Ginger Goddess 2: Eager Groom, Unaware Bride (5/8)
Title: Ginger Goddess
Series: none - first part belonged to “There's The Door!”
Rating: T
Author: tkel_paris
Summary: Ten has been patiently preparing himself to meet his bride and impress her. Naturally, their first proper meeting doesn't go well. After all, she's intending to marry another.
Disclaimer: RTD clearly missed on some of the subtext created by the dynamic of Tate and Tennant.
Dedication: bas_math_girl, for Christmas. Started this back in May for you, after writing the first part Story-a-Day challenge. Love ya, Online-Mummy! (blows a kiss) Also to tardis_mole and cassikat for extremely helpful beta advice. :D
Author's Note: This started as a one-shot, but quickly grew into a story and a sequel. :D
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4
CHAPTER FIVE: ANSWERS AND BETRAYAL
The Doctor was relieved to be out of that hairdryer of a car and inside the secretary area. Lance following was an annoyance, but he did want answers from the man. Trouble was, he had possible answers for why Donna appeared in his ship, and was on the hunt for how it could have happened. He rushed straight to a computer. “This might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was built up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute,” he explained as he powered up the machine.
And that detail worried him. When he was battling wits with the London branch, he'd broken into their records to learn their history. Turned out that the Cardiff branch was under interesting management: Jack Harkness. He'd found his way to Earth, spent decades molding his group into people who didn't consider the Doctor an enemy, and was trying to ensure the other branches followed suit. Not very successfully, given the existence of H C Clements. And the Doctor knew he still had to greet Jack and give a big apology for what Rose did to him.
“Who are they?” Donna demanded, standing across the desk from him.
He lifted his eyes. Okay, what could he talk about that she might know about? When he was scanning the timelines to tell if and when he could leave Rose behind, his vision of the possible future included the skies over London full of Daleks, and Cybermen invading from a parallel world. He was grateful it didn't happen. But... that didn't help him here. So he went with their earlier talk. “They fired on that rock in the sky, killing all the people aboard. Including children and civilians.”
Donna sighed, ignoring Lance's baffled look. Innocent deaths. Ooh, that was sad. But she didn't remember the rock. “Hangover, remember?”
He sighed heavily, saddened for her. “That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it.” He suspected that might change a bit - but even if it didn't she surely had other talents that would help him. He rushed to another computer, hoping it would be the one he needed. “Torchwood London collapsed about seven months ago, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over the operation,” he mused, whacking the monitor when its machine proved to lack the information and connection he wanted.
“But what do they want with me?” Donna demanded, moving to stand right next to him. He'd been pretty good about respecting her need for answers - although it sometimes felt like pulling teeth to get anything concrete out of him.
He straightened, giving her his full attention. Not that that was a problem. “Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy,” he explained gently. “And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened.”
She looked blankly at him. You're talking bullocks, she thought.
He glanced around for tools to help make this clearer. “Say...” he began, grabbing a coffee mug off the desk, “that's the TARDIS.” He showed her the mug. “And that's you,” he continued, picking up a pencil. “The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and WHAP!” He tossed the pencil into the mug. “You were pulled inside the TARDIS.” He looked at her expectantly.
The analogy reminded her too much of things many had said about her over the years. “I'm a pencil inside a mug?” she asked weakly, defensively.
His face fell. Oh, dear. What had he accidentally implied? That she was stupid? Oh, no, he couldn't let her think that! “Donna, I was just trying to explain how this happened. It says nothing about what kind of a person you are. Okay? It's just a way of explaining how you got into the TARDIS.”
Donna felt her irritation and unhappiness melt in the face of his earnest expression and words. “Okay. But how did they get in me?”
He put down the no-longer empty mug. “Well, that's one question. The others are where did they come from, who made them, and what do they want with you. Lance?” He moved to another computer, as he commanded answers from the suspicious-acting fiancée. “What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?”
Lance was defensive in posture and tone. “I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager.”
Naturally, this idiot knows nothing. Suppressing a groan over having to deal with yet another idiot, the Doctor held his sonic to the screen. Instantly it displayed the page he wanted.
“Why am I even explaining myself??” demanded Lance, all but flapping his arms. “What the hell are we talking about?”
“You make keys, that's the point,” the Doctor commented absently. He looked at the 3D plan of the building. Remembering a detail from moments before. “And look at this...” he added, gesturing at the screen, “...we're on the third floor.”
Donna looked at him. “So?”
He motioned them to follow him. At the slightest hint of talking from Lance, he gestured for silence. Donna didn't ask. She was not inclined to interrupt his concentration.
The Doctor waited patiently as the lift they used earlier came back down to their floor. “Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?” The doors pinged open and the Doctor went inside and looked at the controls, finding exactly what he expected to. “Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?” he asked them, not really expecting an answer.
Donna's mouth was slack. What kind of a place was she working for?!
Lance's eyes were wide. “Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?”
Something in the wide eyes looked off to the Doctor. “No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor.” Can you handle the proof, he thought at the man, or do you know something about it?
“It needs a key,” Donna remarked.
“I don't.” The Doctor grinned as he sonicked the lock. He looked back up. “Right then. Well, I can handle this myself. I suppose I'll see you later, Donna, unless...?” He trailed off, hoping he could tempt her into coming along. She did seem to want answers, and why not give her a taste of figuring things out.
Donna glared at him. “No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight.” She joined him in the lift as she spoke.
The Doctor's smile increased. Yes! “Going down,” he announced, releasing the door open button.
But Donna pushed it as his hand fell away. “Lance?” she asked pointedly.
No, the Doctor thought, not him. But, as much as he wanted Lance to go away, he did need to know how to best send him off. So he didn't challenge Donna.
Lance hesitated, although he didn't like the idea of her going out of his sight. “Maybe I should go to the police.”
