Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Just Sophie my o/c.

A/N: A big thank you to everyone who followed/favourited and reviewed last chapter and another one to Saberbladeprime for prereading this chapter for me!

CHAPTER 17

The Runaway Bride Part 2

"Hi," the Doctor called over the music as they approached the man who was just about to put away his phone, "Would you mind if I…?" he gestured towards the man's phone. The man nodded and handed it over. The Doctor turned stepping away a little from the phones owner, releasing Sophie's hand as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his spectacles again, quickly sliding them on over his nose as Sophie shifted a little closer, peering down at the phone screen as he did a WAP search for H.C. Clements. He cast a quick furtive look around the guests milling about them before pulling out his sonic screwdriver, buzzing it discreetly at the phone speeding up the process drastically and the pair watched as the screen quickly flickered through several pages before coming to a stop with a quiet bleep with the results of the Doctors search.

'H.C. Clements, Sole Proprietor – Torchwood.'

Sophie's eyes widened at the name and then she frowned, swallowing heavily as her gloved hands clenched at her sides as the Doctor's lips thinned slightly as he pursed them, his own brow furrowing. He flicked the phone shut and stepped back over to the phone's owner returning it with a quiet murmur of thanks, before he turned back around to see that Sophie had moved and was now leaning against the bar again, fingers idly playing with the beaded blue bracelet on her wrist and hazel flecked blue eyes, distant and troubled as she stared blankly out at the people that were still merrily partying.

And his heavy hearts ached all the harder at the sight. He hated seeing her like that, in pain, he much preferred it when her eyes were alight with joy and she was smiling, grinning warmly, especially when she was grinning that warm grin at him. He sighed lowly, rather troubled himself by what they'd just learned, and started towards her as the man behind the bar spoke to her, drawing her attention, making her blink and turn around to face the bar to look at him.

"Oh, um… no, thanks," Sophie shook her head, "I'm ok," she murmured in response to the bartender's question as the Doctor came up beside her, his back against the bar scanning the reception area again as the bartender nodded and moved away to serve another person who'd stepped up to order a drink.

Sophie had only just started to turn from the bar, her gaze landing on the Time Lord when his hand was suddenly closing around one of hers, "Come on, Sparks," he murmured, thumb stroking in an almost idle motion over the back of her gloved hand as he led her away from the bar.

Sophie blinked at him and then looked past him in the direction he was leading them, her eyes landing on a cameraman who was stationed in a corner behind his video camera as he recorded the proceedings, "Oh…" Sophie breathed in realisation her eyes widening slightly, "Donna said she was halfway up the aisle…"

The Doctor glanced back at her and smirked, "Yep, and you humans do so love to record things. Weddings especially," and Sophie's lips quirked up into a smile, a small one, but a smile none the less.

*O*O*O*

"Oh, I taped the whole thing," the cameraman told the pair as he popped a tape into his video camera, "They've all had a look," he nodded to the guests as he fiddled with his video camera a bit setting it up, "They said 'sell it to You've Been Framed'. I said, 'more like the News'. Here we are…" he pressed play and the Doctor and Sophie watched intently as the camera focused in on Donna's happy face as she walked down the aisle, before she suddenly screamed a moment before she was disintegrated into golden particles.

"Can't be!" the Doctor exclaimed with a frown of disbelief as he eyed the small screen.

Sophie glanced at him, her brow scrunched with concern as she took in his expression, "Can't be what?" she asked.

The Doctor shook his head, "Tell you in a minute, Sparks," he murmured, before he glanced at the cameraman, "Play it again?" he requested, half certain that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but if they weren't…

"Clever, mind!" the cameraman commented as he nodded his agreement fiddling with the video camera, not seeming to notice the Doctor's alarm as he started to wind the tape back a fraction, "Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping," he told them as he pressed play. The three of them watching the moment again as Donna suddenly disintegrated into a shower of golden particles with a scream.

The Doctor frowned incredulously at the screen as he all but gaped in shock, "But that looks like… Huon Particles!"

Sophie's concerned frown deepened as she turned her gaze to the Doctor again taking in his complete and utter shock with a sinking feeling, whilst the confused cameraman asked, "What's that?"

"That's impossible," the Doctor muttered taking off his glasses, "That's… ancient!" he shook his head his gaze going to Sophie who was frowning up at him completely ignoring the cameraman and his growing confusion, "Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years!" he frowned, mind racing, "So old that…" his eyes widened and went to Donna who was dancing with Lance, gaze going to the bio-damper on her finger, "It can't be hidden by a bio-damper!" he turned and started across the reception area at a sprint, Sophie close on his heels as she dashed after him, the pair coming to an abrupt halt by a window as their eyes landed on Santa camouflaged Pilot Fish slowly approaching the building, their weaponised instruments raised.

"Oh bugger…!" Sophie breathed as she eyed them.

The Doctor took her hand in his, making sure that she was with him as he turned and sprinted back into the reception area, "Donna!" the Doctor shouted over the music as he and Sophie sprinted towards her, "Donna," he called again as they came to a stop by her making her turn to look at them, "They've found you."

Donna frowned at them, "But you said I was safe," she protested.

The Doctor shook his head, "The bio-damper doesn't work," he said urgently, "We've got to get everyone out."

"And quickly," Sophie added with equal urgency, remembering the devastation that they'd so easily caused last Christmas.

"Oh my God," Donna breathed with horror as she looked around at the all the people in the reception area, "It's all my family…"

"Out the back door!" the Doctor shouted, his hand tightening about Sophie's as he turned and led them towards the back doors at a sprint. The trio burst through the back doors only to screech to a halt at seeing two more Santas coming towards them, "Maybe not," the Doctor muttered.

"Definitely not," Sophie murmured in agreement as they turned and dashed back inside, taking the time to slam the doors closed behind them.

The Doctor and Sophie dashed over to another of the French windows, the Time Lord still keeping a grasp on her hand, Donna joining them a moment later, the three of them staring out the glass pane at two more Santas, one holding a remote between its hands.

"We're trapped," Donna breathed fearfully.

The Doctor's gaze was drawn to the remote one of the Pilot Fish was holding in its hands as it held it up. He turned staring at the Christmas Tree in the middle of the reception area, "Christmas trees…" he murmured.

Sophie paled and turned to look at it too, her heart dropping sharply and her eyes widening as she swept her gaze about the area… going from festive tree to festive tree… so many of them, "Oh bugger," she breathed again.

Donna glanced from one to the other and back again, "What about them?"

"They kill," the Doctor replied, releasing Sophie's hand as he dashed into the crowd the petite brunette and Donna following him, "Get away from the tree!" he shouted.

"All the trees!" Sophie shouted as the crowd turned to the Doctor with complete confusion, "Get away from all the trees!" she reiterated and could have groaned in desperate exasperation as not a single person moved, instead she urged a small group of confused, reluctant children away from the Christmas tree closest to her.

"Don't touch the trees!" Donna exclaimed loudly as she ushered another small group of confused children away from the tree they'd been happily gathered around.

"Get away from the Christmas trees!" the Doctor shouted again as he ushered another small group of children away from a tree as the adults continued to stand merely staring at them like they were completely batty, "Everyone get away from them!"

"Out!" Donna shouted, and turned to her future husband, "Lance, tell them!" she demanded staring at him insistently whilst he blinked at her flummoxed.

"Just move away from them!" Sophie insisted, a pleading edge enter her tone, knowing that at any moment the trees could spring to life and reap destruction.

"Stay away from the trees!" the Doctor shouted again urgently.

Sylvia rolled her eyes, "Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot," she scoffed, "Why? What harm's a Christmas tree gonna… oh!" she trailed.

Sophie swallowed as the baubles floated off the trees and into the air, drifting in some kind of weird display, almost like dance. She felt a hand touch her arm, nudging her backwards away from the baubles in front of them and she glanced at the Doctor who was staring distrustfully at the floating baubles as he continued silently urging her further behind him and Sophie shifted, eyeing the baubles distrustfully herself as they hovered over everyone's heads. Whilst around them people chattered excitedly amongst themselves as they watched the baubles with wide eyed amazement and awe.

And then their excited chattering turned to screams of terror as the baubles suddenly flew at great speeds towards their heads, darting through the air and erupting in small explosions when they collided with something, panic and pandemonium ensuing as they tried to run for cover from the divebombing exploding baubles.

The presents were knocked off balance by another explosion and went tumbling to the ground, getting kicked and stomped on by the panicking wedding guests as they sprinted to and fro as the baubles continued to explode on impact.

The Doctor pulled himself and Sophie through the panicking throng, his hand tight about hers as they were jostled, the pair ducked behind cover just as an explosion sent one man high into the air and careening heavily into the wedding cake. Whilst Donna took refuge under a table, pulling Lance down with her, the air still filled with panicked screams.

The Doctor looked up over the DJ stand he and Sophie had taken cover behind to see six Santas lined up opposite it, standing in front of the bar, "Oi!" he called as he straightened up, "Santa! Word of advice," Sophie's eyes widened as she saw his sonic screwdriver in hand, "If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver," he held it up with one hand as he picked up the mic with the other, "Don't let him near the sound system," he spoke into the mic and Sophie clamped her hands over her ears just before the Doctor jammed the sonic into a port on the deck making the amplifiers emit high-pitched screeching sound.

Sophie winced and pressed her hands harder over her ears even as she shifted peeking up over the DJ stand herself, her eyes widening again at seeing the Pilot Fish being shaken to pieces by the vibrations caused by the sound waves coming from the amplifiers. The sound stopped as the Doctor removed the sonic from the port in the deck and Sophie lowered her hands from her ears with relief as the screeching amplifiers went silent, straightening up completely as the Doctor ran out from behind the stand and over to the fallen Pilot Fish, Sophie followed rubbing briefly at her ears that were ringing faintly as people started edging out of their hiding places, peeking to see if it was safe before moving to pick themselves up.

The Doctor glanced at her as he knelt down in front of the fallen pieces of the Pilot Fish, "You alright?"

