TARDIS…
"You're sure that this will work." Coco said, looking at Jared. "That Rose will come to us."
"Well, not physically of course." Jared said, smiling. "I know she will come."
"How?" Velvet asked. "You don't know that she will."
"This is Rose Tyler we're talking about. Clingy to the Doctor."
"But…"
"If Jared says that Rose will come." Coco said. "She will come."
"We just wait here then."
"We do."
Darlig Ulv Stranden…
Rose walks alone across the windswept beach. Pete, Jackie and Mickey stay with the Jeep.
"Here I am at last. And this is the story of how I died." Rose said, ending her monologue.
An image of the Doctor and Jared appears near Rose.
"Where are you?" Rose asked. "The both of you?"
"We're inside the Tardis." Holo-Jared said, sadly. "As we usually are, Rosie."
Tardis…
"There's one tiny little gap in the Universe left, just about to close, and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. We're in orbit around a super nova. We're burning up a sun just to say goodbye." The Doctor said.
Darlig Ulv Stranden…
"The two of you look like ghosts." Rose said.
"Hold on…" Holo-Doctor said, using his sonic screwdriver to solidify the images.
"Can I…"
"Rose, we're still just images." Holo-Jared said. "Don't touch us."
"Can't either of you come through properly?"
"I would, if I could. But the whole thing, the breach would fracture. Two universes, Pete's World and the Doctor's World would collapse. The technology Torchwood has doesn't match up to the level of Madoka's way of traveling through dimensions. Where it's more stable." Holo-Jared said, looking down guiltily.
"So?"
"Where are we? Where did the gap come out?" Holo-Doctor asked.
"Doctor, we're in Norway." Holo-Jared said, smiling. "Nice country from what I've seen, always wanted to go there."
"Norway. Right."
"About fifty miles out of Burgen. It's called 'Darlig Ulv Stranden'." Rose said.
"Dalek?"
"Darlig. It's Norwegian for bad. This translates as Bad Wolf Bay. How long have we got?"
"We have about two minutes." Holo-Jared said, frowning. "The three of us together."
"I can't think of what to say!"
"Well, you've still got Mickey. Mickey the Idiot. Or was it Mickey Mouse?" Holo-Jared asked, looking over at Mickey.
"There's five of us now. Mum, Dad, Mickey and the baby." Rose said.
"You're not?" Holo-Doctor asked.
"No. It's mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way."
"And what about you? Are you…"
"Yeah, I'm back working in the shop."
"Oh, good for you."
"Shut up. No, I'm not. There's still a Torchwood on this planet. It's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens."
"Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth. You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead. Here you are, living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."
"Am I ever going to see the two of you again?"
"You can't." Holo-Jared said, looking away for a moment. "Not ever. Man, this is more sad in person."
"Doctor, Jared, what're you going to do?"
"Oh, I've got the Tardis. Same old life, last of the Time Lords." Holo-Doctor said.
"On your own. And Jared, what about you?"
"I'll be saving magical girls with Madoka Kaname and taking down Grimm with Team RWBY. Maybe kill some witches along the way if I encounter them. Maybe taking down bosses in virtual worlds with the SAO survivors. While traveling with the Doctor now and again, in this amazing blue box that goes across all of time and space." Holo-Jared said, smirking. "That's what I'll be doing, even if it hurts inside in the end."
"Doctor, I, I love you. And Jared, you're one of my best friends, always there for me, always supporting me and the Doctor." Rose said, looking between the Doctor and Jared.
"Quite right, too. And I suppose, if it's one last chance to say it, Rose Tyler…" Holo-Doctor said, vanishing along with Jared.
The Doctor and Jared stand in the Tardis, crying, as Jackie runs go comfort her sobbing daughter.
St Mary's Church…
The bride's father has his arm linked through hers instead of the other way around. She changes it.
"Sorry." Geoff said, as the organist strikes up the Wedding March.
The bride and her father begin to process down the aisle. There is a strange sound, the bride screams and then zooms up through the roof and away in a golden sparkle.
"Where'd she go?" A woman asked.
(Jared's POV)
Tardis…
The golden energy flies into the Tardis and solidifies back into the bride.
"I wonder who she is." Coco said, walking towards me.
"She's brilliant." I said, crossing my arms.
"Amazing? How?" Velvet asked. "How is she amazing?"
"Spoilers."
"What?" The Doctor asked.
"What the hell is this place?" Donna asked.
"What? You can't do that. I wasn't. We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible! How did…"
"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now where am I?"
"You're inside the TARDIS." I said, leaning against the TARDIS console.
"The what?"
"The TARDIS. The most fantastic ship in the whole universe."
"The what?"
"The Tardis!" The Doctor said, angrily.
"The what?" Donna asked.
"It's called the Tardis."
"That's not even a proper word. The two of you are just saying things."
"How did you get in here?"
"Well, obviously, when you lot kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying all of you? Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."
"Who the hell is Nerys?" Coco asked.