“Inside,” Donna demanded.
The Doctor felt a shiver over the tone. He might not mind her bossing him around, he decided. He was amused when Lance meekly joined them in the lift. Hiding his own reaction, he smirked. “To honour and obey?” he asked, tone suggesting the human was hardly ready for either.
Lance pretended he thought the tone was in sympathy. “Tell me about it, mate.”
“Oi!” Donna snapped as the doors closed. She wasn't liking how the Doctor clearly didn't like Lance, but he was proving to be more of a man than her fiancée. It gave her more to think about that she wasn't keen on exploring at the moment.
As the lift descended, its interior was silent. The Doctor forced his attention on studying Lance's body language and what he could sense telepathically. There was a nervousness that spoke of hiding something, of telling a series of lies and being good at concealing the truth. What the man wanted with Donna when he didn't seem in love with her was a mystery. And knowing his own past with trouble, the Doctor had a sinking feeling that the answer would deeply hurt Donna. He hoped it wouldn't stick with her for too long. Still, he would be there to pick up the pieces.
The silence was starting to get to Donna when the lift pinged. It opened to show a long, dark, dank corridor, dimly lit with an eerie green light. She led the three out. “Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?”
The Doctor shrugged, curiosity engaged as he took the lead. “Let's find out.” Although the green light reminded him of how his Control Room used to look. He'd associated it with the loneliness he felt, and that it hadn't gone away while Rose was there should've been a clue that the Old Girl wasn't sure about her from the start.
She looked right at him, trying to catch his eye. “Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?”
“The mysterious H C Clements?” the Doctor asked as he scanned their surroundings. “I think he's part of it.” He stopped when he saw something useful. “Oh, look - transport.”
Donna looked at what he found, and groaned.
The Doctor hadn't expected Donna to protest riding on the sonic-boosted electric Segways, but Lance had not been enthusiastic. When he described that he thought the distance involved might be a lot and - since he'd noticed Donna's shoes weren't meant for running or distance walking - he said it was for her sake, Donna had agreed then, forcing Lance to join then in trundling down the corridor.
Donna looked at the Doctor after a while of going down the tunnel. She'd been contemplating how silly they must look, and he certainly looked comical on his. A laugh escaped her.
The Doctor looked over at the welcome sound of her laughter, which he'd managed to trigger a few times on the taxi ride to the reception. He couldn't help but join in, although his eyes tried to ask what was funny.
She shook her head, laughing harder as she gestured with her eyes at their transport.
He could get the silliness of it, and his laughter matched hers.
Lance stared at them both. Was the Doctor one of those rich types who used to be the only ones who had access to Segways until the police and security companies started using them? He could see why the police and such would want them, but what was the point for anyone else to have them? He only knew of posh snobs buying them. So why was Donna so entertained? Her family was decently well-off, but not rich by any means. And, the biggest question of all, why did the Doctor seem so protective toward Donna?
The Doctor vaguely noticed Lance's confusion, which bordered on disbelief. Hah! Let him wonder! Let him be left in their dust!
But his musings were interrupted when he noticed a door with writing on it: 'Torchwood - authorised personnel only'. He quickly abandoned his Segway. Donna and Lance followed suit as turned the wheel to open the door. He found a ladder. He peered upwards, wondering how far up it went. “Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't...” He stopped and met their eyes, pointing sternly - mostly at Lance. “... do anything.” He put a foot on the ladder.
“You'd better come back,” Donna blurted. She really didn't like the idea of being left alone down here. She loved Lance and all, but he had proved a bit of a wimp in a crisis.
The Doctor grinned at her. “I couldn't get rid of you if I tried,” he teased, tone saying he couldn't imagine wanting to.
Donna couldn't help smiling back. His grin was infectious, engaging, and rather nice to look at. It also highlighted his eyes, which were also very nice. She watched him climb the ladder, and craned her head to get a better look.
Lance was restless. They were too close. Or... was this the right thing even if not part of the plan? “Donna... have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?!” He wasn't sure what he wanted her answer to be.
Donna wasn't truly listening, thinking he was panicking too much. She looked back at him. “Oh, I thought July.” It would take a while to set another date, after all, and then the warmth would be more fitting. She smiled brightly and turned her attention back to looking for the Doctor's return.
Well, Lance thought, I suppose that will do.
The Doctor reached the top of the ladder, finding the underside of a manhole. He turned the wheel and opened to find it was still broad daylight. Climbing up and out, his eyes took in his surroundings. Birdcalls, a bit of a breeze, boats, and lots of water. He knew exactly where they were. Now what did this location mean for Torchwood?
He was still contemplating that as he climbed back down. He jumped off the last rung and announced, “Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us. Torchwood sneaked in and built this place underneath.” He had to give them some credit. Although this wasn't the first time he'd seen this, and he doubted it would be the last.
Donna blinked hard. “What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark??” she squawked.
He shook his head slightly. “I know! I know, love,” he absently added, touching her shoulder to reassure her.
Neither he nor Donna noticed that Lance failed to even bristle over the last word.
Wait, Donna thought, what had he just said? Then she stopped and remembered. Right, love and missus were terms used rather loosely. It meant nothing. But they didn't usually say it with such tenderness and follow it with a reassuring rub. So where did he know her from? Had he been a colleague who fancied her from afar, one she hadn't noticed? Still, she thought as she followed him anyway, why did the most gentlemanly and appealing man she'd ever met have to be from another planet?!
The Doctor led them to another door, opening it to reveal a well-lit laboratory. It was full of massive test tubes bubbling away and some unusual chemistry equipment. Even to the Doctor's eyes. “Oh, look at this! Stunning! Particle extrusion!”
Donna looked around. “What does it do?” she demanded.