Sophie nodded, "Yeah, fine…" she murmured as she lowered her hand from her ear, "I'll be better when we find out why these things are after Donna," she glanced about the reception area as shaken people continued to get to their feet, thankfully it didn't look like anyone had been seriously injured, she turned her gaze back to the Doctor, "And why they need her so badly that they attacked all these people just to try and get her…"

The Doctor nodded his agreement, his attention returning to the pieces, "Well, let's have a look," he murmured.

"Alright, Stan…" Geoff said reassuringly as he helped the rather shaken Stan to his feet, "You'll be alright. It's all over."

"Michael? Connie?" Donna ran over to a few of the children checking on them, "Oh, Senita, do something useful," she sighed before she turned her gaze landing on the Doctor and Sophie as he picked up a controller that one of the robots had been holding, the pair looking at it, their heads together as they murmured quietly to each other.

"But what is it?" Sylvia asked her daughter with concern as she pointed at the downed things in Santa costumes, "What were they?"

"Just stop wittering," Donna muttered as she started towards the Doctor and Sophie, "Just help 'em," she gestured around at her shaken family and friends.

"Something off with the head?" Sophie asked as the Doctor examined the metal head in his hands closely, "Uh…" she blinked and then grimaced before she turned her gaze to the Doctor's face, "No pun intended."

The Doctor smirked mildly amused, "Something not quite right," he replied as he continued to examine the innerworkings of the Pilot Fish's head, his eyes caught on something as Donna came to a stop slightly behind them and he glanced back at her briefly, "Look at that," he held up the handheld remote to show Donna he was still holding, gripping it along with the head, "Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots," he looked back down at the head in his hand and pointed it out to Sophie who shifted a little closer to have a look at it, "They're not scavengers anymore," he explained and Sophie frowned with growing concern, "I think someone's taken possession."

"Never mind all that," Donna waved off his explanation as she cut in, "You're a Doctor, people have been hurt."

"Nah," the Doctor shook his head and reached down for a bauble that was sitting in the crook of a metal arm, "They wanted you alive, look," he threw it to her, the ginger catching it with a frown, "They're not active now."

Donna frowned as he turned his attention back to the head, "All I'm saying, you could help," she grumbled.

"Gotta think of the bigger picture…" the Doctor muttered as he held the head to his ear, listening intently, whilst Sophie glanced about the reception area at the people.

Her gaze went back to Donna, "I don't have any First Aid training," she began apologetically, "But I started carrying some bandages and the like around with me a while ago…"

"There's still a signal!" the Doctor exclaimed cutting Sophie off. He leapt to his feet, snagging Sophie's hand, pulling her up and into a run as he darted for the door.

"I was gonna give her some bandages," Sophie muttered.

The Doctor shook his head, "No time, Sparks. Can't lose the signal," he glanced at her taking in the concern on her face, "The paramedics will be able to help 'em when they arrive. Someone's no doubt called them by now."

Sophie nodded.

Donna gaped after them a moment, before she moved to follow only for her mum to waylay her, "Donna, who are they?" Syliva asked with a frown, her voice wavering fearfully, "Who are they?" she asked again when her daughter didn't answer.

Donna remained silent, not having an answer that her mum would find acceptable, and aside from that, she honestly didn't really know. So, instead she turned and ran after them, leaving her mum and Lance, who'd been standing a short distance away, to stare after her.

*O*O*O*

Sophie and the Doctor darted outside, the Time Lord releasing Sophie's hand to pulled out his sonic screwdriver again, adjusting the settings quickly as Donna hurried out the doors and over to them as he started scanning it over the head, "There's someone behind this," he muttered, "Directing the robo-forms."

"But why is it me?" Donna asked with a frown, "What have I done?"

"We don't know," Sophie murmured softly as she glanced at the ginger, who was staring at them wanting answers.

"But if we find the controller," the Doctor began as he started aiming the sonic around in different directions trying to trace the signal he'd gotten from the helmet, "We'll find that out," the sonic screwdriver bleeped, "Ooh!" he breathed looking up as he lifted his arm, aiming the sonic into the sky as he followed the signal, "It's up there. Something in the sky."

Sophie and Donna followed the aim of the sonic screwdriver with their eyes, the three of them staring up at the sky, eyes squinted against the sun.

*O*O*O*

Inside a spaceship, that was shaped like a seven-point star and designed much like the web of a spider.

A spaceship that was in orbit high above the Earth, a monitor displayed the three that were standing, staring up into the sky, the tip of an enormous red claw taped against the monitor, "Clever, clever, clever boy," a raspy feminine voice hissed, "Eat you all up snicker snacker, travelling man. He shall come to me with a pretty little travelling snack and the beautiful bride. Such secrets to unlock! I shall descend upon this Earth and shine!"

*O*O*O*

The Doctor frowned and lowered his arm, and gave his sonic a bit of a shake, "I've lost the signal," he muttered to Sophie before he turned and hurried over to Donna, Sophie moving with him. The ginger having moved a short distance away to check on her family and friends as they were treated by the paramedics that had arrived in the ambulance that was now parked outside the hotel the reception had been booked into, "Donna, we've got to get to your office," he told her hastily, "H.C Clements. I think that's where it all started," he stated as Donna frowned. The Time Lord turned to Donna's fiancé as he walked up to the ginger, "Lance! Is it Lance?" the man barely had time to nod before the Doctor continued, "Can you give us a lift?"

The Doctor didn't wait for an answer as he grabbed Sophie's hand and darted off, leaving Lance to stare after him, mouth opening and shutting in shock. Donna grabbed him and pulled him into a run, hurrying to catch up to the Doctor and Sophie, determined now to get to the bottom of just who was after her and why.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor, Sophie, Donna and Lance arrived at H.C Clements and ran into the building, Donna leading them through the lobby and up to the third floor of the large building where her desk was situated. The Doctor immediately dashing around the gingers desk, leaning over her office chair to the computer, "This might just be a locksmiths," the Doctor said as he worked at the computer, "But H.C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," he informed Donna and Lance.

Donna frowned in confusion, "Who are they?"

"A secret organisation with way too much money on their hands," Sophie muttered in response, swallowing heavily as she leaned against the back of Donna's desk.

"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf," the Doctor explained his hearts clenching painfully at the mention and he glanced briefly over at Sophie to see her playing with the beaded bracelet on her wrist again, before he glanced over at Donna as the ginger remained silent, just staring at them in confusion, "…Cybermen invasion," he prompted her and got more silent confusion, "Skies over London full of Daleks?"

"Oh," Donna blinked, "I was in Spain."

The Doctor stared at her, his brows raised, "They had Cybermen in Spain," he informed her and Donna shrugged.

"Scuba diving," she replied with a shrug and Sophie blinked at her in surprise, her brows rising a touch incredulously, somehow, she really had managed to miss both alien invasions.

The Doctor shook his head, "That big picture, Donna," he sighed, "You keep on missing it," he darted over to another computer, frowning as he moved his fingers over the keys typing quickly as he focused again, "Torchwood was destroyed," he continued as Sophie, Donna and Lance moved to join him, "But H.C. Clements stayed in business. I think… someone else came in and took over the operation," he frowned and hit the top of the monitor in frustration when it wouldn't load quick enough for his liking.

"But," Donna frowned, "What do they want with me?"

The Doctor turned to her, giving her his full attention as he began to explain, "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," he paused blinking in sudden realisation, "See? That's what happened!" he exclaimed, and Donna and Lance stared at him in confusion whilst Sophie stared at him curiously, "Say…" he spun and snatched a mug up of the desk, before turning back to them with it, "That's the Tardis," he picked up a pencil, "And that's you," he held it up, "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and 'whap'!" he exclaimed and dropped the pencil dramatically into the mug, "You were pulled inside the Tardis."

Donna blinked and then looked up at the Doctor, small frown furrowing her brow, "I'm a pencil inside a mug?" she questioned flatly.

"Yes, you are," the Doctor grinned, "4H. Sums you up."

Sophie shook her head as she eyed him, 'You're gonna get slapped again if you're not careful,' she warned him.

The Doctor blinked as the thought reached him and glanced at her, and she looked pointed down at the mug and pencil in his hand. The Doctor glanced down at it too and scratched at the back of his head, 'Ah,' he placed the mug with the pencil inside it back down on the desk and quickly turned to Donna's fiancé, "Lance? What's H.C Clements working on?" he asked, "Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

"I don't know," Lance exclaimed defensively, "I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager," he huffed and Sophie started to frown at his reaction whilst the Doctor turned back to the computer, seating himself in the chair as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and held it to the screen of the monitor, "Why am I even explaining myself?" Lance continued to huff defensively as the sonic screwdriver whirred softly and instantly brought up the page the Time Lord was looking for, "What the hell are we talking about?"

"They make keys," the Doctor murmured as Sophie shifted to peer over his shoulder at the monitor as he used the mouse to bring up a 3D plan of the building, "And look at this, Sparks," he continued as Donna shifted to peer over his other shoulder, "…We're on the third floor."

Donna blinked glancing at the pair, "Who's 'Sparks'?"

Sophie sighed, "That'd be me," she muttered as the Time Lord got up.

"Brilliant nickname," the Doctor commented as he started away.

"You seem to be the only one who thinks so," Sophie commented dryly as she followed him away from the computer.

"You like it, you said so," the Doctor rebutted and Sophie rolled her eyes, but couldn't say anything as she had indeed said so, and she did… a little. Still didn't get where he'd pulled it from, he still hadn't told her. Foxy Git.

"Aww…" Donna cooed softly, "Aren't they cute," she murmured and smiled at Lance, "Don't you think so?" she asked him and Lance gave her a half-hearted smile and a nod, "I'll bet you twenty quid they'll be a thing before the months out."