"Your best friend."
"Well, um, I'm her best friend." Velvet said, walking towards Donna. "Wait, why are you dressed like that?"
"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you lot drugged me or something!" Donna said, angrily.
"We haven't done anything!" The Doctor said.
"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you lot!" Donna said, running down the ramp to the doors.
"No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't!" The Doctor said, when Donna opens the doors and looks at a pretty gaseous nebula. "You're in space. Outer space. This is my space ship. It's called the Tardis."
"How am I breathing?"
"The Tardis is protecting us."
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor, this is Jared, Coco, and Velvet. You?"
"Donna."
"Human?"
"Yeah. Is that optional?"
"Well, it is for me."
"You're an alien. And they're human like me."
"Yeah."
"And why does that one have bunny ears?" Donna asked, looking at Velvet.
"She's humanoid." I said, smiling.
"It's freezing with these doors open."
The Doctor slams the doors shut and goes back to the console.
"I don't understand that and I understand everything. This this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the Tardis and transport itself inside. It must be…" The Doctor said, grabbing an ophthalmoscope and uses it to look into Donna's eyes. "...impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic…" Donna slaps the Doctor. "What was that for?"
"Get me to the church!"
"Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"
"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." Donna said, grabbing a blouse that is hanging over the railing. "I knew it, acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?"
"That's our friend's." I said, looking away for a moment. "One of our good friends, that we loved."
"Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?"
"She's gone. And I regret it, I could have stopped it when he couldn't."
"Gone where?"
"What Jared is trying to say, is that they lost her." Coco said, trying to cover for me.
"Well, you can hurry up and lose me! How do you mean, lost?" Donna asked.
The Doctor takes the blouse from Donna and throws it through a doorway, "Right, Chiswick."
"Time for a girl swap." I said, looking at Coco and Velvet, then at Kyoko and Sayaka. "I need two of my favorite magical girls by my side."
"Two of your favorites?" Kyoko asked, walking towards me. "Aren't there other magical girl anime series that you liked in the multiverse?"
"There is. But I can't laugh as to…"
"Yuna Yuki." Sayaka said, tossing me my iPad Pro, with that anime loaded up on Amazon Prime. "There's another girl out there in that anime with the same voice as me. Who knew?"
"I can't help it. Sayaka, you're amazing." I said, as the wheezing noise stopped.
"I know."
"If we're no longer needed. And it was just for the goodbye with Rose." Coco said, looking at me. "We'll see you at the Vytal Tournament."
"We'll see you there." Velvet said, entering the TARDIS blue portal with Coco. "I guess."
Courtyard…
"Well, we've landed." Sayaka said, as I exited the TARDIS with her and Kyoko.
"Where are we?" Kyoko asked.
"We're close to the Powell Estate." I said, when the TARDIS has landed in an area surrounded by buildings.
"I said, Saint Mary's. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?" Donna asked.
"Like I said, the Powell Estate. Which was…"
"Something's wrong with her. The Tardis, it's like she's…" The Doctor said, and I followed him inside the TARDIS.
Tardis...
"Recalibrating! She's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" The Doctor asked, as Donna is making the traditional circuit of the Tardis. "Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous. I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a, box of metal or. Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he? Donna!"
Courtyard…
"It looks like it has gotten too much for her." Sayaka said, looking over to see that Donna cannot cope with the reality of dimensional transcendentalism.
"Obviously." Kyoko said, walking behind Donna with Sayaka.
"Donna." I said, running towards the magical girls with the Doctor.
"Leave me alone. I just want to get married." Donna said.
"Come back to the Tardis."
"No way. That box is too weird."
"It's bigger on the inside, that's all."
"Oh! That's all? Ten past three. I'm going to miss it."
"Well, you can call them." Sayaka said, happily. "Tell then where you are, Donna."
"Um, Sayaka, how can she do that?" Kyoko asked, looking at her fellow magical girl.
"She does have a phone, anyone has a phone during the early 21st century."
"Well, she doesn't have one on her." I said, laughing a lot.
"I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets!" Donna said, angrily.
"This man you're marrying. What's his name?" The Doctor asked.
"Lance."
"Good luck, Lance."
"Oi! No stupid Martian and his entourage are going to stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" Donna said, running away from us.
"I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not from Mars."
Street…
"Taxi!" Donna said, and the taxi drives past us. "Why's his light on?"
"There's another one!" Sayaka said, smiling. "Taxi!"
"Taxi! Oi!" Donna said, when another taxi drives past with its For Hire light on.
"There's a taxi!" Kyoko said, trying to get the attention of that taxi.
"Oi!"
"Okay, this isn't helping. They're not stopping for us. This is stupid." Sayaka said, frowning.
"Tell me about it." I said, sadly. "What can we do?"
"I've got an idea." Kyoko said. "But I doubt it'll work."
"They think I'm drunk." Donna said.
"You're fooling no one, mate!" Some men in a car said.
"They think I'm in drag!"