Oh, he'd have to teach her about this later. “Particle extrusion. Hold on...” He rushed over to one of the bubbling tubes and tapped it. “Brilliant.” He leaned to examine it. “They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Of course my people got rid of Huons, they unraveled the atomic structure,” he added as he moved around.
That brought Donna up short.
“Your people?” Lance fixed on that phrase. “Who are they? What company do you represent?”
He shrugged slightly. “Oh, I'm a freelancer.” Only Donna would learn the truth. “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 picked up a small test tube, knowing it was full of those particles.
Donna wanted to shake. “And that's what's inside me?” she asked softly.
Only one way to confirm it. The Doctor gently turned a knob at the top of the test tube, making the contents glow gold. Suddenly Donna glowed with it.
She gasped. “Oh, my God!”
He stopped it quickly, shaking his head. It was a bit of marvel, but he couldn't respect them using her in whatever their plan was. “Genius,” he grimly acknowledged. Then frowned. “Because the particles are inert - they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you.” He looked up at her, hoping to figure out the answer with the help of gazing at her face. “Saturate the body and then... “ It hit him. “Ha!”
Donna nearly jumped out of her skin. Bugger, he could make noise!
“The wedding!” His mad enthusiasm wasn't for the wedding - it was for figuring out the mechanism for making the particles activate, allowing her to appear in the TARDIS. He loved when he figured something out! “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! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins! Oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!”
She couldn't take it. She slapped him, grimly satisfied when it sent him stumbling backward quite a distance. Much less centered from all that hopping around.
The Doctor stared in shock. That one hurt more! “What did I do this time?!” he squawked indignantly.
“Are you enjoying this?!” Donna snapped at him.
The Doctor slouched, deeply ashamed of himself. Oh, he overdid it. Again. And to the one person he really shouldn't have overdone it to or in front of.
He looked so contrite that Donna forgave him. He did seem to be easily excitable about alien stuff. She walked towards him, breathing heavily as she tried to restrain her distress. “Right, just tell me - these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?”
Yes! He wanted to tell her that, but he knew that he wouldn't be convincing. She'd see right through him. She'd caught him in a few lies already. He swallowed, trying to find an answer that wasn't an untruth.
Okay, he looked awfully nervous. That put her on edge. “Doctor... if your lot got rid of Huon particles... why did they do that?”
He gulped. “Because they were deadly,” he whispered.
Neither of them noticed Lance hardly reacted to that revelation.
Donna felt her insides turn to ice. “Oh, my God...”
He gently grabbed her shoulders, protectively. “I'll sort it out, Donna,” he insisted, looking deeply into her eyes. “I promise. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose you.”
She blinked, confused by how fond of her he seemed and a bit overwhelmed by his words - let alone his expression. But then crashes and bangs seemed to erupt all around them, distracting her from retorting instinctively.
The Doctor's head snapped up as a woman's voice blasted from nowhere and everywhere. “Oh, she is long since lost.” Her voice was harsh, with a sibilance that sounded like she was speaking through lots of teeth.
The wall behind the Doctor started sliding upwards, slowly revealing another chamber. The detail that immediately captured the Doctor's attention was the enormous round hole in the floor.
“I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe...” the voice continued, gloating.
Lance watched with wide eyes. He had to get out of the line of fire, and hurriedly fled through the door they entered through.
The woman finished, “...until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!”
Donna and the Doctor's eyes widened further as they noticed the walls of the chamber were lined with the armed robots, now wearing black hoods. Only one thing for it, the Doctor thought. He slid the vial into a trouser pocket, took Donna's hand and led her forward. Not like they could hide, and he wanted to know who was running this show. “Someone's been digging,” he commented on the obvious. “Oh, very Torchwood,” he added as they came closer. “Drilled by laser.” Which, he thought as he let go of Donna's hand to step closer, explained why there were no earthquakes. Both hands in his pockets, he looked. “How far down does it go?”
“Down and down,” the woman declared, “all the way to the centre of the Earth!”
The Doctor's head snapped up. “Really? Seriously, what for?”
An idea popped into Donna's head, although it was probably crazy. “Dinosaurs,” she suggested, coming forward to join him.
His eyes met hers. “What?”
“Dinosaurs?” Donna repeated the question.
He frowned. “What are you on about, dinosaurs?”
She shrugged. How much did this alien know about Earth popular culture? Or not so popular? “That film under the Earth with dinosaurs. Trying to help!” she added when his frown deepened.
That's not helping, the Doctor thought. She's not that thick, I can see intelligence in her eyes. But he couldn't discourage her. Not now. “Not likely, I think,” he hedged, dodging the thorns.
“Such a sweet couple,” the woman said, all but snickering.
Donna cringed. A couple?!
The Doctor pursed his lips briefly. No, he thought, sadly not yet. “Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad,” he instead snapped. “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!” the Doctor shouted. “Come on, let's have a look at you!”
“Who are you with such command?” The voice was clearly not impressed with his authority.
Oh, why did they all challenge him like that?! “I'm the Doctor.” The name had better ring a bell in this woman's mind!
She still sounded unimpressed. “Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart.”
As the last words finished, something teleported into the room. Donna's mouth went slack. The woman was actually a monster. Human-like torso attached to a giant spider body, all red. Her hands were claws that resembled a crab's - only missing the lower half. Her head had a slew of extra eyes on top of the thorny head. As she snarled and growled, her nasty smile showed off an array of sharp teeth. The creature was something beyond what Donna's nightmares could've created.
The Doctor's nightmares were another matter. “The Racnoss,” he breathed in shock. “But that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!”
“Empress of the Racnoss,” she primly corrected.
“If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?” asked the Doctor. But the probable answer hit him an instant later. “Or... are you the only one?”
“Such a sharp mind.”
Not praise, he knew. His suspicion was the truth. “That's it, the last of your kind.” Rassilon, he knew how that felt. He turned slightly toward Donna, although not taking his eyes off the Empress. “The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, millions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets.”
