[On the Run Verse] It All Began

[captoftardis]

It started out subtle. So subtle, the Doctor didn't even notice what was happening until he suddenly found himself running faster and farther than before. But this time, his warning wasn't from Rose with Bad Wolf written everywhere, but a message picked up by the TARDIS from what appeared to be from Sarah Jane Smith.

Run, Doctor. They're after you

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[captoftardis]

"Oh no, it's fine! I..." There was that wave of paranoia again. Someone was definitely watching. "...would like to show you the office."

He stood up quickly, rambling about how the office really didn't look like much, but promised it was quite adequate. When they went up a couple flights of stairs, he continued on about a story of traveling to exotic locations until they paused at a locked door.

He hesitated for moment as he dug in his inner jacket pocket - really, he had no exact idea of when her memories would start flooding back. Would they start when she'd see the TARDIS behind the door or even earlier when he was about to pull out his sonic screwdriver? Or would it occur when whatever was following them caught up and he would be forced to run once again?

"Donna..." He pulled his empty hand out of his pocket and spun around to face her, "We've actually met before. I mean, before that one day you saw me at your house, before your accident. In fact, we've actually traveled together." The Doctor paused and licked his lips for a moment, "I know this sounds bizarre, but what do you remember before the accident?"

[noblexcompanion]

Donna walked with him, listening to his rambling and nodding when appropriate. She'd worked in all kinds of offices from tiny cupboards to luxurious open spaces with glass walls and all the modern technologies. Didn't really matter much as long as she could get on with her work. She couldn't help but feel secretly excited by the thought of travelling.

She backed away slightly at his words, not wanting to listen anymore. "Stop it!" She'd spent countless hours seeing different doctors and psychologists and God knows what other 'professionals' about her recurring dreams of travelling with the 'man in the suit'. She'd spent so long convincing herself that the man wasn't real and that she only saw John's face because he was the first person she saw after all the nonsense.

She wanted to run. She wanted to run and hide from it all. "I'm a temp, from Chiswick. That's what I do, that's what I am." She brought her hand up to her head, pressing on her temples as the pain began to build up.

[captoftardis]

And it was starting. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver, wiggled his eyebrows with enthusiasm at her, and unlocked the door revealing the big blue box they knew so well.

"You're not going crazy, Donna. We traveled in th'TARDIS." He nodded towards the police box. "Do you remember now?"

Slipping a hand around her back, since she was looking as if she'd pass out, he lead towards it and unlocked the door quickly.

"I need you to come with me again, Donna."

[noblexcompanion]

"Stop! It!" The memories rushed back like a tidal wave, or a river breaking it's dam. It hurt. Oh, it hurt so much. The visions from her dreams were suddenly bolder, brighter and louder. She tried to break away from his hold. "Make it stop!!" Tears filled her eyes as the pain got worse. She was torn between running, curling up in a ball and throwing up.

She began to burn up just as the Doctor had warned Sylvia and Wilf she would. Her mind was overloading with information it couldn't handle. Her skin was hot to the touch.

[captoftardis]

He had done some research, but honestly wasn't sure if this would work or not but was going to try it anyway. Pulling down the Chameleon Arch from above, he managed to maneuver Donna underneath.

"It'll stop... The pain will go away... but not until I try this. It'll hurt just for a little bit longer then it'll all be over." He refrained from saying 'I promise' because honestly, this idea was crazy and he might lose Donna forever, but he didn't know any other choice.

[noblexcompanion]

Donna was scared, no, Donna was petrified. Petrified and in pain. And dangling strange alien contraptions above her? Really not helping the fear. She wanted her grandad. She wanted the pain to stop. It felt as though her head would explode - which, of course was a possibility.

"It hurts. It hurts so much..." She clutched her head harder, trying to ebb the pain away with little success.

[captoftardis]

He vaguely remembered how much this hurt when he went through it himself, but watching her scream and clutch her head was definitely one of the most difficult things he was forced to watch. How was Martha able to just stand back and watch?

The Doctor reached out, placing his hand on her temples and assisted the TARDIS's controls... searching through the Time Lord data stored in her, shifting things around, removing the fail safe, trying to ease the pain.

And before he knew it, he opened his eyes and again and they were both collapsed on the floor. "Donna...?" He was groggy and then quickly sat up to his knees. "Donna!? Donna, are you all right?" He seriously hoped this had worked.

