LOG: Grab me, hit me, shoot me, stab me, just... don't *hug*
WHO: Donna and Luke
WHAT: A visit with a boy fresh outta hell goes a little less smoothly than Donna may have liked.
WHEN: Today
WHERE: 13 Bannerman Road
WHY: Donna wants to look in on her little Luke lad.
Donna knocked quietly on Luke's door after having been dropped off, and after chatting with Sarah Jane for a bit. "Luke?"
There was the grunt of a much younger voice before the door was pulled open and Luke peeked out at her from younger eyes.
Donna smiled gently at him, producing a cupcake for him. "I made you a treat?"
He glanced down at it, then back up at her, still only an eye from a crack in the doorway. "It looks like a breast."
Donna raised an eyebrow. "You've been hanging out with Crowley and Owen too much," she teased, handing it to him.
Luke seemed to think about it a moment before he stepped back, opening the door enough she could enter the dim room.
Donna entered the room, closing the door behind her as she tentatively wrapped him in a half-embrace. "Eat up while it's still warm."
He shrunk slightly from the affection, but did as he was told - motioning her to sit if she wanted.
Donna sat, glancing at him worriedly. "How are your friends?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to tread on any dangerous territory.
"Clyde and Maria? doing well," he said, sitting across her.
"That's good," Donna smiled, nodding. "Done anything fun with them yet?"
He shook his head. "Catching up on schoolwork."
"Oh really? What sort of schoolwork?" Donna asked curiously.
He shrugged.
Donna sighed. "Do you want any help?"
"I'm fine."
"Okay," Donna murmured, thinking it was like trying to pull teeth. "I brought you a book?"
"On what?"
"It's a book of adventure stories...nothing school-like," she chuckled, taking it out of her pocket and handing it to him. "Just to remember traveling."
Luke was thankful for the image inducer that hid everything, from his age, to his sunglasses, and his eyes shifting behind them. Warily, he took the book offered. "...What for?"
Donna shrugged. "For reading? To take your mind off of things?"
Luke eyed the book and set it down. "What do you want?" he asked warily.
Donna blinked. "I don't want anything, pet. It's just a gift."
"What for?" he repeated distrustfully.
"For you," Donna sighed, shaking her head. "I don't want anything from you, love. I just want to help, if I can."
"You must want something in return."
Donna shook her head. "Doesn't always work that way."
Luke scowled.
Donna frowned. "It doesn't, pet. That's what being human's about."
"Being human's all about putting off the inevatible."
Donna raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain that one?"
"Trying to make your existence matter, when it really doesn't, before you die. Because the minute you're born, or activated, you are dying, until it finishes the job and there you are. Dead."
Donna frowned again. "It's less trying to make it matter, and more trying to make the best of wot we've got," she shrugged. "Least, I think so. Not exactly an expert on humanness," she chuckled.
"Just a bag of meat and bones," he told her - which was frightening as it looked as though it came from a child's mouth.
Donna hugged him gently. "With a little soul inside," she said quietly. "And that's the important part."
He pulled away as if stung, "Don't touch me."
"I'm sorry," Donna apologized, withdrawing immediately. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Luke rubbed at his arms, shrinking away a little. "Grab me, hit me, shoot me, stab me, just..." he shuddered, "don't hug."
Donna closed her eyes. "Oh Luke," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"What for? You didn't do anything." He continued rubbing off the light sensation that was almost too much for him.
"No...I'm sorry for what happened to you," she replied softly. "And that I couldn't stop it."
"Not your fault. You didn't make Angelus. You didn't send him to us, and you didn't make the decision that saved Rose and killed me. It was my decision, mine - and I saved her, she's okay - that's what matters. I saved her, she's okay, that's what matters, I saved her, she's okay, that's what matters, I saved her..." he took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly as one of the framed pictures fell off his wall and shattered as it hit the floor.
Donna resisted the urge to cry. "You did save her, love. You were so brave...still are," she murmured. "I should let you rest..."
Luke got up and picked the picture out of the broken frame, the glass and wood flying across the room into the waste bin. He set the picture on the desk and reached out, turning on the radio as high as he could before he looked up at Donna. "They never stop screaming," he said fiercely. "No matter how loud it is in here, how quiet, I can still hear them scream. WHY WON'T THEY SHUT UP?!"