“Racnoss are born starving,” the Empress snapped. “Is that our fault?”
Donna recoiled. “They eat people?”
Just as Donna voiced her horror, something caught the Doctor's eye. He hated to alarm Donna further, but he had to check something. “H C Clements, did he wear those - those erm, black and white shoes?” He could never remember what they were called.
“He did!” Donna's lips quirked slightly in remembered amusement. “We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats.”
The Doctor nodded and pointed to the ceiling. A web had been spun there, and sticking out from a thick bunch of webbing was a pair of black and white shoes - still attached to a body.
Donna silently gasped. “Oh, my God!” she cried.
The Empress cried, an incomprehensible sound of triumphant glee. “Christmas dinner.” She cackled in gleeful anticipation.
Donna felt sick. This monster intended to eat her?
Given the size of her, the Doctor thought as he shook his head, H C Clements' body would keep her going for a day or so before she needed to feed again. “You shouldn't even exist!” He turned slightly back to Donna. “Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss - they were wiped out.” How the hell did this Empress survive?!
As horror-struck as she was, Donna spotted Lance. He had somehow got behind the Racnoss, holding an axe as he approached from a slightly raised area. He motioned for her to stay silent. She was only too happy to oblige.
“Except for me,” the Empress bragged.
Donna took a step forward. “But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi!” she snapped as the Empress started to look toward where Lance was. “Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?”
The Doctor watched Lance descend the stairs, axe seemingly at the ready. But something felt off to him. He had a sinking feeling that Donna was in for a nasty surprise.
“Look at me, you!” demanded Donna, willing to say anything to prevent the Empress from noticing Lance. “Look me in the eye and tell me.”
The Empress gave a grin that would've made a jack-o-lantern envious. “The bride is so feisty!”
Part of her charm, the Doctor thought idly.
“Yes, I am!” Donna snapped. “And I don't know what you are, you big... thing.” She didn't consider it wise to really insult the spider-woman, although she was looking forward to this bit of justice. “But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!” she called to Lance.
Lance swung it over his head. The Empress twisted her torso around and hissed. But suddenly Lance stopped, looking at Donna.
In the momentary silence, the Doctor felt his heart tighten in anger. Oh, this was worse than he'd thought.
Lance laughed and lowered the axe, to Donna's horror. The Empress inexplicably laughed with him. “That was a good one,” he told the Empress. “Your face!”
“Lance is funny,” the Empress commented, like she was noting the weather.
“What?!” Donna was incredulous.
The Doctor took her hand again, and whispered. “I'm sorry.” I didn't want this. I wanted him to be merely on a prank or just a loser.
Donna was certain she'd been drugged, and was hallucinating this. “Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!”
“God, she's thick.”
What? That was... disgust in his eyes and tone. Donna stared right back at him, utterly confused.
“Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map.”
The Doctor scowled. He had the urge to bite his tongue. He wanted to cut off Lance's. Among other things.
Donna shook her head. “I don't understand,” she murmured, not wanting to believe her eyes or ears.
Gripping her hand a little more tightly, the Doctor caught Donna's eye by slightly moving into her line of sight. “How did you meet him?”
“In the office.” She looked at him confused. She told him that.
His eyes went very sad. “He made you coffee.” And was stringing you along all this time.
Donna's eyes widened. “What??”
“Every day, I made you coffee.”
The Doctor hated how Lance's tone was one used to address an idiot and not caring if others knew what you thought of the person. Instead, he focused on Donna. “You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months.” He guessed. No one had really studied the full effects of such poisoning.
Donna's mouth slowly worked as her mind caught up. “He was poisoning me?”
The Doctor nodded grimly. “It was all there in the job title,” he accused Lance, “the Head of Human Resources.” He stressed the words mockingly.
“This time, it's personnel,” Lance corrected with a grin. He and the Empress laughed silently.
Donna shook her head, pleading with her eyes. “But... we were getting married.”
The Doctor sensed he was about to hear the truth, that she had pressed for the wedding. And he wasn't keen to hear the abuse he knew Lance was about to heap on her.
“Well, I couldn't risk you running off. 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-”
“Oi!”
Lance and the Empress were silenced by the Doctor's outburst. Donna, who had been listening with increasing hurt and bewilderment, stared at him in shock.
“How dare you?! Did you even bother to try to get to know her?” The Doctor moved in front of Donna slightly, trying to shield her from Lance. “Or did you not care and chose the first person who looked lost when you were looking for a mark? And what's wrong with a woman who wants to have fun?”
“You didn't have to live with a never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia,” Lance snapped. “I didn't get anything out of it!”
Donna listened, barely able to suppress her increasing hurt and confusion.
Lance scowled. “I deserve a medal.”
“Oh, is that what she's offered you?” the Doctor demanded. “The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?”
“It's better than a night with her.”
“How can you know?! You didn't even give her a chance!”
“But,” Donna pleaded weakly, “I love you.”
The words hurt the Doctor, but what else could he expect? A woman like Donna wouldn't marry without at least thinking she was in love. Lance had done a number on her spirit. He had practically murdered her heart while poisoning her body.
“That's what made it easy,” Lance answered, nastily.
The Doctor listened to Lance's words about the big picture, about the chance to 'go out there'. But he was filled with a rage. The man had no idea who he had partnered with, or what he might be unleashing on his own planet.
Worst of all to the Doctor, Lance had completely overlooked a woman with so much depth that she had not had the opportunity to find out what she was capable of. Donna seemed to have so much feeling inside her, so much potential... and Lance had shot her down. Dismissed her for being more interested in having fun than the kinds of fun Rose had been interested in - the kinds that Lance seemed to want.
The Doctor vowed then and there to ensure that Donna found her potential. That she would never again be treated like she was nothing. As soon as he'd saved her life and her planet.