"Like I said, this is stupid." Kyoko said, doing a very piercing whistle and a taxi does a quick U turn to pick us up.
Taxi…
"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency. I'm getting married. Just hurry up!" Donna said.
"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today." The driver said.
"Oh, my God. Have you got any money?"
"Er, no. Haven't you?" The Doctor asked.
"Pockets!"
"And no, I don't have any British pounds on me. And these two girls have Japanese yen on them, probably." I said, crossing my arms.
Street…
The taxi driver dumps us back where he picked us up.
"And that goes double for your mother! I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas spirit." Donna said.
"Oh, it's Christmas." Sayaka said, walking next to me. "Christmas Eve?"
"Yup." I said, holding Sayaka's hand. "It is."
"What year?"
"2007." I said, as the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver and gets a dialling tone.
"Christmas 2007, huh." Kyoko said, looking between me and Sayaka. "What happens during this day that makes it interesting?"
"Oh, this giant spider inside this star that flies over London. And the Doctor almost drowning."
"Something Martian. Now phone. I'll get money!" The Doctor said, joining the queue at a cash machine.
"Oh, answer the phone!" Donna said, angrily.
"Let me guess, Donna's family is panicking." Sayaka said, as I gave her a twirl.
"You two should stop dancing." Kyoko said, crossing her arms.
"No." I said, as I'm still dancing with Sayaka. "I know what happens next."
(Open POV)
"Mum, get off the phone and listen. I'm in. Oh, my God, I don't know where I am! It's a street, and there's WH Smith but it's definitely Earth." Donna said, looking at her surroundings.
The Doctor gives the London Credit Bank ATM the sonic treatment, and goes straight to Please Take Your Cash without the rest of the preamble.
Donna accosts a woman in the street, "Excuse me. I'm begging you. I'm getting married, I really am and I'm late and I just need to borrow a tenner and I'll pay you back I promise and it's Christmas."
"Crap." Jared said, when the Doctor takes the money from the ATM then spots a trio of Santas playing God Rest Ye Merry on brass instruments. "Robot Santa Clauses. I forgot about them."
"Taxi! St Mary's Chiswick. Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in Court." Donna said, getting into the taxi, which is driven by another Santa.
"Donna!" The Doctor said, as Donna drives away.
The Santas point their instruments at the Doctor, Jared, Sayaka, and Kyoko.
"Make a distraction." Jared said, while the Doctor zaps the ATM, which sends banknotes flying across the street. "Not the distraction I had in mind, but it will do."
Lots of people rush to grab the money and the Doctor, Jared, Sayaka, and Kyoko run away.
Taxi…
"I promise you, mate, I'll give you the rest when we get there. Oh, I look a mess." Donna said, taking off her veil. "Hurry up." The Doctor, Jared, Sayaka, and Kyoko return to the Tardis. "Hold on a minute. I said Chiswick. You've missed the turning. Excuse me, we should've turned off back there. We're going the wrong way!" The Doctor starts the Tardis going as the taxi pulls onto the flyover, missing another car by inches. "What the hell are you doing? I'm late for the wedding. My own wedding. Do you get that?" The Tardis is tracking Donna. "Turn around! Turn this cab around right now! Are you deaf or what?" Donna tugs at the Santa's hood and its mask falls off to reveal that it is a robot. "Oh, my God." She tries to open a window. "Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Get me out! Help me! Help me! I'm being driven by a robot!"
Tardis…
"He doesn't know how to handle his ship." Kyoko said, when sparks are flying out of the TARDIS console. "He will break her."
The Doctor hits the console with a hammer, "Behave!"
"He's showing off to the max."
"He is." Sayaka said, smiling.
Taxi…
The Tardis swoops down and bounces off the tarmac.
"You are kidding me." Donna said, watching the TARDIS weave through the traffic..
TARDIS…
"Sayaka, this is probably the easiest thing you've ever done." The Doctor said, running towards a control lever. "Hold this down."
"What are you planning?" Sayaka asked, when the TARDIS comes alongside the taxi.
"I'm going to convince Donna to jump into the TARDIS."
"He's being a complete idiot." Kyoko said, as she and Jared are holding both doors of the TARDIS open.
"Yup." Jared said, as Sayaka is holding down the lever. "He is."
Taxi...
"Open the door!" The Doctor said.
"Do what?" Donna asked.
"Open the door!"
"I can't, it's locked!" Donna said, as the Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver and she gets the window open. "Santa's a robot."
"Donna, open the door."
"What for?"
"You've got to jump!"
"I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!" Donna said, and the robot accelerates away.
TARDIS…
"I'll flick the switches." Kyoko said, running towards the TARDIS console, as she flicked more switches for there to be more banging coming for it. "Damn it. With four people, this is difficult!"
"We know." Jared said, as the TARDIS gives chase, bouncing off the roof of a car. "The console was made to be piloted by 6 people."