Lance arched a sceptical brow at her, but otherwise merely shook his head uninterested as they followed after Sophie and the Doctor through the office and over to the lift.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" the Doctor questioned a moment before the lift pinged and the doors slid open and the Doctor walked into the lift, Sophie a step behind him, "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'?" he observed pointing to it, "There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"

Sophie tugged at the ends of her hair as she eyed the button marked 'lower basement' or 'LB' as it were. If it was something Torchwood had wanted to hide… she doubted it could be good, her teeth sank into her lower lip harshly as an image of Rose hanging on for dear life to the lever as the powerful wind sucked at her, before she lost her grip and was pulled backwards, the open breach pulling her in… flashed across her mind, making her wince and her heart ache again with a fresh wave of pain.

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance scoffed as he eyed the two in the lift.

"No," the Doctor stated before continuing on, correcting Lance, "I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor."

"It needs a key," Donna observed as she nodded at the slot where a key card would go.

"I don't," the Doctor replied pulling out his sonic screwdriver again.

"Helps to be a Martian," Sophie hummed and the Doctor grimaced as he flashed the sonic over the 'LB' button.

The Doctor shot her a look, "Not a Martian, look nothing like a Martian," and Sophie blinked at him all innocence and he rolled his eyes, "Sometimes I wonder if I was a bad influence on you," he muttered, without any heat.

"Hmm," Sophie nodded with a serious air, "Me too."

"Oi!" the Doctor protested, she hadn't been meant to agree! He eyed her as she smiled in amusement, a pale shadow of her usual sparkle in her hazel flecked blue eyes as she looked at him, "Cheeky," he muttered with a shake of his head, lips quirking upwards before he turned to look at Donna and Lance who were watching them, "Right then, thanks you two, Sparks and I can handle this. See you later."

"No chance, Martian," Donna contradicted and the Doctor sighed at the name, honestly, he wasn't a Martian, "You're the ones who keep saving my life," Donna continued as she stepped into the lift with them, "I ain't letting either of you out of my sight."

The Doctor eyed her, but didn't argue, instead reached for the button, "Going down."

"Lance?" Donna called, staring rather pointedly at her fiancé who'd made no move to join them.

"Maybe I should go to the police," Lance tried, hesitating.

"Inside," Donna ordered and Sophie smiled with amusement, a hand coming up to try and hide it as Lance nodded rather meekly and joined them in the lift.

"To honour and obey?" the Doctor questioned lightly, his lips curved up in an amused smirk as he pressed the button.

"Tell me about it, mate," Lance groaned with a huff.

"Oi!" Donna glared sharply at the pair of them.

Sophie shook her head as the doors pinged closed, "Rude," she sighed.

Donna glanced back at her and then eyed the Doctor as the lift slowly began to descend, "He's like that often, is he?" and Sophie nodded.

"Oi!" the Doctor protested and then pouted falling silent as Sophie arched a brow and levelled a pointed look at him.

*O*O*O*

"The bride approaches," the raspy female voice hissed as the owner of the voice watched the proceedings on the monitor on her large weblike ship, "She is my key."

*O*O*O*

The lift came to a stop with a ping and the doors slid open. The Doctor, Sophie, Donna and Lance stepping out of it and into a long dark, dank corridor that was dimly lit with a green light that gave it an eerie glow.

Donna looked around, frowning uneasily, "Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" she demanded.

"Corridor, lower basement," Sophie murmured in response pulling her gaze from the dank eerie corridor to glance over at Donna, "And… no idea."

The Doctor smirked in amusement, "Let's find out…" he murmured and started down the corridor, Sophie, Donna and Lance following him.

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked after a moment of silence, her gaze still flitting about the corridor.

"The Mysterious H.C Clements?" the Doctor nodded, "I think he's part of it."

"Be kind of strange if he didn't," Sophie murmured in agreement.

The Doctor paused as his eye caught on something, "Oh, look… transport," and Sophie, Donna and Lance followed his gaze to see three Segway scooters that had been left in the corridor.

A couple of moments later the three scooters were trundling along the corridor, Sophie standing behind the Doctor her arms wrapped about his slim waist. Donna glanced over at the others and couldn't help but laugh in amusement at the ridiculousness of it, the Doctor and Sophie soon joining her, whilst Lance merely stared at them with confusion, not getting what they were finding so funny all of a sudden.

They continued on down the corridor, laughter tampering off into silence as they went further and further, until they came upon a door marked 'Torchwood – Authorised Personnel Only'. The Doctor stopped the scooter and Sophie shifted, stepping back off the scooter so that the Doctor could step off himself, Donna and Lance getting off their own as the Doctor strode over to the door, hands immediately going to the wheel, turning it to get it open.

He pulled open the door and peered in to see a ladder, he turned back to the others, "Wait here," he told them seriously, "Just need to get my bearings. Don't…" he focused on Donna and Lance, eyeing them seriously as he pointed at them sternly, "Do anything. Sparks," he turned to Sophie, "Don't let 'em go anywhere," he turned back to the ladder as Sophie gave him a nod, grasping hold of it, before starting up the rungs.

"You'd better come back," Donna called after him as she watched him climb up the ladder.

"Couldn't get rid of you if I tried," the Doctor called back, just before he disappeared from view.

"You don't have to worry about him not coming back," Sophie assured her, as she turned her gaze from the ladder to look at Donna, "It's him being late, that you gotta worry about."

"Oi!" they heard the Doctor call down from somewhere above them, evidentially having still been close enough to hear her.

Donna and Sophie smiled in amusement, their eyes returning to the ladder as they waited for the Doctor, while Lance turned to the ginger, "Donna… have you thought about this?" he asked quietly, "Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?"

"Oh," Donna blinked turning to him, her smile now fond, "I thought July," she murmured, not having really been listening to the entirety of his question.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor climbed until he reached the top, the ladder ending at a sealed manhole. He reached up to it and turned the wheel, swiftly unsealing it before pushing it open. He clambered through the hole and out into the daylight, his eyes landing on the Thames, having come out on top of the Thames Flood barrier.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor jumped off the last rung of the ladder and turned to Sophie, Donna and Lance, "Thames Flood barrier!" he exclaimed, "Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked, her brows raised incredulously.

"I know!" the Doctor exclaimed with faux outrage, "Unheard of," and Sophie shook her head shooting him an amused look, that had him winking at her before he started away, heading for another door at the end of corridor, the petite brunette following him as Donna gaped at them, before moving to follow them, Lance sighing out a low breath full of reluctance as he grudgingly did the same.

They walked through the door and entered another room, a laboratory that was filled with massive test tubes the liquid inside them bubbling away, and other pieces of chemistry equipment set up throughout it.

"Oh, look at this," the Doctor exclaimed with excitement as they looked around at the many bubbling tubes, "Stunning!"

Sophie gave a slow nod, her brow scrunched as she eyed the test tubes, "Looks like someone's been kept busy," she murmured.

"Particle extrusion!" the Doctor nodded as he stared at the tubes amazed.

"What does it do?" Donna asked with a frown as they slowly moved past massive bubbling tube after massive bubbling tube.

"Particle extrusion," the Doctor repeated.

"I know that you think you're being clear," Sophie told him with mild exasperation as she eyed his back, "But really that tells us noth…" she cut off abruptly as the Doctor suddenly stilled and she almost bumped into his back.

"Hold on…" he muttered as he eyed another set of bubbling tubes, before he darted over to it, peering closely as he tapped the glass, "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles," he expounded as Sophie, Donna and Lance walked over to him, "In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravel the atomic structure."

"Your people?" Lance asked as he eyed the Doctor, "Who are they? What company do you represent?" he questioned and Sophie who'd already been frowning with concern at the bubbling liquid in the tubes, glanced over at Lance, her frown deepening as she eyed him, his future wife was being dosed with Huon particles and he was asking about what company the Doctor was with…? That just didn't seem right to her.

"Oh, I'm a freelancer," the Doctor murmured with distraction as he continued to examine the massive tubes, "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," he explained and picked up a small test tube full of the liquid Huon particles.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna murmured eyeing the tube in the Doctor's hands, he gently turned the knob on the top and the contents of the tube glowed gold, and Donna along with it, "Oh, my God!" the ginger exclaimed her eyes wide with alarm.

"Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you," the Doctor murmured as he turned the knob off again making the particles and Donna stop glowing, "Saturate the body and then… ha!" Donna and Sophie jumped at the sudden exclamation, but the Doctor hardly noticed as he continued on with enthusiasm, "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!" he exclaimed and Donna looked down at herself whilst Sophie stared at him brow arching as he babbled on excitedly, "Adrenaline, acetylcholine, wham go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven!" Sophie's arched brow turned incredulous and Donna bristled as he rambled on with increasing enthusiasm, "A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, shazam!"

Donna slapped him.

"What did I do this time?!" the Doctor demanded indignantly, frowning at the glowering Donna, his cheek stinging sharply once again.

"Your choice of analogy was horrible," Sophie grumbled her arms crossing over her chest as she eyed him, her brow furrowed.

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna demanded before the Doctor could do more than blink in response to Sophie's words and he relaxed his tense annoyed posture, his expression turning sheepish and his eyes apologetic as he stare at the indignant ginger. Donna took a calming breath, continuing to eye him as she stepped towards him, "Right, just tell me, these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes!" the Doctor replied quickly, too quickly to be really convincing.

"Doctor…" Donna began cautiously as she tilted her head at him slightly, eyeing him anxiously, "If your lot got rid of Huon particles… why did they do that?"

"Because they were deadly," the Doctor replied as gently as he could and Sophie's teeth sank into her lower lip with concern.

"Oh, my God…" Donna breathed trembling with fear, her eyes widening with it as she stared at the Doctor.

"I'll sort it out, Donna," the Doctor promised, "Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose anyone else."

Sophie gave a nod of agreement, "Neither of us are," she murmured with conviction, a moment before crashes and bangs sounded and they glanced around, searching for the source of the noises that seemed to be coming from all around them.

