised a brow at her.
"Well, one of us has to keep promises with your track record of constant lying." She grinned at him yet looking very serious at the same time, something he had no idea how she did it.
"You lie as well!" He protested pointing at her.
"Ah but you have forgotten sweetheart, I only lie when I have to, you constantly lie, let's take that time you said Donna was completely safe when she was full of dangerous Huon partials." She reminded him.
"Now dear, that was me giving her hope and making sure she didn't panic."
"No that was you lying." She smirked at him.
"Sometimes it's best to lie and give someone hope then tell the truth and watch them break."
"Sweetheart, since when have you used deep quotes like that?" She chuckled shaking her head at him.
"It's true, though." He grinned at her.
"If you say so." She shook her head fondly over his persistence. "Where is Donna anyways?" The Stone squinted her eyes looking out in the crowds trying to find the redhead in the mix of people.
"Anywhere we can get a drink?" She suddenly popped up behind them making the TimeLady practically jump into the Doctors arms. Donna looked between them both quite amused before the Stone coughed lightly and removed herself from the Doctor who was sharing the same look as Donna.
"Never scare a Time Lady like that." She pinched the bridge of her nose trying to compose herself. She had been quite jumpy since the incident at midnight, something that the Doctor found quite amusing but heartbreaking at the same time, he knew that she was normally not like this and it was quite possibly his fault. He tried to surprise her again with this trip which was apparently Donna's idea, therefore Donna had surprised the Time Lady, not that it was the redheads or the TimeLords fault.
"I know just the place!" The Doctor quickly took the Stone's hand and rushed off Donna following behind them not wanting to lose them in the crowd of people. After catching up with them the Doctor handed the redhead a drink the three of them grinning. "You are going to love this." He promised her. "One, two, three..." They all took a drink of the foamy liquid, the trio gaining moustaches. Donna then squealed with laughter as the Stone placed the cup down and started to laugh pointing at the Doctors face as he raised a brow at her. Shaking her head while laughing she reached over and wiped some of the foam off of his nose then onto his suit. playfully glaring at her she raised a brow daring him to challenge her before he backed down wiping the remains of his moustache with the back of his hand as the Stone and Donna did the same before they continued on.
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Donna hung back as the Time Lords beamed gazing fondly at one another while wandering through the alley also glancing at the many items on the stalls. At times Donna felt like she was intruding on them, they were a couple after all and needed their time alone together to do couple things that they definitely didn't get to do as often as they liked. Donna tried to give them their space and did allow them to enjoy a trip last week and that didn't exactly go to plan with the Doctor almost dying and the Stone ending up battered and bruised by the end of the day. The least she could do was give them a small amount of time alone right now. So she did.
"You want to buy Shukina?" A stall owner asked. Donna glanced over her shoulder at the TimeLords, the Doctor holding what looked like a fruit in his hand with long spikes, the Stone slowly nodding as he spoke. "Or Peshwami?" The woman asked. "Most beautiful Peshwami in all of Shan Shen." Donna looked back over at them once more the two of them chatting and laughing with the seller of the fruit before she turned back to the woman shaking her head and politely declining the items.
Donna continued to walk on wondering around on her own taking in the sites and wondering how on Earth she managed to find herself here before a woman snapped her out of her daydream making the redhead turn around to face her. "Tell your fortune, lady?" She said smiling. "Your future predicted, your life foretold."
"Ah, no thanks." Donna shook her head thinking that she really should ask the TimeLords about this before doing anything, they had warned her not to accept anything from anyone after they had told her the story of what happened with Martha last time they brought her to a market similar to this one.
"Don't you want to know - if you're going to be happy?" The woman looked at her almost smiling.
"I'm happy right now, thanks." Donna smiled shaking her head politely turning before the woman spoke up again.
"You've got red hair." She pointed out nodding at Donna. "Reading's free for red hair."