Chapter 6: Awe and Horror
Series: none - first part belonged to “There's The Door!”
Rating: T
Author: tkel_paris
Summary: Ten has been patiently preparing himself to meet his bride and impress her. Naturally, their first proper meeting doesn't go well. After all, she's intending to marry another.
Disclaimer: RTD clearly missed on some of the subtext created by the dynamic of Tate and Tennant.
Dedication: bas_math_girl, for Christmas. Started this back in May for you, after writing the first part Story-a-Day challenge. Love ya, Online-Mummy! (blows a kiss) Also to tardis_mole and cassikat for extremely helpful beta advice. :D
Author's Note: This started as a one-shot, but quickly grew into a story and a sequel. :D
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4
CHAPTER FIVE: ANSWERS AND BETRAYAL
The Doctor was relieved to be out of that hairdryer of a car and inside the secretary area. Lance following was an annoyance, but he did want answers from the man. Trouble was, he had possible answers for why Donna appeared in his ship, and was on the hunt for how it could have happened. He rushed straight to a computer. “This might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was built up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute,” he explained as he powered up the machine.
And that detail worried him. When he was battling wits with the London branch, he'd broken into their records to learn their history. Turned out that the Cardiff branch was under interesting management: Jack Harkness. He'd found his way to Earth, spent decades molding his group into people who didn't consider the Doctor an enemy, and was trying to ensure the other branches followed suit. Not very successfully, given the existence of H C Clements. And the Doctor knew he still had to greet Jack and give a big apology for what Rose did to him.
“Who are they?” Donna demanded, standing across the desk from him.
He lifted his eyes. Okay, what could he talk about that she might know about? When he was scanning the timelines to tell if and when he could leave Rose behind, his vision of the possible future included the skies over London full of Daleks, and Cybermen invading from a parallel world. He was grateful it didn't happen. But... that didn't help him here. So he went with their earlier talk. “They fired on that rock in the sky, killing all the people aboard. Including children and civilians.”
Donna sighed, ignoring Lance's baffled look. Innocent deaths. Ooh, that was sad. But she didn't remember the rock. “Hangover, remember?”
He sighed heavily, saddened for her. “That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it.” He suspected that might change a bit - but even if it didn't she surely had other talents that would help him. He rushed to another computer, hoping it would be the one he needed. “Torchwood London collapsed about seven months ago, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over the operation,” he mused, whacking the monitor when its machine proved to lack the information and connection he wanted.
“But what do they want with me?” Donna demanded, moving to stand right next to him. He'd been pretty good about respecting her need for answers - although it sometimes felt like pulling teeth to get anything concrete out of him.
He straightened, giving her his full attention. Not that that was a problem. “Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy,” he explained gently. “And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened.”
She looked blankly at him. You're talking bullocks, she thought.
He glanced around for tools to help make this clearer. “Say...” he began, grabbing a coffee mug off the desk, “that's the TARDIS.” He showed her the mug. “And that's you,” he continued, picking up a pencil. “The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and WHAP!” He tossed the pencil into the mug. “You were pulled inside the TARDIS.” He looked at her expectantly.
The analogy reminded her too much of things many had said about her over the years. “I'm a pencil inside a mug?” she asked weakly, defensively.
His face fell. Oh, dear. What had he accidentally implied? That she was stupid? Oh, no, he couldn't let her think that! “Donna, I was just trying to explain how this happened. It says nothing about what kind of a person you are. Okay? It's just a way of explaining how you got into the TARDIS.”
Donna felt her irritation and unhappiness melt in the face of his earnest expression and words. “Okay. But how did they get in me?”
He put down the no-longer empty mug. “Well, that's one question. The others are where did they come from, who made them, and what do they want with you. Lance?” He moved to another computer, as he commanded answers from the suspicious-acting fiancée. “What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?”
Lance was defensive in posture and tone. “I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager.”
Naturally, this idiot knows nothing. Suppressing a groan over having to deal with yet another idiot, the Doctor held his sonic to the screen. Instantly it displayed the page he wanted.
“Why am I even explaining myself??” demanded Lance, all but flapping his arms. “What the hell are we talking about?”
“You make keys, that's the point,” the Doctor commented absently. He looked at the 3D plan of the building. Remembering a detail from moments before. “And look at this...” he added, gesturing at the screen, “...we're on the third floor.”
Donna looked at him. “So?”
He motioned them to follow him. At the slightest hint of talking from Lance, he gestured for silence. Donna didn't ask. She was not inclined to interrupt his concentration.
The Doctor waited patiently as the lift they used earlier came back down to their floor. “Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?” The doors pinged open and the Doctor went inside and looked at the controls, finding exactly what he expected to. “Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?” he asked them, not really expecting an answer.
Donna's mouth was slack. What kind of a place was she working for?!
Lance's eyes were wide. “Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?”
Something in the wide eyes looked off to the Doctor. “No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor.” Can you handle the proof, he thought at the man, or do you know something about it?
“It needs a key,” Donna remarked.
“I don't.” The Doctor grinned as he sonicked the lock. He looked back up. “Right then. Well, I can handle this myself. I suppose I'll see you later, Donna, unless...?” He trailed off, hoping he could tempt her into coming along. She did seem to want answers, and why not give her a taste of figuring things out.
Donna glared at him. “No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight.” She joined him in the lift as she spoke.
The Doctor's smile increased. Yes! “Going down,” he announced, releasing the door open button.
But Donna pushed it as his hand fell away. “Lance?” she asked pointedly.
No, the Doctor thought, not him. But, as much as he wanted Lance to go away, he did need to know how to best send him off. So he didn't challenge Donna.
Lance hesitated, although he didn't like the idea of her going out of his sight. “Maybe I should go to the police.”
“Inside,” Donna demanded.