"I wonder what would happen if we weren't here." Kyoko said, and when the TARDIS is close to the taxi, the Doctor tries the screwdriver on the robot driver.
"That took a while." Sayaka said, as the robot clamps its hands onto the steering wheel. "It was a bit of interference."
Taxi...
"Listen to me. You've got to jump." The Doctor said.
"I'm not jumping on a motorway." Donna said.
"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!"
"I'm in my wedding dress!"
"Yes, you look lovely! Come on!" The Doctor said, and Donna opens the door.
The Doctor reaches out for her.
"Jump!" Jared said, looking over at Donna. "You know you want to, super temp!"
"I can't do it." Donna said.
"Come on, you can trust us, Donna. You can make that simple jump!"
"Is that what the both of you said to her? Your friend? The one you two lost? Did she trust you?"
"Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive. Now, jump!" The Doctor said, while Donna launches herself out of the taxi and lands on top of Jared.
TARDIS...
"Yes!" Sayaka and Kyoko said, celebrating. "Yes!"
"She made it in." Kyoko said, looking at Sayaka. "If she fell…"
"Yeah." Sayaka said, and the Tardis doors slam shut and it zooms upwards.
Shoe Lane rooftop…
"That was a bust." Weiss said, looking at the time to see that it's 3:30 PM. "We're finally having another adventure."
"Ooo, what's this one like?" Ruby asked, as the Doctor is emptying a fire extinguisher in through the Tardis doors.
"It's called the Runaway Bride." Jared said, looking over at Donna. "That's Donna Noble. She's late for her wedding day."
"You already had Coco and Velvet." Weiss said, crossing her arms. "Then Sayaka and Kyoko. Why do you need us now?"
"I don't know." Jared said, as a lot of smoke is coming out of the TARDIS. "It just felt right, you know."
"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?" The Doctor asked, walking over to Donna.
"Doesn't matter." Donna said.
"So, did we miss it?" Ruby asked, walking towards Donna. "Your wedding reception?"
"Yeah."
"Well, you could always book another date." Jared said, placing his hand on top of Ruby's.
"Course we can."
"You've still got the honeymoon." The Doctor said.
"It's just a holiday now." Donna said.
"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry."
"Doctor, Jared, it's not your fault."
"Oh? That's a change."
"Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right."
"Yeah, yeah. But even if we did, we couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently."
"And Jared, you've got this harem of girls." Donna said, sitting on the edge of the roof, looking towards St Paul's Cathedral and the City beyond. "How did you pick each and every one of those girls up?"
"It's a long story." Jared said, removing his hoodie to put it around Donna's shoulders.
"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat."
"Oh, she did not just say that." Weiss said, as the Doctor took out a gold ring. "Did she just say that?"
"Ooo, I think she did." Ruby said, happily. "She insulted him head on…"
"So, the Vytal Tournament is tomorrow." Jared said, standing up to sit in between Ruby and Weiss. "For the two of you."
"Yeah, it is. You're coming, after all this."
"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. Weiss, Jared, and I met them last Christmas." The Doctor said.
"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked.
"Well, there was this big spaceship hovering over London." Weiss said, recalling what happened. "People standing up on rooftops. How did you not notice that? That was the day when Harriet Jones got deposed by the Doctor."
"I had a bit of a hangover."
"The three of us spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this family. Our friend, she had this family. Well, they were. Still, gone now." The Doctor said, thinking about Rose.
"Your friend, who was she?"
"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the Tardis? I don't know. What's your job?"
"I'm a secretary." Donna said.
The Doctor scans her with the sonic screwdriver, "It's weird. I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important."
"This friend of yours. Just before she left, did she punch you in the face? Stop bleeping me!"
"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked.
"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping." Donna said. "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never going to fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny."
"Just so you know." Jared said, squeezing Ruby's hand. "Donna was being used."
"By who?" Weiss asked.
"And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it." Donna said.
"So, when was this?" Weiss asked.
"Six months ago."
"Isn't that a bit too quick to get married?"
"Well, he insisted." Donna said.
"This is the other way around!" Ruby said, realizing what's actually going on.
"And he nagged, and he nagged me…"
"Was Donna too into him? It's sad, really."
"And he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in." Donna said.
"You know, I felt bad for Donna today." Jared said, sadly. "I do, she's been through so much, Little Red."
"What does HC Clements do?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths." Donna said.
"Keys."
"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy."
"Yeah. I'm not from Mars."
"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken."
(Jared's POV)
Reception…
"Talk about a wedding reception." Asuna said, watching everyone bopping to Slade, under a big disco ball, and having a great time. "It sounds like they're having so much fun."
"If only we can have fun like them." Kirito said, as he, Asuna, the Doctor, Donna, and I entered the room.
"Does he ride a red nosed reindeer, does he turn up on his sleigh? Do the fairies keep him sober for a day? So here it…" Noddy said.
"And here we go." I said, wearing a suit and tie. "Rotating out my friends for today is necessary. Just so I can stay sane."