"All right, then." Donna laughed. It was only a fortune teller, they only said to not accept any foods or items from anyone without them, they never said about a fortune teller. The woman stood to the side holding open the door of the tent, Donna headed inside the fortune teller heading in after her.
Donna and the Fortuneteller sat at opposite sits of a table, the fortune teller held Donna's hands caressing her palms. "You're fascinating." She murmured. "Oh no, but you're good. I can see... a man." Donna lightly laughed at the woman as she continued to talk. "The most remarkable man and a woman, brilliant woman. How did you meet them?"
"You're supposed to tell me." Donna laughed.
"I see the future. Tell me the past." She looked up from Donna's hands. "When did your lives cross?"
"It's sort of complicated." She shrugged. "I ended up in their spaceship on my wedding day."
The fortune teller narrowed her eyes at Donna. "But what led you to that meeting?"
"All sorts of things." She shrugged then paused for a moment. "But my job, I suppose. It was on Earth... this planet called Earth, miles away." She said. "But I had this job as a temp. I was a secretary at this place called H.C. Clements..." she felt her body lurch.
"H.C. Clements."
"Sorry." Donna shook her head feeling her body lurch.
"It's the incense. Just er - breathe deep." She smiled. "This job of yours - what choices led you there?"
"There was a choice..." Donna thought. "Six months before. The agency offered me this contract with H.C. Clements."
"But there was this other job. My mum knew this man..." she then lurched again finding herself back at home beside her car.
"Jival, he's called. Jival Chowdry?" Donna raised a brow getting into the driver's seat of the car with her mother in the passenger seat.
"He runs that little photocopy business. And he needs a secretary." Donna's mother added.
"I've - got - a job." Donna groaned staring out the front window in annoyance.
"As a temp." Her mother added. "This is permanent. It's twenty thousand a year, Donna."
"H.C. Clements is in the City." She protested clicking her seatbelt. "It's nice. It's posh. So, stop it." She then turned the key in the ignition and started the car.
"Your life could have gone one way or the other." The fortune teller narrowed her eyes slightly. "What made you decide?"
"I just did." Donna shrugged.
"But when was the moment?" The fortune teller lent in slightly edging her on. "When did you choose?"
Donna sat at the junction in her car with her mother. "It won't take long, just turn right." Her mother said. "We'll pop in and see Mr. Chowdry. Suzette can introduce you."
"I'm going left." Donna hissed. "If you don't like it, get out and walk."
"If you turn right, you'll have a career. Not just filling in."
"You think I'm so useless." Donna started to raise her voice.
"I know why you want a job with H.C. Clements, lady - because you think you'll meet a man with lots of money and your whole life will change." She mocked her daughter. "Well, let me tell you, sweetheart: city executives don't need temps, except for practice."
"Yeah? Well, they haven't met me." She turned the junction heading left.
"You turned left." The fortune teller nodded slowly. But what if you turned right? What then?"
Slightly alarmed at the sudden firm grip Donna tried to pull away. "Let go of my hands."
"What if it changes?" The fortune teller ignored her. "What if you go right? What if you could still go right?"
"Stop it." Donna pleaded sounding terrified now regretting the choice of what she had done. There was a sudden crawling sensation and a couple of clicks and Donna froze out of fear. "What's that?" She asked in a whisper. There were then two more clicks. "What's on my back?" The fortune teller ignored her question and gave her more incense. "What is it?" Donna asked again. "What - what's on my back?"
"Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind." The fortune teller forcefully whispered to Donna. "Turn right."
"I'm turning..."
"Turn right. Turn right." She continued to whisper now smiling "Turn right."
"Let me tell you, sweetheart: city executives don't need temps, except for practice."
"Yeah. S'pose you're right." Donna agreed and changed the indicator to right.
"Turn right and never meet them. Turn right and change the world!"
Donna's car turned right.
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It was around Christmas time and Donna was out at a Christmas party slowly moving through the crowds with a tray of drinks at a pub. "Get out of the way. Get out of the way!" She laughed at the drunks and the idiots at the crowded pub before setting the tray down on the table amongst her friends. "There we are!" She beamed picking up a drink. "Feed at the trough."