[noblexcompanion]

It was hardly a walk in the park, having alien machinery rewrite parts of her. Stupid alien with his stupid alien techonology. Just wait until she has the energy to slap him. It was the single most painful experience of her life. Nothing else even came close.

It was a long while before Donna regained consciousness. She was vaguely aware of the Doctor calling her name but she didn't have the strength or energy to answer him. Eventually her eyes blink open, looking up at him unfocused and blurry; wet with unshed tears.

[captoftardis]

"Hey... Hi." He smoothed her hair, trying to be comforting. "I'm so sorry I had to do that."

He wiped away a stray tear that escaped out the corner of her eye. "I need you, Donna. I need my best mate..." The Doctor still wasn't sure if he and the TARDIS were successful in what just happened, but figured if she wasn't running away from him, he was slightly successful.

[noblexcompanion]

She rolled her head to the side, letting out a groan. "Ugh... I feel like I've been hit by a lorry." And she'd bitten her tongue and had a bloodied mouth. Lovely. She attempted to sit up - bad mistake - the room seemed to spin, so she laid back down, flopping an arm across her eyes.

"What just happened?"

[captoftardis]

He sat back, palms behind him supporting his weight. "Before I met you, I had to go in hiding once." He nodded to the headphone-like structure above them. "That's the Chameleon Arch, it rewrites Time Lord cellular structure and hides the Time Lord part of you in a symbolic item. For me it was a watch, for you..." He looked around and picked up an intricately carved locket that had slide away from them. "Yes, this is it... I think?" He looked at it nonchalantly, convinced it was just a necklace and nothing particularly special and handed it to her. "An heirloom of yours?"

The Doctor briefly forgot what any possible significance the necklace had until it left his hand into hers - "You won't won't ever feel compelled to open the locket, and don't. Just don't open it anyway."

[noblexcompanion]

"It was my Nan's. I wore it for luck, y'know, interview and all..." She had no desire to open it. There was no need. She already knew there was nothing in it no pictures, no locks of hair, nothing. She turned it over in her hands a few times, before handing it back to the Doctor. And then she was intrigued by it. "So that locket? It contains Time Lord essence? It has the Time Lord part of me in it? So basically, that locket, is part of you?"

That wasn't really something she wanted to gamble with. "What if I lose it? Can't we leave it here, on the TARDIS?" Because leaving Time Lord essence on a time and space ship was always a good idea. Not.

[captoftardis]

"Well, I guess.... yes?" He stared at the locket, again briefly baffled at what the fuss is about. It was just a locket. He placed it on the console.

And again, as soon as it left his hands, he remembered. "There really is no safe place anymore except the TARDIS... at least at this moment." He glanced back to her, feeling guilty about her bright red lips from what appeared to be from blood.

The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but then felt the ship violently shake around them. Bouncing back to his feet, he hurriedly pressed buttons and pulled levers. "I've stayed too long!" The whirling started up as the TARDIS began to move.

"Donna, you have 10 minutes to gather whatever you need at home, no more and possibly less. I'll explain everything to you soon, just trust me."

[noblexcompanion]

Well, his words were just filling her with a sense of confidence and security... If by confidence and security she actually meant fear and worry. Trust him? He'd just kidnapped her and attached her to a very painful machine with hardly any warning. He wasn't exactly filling her with confidence or trust right now...

She pushed herself to her feet and joined him at the console. She was still feeling a little disorientated and out of sorts and all she really wanted to do was crawl into a nice warm bed and stay there for a month.

"You'll explain now, Sunshine. What the bleedin' hell is going on?!"

[captoftardis]

Now wasn't the best time. He wanted to explain everything when he could get them out in space, at least there he was far harder to detect and follow and gave him time to think.

"I'm on the run." He was always on the run so this reply wasn't very adequate for her. "I'm being followed... been followed for months now. I don't know exactly by who or why, but they're growing more persistent. I needed help."

He glanced over to her with the faintest smile as the TARDIS whirled as they landed. "Ten minutes."

[noblexcompanion]

She arched a brow. "When the going gets tough, the Time Boy comes running back to Donna, eh?"

Once the TARDIS came to a halt, she frowned at the door. Ten minutes to get what she needed and get back? What was this? Evacuation, TARDIS style? She headed inside, luckily Sylvia was out. Donna was glad, she had no idea how she'd explain being kidnapped by the skinny git after everything. So, she spent at least five of her ten minutes writing a letter.

She went to her room, raided her wardrobe and drawers, and then raided the bathroom before returning to the TARDIS nine minutes and fifty nine seconds after leaving.