The Doctor felt a shiver over the tone. He might not mind her bossing him around, he decided. He was amused when Lance meekly joined them in the lift. Hiding his own reaction, he smirked. “To honour and obey?” he asked, tone suggesting the human was hardly ready for either.
Lance pretended he thought the tone was in sympathy. “Tell me about it, mate.”
“Oi!” Donna snapped as the doors closed. She wasn't liking how the Doctor clearly didn't like Lance, but he was proving to be more of a man than her fiancée. It gave her more to think about that she wasn't keen on exploring at the moment.
As the lift descended, its interior was silent. The Doctor forced his attention on studying Lance's body language and what he could sense telepathically. There was a nervousness that spoke of hiding something, of telling a series of lies and being good at concealing the truth. What the man wanted with Donna when he didn't seem in love with her was a mystery. And knowing his own past with trouble, the Doctor had a sinking feeling that the answer would deeply hurt Donna. He hoped it wouldn't stick with her for too long. Still, he would be there to pick up the pieces.
The silence was starting to get to Donna when the lift pinged. It opened to show a long, dark, dank corridor, dimly lit with an eerie green light. She led the three out. “Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?”
The Doctor shrugged, curiosity engaged as he took the lead. “Let's find out.” Although the green light reminded him of how his Control Room used to look. He'd associated it with the loneliness he felt, and that it hadn't gone away while Rose was there should've been a clue that the Old Girl wasn't sure about her from the start.
She looked right at him, trying to catch his eye. “Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?”
“The mysterious H C Clements?” the Doctor asked as he scanned their surroundings. “I think he's part of it.” He stopped when he saw something useful. “Oh, look - transport.”
Donna looked at what he found, and groaned.
The Doctor hadn't expected Donna to protest riding on the sonic-boosted electric Segways, but Lance had not been enthusiastic. When he described that he thought the distance involved might be a lot and - since he'd noticed Donna's shoes weren't meant for running or distance walking - he said it was for her sake, Donna had agreed then, forcing Lance to join then in trundling down the corridor.
Donna looked at the Doctor after a while of going down the tunnel. She'd been contemplating how silly they must look, and he certainly looked comical on his. A laugh escaped her.
The Doctor looked over at the welcome sound of her laughter, which he'd managed to trigger a few times on the taxi ride to the reception. He couldn't help but join in, although his eyes tried to ask what was funny.
She shook her head, laughing harder as she gestured with her eyes at their transport.
He could get the silliness of it, and his laughter matched hers.
Lance stared at them both. Was the Doctor one of those rich types who used to be the only ones who had access to Segways until the police and security companies started using them? He could see why the police and such would want them, but what was the point for anyone else to have them? He only knew of posh snobs buying them. So why was Donna so entertained? Her family was decently well-off, but not rich by any means. And, the biggest question of all, why did the Doctor seem so protective toward Donna?
The Doctor vaguely noticed Lance's confusion, which bordered on disbelief. Hah! Let him wonder! Let him be left in their dust!
But his musings were interrupted when he noticed a door with writing on it: 'Torchwood - authorised personnel only'. He quickly abandoned his Segway. Donna and Lance followed suit as turned the wheel to open the door. He found a ladder. He peered upwards, wondering how far up it went. “Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't...” He stopped and met their eyes, pointing sternly - mostly at Lance. “... do anything.” He put a foot on the ladder.
“You'd better come back,” Donna blurted. She really didn't like the idea of being left alone down here. She loved Lance and all, but he had proved a bit of a wimp in a crisis.
The Doctor grinned at her. “I couldn't get rid of you if I tried,” he teased, tone saying he couldn't imagine wanting to.
Donna couldn't help smiling back. His grin was infectious, engaging, and rather nice to look at. It also highlighted his eyes, which were also very nice. She watched him climb the ladder, and craned her head to get a better look.
Lance was restless. They were too close. Or... was this the right thing even if not part of the plan? “Donna... have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?!” He wasn't sure what he wanted her answer to be.
Donna wasn't truly listening, thinking he was panicking too much. She looked back at him. “Oh, I thought July.” It would take a while to set another date, after all, and then the warmth would be more fitting. She smiled brightly and turned her attention back to looking for the Doctor's return.
Well, Lance thought, I suppose that will do.
The Doctor reached the top of the ladder, finding the underside of a manhole. He turned the wheel and opened to find it was still broad daylight. Climbing up and out, his eyes took in his surroundings. Birdcalls, a bit of a breeze, boats, and lots of water. He knew exactly where they were. Now what did this location mean for Torchwood?
He was still contemplating that as he climbed back down. He jumped off the last rung and announced, “Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us. Torchwood sneaked in and built this place underneath.” He had to give them some credit. Although this wasn't the first time he'd seen this, and he doubted it would be the last.
Donna blinked hard. “What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark??” she squawked.
He shook his head slightly. “I know! I know, love,” he absently added, touching her shoulder to reassure her.
Neither he nor Donna noticed that Lance failed to even bristle over the last word.
Wait, Donna thought, what had he just said? Then she stopped and remembered. Right, love and missus were terms used rather loosely. It meant nothing. But they didn't usually say it with such tenderness and follow it with a reassuring rub. So where did he know her from? Had he been a colleague who fancied her from afar, one she hadn't noticed? Still, she thought as she followed him anyway, why did the most gentlemanly and appealing man she'd ever met have to be from another planet?!
The Doctor led them to another door, opening it to reveal a well-lit laboratory. It was full of massive test tubes bubbling away and some unusual chemistry equipment. Even to the Doctor's eyes. “Oh, look at this! Stunning! Particle extrusion!”
Donna looked around. “What does it do?” she demanded.
Oh, he'd have to teach her about this later. “Particle extrusion. Hold on...” He rushed over to one of the bubbling tubes and tapped it. “Brilliant.” He leaned to examine it. “They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Of course my people got rid of Huons, they unraveled the atomic structure,” he added as he moved around.