"Mooky says let's go to the Boardwalk. It's two for the price of one." One of her friends asked.
"Christmas Eve? It'll be heaving."
"Exactly! Get in and grab 'em." She laughed along with the rest of her friends who each took a drink, except one.
"Hey, that's the second round of drinks you've bought. It was my turn!" Veena scolded Donna.
"I can afford it. Promotion." She beamed pointing at herself. "You are talking to Jival Chowdry's personal assistant, I'll have you know. Capital P, capital A, twenty-three-thousand pounds per annum, merci beaucoup!"
Veena raised her glass. "Here's to Mr Chowdry!"
"Mr Chowdry!" They all said in a toast except one of Donna's friends who continued to stare at Donna to her not noticing.
"She gets all the luck." Her friend scoffed.
Donna then noticed her friend, Alice and realised she had been staring at her oddly since she sat down that evening. The woman continuously looked over the redhead's shoulder as if something was there. "What's wrong?" She frowned looking at her friend then glanced over her shoulder. "What is it?"
"Sorry?" She shook her head frowning.
"Has someone spilled a drink on me?" She tried to look over her shoulder again. "Why do you keep looking at my shoulder?" She asked catching Alice's gaze over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." She quietly whispered looked completely terrified.
"Oh, don't tell me you're getting all spooky again. It was bad enough when you saw the ghost of Earl Mountbatten at the Boat show." She shook her head then looked past her out the window of the pub. "What are you looking at? What is it?"
"It's like... it's like there's something I can't see!"
Donna stared at her friend unsettled as she continued to stare at her. A man then ran in the pub shouting. "Shut up, all of you! Come and see! Just look at the sky!"
Everyone looked at the man quietening down listening to what he wanted to say. "It's a star!" He shouted in amazement. "A Christmas star!"
"Come on, then." Veena jumped up from her seat the rest of Donna's friends and herself following outside with the crowd of people. They looked up at the sky in the night and saw the huge star like figure in the sky.
"What the hell is that?" Donna's other friend gaped at the sky.
"Ken Livingston, that's what - spending our money on decorations."
The star slowly flew over a house humming quietly as it did so. "I mean, how much did that cost?"
"Don't be so stupid, it's flying!" Her friend shouted. "It's really flying!"
They ran around the corner to get a better look at the star heading inwards. "That's not a star. That's a web. It's heading east... the middle of the City." They stared. Unaware of Alice staring at her back totally ignoring the star Donna continued to watch. The web suddenly stopped above a busy street before each of its points shot beams of electricity. Everyone started to run in the opposite direction of the star, everyone but Donna who stared at the star and Alice who stared at the redheads back.
Noticing the horror on the blondes face behind her Donna turned around. "Alice. There's a great big web-star thing shooting at people, and you're looking at me?"
"There's something on your back." She whispered shakily before she turned and ran. Donna then started to run towards the star.
"Donna!" Veena shouted after her. "Where are you going? You're going to get yourself killed! Donna!"
Ignoring her friends Donna continued to run as the star started to burst into flame and shatter as Donna ran up to the crowd that had started to form.
"Everyone stay back." A soldier ordered. "The Thames has been closed. Return to your homes." People started to push in the crowd. "Keep away from the river - and that's an order." Donna looked around then snuck between some cars and heard a group of UNIT soldiers speaking, one of them speaking to his captain through a walkie-talkie.
"Trap 1 to Greyhound 15: what is your report? Over." The captain asked.
"From the evidence, I'd say they managed to stop the creature. Some sort of red spider. Blew up the base underneath the barrier, flooded the whole thing. Over." He replied.
"And where are they now? Over."
"We found a body, sir. Over." He replied as a body on a stretcher which was covered in a red blanket was rolled past.
"Which one is it? Over."