"What caused you do this?" Kirito asked, looking over at me.
"It's the end of today that gets me. Or the middle of it."
"Does it involve the Doctor doing something stupid?" Asuna asked.
"Yes."
"Yes, I gathered." The Doctor said.
"Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" Nerys asked.
"Thank you, Nerys." Donna said, angrily.
"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know." Sylvia said, and they all start talking at once.
"Where were you the whole time?" Lance asked, while they finally shut up with Donna bursts into tears.
"She's good." Asuna said, when Lance hugs Donna and everyone applauds, except Nerys.
Donna winks at the Doctor, Kirito, Asuna, and I.
"Well, let's get this party started!" Asuna said, running off with Kirito.
"A party, after all that." Kirito said, running after Asuna and the two began dancing together. "I'm fine with it."
"So, what do you think of how Jared is acting today?" Asuna asked, looking over to see Lance and Donna are dancing together, all happy again. "He's been off about Donna."
"He must be hiding something. But what."
"I have wandered, I have rambled, I have crossed this crowded sphere. And I've seen…" The singer said, as the Doctor walked over to me.
"Phone." The Doctor said, and I tossed him my phone. "Thank you."
"What's up?" I asked, watching the Doctor borrowing my phone to look up HC Clements. "HC Clements, it's in the city. Apparently to Donna, it's nice and it's posh."
"Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl, what is this man to do. So reel me in, my precious girl." The singer said.
"It's owned by Torchwood." The Doctor said, looking down at my phone screen to see HC Clements, sole proprietor...Torchwood.
"Come on, take me home. Cos my body's tired of travelling and my heart don't wish to roam."
"It is." I said, as the Doctor hands my phone back to me. "I should have told you. But I'm so guilty about it."
"Us losing Rose." The Doctor said, as he is watching the dancers to remembers the fun times with Rose.
"Well, you took me in, you stole my heart, I cannot roam no more. Cos love it stays within you, it doesn't wash up on a shore. Then a fighting man forgets each cut, each knock, each bruise, each fall. But a fighting man cannot forget…" The singer said.
"Hey!" Asuna said, standing next to a man making the video recording of the wedding. "This guy looks important!"
"Asuna, one step ahead of us." I said, walking towards Kirito and Asuna with the Doctor. "With her beloved Kirito."
"What happened earlier with Donna?" Kirito asked, looking at the camera man. "Mind if you tell us."
"It's better if I show you. Oh, I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are." The camera man said, as the four of us watches the replay of when Donna turned into gold energy and flew off.
"Can't be. Play it again?" The Doctor asked.
"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."
"But that looks like Huon Particles."
"Doctor, what are Huon Particles?" Asuna asked.
"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years. So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" The Doctor said, running outside to see robot Santas approaching. "Donna! Donna, they've found you."
"But you said I was safe." Donna said.
"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out."
"My God, it's all my family."
"Come on, let's go out the back door." Kirito said, opening the doors to the back door to see robots out there. "Damn it."
"Okay." Asuna said, as we're looking through the French doors. "We're trapped in here."
"Oh no, the Christmas trees." I said, noticing that a robot has a remote control.
"What about them?"
"They kill other people. One almost killed us last Christmas, Donna."
"Get away from the tree!" The Doctor said, angrily.
"Don't touch the trees!" Donna said, also leading people away from the Christmas trees.
"Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!"
"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to. Oh." Sylvia said, as the plastic baubles are floating off the trees, which are real.
"Damn it." I said, tossing a sword to Kirito as the baubles start to zoom at the people and go Bang! when they hit something, Kirito destroyed some of them with the sword. "Nice one."
"Kirito!" Asuna said, as people began panicking as the presents go tumbling. "Hurry!"
"I'm doing my best." Kirito said, and one man gets thrown into the air and lands squarely on the wedding cake. "I stopped them."
"He cut through the baubles." Donna said, looking up ad she hides underneath a table with Lance. "I didn't know he could do that."
The Doctor looks up over the DJ's sound desk to see six Santa's all lined up in front of the bar, "Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system."
The Doctor jams the screwdriver into the deck, and the resulting harmonics shake the robots to pieces.
"I don't know how many people got hurt because of them." Kirito said, looking over at me. "Because of me not cutting through them in time."
"Some people still got hurt." Asuna said, sadly. "It'll be okay."
"Yeah."
"Just stop wittering. Just help them." Donna said.
"Look at that. Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession." The Doctor said.
"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt."
"Well, they wanted you alive, Donna." Kirito said, tossing a bauble to Donna. "Those things aren��t active now. I know a thing or two about technology."
"Doctor, all I'm saying, you could help." Donna said.
"Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" The Doctor said, running out of the room with Kirito, Asuna, and I.
"Donna, who are they? Who are these people?" Sylvia asked.
Outside the reception hotel…
"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor said.
"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked.
"Well, it's easy really." Kirito said, looking over at Donna. "We just have to find the controller. To find out what's going on."
"Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky." The Doctor said, looking up at the sky.
"What does this spaceship look like?" Asuna asked.
"It's a seven pointed star." I said, walking over to Kirito and Asuna. "And it's filled with spider web accessories."
"What kind of accessories?"
"The one that looks like it wasn't maintained well enough."
The ambulances have arrived.
"I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give us a lift?" The Doctor asked.
HC Clements office…
"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." The Doctor said.
"Who are they?"
"The Cybermen are metal men. Basically Iron Man, wait, too early for you to know about him." I said, leaning against the table. "They were behind the Battle of Torchwood. To you, it's Canary Wharf. The skies over London were full of Daleks six months ago."
"Oh, I was in Spain."
"They had Cybermen in Spain."
"Scuba diving."
"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it. Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation." The Doctor said.
"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked.
"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. See? That's what happened. Say, that's the Tardis." The Doctor said, picking up a coffee mug. "And that's you." He then picked up a pencil. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap." The Time Lord shakes the mug and the pencil, then drops the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the Tardis."
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?"
"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"
"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance asked.
"Well, they make keys." Kirito said, grabbing the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor to get a computer screen to work. "And a big building like this needs investigating."
"It does." Asuna said, looking at the plan of the building on the computer screen. "We're on the second floor."
Lift…
"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes? 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?" The Doctor asked.
"Are you lot telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked.
"No, we're showing you this building has a secret floor." I said, standing in between Kirito and Asuna.
"It needs a key." Donna said.
"We don't." The Doctor said, sonicing the LB button. "Right then. Thanks, you two. The four of us can handle this. See you later."
"No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life. And you have some friends to help you out. I ain't letting you lot out of my sight."
"Well, we should check this out." Asuna said, entering the elevator with Kirito and I.
"Going down there is dangerous." Kirito said, as Asuna sent him a glare. "Fine, fine. I'm in."
"Thank you." Asuna said, smiling.
"Inside." Donna said, and Lance gets in the lift.
"To honour and obey?" The Doctor asked, looking between Lance and Kirito.
"Tell me about it, mate." Lance said.
"Asuna is a handful." Kirito said, knowing his girlfriend/wife is next to him. "I have to listen to her every single time. I can't make smart decisions anymore."
"Oi." Donna said, annoyed.
"What was that?" Asuna asked.
"Why do I have a feeling that Kirito and the Doctor have the same mindset for what's coming up?" I asked, crossing my arms.
Lower basement corridor…
Lit in eerie green.
"Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked.
"Let's find out." Kirito said, holding Asuna's hand.
"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?"
"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it. Oh, look. Transport." The Doctor said.
"Segways!" I said, running up to a Segway to climb on one. "Asuna, you know what I'm thinking?"
"Oh, I do." Asuna said, looking over at Kirito. "Giddy-up."
"You have got to be kidding me." Kirito said, crouching down for Asuna to sit on his shoulders.
"Let's go, do north!" Asuna said, pointing straight ahead.
"Even after we're married in VR. You want to do this again."
"Yeah." Asuna said, as she and Kirito are keeping up with the Segways.
"This is hilarious." Donna said, and she can't help but laugh at Kirito and Asuna. "You two are kids!"
"More like Asuna is having a bit of fun." Kirito said, while we arrived at a bulkhead door labelled Torchwood.
"Time to let me down now." Asuna said, as Kirito lowered himself for her to get off of him. "Thank you."
"Wow." I said, looking at the wording that says Authorised personnel only.
The Doctor turns the wheel to open it to reveal a ladder, "Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything."
"You'd better come back." Donna said.
The Doctor starts up the ladder.
"I couldn't get rid of you if I tried." The Doctor said.
"So, where are we exactly?" Kirito asked, looking at me.
"We're below the River Thames." I said, leaning against the wall.
"We're below a major London landmark." Asuna said. "Where there's a big super secret base there."
"The London Eye, Canary Wharf."
"Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." The Doctor said, jumping down towards us.
"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked.
"Oh, I know. Unheard of."
Laboratory…
Lots of bubbling tubes.
"This looks like a science lab." Asuna said, walking next to Kirito.
"What now?" Kirito asked. "Do we just end it here?"
"We go back up to the TARDIS."
"No, we're not leaving now."
"It's not dangerous." I said, smiling. "We're staying, no matter what."
"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked, as the Doctor turned a knob on top of the container, and the liquid glows gold, and she does too. "Oh, my God!"
"Genius. Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then. Ha!" The Doctor said, jumping backwards. "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! 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!" Donna slaps him. "What did I do this time?!"
"Are you enjoying this? Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"
"Yes."
"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?"
"Because they were deadly."
"Oh, my God."
"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose someone else."
"Oh, she is long since lost." The Empress said, as the wall in front of us slides up to reveal a tiered hole descending into the earth. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"
"Why do I have a feeling that he's a villain?" Asuna asked, when Lance runs away.