Donna closed her eyes, sifting through the Doctor's memories for something, anything that could help. And then she remembered how he quieted the Master's drums. "Luke?" she replied softly. "I think I can help, if you'll let me."
"I don't trust you," he said, watching her carefully.
"I know," she said sadly, nodding. "And I don't expect you to. But if you'll let me in, just a little bit, I can quiet the noise. I won't see anything you don't want me to."
He hesitated for so long she must have thought he was going to tell her no, but finally he stepped forward, still watching her. "Just a little bit?" he asked.
"Just a little bit," she confirmed, smiling gently. "If you decide you don't like me in even a little bit, you can shove me out."
He frowned and went over to his door, locking it against Sarah Jane, before pressing a button on his watch to show his real self, hidden behind dark sunglasses. He moved over and sat down, rough hands gripping his knees, as though he were steeling himself. "Do it, then."
Donna didn't blink at the transformation, though her eyes were saddened as she pressed her fingertips lightly against his head. She edged in a little bit, careful to only muffle up the noise, and not change or see anything else.
He flinched against the light touch, forcing himself to stay put, his jaw clenched tightly as, slowly, the clamour was muffled just a bit.
Donna soothingly continued her work, softening things up as much as she could before removing her fingers, and her presence from his mind. "Better?" she asked, watching him.
"Yeah, thanks," he said, flicking the button again, hiding behind his younger, more innocent looking self - though the blue eyes the image projected were still wary. "Don't worry," he said, his voice younger again as well, "I'll pay you back."
"You don't have to," she sighed quietly. "In fact the only way you could is to focus on healing yourself, Luke. And don't give up hope that things will get better, because they will, whether you believe it or not right now."
"We'll look."
Donna chuckled, not bothering to correct him. "Take care of yourself, pet. And have a little fun, hm? Play with your friends."
"I suppose I can make the attempt to do so."
Donna smiled. "That's enough for me. And now I'll let you rest, you need it. I'll drop by again sometime later, if you like?"
"Do what you want," he shrugged one shoulder, the door unlocking itself.
"Alright," Donna replied, giving him one last concerned glance before showing herself out. She said her goodbyes to Sarah Jane before walking out and entering the TARDIS, leaning back against the door and taking a deep, calming breath after she closed it.
WHAT: A visit with a boy fresh outta hell goes a little less smoothly than Donna may have liked.
WHEN: Today
WHERE: 13 Bannerman Road
WHY: Donna wants to look in on her little Luke lad.
Donna knocked quietly on Luke's door after having been dropped off, and after chatting with Sarah Jane for a bit. "Luke?"
There was the grunt of a much younger voice before the door was pulled open and Luke peeked out at her from younger eyes.
Donna smiled gently at him, producing a cupcake for him. "I made you a treat?"
He glanced down at it, then back up at her, still only an eye from a crack in the doorway. "It looks like a breast."
Donna raised an eyebrow. "You've been hanging out with Crowley and Owen too much," she teased, handing it to him.
Luke seemed to think about it a moment before he stepped back, opening the door enough she could enter the dim room.
Donna entered the room, closing the door behind her as she tentatively wrapped him in a half-embrace. "Eat up while it's still warm."
He shrunk slightly from the affection, but did as he was told - motioning her to sit if she wanted.
Donna sat, glancing at him worriedly. "How are your friends?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to tread on any dangerous territory.
"Clyde and Maria? doing well," he said, sitting across her.
"That's good," Donna smiled, nodding. "Done anything fun with them yet?"
He shook his head. "Catching up on schoolwork."
"Oh really? What sort of schoolwork?" Donna asked curiously.
He shrugged.
Donna sighed. "Do you want any help?"
"I'm fine."
"Okay," Donna murmured, thinking it was like trying to pull teeth. "I brought you a book?"
"On what?"
"It's a book of adventure stories...nothing school-like," she chuckled, taking it out of her pocket and handing it to him. "Just to remember traveling."
Luke was thankful for the image inducer that hid everything, from his age, to his sunglasses, and his eyes shifting behind them. Warily, he took the book offered. "...What for?"
Donna shrugged. "For reading? To take your mind off of things?"
Luke eyed the book and set it down. "What do you want?" he asked warily.
Donna blinked. "I don't want anything, pet. It's just a gift."
"What for?" he repeated distrustfully.