"We think it's him." He replied. "I think so. He just didn't make it out in time." They started to move the body into the ambulance before an arm clothed in a pinstriped suit falls uselessly over the side of the stretcher a hand dropped the sonic screwdriver.
"The Doctor is dead. Must have happened too fast for him to regenerate."
"And what about her? Over."
"Still alive, barely." The soldier replied as another stretching was rolled on holding another body. "The Stone is in a sort of coma, won't respond to anything, but she's alive. Over."
"Escort the ambulance back to UNIT base." The ambulance doors then shut and Donna slowly walked away from the scene looking dazed and confused yet slightly saddened.
"What happened?" A blonde ran up breathless stopping beside Donna staring at the ambulance that was driving away. "What did they find?" She looked at Donna. "Sorry, did they find someone?"
"I don't know." Donna shook her head looking confused. "Some bloke called the Doctor or something."
The blonde looked around frowning slightly. "Well, where is he?"
"They took him away. He's dead but they found a woman as well, 'the stone' something like that." The redhead said. "She's in a coma apparently."
The blonde woman stopped staring at Donna like she had just been shot. "I'm sorry. Did you know them?" The strange blonde looked away in disbelief. "I mean... they didn't say his name... it could be any doctor."
"I came so far." She muttered looking down.
"It could be anyone." Donna looked at her sadly reaching out and touching her arm.
"What's your name?" The blonde asked, asking as if she only just saw her. "Donna. And you?"
The blonde frowned a little and looked over Donna's shoulder hearing faint clicking and seeing something out the corner of her eye.
"Oh, I was just... passing by." She muttered staring at her shoulder. "I shouldn't even be here, this is... wrong. It's wrong. This is so wrong." She then looked at Donna smiling a little. "Sorry, what was it? Donna what?"
"Why do you keep looking at my back?" She snapped. The blonde averted her eyes looking away from Donna. "I'm not."
"Yes, you are." She angrily snapped. You keep looking behind me. You're doing it now." She tried to look behind her. "What is it? What's there? Has someone put something on my back?" She tried to see her back. When turning back to the blonde she no longer found her there. Blinking for a moment she looked around then walked away.
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"You can't sack me." Donna hissed stamping her foot down. Mr Chowdry was sacking Donna. "I'm your personal assistant!"
"You don't have to make a scene." He begged. "Just come downstairs and we can have a little talk."
"Oh, I'll make a scene, all right." She growled. "Right in front of a tribunal - and the first thing I'm going to say is "wandering hands"!"
"Now, come on Donna - you know what it's been like for the past few months, ever since that Christmas thing!" He shouted. "Half my contracts were on the other side of the river and the Thames is still closed off. Look, I can't deliver. I'm losing a fortune."
"Well, sack one of this lot! Sack Cliff! He just sits there! Don't know what he does all day - sorry Cliff" she glanced over her shoulder then turned around pointing at him. "Actually, I'm not sorry - what DO you do all day?" She narrowed her eyes, Cliff opened his mouth to reply, suddenly the office shook and what sounded like an explosion was heard outside not too far away from the building the redhead was currently in.
Mr Chowdrey ran to the window gasping. "What the hell?" The rest of the staff ran to the window, all except Donna who shook her head and opened her letter with a sigh out of annoyance. "It's like an earthquake!" They looked out and a huge black cloud hovered over only a hospital near Donna's work offices. "That's weird Funny sort of clouds." He muttered staring up at them.
"Who typed this?" Donna angrily snapped completely ignoring the incident outside the window. "I'm your PA! Did you get someone else to type this?" The staff then exchanged a couple of glances looking bemused at Donna's prioritising of herself before the incident outside. "Beatrice!" Donna shouted believing it was her who wrote the letter.