That brought Donna up short.
“Your people?” Lance fixed on that phrase. “Who are they? What company do you represent?”
He shrugged slightly. “Oh, I'm a freelancer.” Only Donna would learn the truth. “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 picked up a small test tube, knowing it was full of those particles.
Donna wanted to shake. “And that's what's inside me?” she asked softly.
Only one way to confirm it. The Doctor gently turned a knob at the top of the test tube, making the contents glow gold. Suddenly Donna glowed with it.
She gasped. “Oh, my God!”
He stopped it quickly, shaking his head. It was a bit of marvel, but he couldn't respect them using her in whatever their plan was. “Genius,” he grimly acknowledged. Then frowned. “Because the particles are inert - they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you.” He looked up at her, hoping to figure out the answer with the help of gazing at her face. “Saturate the body and then... “ It hit him. “Ha!”
Donna nearly jumped out of her skin. Bugger, he could make noise!
“The wedding!” His mad enthusiasm wasn't for the wedding - it was for figuring out the mechanism for making the particles activate, allowing her to appear in the TARDIS. He loved when he figured something out! “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! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins! Oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!”
She couldn't take it. She slapped him, grimly satisfied when it sent him stumbling backward quite a distance. Much less centered from all that hopping around.
The Doctor stared in shock. That one hurt more! “What did I do this time?!” he squawked indignantly.
“Are you enjoying this?!” Donna snapped at him.
The Doctor slouched, deeply ashamed of himself. Oh, he overdid it. Again. And to the one person he really shouldn't have overdone it to or in front of.
He looked so contrite that Donna forgave him. He did seem to be easily excitable about alien stuff. She walked towards him, breathing heavily as she tried to restrain her distress. “Right, just tell me - these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?”
Yes! He wanted to tell her that, but he knew that he wouldn't be convincing. She'd see right through him. She'd caught him in a few lies already. He swallowed, trying to find an answer that wasn't an untruth.
Okay, he looked awfully nervous. That put her on edge. “Doctor... if your lot got rid of Huon particles... why did they do that?”
He gulped. “Because they were deadly,” he whispered.
Neither of them noticed Lance hardly reacted to that revelation.
Donna felt her insides turn to ice. “Oh, my God...”
He gently grabbed her shoulders, protectively. “I'll sort it out, Donna,” he insisted, looking deeply into her eyes. “I promise. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose you.”
She blinked, confused by how fond of her he seemed and a bit overwhelmed by his words - let alone his expression. But then crashes and bangs seemed to erupt all around them, distracting her from retorting instinctively.
The Doctor's head snapped up as a woman's voice blasted from nowhere and everywhere. “Oh, she is long since lost.” Her voice was harsh, with a sibilance that sounded like she was speaking through lots of teeth.
The wall behind the Doctor started sliding upwards, slowly revealing another chamber. The detail that immediately captured the Doctor's attention was the enormous round hole in the floor.
“I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe...” the voice continued, gloating.
Lance watched with wide eyes. He had to get out of the line of fire, and hurriedly fled through the door they entered through.
The woman finished, “...until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!”
Donna and the Doctor's eyes widened further as they noticed the walls of the chamber were lined with the armed robots, now wearing black hoods. Only one thing for it, the Doctor thought. He slid the vial into a trouser pocket, took Donna's hand and led her forward. Not like they could hide, and he wanted to know who was running this show. “Someone's been digging,” he commented on the obvious. “Oh, very Torchwood,” he added as they came closer. “Drilled by laser.” Which, he thought as he let go of Donna's hand to step closer, explained why there were no earthquakes. Both hands in his pockets, he looked. “How far down does it go?”
“Down and down,” the woman declared, “all the way to the centre of the Earth!”
The Doctor's head snapped up. “Really? Seriously, what for?”
An idea popped into Donna's head, although it was probably crazy. “Dinosaurs,” she suggested, coming forward to join him.
His eyes met hers. “What?”
“Dinosaurs?” Donna repeated the question.
He frowned. “What are you on about, dinosaurs?”
She shrugged. How much did this alien know about Earth popular culture? Or not so popular? “That film under the Earth with dinosaurs. Trying to help!” she added when his frown deepened.
That's not helping, the Doctor thought. She's not that thick, I can see intelligence in her eyes. But he couldn't discourage her. Not now. “Not likely, I think,” he hedged, dodging the thorns.
“Such a sweet couple,” the woman said, all but snickering.
Donna cringed. A couple?!
The Doctor pursed his lips briefly. No, he thought, sadly not yet. “Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad,” he instead snapped. “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!” the Doctor shouted. “Come on, let's have a look at you!”
“Who are you with such command?” The voice was clearly not impressed with his authority.
Oh, why did they all challenge him like that?! “I'm the Doctor.” The name had better ring a bell in this woman's mind!
She still sounded unimpressed. “Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart.”
As the last words finished, something teleported into the room. Donna's mouth went slack. The woman was actually a monster. Human-like torso attached to a giant spider body, all red. Her hands were claws that resembled a crab's - only missing the lower half. Her head had a slew of extra eyes on top of the thorny head. As she snarled and growled, her nasty smile showed off an array of sharp teeth. The creature was something beyond what Donna's nightmares could've created.
The Doctor's nightmares were another matter. “The Racnoss,” he breathed in shock. “But that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!”
“Empress of the Racnoss,” she primly corrected.
“If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?” asked the Doctor. But the probable answer hit him an instant later. “Or... are you the only one?”
“Such a sharp mind.”
Not praise, he knew. His suspicion was the truth. “That's it, the last of your kind.” Rassilon, he knew how that felt. He turned slightly toward Donna, although not taking his eyes off the Empress. “The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, millions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets.”