"Oh, she is long since lost," a raspy female voice hissed through the air and one of the walls slid upwards to reveal a secret chamber with an enormous round hole in the floor, "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe…" Lance's eyes widened with horror, before he turned and dashed for the door, slipping out it and back into the corridor, "Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"

Armed robots covered in black hooded robes filed in along the walls of the chamber, guns pointed towards the Doctor, Sophie and Donna…

*O*O*O*

Lance ran along the corridor as fast as he could, making it back to the door marked 'Torchwood – Authorised Personnel Only' the three Segway scooters still parked outside it, and twisted the wheel as fast as he could, getting the door open.

*O*O*O*

"Someone's been digging…" the Doctor commented as he peered down the hole, Sophie coming to stand beside him squinting a bit as she peered down into the deep shaft, "Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser," the Doctor continued and Sophie grimaced slightly as she frowned, "How far down does it go?" he wondered.

"Down and down," the female voice rasped through the air again, "All the way down to the centre of the Earth!"

"Really?" the Doctor blinked in surprise and looked up, "Seriously? What for?"

"Dinosaurs," Donna suggested as she shuffled forward to join the Doctor and Sophie by the enormous hole in the floor.

The Doctor frowned and glanced at her in confusion, "What?"

"Dinosaurs?" Donna repeated.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" the Doctor questioned, still frowning at the ginger in incomprehension.

"I think," Sophie murmured as she glanced across the Doctor to Donna who was staring earnestly at the Doctor, "She's referring to a movie…"

"What?!" the Doctor repeated a touch incredulously as he glanced at Sophie.

Donna nodded and smiled, "Yeah, that film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs," she prompted the Doctor who turned his head to look at her, frowning at her again, "Trying to help," she huffed at the disbelief on his face.

"That's not helping," he grumbled.

"She's got a point though," Sophie murmured and the Doctor shot her a disbelieving look, "It may not be dinosaurs but," Sophie swallowed as she lowered her gaze from the Doctor to the deep shaft in front of them, "Something has to be down there… why else would Torchwood have drilled a hole?"

The Doctor nodded in agreement, his own gaze going from Sophie to the shaft, his brow furrowing pensively.

"Such a sweet couple," the female voice rasped again almost cooing at them mockingly, "And, all so clever," the voice continued as the Doctor and Sophie looked up again.

The Doctor frowned towards the ceiling, "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."

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you!" the Doctor commanded.

"Who are you with such command?" the raspy female voice hissed in response, irritation darkening its tone.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man," the raspy female voice hissed through the air, "For you will be sick at heart."

There was a flash of the light across the room from them in the next instant and Sophie's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply as a large figure appeared, it's red body that of a spider, its torso that of a woman and a large red head with all of six eyes, that Sophie could see. The large creature snarling and growling at them, with a mouth full of sharp looking fangs.

The Doctor stared with disbelief, "Racnoss…" he muttered, "But that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" he exclaimed, his mouth agape.

"Empress of the Racnoss," she corrected, baring her fangs at the three all so tiny people across from her.

*O*O*O*

Lance hurried up a ladder, before running swiftly down a corridor, pausing only a moment as his eye caught on an axe. He snatched it up and ran on…

*O*O*O*

"If you're the Empress," the Doctor began his brow furrowing pensively, "Where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or… are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind," the Empress hissed.

"That's it, the last of your kind," the Doctor murmured with a nod, "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times," he began to explain as he glanced from Sophie to Donna, "Billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores," he corrected himself, wary eyes going back to the Empress across the room from them, "They devoured whole planets."

Sophie blinked, frowned and then paled, before swallowing heavily as she eyed the large spider-like alien warily. Normally, she was ok with spiders, wasn't their biggest fan by any means, but she could deal with them, but an enormous spider creature that could and would eat you… a cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Racnoss are born starving," the Empress hissed at them, it's many eyes narrowing on them, "Is that our fault?"

"They eat people?" Donna asked, horrified, taking a small step back as she took a heaving breath as fear clawed at her.

"H.C Clements, did he wear those… those erm, black and white shoes?" the Doctor asked and Sophie glanced at him, before following his gaze upwards. Her eyes widening with horror as her gaze caught on a pair of shoe clad feet sticking out of a web on the ceiling.

"He did," Donna nodded, "We used to laugh," she smiled a bit at the memory, chuckling lightly, "We used to call him the fat cat in spats," she told them. The Doctor nodded grimly, before he pointed at the ceiling and Donna looked up and gasped horrified at the familiar pair of shoed feet that were hanging down from the webbing, "Oh, my God!"

"Mm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress hummed contentedly, before cackling at them.

"You shouldn't even exist!" the Doctor shouted at her, frowning, "Way back in history, the fledging Empires went to war against the Racnoss, they were wiped out."

Movement on the balcony above the Empress drew their gazes and their eyes landed on Lance as he crept quietly out of door and out onto the balcony, an axe in hand, noticing their gazes he quickly motioned for them to stay silent.

"Except for me," the Empress hissed as the trio's eyes returned to her, seemingly completely oblivious as Lance crept quietly along the balcony.

"But that's what I've got inside me," Donna spoke up, swallowing down her fear of the enormous spider creature as she tried to keep her distracted from her approaching fiancé, the man she loved with all her heart, "That Huon energy thing," the Empress made as if to turn her head, "Oi!" Donna called loudly, taking a step forward, "Look at me, lady, I'm talking!" and the Empress shifted her head back ever so slightly, her many eyes focusing on the ginger, "Where do I fit in?" she demanded, "How comes I get stacked up with these Huon particles?"

Lance reached the stairs and started down them, his axe at the ready, and the Empress made as if to turn her head again to look.

"Look at me, you!" Donna shouted again, making the Empress pause again, "Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty!" the Empress remarked, her lips curving up into a smirk that was almost amused as she stared down at the tiny human, that was demanding her attention.

"Yes, I am!" Donna declared as Lance crept closer and closer the red fire exe at the ready, "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!" she shouted at Lance.

Lance started to swing the axe and the Empress swung around to face him, fangs bared as she hissed at him. And then, at the last moment, Lance stopped his swing, glanced around at Donna and burst out laughing, the Empress laughing along with him.

"That was a good one," Lance turned to the Empress still chuckling as Donna watched on with confusion, "Your face!"

"Lance is funny," the Empress hissed, still chuckling herself.

"What?" Donna asked, still not understanding, not wanting to understand as she stared up at the man she was gonna marry and the large creature he was laughing with.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor murmured softly.

Sophie swallowed, her heart hurting for the ginger as it continued to sink sharply in her chest, aroused earlier suspicions now confirmed for the petite brunette, she'd been hoping she'd been wrong when the man had appeared on the balcony with that axe, "Really, very sorry," she murmured sincerely.

Donna glanced over at them, "Sorry for what?" she demanded of them, before she turned back to her fiancé, "Lance, don't be stupid!" she shouted, "Get her!"

"God, she's thick," Lance commented as he stared down at her, eyes full of derision and pity, and Donna's face fell, stunned, hurt, confused by what was happening, "Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

Donna glanced from Lance to the Doctor and Sophie, and then back again, "I don't understand," she murmured with incomprehension, her mind whirling painfully.

"How did you meet him?" the Doctor asked her gently.

Donna frowned again as she glanced at him, "In the office."

"He made you coffee," the Doctor murmured and Sophie squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment gloved hands clenching into fists.

"Every day," Lance rolled his eyes at her, speaking as though he was talking to an idiot, "I made you coffee."

"And," Sophie murmured softly, gently, glancing at Donna again, "No one makes the secretaries coffee," she reminded her of what she'd said on the roof top and Donna's eyes began to widen with the horrible realisation.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," the Doctor explained as gently as he could.

"He was poisoning me," Donna breathed, pained.

The Doctor turned to Lance, brown eyes hard, "It was all there in the job title, The Head of Human Resources."

"This time – it's personnel," Lance jested before laughing at his own joke, the Empress' hissing laugh joining his.

Sophie folded her arms over her chest, frowning as she eyed him, "You're not funny!" she muttered, swallowing again. No, he was cruel.

"But…" Donna's voice caught in her throat and she swallowed as she blinked back the tears that were pricking the backs of her eyes, "We were getting married."

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off," Lance scoffed as he shrugged, the pity that had been his eyes disappearing as he glared down at her, "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…" he bemoaned, "'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."

Sophie flinched at the amount of venom in his voice as he sneered his abuse at Donna, she glanced over at Donna, to see her staring with increasing hurt and confusion up at the man and she shifted, moving around behind the Doctor to come to stand on the other side of Donna, taking her lightly trembling hand in her gloved one, gently at first, allowing the other woman the chance to pull away if she didn't want to be touched in that moment, but when Donna's hand tightened about hers, she squeezed back offering what little comfort she could to the hurting woman.

"I deserve a medal," Lance sneered and Sophie glared at him as Donna's hand tightened about hers a bit more as she inhaled sharply.

"Oh, is that what she offered you?" the Doctor asked, "The Empress of the Racnoss?" he shook his head, "What are you, her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her," Lance retorted.

"But I love you," Donna murmured, her voice coming out barely above a whisper.

"That's what made it easy," Lance sneered down at her nastily and Donna had to blink back another wave of tears that pressed hotly at the back of her eyes, "It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture, what's the point of it all if the Human Race is nothing?" he asked the Doctor staring at him, "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?"

"Who is this little physician?" the Empress asked.

"What she said, Martian," Lance replied with a nod at Donna.

"Oh, I'm sort of… homeless," the Doctor replied, "But the point is," he quickly moved on from the topic of who he was, "What's down there?" he questioned, "The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk," Lance remarked, with a mocking smirk.

"I think so, too," the Empress agreed with a nod.

"Well, tough!" Lance called down to them dismissively, "All we need is Donna."

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man!" the Empress hissed the order, "But leave the little travelling snack!"

Sophie stiffened, her eyes widening with alarm as the Empress eyes focused on her as she said the last, "Travelling snack?" she murmured and the Doctor's eyes narrowed.

"Mm, Christmas desert," the Empress hissed with a wide smile, her tongue flicking out past her fangs and over her lips.