"For you," Donna sighed, shaking her head. "I don't want anything from you, love. I just want to help, if I can."
"You must want something in return."
Donna shook her head. "Doesn't always work that way."
Luke scowled.
Donna frowned. "It doesn't, pet. That's what being human's about."
"Being human's all about putting off the inevatible."
Donna raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain that one?"
"Trying to make your existence matter, when it really doesn't, before you die. Because the minute you're born, or activated, you are dying, until it finishes the job and there you are. Dead."
Donna frowned again. "It's less trying to make it matter, and more trying to make the best of wot we've got," she shrugged. "Least, I think so. Not exactly an expert on humanness," she chuckled.
"Just a bag of meat and bones," he told her - which was frightening as it looked as though it came from a child's mouth.
Donna hugged him gently. "With a little soul inside," she said quietly. "And that's the important part."
He pulled away as if stung, "Don't touch me."
"I'm sorry," Donna apologized, withdrawing immediately. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Luke rubbed at his arms, shrinking away a little. "Grab me, hit me, shoot me, stab me, just..." he shuddered, "don't hug."
Donna closed her eyes. "Oh Luke," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"What for? You didn't do anything." He continued rubbing off the light sensation that was almost too much for him.
"No...I'm sorry for what happened to you," she replied softly. "And that I couldn't stop it."
"Not your fault. You didn't make Angelus. You didn't send him to us, and you didn't make the decision that saved Rose and killed me. It was my decision, mine - and I saved her, she's okay - that's what matters. I saved her, she's okay, that's what matters, I saved her, she's okay, that's what matters, I saved her..." he took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly as one of the framed pictures fell off his wall and shattered as it hit the floor.
Donna resisted the urge to cry. "You did save her, love. You were so brave...still are," she murmured. "I should let you rest..."
Luke got up and picked the picture out of the broken frame, the glass and wood flying across the room into the waste bin. He set the picture on the desk and reached out, turning on the radio as high as he could before he looked up at Donna. "They never stop screaming," he said fiercely. "No matter how loud it is in here, how quiet, I can still hear them scream. WHY WON'T THEY SHUT UP?!"
Donna closed her eyes, sifting through the Doctor's memories for something, anything that could help. And then she remembered how he quieted the Master's drums. "Luke?" she replied softly. "I think I can help, if you'll let me."
"I don't trust you," he said, watching her carefully.
"I know," she said sadly, nodding. "And I don't expect you to. But if you'll let me in, just a little bit, I can quiet the noise. I won't see anything you don't want me to."
He hesitated for so long she must have thought he was going to tell her no, but finally he stepped forward, still watching her. "Just a little bit?" he asked.
"Just a little bit," she confirmed, smiling gently. "If you decide you don't like me in even a little bit, you can shove me out."
He frowned and went over to his door, locking it against Sarah Jane, before pressing a button on his watch to show his real self, hidden behind dark sunglasses. He moved over and sat down, rough hands gripping his knees, as though he were steeling himself. "Do it, then."
Donna didn't blink at the transformation, though her eyes were saddened as she pressed her fingertips lightly against his head. She edged in a little bit, careful to only muffle up the noise, and not change or see anything else.
He flinched against the light touch, forcing himself to stay put, his jaw clenched tightly as, slowly, the clamour was muffled just a bit.
Donna soothingly continued her work, softening things up as much as she could before removing her fingers, and her presence from his mind. "Better?" she asked, watching him.
"Yeah, thanks," he said, flicking the button again, hiding behind his younger, more innocent looking self - though the blue eyes the image projected were still wary. "Don't worry," he said, his voice younger again as well, "I'll pay you back."
"You don't have to," she sighed quietly. "In fact the only way you could is to focus on healing yourself, Luke. And don't give up hope that things will get better, because they will, whether you believe it or not right now."
"We'll look."
Donna chuckled, not bothering to correct him. "Take care of yourself, pet. And have a little fun, hm? Play with your friends."
"I suppose I can make the attempt to do so."
Donna smiled. "That's enough for me. And now I'll let you rest, you need it. I'll drop by again sometime later, if you like?"
"Do what you want," he shrugged one shoulder, the door unlocking itself.
"Alright," Donna replied, giving him one last concerned glance before showing herself out. She said her goodbyes to Sarah Jane before walking out and entering the TARDIS, leaning back against the door and taking a deep, calming breath after she closed it.