“Racnoss are born starving,” the Empress snapped. “Is that our fault?”
Donna recoiled. “They eat people?”
Just as Donna voiced her horror, something caught the Doctor's eye. He hated to alarm Donna further, but he had to check something. “H C Clements, did he wear those - those erm, black and white shoes?” He could never remember what they were called.
“He did!” Donna's lips quirked slightly in remembered amusement. “We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats.”
The Doctor nodded and pointed to the ceiling. A web had been spun there, and sticking out from a thick bunch of webbing was a pair of black and white shoes - still attached to a body.
Donna silently gasped. “Oh, my God!” she cried.
The Empress cried, an incomprehensible sound of triumphant glee. “Christmas dinner.” She cackled in gleeful anticipation.
Donna felt sick. This monster intended to eat her?
Given the size of her, the Doctor thought as he shook his head, H C Clements' body would keep her going for a day or so before she needed to feed again. “You shouldn't even exist!” He turned slightly back to Donna. “Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss - they were wiped out.” How the hell did this Empress survive?!
As horror-struck as she was, Donna spotted Lance. He had somehow got behind the Racnoss, holding an axe as he approached from a slightly raised area. He motioned for her to stay silent. She was only too happy to oblige.
“Except for me,” the Empress bragged.
Donna took a step forward. “But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi!” she snapped as the Empress started to look toward where Lance was. “Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?”
The Doctor watched Lance descend the stairs, axe seemingly at the ready. But something felt off to him. He had a sinking feeling that Donna was in for a nasty surprise.
“Look at me, you!” demanded Donna, willing to say anything to prevent the Empress from noticing Lance. “Look me in the eye and tell me.”
The Empress gave a grin that would've made a jack-o-lantern envious. “The bride is so feisty!”
Part of her charm, the Doctor thought idly.
“Yes, I am!” Donna snapped. “And I don't know what you are, you big... thing.” She didn't consider it wise to really insult the spider-woman, although she was looking forward to this bit of justice. “But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!” she called to Lance.
Lance swung it over his head. The Empress twisted her torso around and hissed. But suddenly Lance stopped, looking at Donna.
In the momentary silence, the Doctor felt his heart tighten in anger. Oh, this was worse than he'd thought.
Lance laughed and lowered the axe, to Donna's horror. The Empress inexplicably laughed with him. “That was a good one,” he told the Empress. “Your face!”
“Lance is funny,” the Empress commented, like she was noting the weather.
“What?!” Donna was incredulous.
The Doctor took her hand again, and whispered. “I'm sorry.” I didn't want this. I wanted him to be merely on a prank or just a loser.
Donna was certain she'd been drugged, and was hallucinating this. “Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!”
“God, she's thick.”
What? That was... disgust in his eyes and tone. Donna stared right back at him, utterly confused.
“Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map.”
The Doctor scowled. He had the urge to bite his tongue. He wanted to cut off Lance's. Among other things.
Donna shook her head. “I don't understand,” she murmured, not wanting to believe her eyes or ears.
Gripping her hand a little more tightly, the Doctor caught Donna's eye by slightly moving into her line of sight. “How did you meet him?”
“In the office.” She looked at him confused. She told him that.
His eyes went very sad. “He made you coffee.” And was stringing you along all this time.
Donna's eyes widened. “What??”
“Every day, I made you coffee.”
The Doctor hated how Lance's tone was one used to address an idiot and not caring if others knew what you thought of the person. Instead, he focused on Donna. “You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months.” He guessed. No one had really studied the full effects of such poisoning.
Donna's mouth slowly worked as her mind caught up. “He was poisoning me?”
The Doctor nodded grimly. “It was all there in the job title,” he accused Lance, “the Head of Human Resources.” He stressed the words mockingly.
“This time, it's personnel,” Lance corrected with a grin. He and the Empress laughed silently.
Donna shook her head, pleading with her eyes. “But... we were getting married.”
The Doctor sensed he was about to hear the truth, that she had pressed for the wedding. And he wasn't keen to hear the abuse he knew Lance was about to heap on her.
“Well, I couldn't risk you running off. 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-”
“Oi!”
Lance and the Empress were silenced by the Doctor's outburst. Donna, who had been listening with increasing hurt and bewilderment, stared at him in shock.
“How dare you?! Did you even bother to try to get to know her?” The Doctor moved in front of Donna slightly, trying to shield her from Lance. “Or did you not care and chose the first person who looked lost when you were looking for a mark? And what's wrong with a woman who wants to have fun?”
“You didn't have to live with a never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia,” Lance snapped. “I didn't get anything out of it!”
Donna listened, barely able to suppress her increasing hurt and confusion.
Lance scowled. “I deserve a medal.”
“Oh, is that what she's offered you?” the Doctor demanded. “The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?”
“It's better than a night with her.”
“How can you know?! You didn't even give her a chance!”
“But,” Donna pleaded weakly, “I love you.”
The words hurt the Doctor, but what else could he expect? A woman like Donna wouldn't marry without at least thinking she was in love. Lance had done a number on her spirit. He had practically murdered her heart while poisoning her body.
“That's what made it easy,” Lance answered, nastily.
The Doctor listened to Lance's words about the big picture, about the chance to 'go out there'. But he was filled with a rage. The man had no idea who he had partnered with, or what he might be unleashing on his own planet.
Worst of all to the Doctor, Lance had completely overlooked a woman with so much depth that she had not had the opportunity to find out what she was capable of. Donna seemed to have so much feeling inside her, so much potential... and Lance had shot her down. Dismissed her for being more interested in having fun than the kinds of fun Rose had been interested in - the kinds that Lance seemed to want.
The Doctor vowed then and there to ensure that Donna found her potential. That she would never again be treated like she was nothing. As soon as he'd saved her life and her planet.
Chapter 6: Awe and Horror