"Don't you hurt him!" Donna yelled, freeing her hand from Sophie's to step in front of the both of them, "And don't you dare eat her!"

"No, no, it's alright," the Doctor murmured as he shifted to stand protectively in front of Sophie, who reached out, her gloved hand closing about the back of his suit jacket.

"No," Donna denied, her voice pitched high with fright, "I won't let them!"

"At arms!" the Empress commanded and the hooded Pilot Fish shifted, pointing their guns at the Doctor.

"Ah, now," the Doctor nodded, his hands coming up as he talked, brushing his consciousness reassuringly against Sophie's as he felt her hand tighten about the material of his jacket and heard her suck in a shaky breath behind him, "Except."

"Take aim!" the Empress shouted the commanded not really listening to the Doctor at all, and the sound of guns cocking filled the air.

"Well," the Doctor continued, "I just want to point out the obvious…"

"They won't hit the bride," the Empress cut in, "And the travelling Snack will be unharmed until it's time to feed."

Sophie shivered, "Not a snack, really not a snack… and definitely not an alien spider snack," she murmured under her breath.

"They're ever such good shots," the Empress told them smugly.

"Just… just… just… hold on, just a tick, just a tiny… just a little… tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship," he reached into his pocket. "So reverse it…" he pulled out the small test tube full of liquid Huon particles, "And the spaceship comes to her," he tweaked the knob on the top again this time in reverse and the contents and Donna glowed gold again.

"Fire!" the Empress commanded the Pilot Fish, and they did, but it was too late as the Tardis materialised itself almost like smoke around the three protecting them from the gunfire.

"Oh, brilliant," Sophie breathed with relief as she blinked, the Tardis rapidly solidifying about them, the bullets doing nothing but bouncing off her outer walls.

"Off we go!" the Doctor called as he darted to the console, swiftly moving about it as he twisted knobs and pressed buttons.

"My key! My key!" they heard the Empresses incensed screeching through the Tardis walls, a moment before the Tardis started her signature wheeze before she dematerialised from the underground Torchwood base, impervious to the bullets still hitting against it.

"Oh, you know what I said before about time machines?" the Doctor asked Donna as he moved quickly about the console, "Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it," he stated as he sent the Tardis spinning through the vortex, "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. if something's buried in the planets core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene!" he babbled on as he worked at the console, briefly wondering why Sophie at least wasn't at the console with him like she usually was, "I've always wanted to see this. Sparks, Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before."

The Doctor turned and his expression fell as his eyes landed on Donna and Sophie, the ginger's shoulders shaking with silent tears whilst the petite brunette stood with her, a hand on her back, rubbing small circles… oh. He stared at the two of them for a moment longer before he turned back to the console working now in silence as Donna sank down into one of the chairs in the console room, and Sophie quietly offered her some tissues from the box the Tardis had made appear in the console room, the ship humming lowly as she flew through the vortex.

*O*O*O*

"If a key is lost, then another must be cut," the Empress hissed, furious still at the loss of the bride, "At arms!" she commanded the Pilot Fish and Lance's eyes widened as the Pilot Fish immediately shifted, pointing their guns at him.

*O*O*O*

"I feel so stupid," Donna sniffled quietly to the petite brunette that had sat beside her, fiddling with the tissues rearranging them in her hand a little before dabbing at her eyes and cheeks again.

Sophie bit her lower lip, unsure what to say in that moment, lots of words running through her head. She'd know what she'd say to Rose if she had said something like that, but Donna wasn't Rose and the last thing she wanted to do was unintentionally say the wrong thing and make the heartbroken woman feel worse. So, instead of saying anything Sophie reached out a gloved hand and took Donna's free hand in her own, giving it a squeeze.

Donna paused at the gesture and looked up at Sophie, before she squeezed back gratefully, seeing what the brunette hadn't been able to put into words in her eyes. A few more tears fell and Donna nabbed a few more tissues from the box in the brunette's other hand and dabbed at her eyes and cheeks again.

The Doctor peered around the console at the miserable Donna and Sophie as the Tardis' engines clicked quietly as they cooled, "We've arrived… want to see?"

"I s'pose," Donna sighed unenthusiastically, dabbing at her eyes again as the Doctor swung the monitor around.

"Oh," the Doctor eyed it, "That scanner's a bit small," he commented, "Maybe your way's best," he murmured and walked over to the door, "Come on," he called encouragingly over his shoulder as Donna continued to sit merely watching him.

Sophie offered her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand again, "It'll be worth it," she murmured and Donna turned weary, still damp eyes to her, "It always is," she assured and Donna sighed again but nodded and got up with resignation, releasing Sophie's hand as she did so. The petite brunette got up too and followed her over to the Tardis doors that were still closed, the Doctor standing by them as he waited.

"No human's ever seen this," the Doctor told them, his lips curving into a small smile as he glanced at them, "You two will be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna muttered as she eyed the doors she was standing in front of dully, the Doctor and Sophie on either side of her.

"Donna Noble, Sophie Connolly, welcome to the creation of the Earth," he murmured, before he opened the doors and Sophie felt her breath catch in her throat as Donna's mouth fell open, the pair in awe at the spectacular sight as the sun shone through beautiful coloured dust and gas clouds, enormous rocks of different shapes and sizes floating around, "We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas," the Doctor explained, "That's the Sun, over there," he pointed, "Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"It's beautiful," Sophie breathed as she continued to stare with awe out into space at the moment in history. The Earth's beginning.

The Doctor glanced over at her with a fond smile, nodding, it was, and those three little words simmered inside him again as he took in her awed expression, her eyes alight with wonder as she stared, her lips slightly parted.

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.

And the Doctor blinked, the moment broken as his attention returned to the ginger, "All around us…" he replied looking out the doors again, "In the dust."

"Puts the wedding in perspective," Donna murmured, "Lance was right," she muttered, "We're just… tiny."

"No, but that's what you do," the Doctor beamed a grin, "The Human Race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So, I came out of all this..." Donna glanced at Sophie who was looking out the doors, her lips staring to curve up into a small smile, "Well, we both did," she adjusted and blue eyes turned to her, the petite brunette nodded.

"Yep," she agreed.

"And isn't that brilliant?" the Doctor murmured, beaming another grin at the two humans standing with him.

A massive chunk of rock floated lazily past the Tardis, "I think that's the Isle of Wight," Donna jested and the three broke out into light laughter.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold," the Doctor continued his explanation, "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," Donna finished.

"But the question is… what was the first rock?" the Doctor murmured and the three stared out of the doors as the dust and gas clouds and rocks.

"Look," Donna pointed as a seven-point star shaped object floated out from behind a dust cloud.

"Is that…" Sophie muttered squinting at it, "A spaceship?"

"The Racnoss…" the Doctor murmured.

*O*O*O*

"Now I have measured the bride's catalysis, I can force feed it," the Empress remarked and Lance

Who was standing a Pilot Fish on either side of him, was forced to drink Huon particle liquid as another Pilot Fish poured it down his throat, "Drink the particles, become the key!" she hissed at Lance.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor rushed back over to the console, "Hold on," he turned a wheel frantically, "The Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?"

"Pulling everything in…" Sophie murmured, her eyes widening with alarm as she watched the rocks and particles of dust and gas zoomed towards the Racnoss ship like they were being drawn by some kind of magnetised force.

"Exactly what you said," Donna nodded as the Doctor dashed back to the doors to look out them again.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth…" the Doctor stared at what was happening with wide eyes, "They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock."

The Tardis suddenly groaned, shuddering as she shook violently, almost knocking the three of them off their feet.

"Blimey!" Sophie muttered glancing around the Tardis with concern.

"What was that?" Donna exclaimed alarmed.

"Trouble," the Doctor replied, slamming the Tardis doors shut.

*O*O*O*

"My wonderful key," the Empress rasped with a smirk as Lance started to glow gold, "Now, my servants, bind him," and the Pilot Fish that had been standing on either side of Lance grabbed him by his arms, restraining him as he looked down at himself with eyes wide with fear as he took in the golden glow.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor, Sophie and Donna struggled to maintain their balance as the Tardis shuddered and tip precariously, "What the hell's it doing?!" Donna yelled over the noise of the struggling engines as she clung to the console, desperately trying to keep her feet under her.

"Remember that little trick I pulled, particles pulling particles," the Doctor shouted back as he desperately tried to pilot the Tardis, "Well, it works in reverse, they're pulling us back!"

"Oh, no wonder she isn't happy!" Sophie exclaimed as she clung to the console, almost falling to the floor in the next moment as the Tardis shuddered and tilted sharply again as she careened wildly through the vortex.

"Well, can't you stop it?" Donna shouted with alarm, "Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"

"Backseat driver," the Doctor muttered, "Oh! Wait a minute!" he exclaimed and reached under the console, "You remember this don't you, Sparks?" he shouted enthusiastically now.

Sophie peered at him as he pulled a device that looked a fair bit like a surfboard out from under the console, "The extrapolator?!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening at the sight of it.

"Yep!" the Doctor replied setting the extrapolator down on the console, "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" he told them, reaching under the console again as a familiar wheeze started up as they began to materialise.

"Oh, not the mallet…!" Sophie muttered as she saw him pull the tool out from its spot underneath the console.

*O*O*O*

Lance watched from where he was hanging, caught firmly in the Empresses web as the Tardis materialised in the room once again.

"The bride shall join her groom," the Empress hissed gleefully, "What a wedding there shall be," and Lance couldn't help but shudder.

*O*O*O*

"Now!" the Doctor shouted and Sophie couldn't help but cringe as he wielded the mallet smacking it down firmly against the extrapolator, making the Tardis dematerialise again, the Doctor, Sophie and Donna clutching at the console tightly again as she groaned and shuddered around them in protest, before materialising again down the long corridor.