"Because he is one." I said, as black robed robots turn their guns on the Doctor, Donna, Kirito, Asuna, and I.
(Open POV)
Drilling site…
"Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" The Doctor asked.
"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" The Empress said, over the speaker.
"Really? Seriously? What for?"
"Dinosaurs." Donna said.
"If I don't like it, I'm gonna stop it." Kirito said, walking around the room.
"More like we're gonna stop it." Jared said, looking around the place. "The five of us."
"You do know that I'm never gonna leave you." Asuna said, happily.
"I know." Kirito said.
"That's not helping." The Doctor said.
"Such a sweet couple." The Empress said, over the speaker.
"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!"
"Who are you with such command?"
"I'm the Doctor."
"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart." The Empress said, and she transports herself into the room.
"Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?"
"Empress of the Racnoss."
"We're dealing with an Empress, huh." Kirito said, as Lance climbs the ladder, then runs.
"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one?" The Doctor asked, looking at the Empress.
"Such a sharp mind." The Empress said.
"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."
"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?"
"Wait, those things eat people?" Asuna asked, shocked.
"Wait, HC Clements." Kirito said, looking around, until he spotted something shocking. "Did he wear those black and white shoes?"
"He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna said.
"Donna, look up." Jared said, pointing to a pair of feet sticking out of the web across the ceiling, wearing black and white shoes.
"Oh, my God!" Donna said, as shocked as Asuna.
"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The Empress said.
"You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out." The Doctor said.
"I hate him." Jared said, as Lance is on a balcony above the Empress. "I do."
"He screams bad guy." Asuna said, when Lance makes the shush gesture.
"Except for me." The Empress said.
"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me." Donna said, angrily.
"The bride is so feisty." The Empress said, as Lance is sneaking behind her with a fire axe.
"Yes, I am! 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!" Donna said, while Lance starts to swing the axe.
"Now I see why you hate him." Kirito said, when the Empress turns to hiss at Lance. "He is a dick."
"Yeah.��� Asuna said, as Lance laughs, and the Empress joins in.
"That was a good one. Your face." Lance said.
"Lance is funny." The Empress said.
"What?" Donna asked.
"We're sorry." The Doctor said.
"Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"
"God, she's thick. Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map." Lance said, angrily.
"I don't understand."
"How did you meet him?" Jared asked, walking towards Donna.
"In the office."
"He made you coffee."
"What?"
"Every day, I made you coffee." Lance said, looking at Donna.
"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor said.
"I don't know who's worse, Suguo." Kirito said. "Or Lance."
"They're both sons of bitches." Jared said, taking out his dual pistols. "I want to kill him so badly."
"For making Donna suffer. I know how you feel."
"You two care." Asuna said, excitedly. "About us girls. We're not all helpless."
"This is not the virtual world. This is the real world."
"Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?" The Doctor asked.
"It's better than a night with her." Lance said.
"But I love you." Donna said.
"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? 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.
"She said Martian."
"Oh, I'm sort of homeless. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?" The Doctor asked.
"So, what's the plan?" Kirito asked.
"We stay here." Jared said, leading Kirito and Asuna towards the Doctor and Donna.
"What do you have planned?" Asuna asked.
"Nothing really."
"Then why are we staying here? Don't we have to run?"
"Nope."
"No, I won't let them." Donna said.
"At arms!" The Empress said, as the robots point their guns at the Doctor.
"Ah, now. Except." The Doctor said.
"Take aim!"
"Well, I just want to point out the obvious."
"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots."
"Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her." The Doctor said, turning the knob on the Huon container.
"Fire!"
Tardis...
The Tardis builds itself like smoke around Donna, the Doctor, Kirito, Asuna, and Jared.
"Off we go." The Doctor said.
"So that was your plan." Kirito said, as the TARDIS dematerializes. "Waiting until we had the TARDIS around us."
"Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before." The Doctor said, flicking switches around the TARDIS console.
"It's crazy to think that Lance did that to Donna within six months." Kirito said.
"Suguo raped me for a while." Asuna said, sadly. "Until you arrived to save me. With some help of course."
"Suguha and the others did good that day." Jared said, leaning against the TARDIS console. "I watched that fight happen."
"We've arrived. Want to see?" The Doctor asked, when the wheezing noise stopped.
"I suppose." Donna said.
"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." The Doctor said, as he goes to the door.
"Come on. No human's ever seen this. The four of you will be the first."
"All I want to see is my bed."
"Donna Noble, Kazuto Kirigaya, Asuna Yuuki, and Jared Shay, welcome to the creation of the Earth." The Doctor said, opening the TARDIS doors to lumps of rock floating around a dust covered sun. "We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."
"So, where's the Earth?" Kirito asked.
"All around us in the dust."
"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny." Donna said.
"No, but that's what you do. The human race makes 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." The Doctor said.
"So we came out of all this?"
"Isn't that brilliant?" The Doctor asked, as a large rock drifts past.
"I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna said, laughing a little.