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The workers at the office stared at the small TV screen glued to it as the information came through, a BBC news reporter stood in the rain as the headline read 'ROYAL HOPE HOSPITAL VANISHES IN UPWARD RAIN MYSTERY'. Donna grumbled completely ignoring the chaos around her as she brought out a cardboard box for items she was bringing home with her. "It sounds impossible, but the entire hospital has vanished. The Royal Hope no longer exists." The reporter informed before the camera switched to those of where the hospital once was. "It's not been destroyed - there's no wreckage. It's simply gone. Reports from bystanders say that the rain lifted up around the hospital..."
"Hole-punch - having that," Donna spoke over the TV making some of her ex-co-workers glance at her in annoyance. "Stapler - mine." She threw it in the box. "Toy cactus - you can have that Beatrice, catch." She tossed the toy cactus over at the woman who caught it. "Cliff - I'd leave you the mousemat, but I'm worried you'd cut yourself." She dropped it into the cardboard box.
"All right, Donna, have some respect." Mr Chowdrey snapped. "There are two thousand people in the hospital and it's vanished."
"Oh, I'll show you vanishing. Thanks for nothing." She hissed. "Oh, and you know when that money went missing from the kitty? Anne-Marie. That's all I'm saying." She then started to yell. "Anne-Marie!" There was suddenly another rumble and the office shook again Donna rolled her eyes and sarcastically muttered "Oh, don't tell me. The hospital's back. Well, isn't that wizard?"
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"To confirm, the Royal Hope Hospital was returned to its original position, but with only one survivor. The only person left alive is medical student Oliver Morgenstern." A news reporter said.
"There were these creatures..." The man shakenly replied a shock blanket draped over him. He then swallowed before continuing. "Like... rhinos, talking rhinos, in-- in-- in black leather."
"Rhinos?" Donna muttered sitting on the sofa with Wilfred.
Frowning the older man stared at the TV. "Rhinos could be aliens." He pointed upwards.
"Shh..." Donna waved an arm trying to quieten her grandad.
"There were hundreds of them." The man on the TV continued. "We couldn't breathe. We were running out of air. A colleague of mine gave me the last oxygen tank. Martha. Martha Jones. And she-she died."
"At least you got a hole-punch," Sylvia muttered bringing out the items from the box. "And a raffle ticket."
"Yeah, well they can keep the raffle. I wouldn't take a penny off that man."
"Honestly, you two- there's aliens on the news. They took that hospital all the way to the moon and you're banging on about raffle tickets."
"Don't be daft, Gramps. It wasn't the moon!" Donna shook her head at him. "It couldn't be."
"Yes, well, I'm telling you - it's getting worse." He lightly hit her arm gaining the redheads attention. "These past few years, it's like, all of a sudden, they suddenly know all about us and... there's keen eyes up there and they're not friendly."
"This stapler says 'Bea'." Sylvia frowned examining the stapler which did indeed have 'Bea' taped to it on a bit of paper.
"Can't believe how well you're taking it, me getting sacked." Donna looked at her mother. "Thought you'd hit the roof."
"I'm just tired, Donna, what with your father and everything. To be honest, I've given up on you." She looked at her daughter, not at all angry but disappeared, Donna glanced at her mother for a moment before moving her gaze away feeling guilty.
"...This further report just in, from Oliver Morgenstern." The reporter continued.
"There was this woman who took control who said she-she knew what to do, said she could stop the MRI or something-- Sarah Jane, her name was. Sarah Jane Smith." He added.
"Sarah Jane Smith was a freelance investigative journalist formally of Metropolitan Magazine." The reporter said as the screen switched to a recent photo of Sarah Jane Smith. "Her body was recovered from the hospital late this afternoon. Miss Smith had a son called..."
"What's for tea?" Donna spoke over the TV.
"I've got nothing in." Sylvia replied.
"I'll get chips. Last of my wages." Donna tried to put on a forceful smile. "Fish and chips, yeah?" She stood up, her face fell as her mother distracted herself by messing with a vase of flowers wh le Wilfred watched TV.
"...along with his teenage friends Maria Jackson and Clyde Langer. It is feared that they also perished."