The Doctor dashed for the door, Sophie and Donna running after him and outside into the dimly lit corridor, "We're about 200 yards to the right," the Doctor told them as he looked around, quickly getting his bearings, he turned to Sophie and Donna, "Come on!" he urged them and the three took off at a run down the corridor.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked anxiously as she panted, out of breath from the run, the three of them coming to a stop outside of the doorway that led up to the Thames Flood barrier.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied glancing back at her as he pulled a stethoscope from his pocket, "I make it up as I go along!" he admitted as he stuck one of the listening bits into one of his ears, pressing the rounded bit against the door to listen, "But trust me, I've got a history!"

Donna blinked, eyeing the Doctor's back dubiously, before she glanced over at Sophie who was staring at his back, with a small quirk to her lips, "And you trust him?"

Sophie glanced at her and nodded, "Yeah, I do," she replied truthfully and the Doctor's lips twitched up into a smile as he concentrated on the door, listening for sounds beyond it. Sophie offered the ginger what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "He always thinks of something."

Donna eyed her a moment, before giving her a bit of a nod, her eyes returning to the Doctor, "But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth," the Doctor began to explain as he continued to listen through the stethoscope, "But my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck."

Sophie stiffened as she was grabbed from behind, an arm restraining her and a gloved metal hand covering her mouth preventing her from letting out a warning cry to the Doctor, a glance to the side told her that Donna had been grabbed by another Pilot Fish, and she jerked her head hoping to make the bells in her ears chime loud enough to grab the Doctor's attention as the Pilot Fish dragged them backwards away from the oblivious Time Lord, only to blink as no sound came... and she grimaced as she realised that she'd forgotten to put the bells back in her ears after everything at Canary Wharf…

*O*O*O*

"They've just been in hibernation for billions of years," the Doctor continued, "Frozen, dead, kaput. So, you're the new key, Donna. Brand new particles, living particles!"

*O*O*O*

Further away now and completely out of sight of the Time Lord who hadn't so much as shifted at their kidnapping, and was probably still rattling off his explanation. Sophie rolled her eyes at herself exasperatedly, what in the hell was she doing, worried about bells? She didn't need bells to catch his attention, or physically have to make a sound, honestly! She could totally just…

*O*O*O*

"They need you to open it and," the Doctor blinked as he realised something, "You've never been so quiet Donn…"

'Doctor!'

The Time Lord whirled around at Sophie's telepathic call and his eyes widened to see that he was alone in the corridor, "Oh!" he breathed horrified as he looked up and down the corridor for any sign of the pair, hearts pounding as his jaw clenched, he turned back to the door, 'I'm coming Sparks!' he projected back as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and swiftly unlocked the door with it before rapidly turning the wheel and pulling it open, only to be confronted by a robot, a gun pointed at him, "Ah," he muttered.

*O*O*O*

Sophie concentrated on breathing, or at least she tried to, it was a difficult task when she was strung up in the thick sticky web beside Donna and Lance who was on the other side of the ginger, staring down into the deep shaft that went all the way down into the centre of the Earth, where, from what the Doctor had been saying before she and Donna had been nabbed, was a Racnoss web… she swallowed heavily.

Donna glanced at Lance, "I hate you," she spat, glowering at him.

"Yeah," Lance glanced at her as well, sarcasm colouring his tone, "I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart."

"Not that it really matters," Sophie muttered through gritted teeth anger at the man welling in her again and she shot a look at him as best she could from where she was stuck beside Donna, "But I hate you too."

"Consider me heartbroken," Lance retorted scathingly as he rolled his eyes, rather annoyed at this situation himself… this had not been the plan, the agreement – he in no way shape or form was supposed to be the key! It was supposed to be Donna, and only Donna!

"My golden couple. Together at last," the Empress rasped up at them, ignoring the petite brunette for the moment her focus on her keys, "Your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" Donna and Lance shouted together.

"You're supposed to say, 'I do'," the Empress corrected them.

"Ha," Lance scoffed, "No chance!"

"Say it!" the Empress demanded.

Lance glanced at Donna distastefully, the words physically paining him as he complied, "I do."

"I do," Donna called reluctantly, a pained grimace crossing her face as the words left her lips, words that she had so been looking forward to saying at that morning.

"I don't!" the Empress cackled, "Activate the particles," she commanded gleefully, "Purge every last one!"

"No!" Sophie cried as Donna and Lance began to glow brightly.

"The little travelling snack will be quiet!" the Empress snapped, eyes focusing on the petite brunette for the first time.

Sophie eyes widened, her heart pounding as her gaze returned to deep shaft, where a web resided, 'Oh God… I really don't wanna be alien spider food!'

'You're not gonna be alien spider food!' came a reassuring response from the Doctor and Sophie blinked she hadn't thought she'd projected that.

'Well, you better hurry,' Sophie replied glancing anxiously over at the ginger who was glowing rather brightly with the golden particles, her eyes concerned for the woman, 'Cos Donna and Lance… they're glowing.'

'I'm almost there,' the Doctor responded and Sophie took a deep steadying breath as he continued, 'I'm close, Sparks.'

"And release!" the Empress ordered, before a gleeful laugh escaped her as the particles extracted themselves from Donna and Lance and zoomed down into the depths of the deep shaft, "The secret hear unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages."

"Who will?" Donna demanded, "What's down there?"

Lance shot her an irritated look, "How thick are you?" he sneered at her.

Sophie swallowed heavily, "There's a web down there, Donna," she reminded the ginger her voice soft and Donna looked at her, "It's full of…"

"My children," the Empress rasped with a beaming grin as she turned her gaze down the shaft, "The long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh!" Sophie flinched her teeth sinking anxiously into her lower lip as the chirping of lots of alien spiders and the pattering of their many legs coming up the hole, "The web-star shall come to me."

And out in space the seven-point star shaped web-like spaceship started drifting towards the Earth.

"My babies will be hungry," the Empress exclaimed with all the concern of a mother for her children, "They need sustenance. Perish the web!" she cried.

Lance shifted, struggling as much as he could in the web to gesture at the other two entangled in the web with him, "Use her! Not me!" he cried frantically and Donna and Sophie turned their eyes to him, "Or her! Either of them! Both of them!"

"Oh, my funny little Lance!" the Empress hissed, her many eyes focusing on him, "But you are quite impolite to your lady friends," she bared her fangs at him, "The Empress does not approve," and then the web around Lance loosened, releasing him.

"Laaaaaance!" Donna screamed horrified as she watched him tumble down into the deep shaft, his own cry of terrified alarm echoing in her ears.

"Oh bugger…" Sophie breathed with equal horror as awful as Lance had been, neither woman had wanted to see him die.

"Harvest the humans!" the Empress ordered as the seven-point webbed star descended over the Thames, much to the confusion and awe of the Londoners that paused in what they were doing to look at it, "Reduce them to meat!"

*O*O*O*

Bolts of what appeared to be something like lightening lanced out from the spaceship, destroying everything they touched. The people scattered in a panic, all apart from a little girl who'd been loving the appearance of the large pretty glowing 'star', she stood routed in terror as a one of the beams lanced towards her, cutting along the road, her eyes screwed shut as it got close, a whimper escaping her, only for arms to scoop her up as her dad picked her up and dashed away with her just in the nick of time.

*O*O*O*

One of the robots ascended the ladder, moving quickly up it along the side of the chamber and Sophie blinked as she felt a familiar mind brush along her mind in a warm familiar 'hello' and she found herself relaxing in the web ever so slightly, even as she anxiously eyed the shadowy figures that were scampering higher and higher up the deep shaft. He was here.

"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!" the Empress cried, before she spun to face the robot that was ascending the stairs with a low snarl, "So, you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man."

"Oh well," the Doctor sighed removing the mask and hooded cloak he'd donned in an attempt at having the 'element of surprise', "Nice try," he looked up to the web, "Told ya, I was coming, Sparks," he pulled out his sonic and aimed it at the web that was keeping Sophie entangled.

The petite brunette's eyes widened a bit as she eyed the sonic screwdriver, "What are you doing?" she called to him.

"Catching you!" the Doctor called back and Sophie scrambled to grab onto the web as the blue tip of the sonic flashed and the webbing loosened about her and her grip tightened as in the next moment she was swinging over the shaft and past the Empress who hissed and snarled at her, a long red claw swiping at her as she did so, and right into the Doctor's arms, the Time Lord having thrown them wide the moment she started swinging. The Doctor stumbled a bit as she collided with him, but otherwise managed to keep his feet, "You alright?" he asked as he set her down on her feet.

Sophie nodded, "Yeah."

The Doctor turned back to Donna who was staring down at them from the web with wide eyes, "I've got you, Donna!" he called and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the web around the ginger.

Donna shook her head, "I'm gonna fall!" she screeched at him as she felt the webbing around her loosen.

"You're gonna swing!" the Doctor corrected.

"Just hold tight!" Sophie urged as Donna grasped at the web, not wanting to see her fall, she swallowed heavily, she didn't think she could handle seeing her fall down into the shaft.

Donna let out a piercing, terrified scream as she started to swing, her hands clenched around the web as she swung over the shaft below her.

"I've got ya!" the Doctor called throwing his arms wide again to catch her.

Donna let out another panicked shriek as she swung below him and the landing he was standing on, the thick strand of web she was clinging to long and she screwed her eyes shut as she swung towards the wall.

Sophie flinched and the Doctor winced as Donna hit the wall below them with a dull, but heavy thud, "Donna!" Sophie called alarmed.

"…Oh sorry," the Doctor apologised sheepishly as the Empress smirked.

"Thanks for nothing, Martian," Donna groused as she lay sprawled on the floor, this was really not her day, not in the slightest!

Sophie winced, glad that ginger was ok, but that had to have hurt… it sounded like it had hurt…

"The doctor-man amuses me," the Empress hissed with amusement.

The sheepishness disappeared off the Doctor's face as he looked up, his focus returning to the Empress, "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance," he addressed her, his brow furrowed as he stared unwaveringly at the Empress, his fisted hands resting on the railing.

Sophie shifted away from him a little, moving to peer down the stairs at where the ginger had landed, "You ok, Donna?" she called.

"I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to co-exist," the Doctor told the Empress his offer. The one and only time he'd extend it.

"Yeah!" Donna groused back as she slowly picked herself up with a mild grimace, her body a bit achy from the impact with the wall and then the floor.

"Take that offer and end this now," the Doctor finished, half listening to the answer Donna had given Sophie.

"These men are so funny," the Empress rasped, letting out a raspy chuckle as she eyed the small doctor-man.

"What's your answer?" the Doctor demanded as Sophie gave a relieved nod, glad for the confirmation, that although bruised the ginger was ok.

"Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline," the Empress laughed outright, endlessly amused by the tiny doctor-man, giving her orders, decrees.

"What happens next is your own doing," the Doctor told her and Sophie blinked and turned back towards him at his tone, her brow scrunching slightly.

"I'll show you what happens next," the Empress drew herself up, "At arms!" she hissed at the Pilot Fish and Sophie's eyes widened and she shifted back towards the Doctor, "Take aim! And…"

"Relax," the Doctor murmured quietly and Sophie blinked surprised as all the Pilot Fish did exactly that weapons lowering as they slumped.

"What did you do?" Donna gaped from below them staring up at the Pilot Fish with wide eyes.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" the Doctor asked as he glanced down at her, "Pockets," he told her as he pulled out a remote control for the Pilot Fish out of his pocket.

"How did that fit in there?" Donna shouted up at him, her eyes widening further.

"They're bigger on the inside," the Doctor called down to her with a smirk edging up the corners of his lips.

Donna gaped again and turned wide eyes to Sophie who was staring at the Doctor, "You mean you weren't having me on earlier?"

"Nope," Sophie called back, tearing her eyes from the Doctor to glance down at Donna, offering her a small smile.

"Robo-forms are not necessary," the Empress snarled drawing their eyes back to her, "My children may feast on Martian flesh and the flesh of the little travelling snack!"

The Doctor's expression darkened dramatically, his jaw clenching, "Oh, but I'm not from Mars," he informed her, a dangerous edge entering his voice.

"Then where?" the Empress hissed.

"My home planet is far away and long-since gone. But its name lives on," the Doctor stared at the Empress darkly as he continued, "Gallifrey."

The Empress reared back alarmed and angry at the name, "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"I warned you," the Doctor replied unaffected by her tone, the fear flashing in her many eyes, "You did this," he pulled some of the Christmas tree baubles out of from another pocket and the Empresses many eyes widened.

"No! No!" she hissed panicked recognising the explosive baubles immediately, "Don't!" she begged, "No!"

The Doctor threw the baubles into the air and used the remote to control them, sending some to surround the Empress and others towards the walls of the corridor, the small baubles blowing holes in the wall on impact letting the Thames flood into the room in torrents, manhole covers bursting under the sudden pressure and a fire broke out as another of the baubles that had surrounded the Empress exploded at her feet.

Sophie flinched her eyes wide as the flood water poured down into the deep shaft and the wailing, terrified screams of the baby aliens below echoed up to them and the Empress let out a pained shrieking grief-stricken wail.

"My children!"

Sophie tore her eyes from the spiralling torrents of water in the hole to the Doctor, seeing him standing amidst the fire and water, staring silently, his expression dark as the screams filled his own ears, "Doctor!" she called moving towards him, drenched to the skin, as the Empress continued to wail agonisingly in her grief.

"Doctor, you can stop now!" Donna called up to him, but as she stood drenched to the bone, she didn't think he'd even heard her as he continued to stare unflinchingly at the writhing Racnoss, their cries still loud in her ears.

"Doctor please!" Sophie called to him again, and slowly he pulled his eyes from the wailing writhing Racnoss to glance at her and Sophie swallowed at the deep pain she could see in his eyes amidst the cold fury that was enveloping him, "Enough, please…!" she reached out and touched the wet cloth of his suit jacket, "Enough!"

He stared at her, his expression grim the wails of the Empress still filling his ears, that dark fury griping him, and for a brief moment Sophie thought that he wouldn't, that maybe he couldn't, as his eyes dark with pain and cold fury met hers, but then he blinked, brown eyes softening minutely and he nodded slightly, before reaching up to take the hand that was resting on his arm, he grasped it tightly in his own, before turned to look down at Donna who was staring up at the two of them, just as drenched as the two of them were, "Come on! Time I got you out!" he shouted and then in the next moment the three of them were running up the stairs.

*O*O*O*

"Transport me!" the Empress screamed an order and disappeared with a flash of light, back onto her spaceship, "Oh they will suffer! So suffer!" she shrieked with painful grief-stricken rage, "This planet shall be scorched!"

*O*O*O*

"But what about the Empress?" Donna called down to the Doctor as she, Sophie and the Doctor climbed up the ladder of the floodgate.

"She got away," Sophie called in agreement as she glanced down at the Doctor concerned, the three of them having seen her disappear in a flash of light, transporting herself in all likelihood back onto her spaceship.

"She's used up all her Huon energy," the Doctor shouted up to them from his place behind Sophie on the ladder, "She's defenceless!"

*O*O*O*

Huge military grade army tanks rumbled down the streets London, their cannons rising, taking aim at the seven-point star shaped spaceship hovering in the air above London, "Orders from Mr. Saxon," the commander called, "Fire at will!"

"Fire!" a soldier called the order and missiles fired into the air, all heading directly for the spaceship, impacting heavily with it from all directions, causing heavy damage until it burst into flames and exploded, disintegrating completely, the Empress of the Racnoss along with it.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor, Sophie and Donna reached the top of the ladder and clambered out into the night air, the three of them holding onto each other as they stood atop the Thames Flood barrier, looking up into the sky to see the webbed starship exploding above them, the pieces falling to the Earth, and Donna started to laugh in hysterical relief that it was finally over, the Doctor joining her and instant later and Sophie glanced from the sky to them and her own lips twitched up as she took in their drenched forms as they laughed and soon found herself joining them, leaning into the Time Lord as he wrapped a drench arm over her equally drenched shoulders.

"Just…" Donna began glancing over at them as she caught her breath as the three of them calmed, their laughter quieting, "There's one problem."

"What's that?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"We've drained the Thames," Donna replied and the Doctor and Sophie glanced down to see that they had indeed.

"Um…" Sophie blinked down at the sight of the empty river banks, "Oops?" she tugged at the drenched ends of her hair and the Doctor and Donna collapsed into laughter again, Sophie joining them a moment later.

*O*O*O*

The Tardis wheezed as she materialised across the road the Noble's home and Donna stepped out of the blue box followed by the Doctor and Sophie, "There we go," the Doctor commented with a smile, "Told you she'd be alright," he murmured as he glanced at Sophie who nodded, lips quirking up in a small answering smile, "She can survive anything."

"More than I've done," Donna murmured.

The Doctor pulled his sonic out of his pocket and gave her a quick scan with it, "Nope! All the Huon particles have gone," he told her as he pocketed his sonic again, "No damage, you're fine."

"That's good," Sophie murmured with a smile, relieved that Donna was fine.

"Yeah…" Donna agreed trailing, a half-hearted responding smile curving up her lips before she sighed out a breath, "But apart from that… I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

"I couldn't save him," the Doctor murmured.

"He deserved it," Donna replied flatly and the Doctor raised his brows whilst Sophie tilted her head slightly at the ginger, both regarding her silently, and Donna's face softened, "No, he didn't," she murmured, before she looked around at her family home, seeing her parents through one of the windows, "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have," the Doctor commented as the three of them watched Sylvia and Geoff embraced each other, "Oh no," the Doctor blinked and Sophie glanced at him, "I forgot, you hate Christmas."

"Yes," Donna nodded firmly, "I do."

"Even if it snows?" the Doctor asked, smirking as he reached into the Tardis flicking a switch on the wall, making the lamp on top of her turn yellow before a ball of energy shot from it and up into the sky and exploded like a firework. A light snow starting to fall in its wake.

"Brilliant!" Sophie murmured beaming a grin as she stared up at the light shower of snowflakes, her nose scrunching slightly as one landed on the tip of her nose, melting almost instantly.

Donna laughed with delight, looking around at the sudden snowfall before turning her gaze back to the Doctor, "I can't believe you did that!"

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," the Doctor replied with a casual shrug, leaning against the Tardis.

"Doesn't make it any less pretty," Sophie murmured.

"Merry Christmas," Donna smiled at them brightly.

"Merry Christmas," Sophie replied still grinning herself, snowflakes landing in their hair as the Doctor murmured.

"And you," the Time Lord eyed her, "So… what will you do with yourself now?"

Donna let out another laugh, "Not get married, for starters," she replied, "And I'm not going to temp anymore. I dunno…" she shrugged, "Travel… see a bit more of planet Earth… walk in the dust. Just… go out there and do something."

"Well…" the Doctor began glancing at Sophie and Donna watched a brow arching curiously as the two seemed to have a quick sort of silent conversation as they stared at each other, "You could always…" the Doctor continued as he turned his gaze back to her.

"What?" Donna prompted as he hesitated again.

"…Come with us?" he offered.

Donna smiled as she stared at the pair of them, "No."

"Ok," the Doctor muttered quickly as Sophie gave a small nod, her smiling dimming just a little, disappointed but accepting.

"I can't…" Donna said in an attempt to explain.

"No, that's fine," the Doctor brushed it off with attempted indifference, straightening up from his lean.

"It's ok," Sophie murmured softly, nodding again.

"No, but really," Donna tried again, eyeing the two of them, "Everything we did today. Do you live your life like that?"

"…Not all the time," the Doctor murmured, though not very convincingly.

"I think you do," Donna replied eyeing him, "And I couldn't."

"But you've seen it out there," the Doctor murmured smiling encouragingly at the ginger, "It's beautiful."

"And it's terrible," Donna rebutted, "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you were stood there like… I don't know… a stranger… if it weren't for Sophie…" she frowned trailing, "'cos you sure as hell weren't listening to me…" Donna shivered at the memory of that moment and the Doctor blinked at her she'd said something back there… he hadn't… Donna gave herself a shake, "And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death."

The Doctor shifted slightly a moment of silence passing as he glanced uncomfortably from Donna to Sophie, trying to catch her gaze, suddenly scared that she would be scared of him too, but she was busy staring at the snow at their feet. Her being scared of him was the last thing he wanted, "Well then," he muttered.

"Tell you what I will do, though," Donna exclaimed smiling invitingly at them Sophie raising her gaze at the sudden brightness to her tone, tired blue eyes curious, "Christmas dinner," the Doctor shifted uncomfortably and Sophie blinked at her before glancing away uncomfortably herself, "Oh, come on," she urged them.

"I don't do that sort of thing," the Doctor muttered.

"You did last year," Donna exclaimed, "You said so, you both did," she reminded them, "And you might as well," she wheedled, "Because mum always cooks enough for twenty."

The Doctor hesitated, brown eyes drifting over to Sophie again, blue eyes meeting his and a silent moment of understanding passed between them. He turned back to Donna with a low sigh, "Oh, alright then," he muttered seemingly giving in, "But you go first. Better warn them. And… don't say I'm a Martian," he warned the ginger, "Just gotta park her properly," he patted the Tardis, "She might drift off to the Middle Ages," he nudged open the Tardis door that had been left ajar, "We'll see you in a minute," he turned and held the door open for Sophie, the petite brunette glancing briefly at Donna again before disappearing inside. The Doctor followed her in, the Tardis door quietly clicking closed behind him.

A moment later the engines started and the Tardis began to wheeze, "Doctor! Sophie!" Donna shouted realising that they were leaving, "Doctor!" she shouted again louder and to her relief the engines stopped.

The Door opened and the Time Lord's head popped out followed by Sophie's, "Blimey, you can shout," he remarked.

"Good thing too," Sophie smiled at Donna, "Probably wouldn't have heard you otherwise."

"Am I ever gonna see you two again?"

The Doctor smiled, "If we're lucky."

Donna smiled back, "Just… promise me one thing," her smile faded her expression turning serious, "Find someone," she urged him.

The smile faded off the Doctor's face, "I've got Sophie, I don't need anyone else," he replied seriously and Sophie glanced at him in surprise.

"Yes, you do," Donna replied, "Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you," the Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but Donna continued before he could, "And I'm not sure Sophie will always be enough on her own to do so."

"Yeah…" the Doctor murmured quietly, reluctantly after a moment and there was a short pause, "Thanks then, Donna. Good luck."

Sophie nodded, "Have fun travelling."

The Doctor nodded, "And just… be magnificent."

Donna laughed, "I think I will, yeah," the Doctor and Sophie smiled retreating back into the Tardis, "Hey?"

The pair paused and popped their heads back out the door, "Oh, what is it now?" the Doctor asked with mock exasperation.

"That friend of yours… what was her name?" Donna asked.

"Oh…" Sophie murmured swallowing, "Rose…"

The Doctor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Her name was Rose," he murmured before they retreated into the Tardis once more, the door clicking quietly closed behind them again.

Donna watched with a sad smile as the engines started again and there was that strange wheeze again, before the blue box shot straight up into the sky, before vanishing. Slowly she turned and walked towards her home where her mum and dad were waiting.

*O*O*O*

"There we are," the Doctor murmured, breaking the silence between them as the Tardis entered the time vortex. He turned to Sophie who was leaning against the console, "So…" and Sophie shifted turning her gaze to him with a blink and he smiled at her, "I was thinking that I could give you a lesson in flying the Tardis," she blinked at him again, "A proper one I mean, not a chase through the London streets," another blink, "A nice easy lesson," he tempted and his smile widened into an encouraging grin, "Just flying her through the vortex."

"No," Sophie sighed.

The Doctor's face fell dramatically, smile disappearing as disappointment hit and concern that she wanted far away from him, that she now feared him rose again, though as he eyed her it wasn't fear that he could see on her face, in her eyes, "Oh…" he mumbled shifting awkwardly, tugging at his ear as he eyed her.

Sophie blinked at the change a little confused before she realised how that must have sounded and she hurriedly shook her head, "No, I don't mean 'no' no…" she grimaced as she fumbled over her words and took a steadying breath as she shuffled her feet a bit, "I just meant not now," she explained lowly, her shoulders slumping, "I'm exhausted," in more ways than one was she exhausted and the Doctor's face began to lighten as understanding took hold, "I feel like I haven't slept in days," she continued tiredly, had it been days since…? She couldn't recall at the moment… all she knew was that it really felt like it had been in this moment and everything was catching up to her again now that things had stopped once again, adrenaline leaking away leaving behind just a heavy tiredness both physical and emotional, "So, I'd really like a lesson. A proper lesson," she smiled a little, her blue eyes dull with exhaustion, "One without a street chase," she added lightly, "Just… later, if that's ok?"

"Yeah, course!" the Doctor agreed quickly nodding as he scratched at the back of his head as he smiled at her a little sheepishly, of course she was tired, "Go get some sleep Sparks. We can do a proper lesson later."

Sophie nodded her agreement nothing sounded better than sleep right now, a whole lot of sleep snuggled up under blankets. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, "I'll leave this here, if ya still wanna look at it," she murmured as she set the mobile down on the console for him.

"I'll look at it," the Doctor assured her.

Sophie nodded turning back to him to see that he was still staring at her with a touch of a crooked smile on his lips. She stifled a yawn as she lingered in the console room, a part of her not wanting to leave him on his own, despite her exhaustion, not when he'd seemed at least to her tired mind to want her company, she blinked and wavered a bit unsteadily on her feet as the yawn she stifled earlier overpowered her.

The Doctor crooked smile turned amused and affectionate and he shifted closer reaching out with the intention of steadying her, but found himself pulling her into a warm hug, nose buried in her hair, just completely glad that she was still with him after everything that had happened in such a short period of time, that he hadn't lost her too. Sophie blinked blearily as she hugged him back, a low tired sound escaping her as the familiar warmth of his arms surrounded her.

The Doctor sighed lowly, "You should go to bed," he murmured, not moving to release her, rather reluctant to do so.

Sophie nodded, "Yeah… I should," she agreed softly, "'Fore I end up using you as a pillow," she mumbled, slurring slightly.

The Doctor blinked and then smirked, "You wanna use me as a pillow?" he questioned with mild amusement.

Sophie groaned, cheeks flushing, was that what she'd just said… out loud? "I did not just say that," she muttered, brow scrunching, stupid tired brain mouth filter.

"I think you kinda did, Sparks," the Doctor teased lightly and Sophie's cheeks flushed a little redder as she pulled back reluctantly from the warm embrace.

"I should really…" she stifled another yawn, or tried to, "Bed," she finished.

"Yeah, you should," he agreed reluctantly.

"Goodnight, Doctor," Sophie murmured, before she turned and started slowly across the console room for the stairs.

"Goodnight, Sparks. Sleep well," the Time Lord murmured and sighed lowly as he watched her ascend the stairs, wishing that humans didn't need so much sleep to keep functioning, having wanted to spend some time with her now that they were alone again. Patience that he didn't have all that much of he was being honest with himself, wearing thin as really, he just wanted to be able to tell her now… he shook his head as she disappeared from view the sound of her steps fading, it'd have to wait a bit longer once again.

He sighed heavily and turned picking up Sophie's phone, his other hand slipping into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver as he sank down into the pilot's chair, the sonic whirring as he fiddled with the device, looking for a cause to the battery's sudden malfunction doing his best to concentrate and focus on it and not the thoughts in his head, the memories of the screams, the water rushing, the heat of the fire…

Or the sinking idea that was niggling at him in amidst the chaos of his thoughts now that he was alone again, that perhaps it would be harder to find a good moment to tell Sophie how he felt about her then he'd initially assumed. He sighed again struggling to concentrate on the small device he was fiddling with, not seeing the cause behind it's sudden malfunction, he fiddled a bit more, pulling more of the phone apart in his search as he forced himself to focus in on it, his other thoughts slowly drifting away, his brow furrowing…

'Ohh, hold on… ha!' he thought smirking as he spied some burnt out wiring, he'd known that it couldn't be the battery! 'Gotcha!' the sonic continued to whir softly as he set about removing the shot wiring, getting up as he did so and making his way towards the room he generally tinkered in, needing a replacement wire, hmm and maybe seeing about improving the functioning of the phone a bit more, make it faster… oh and that little bit there, that was more of a hinderance to the phones capabilities, he could totally get rid of it and replace it with something that'd do the job far better…

Whilst in her room, Sophie got into her jim-jams and clambered tiredly into her bed, pulling the covers up around her snugly, sleep claiming her soon after.

*O*O*O*

Sophie sat up a bit sharply, her eyes wide as she glanced about her bedroom the Tardis flicking them on for her. She swallowed her eyes downcast as her hands fisted in her bedsheets, the echoing strange sound of what she could only describe as some kind of drums lingering in her ears, the sound having plagued her dream. Along with the strange image of what she could only describe as a kind of rhino in a sort of black spacesuit armour thing…

She sighed falling back against her bed, her dreams were back after such a long silence, absence, they were back… her jaw clenched where the hell had they been when Rose was taken from them, they could have at least made themselves useful for once, told her something that could have let her prevent them from losing her… she sighed heavily, her mind lingering on the sound she'd heard the beating of a drum from the sound of it, the rhythm she was pretty positive it was drum… and what was it that Gwyneth had said all so long ago… something about drums… she was sure she'd said something about drums and a key… hold the key or something.

"So much for sleep…" she muttered unhappily, brushing some of her dishevelled locks out of her face as she frowned up at the ceiling.

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone again for all your support and I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter for this particular book. And I'm excited have reached series three and Martha and consequently Book Three of the Lost Girl Chronicles.

I unfortunately can't say for sure when I'll have Book Three started and be able to start posting, but it'll be called: Like Pieces of a Puzzle.

Thanks again everyone!

Frosty600.