"Eventually, gravity takes hold. 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 Doctor said.
"The Earth." Donna and Asuna said, at the same time.
"But the question is, what was that first rock?" The Doctor asked, as a seven pointed star spaceship comes out of the dust cloud.
"Look." Donna said.
"The Racnoss."
"Shit, that can't be good." Jared said, pacing around the TARDIS console room. "And I know what's going on back in the future."
"Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?" The Doctor asked.
"It's doing exactly what you said." Asuna said, while the rocks and dust are attracted to the spaceship.
"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." The Doctor said, and there's a big bang nearby.
"What was that?" Donna asked.
"Trouble." The Doctor said, closing the TARDIS doors.
"Perfect." Kirito said, running towards the TARDIS console. "We leave for two minutes."
The Tardis is throwing them about.
"What the hell's it doing?" Donna asked.
"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles. Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" The Doctor said.
"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"
"Backseat driver. Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" The Doctor said, taking out the surfboard device from Boom Town. "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!"
"Talk about a close call." Kirito said, when the TARDIS stopped materializing.
"Now!" The Doctor said, and the TARDIS started to dematerialize.
Lower basement corridor...
"We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" The Doctor said.
"Ooo, something to look forward to." Jared said, happily. "I'm loving this."
"You love the running." Asuna said. "Why do you like running so much?"
"It's a good workout." Kirito said. "I had to get myself back into shape, when we saved everyone from the Ordinal Scale."
"Virtual reality and augmented reality are different."
"Not too different."
"But what do we do?" Donna asked.
"I don't know. I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history." The Doctor said, using a stethoscope on the Torchwood door.
"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, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck." The Doctor said, when two robots grabbed Donna and Asuna from behind. "They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet."
"Doctor, they took Asuna and Donna." Kirito said, looking behind him to see that Asuna is no longer next to him. "They're gonna pay for that."
"Oh!" The Doctor said, sonicing the door open to reveal three robots pointing guns at him, Jared, and Kirito.
Drilling site…
Donna is ensnared in the web with Asuna, next to Lance, directly over the hole, "I hate you."
"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." Lance said.
"My golden couple, together at last. Your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?" The Empress asked.
"Yes!" Donna and Lance said, at the same time.
"You're supposed to say, I do."
"This isn't going as well as I thought." Asuna said, looking over at Donna.
"Say it!"
"I do." Lance said.
"I do." Donna said.
"I don't. Activate the particles. Purge every last one." The Empress said, as Donna and Lance glow. "And release!" The Huon particles zoom straight down into the hole so kindly dug by Torchwood. "The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages."
"Who will? What's down there?"
"How thick are you?!" Lance exclaimed.
"A bunch of spiders are down there." Asuna said, sadly.
"My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh! The web star shall come to me." The Empress said, while the spaceship starts to move towards the Earth as lots of somethings start to climb up the hole. "My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."
"Use her, not me! Use her!" Lance said, angrily.
"Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady friend. The Empress does not approve." The Empress said, as the web releases Lance, and he falls into the hole.
"Lance!" Donna said.
"The Christmas star is close to London." Asuna said, when Yui appeared right in front of her.
"Mommy!" Yui said, floating in front of Asuna. "Where's daddy?"
(Jared's POV)
"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat." The Empress said, as energy lances out from the spaceship's lower four arms, wreaking havoc in the streets. The little girl screams as one beam cuts through the road until someone snatches her out of its way. "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." Three robots walks up the steps. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man and his friends."
"Kirito!" Asuna said, as Kirito removes the robot mask and robe.
"Asuna." Kirito said, taking out the Monado.
The Doctor removes the robot mask and robe, "Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!"
"Asuna!" Kirito said, and the Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at Donna and Asuna for the web to start giving away.
"Kirito!" Asuna said, as I removed the robot mask and robe off my face.
"Shit!" I said, having my arms on the railing.
"We're going to fall!" Donna said, terrified.
"You're going to swing! I've got you!" The Doctor said, as Donna and Asuna are screaming while swinging across the hole.
"This is a lot of fun." Asuna said, as she and Donna swung past the Empress and stops underneath the landing where the Doctor, Kirito, and I are standing.
"Six feet too long." Kirito said, looking down at the strand of the web.
"Asuna, are you okay?" I asked, when Donna and Asuna dropped to the ground with a clang.
"I'm fine. That hurt." Asuna said, frowning.
"Thanks for nothing." Donna said, annoyed.
"The doctor man amuses me." The Empress said.
"Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now." The Doctor said.
"These men are so funny."
"What's your answer?"
"Oh I'm afraid I have to decline."
"Well, what happens next is your own doing." Kirito said. "You just made the biggest decision of your life."
"I'll show you what happens next. At arms! Take aim! And…"
"Relax." The Doctor said, as the robots slump.
"What did you do?" Donna asked.
"Guess what I've got, Donna?" The Doctor asked, taking out a robot remote control. "Pockets."
"How did that fit in there?" Donna asked.
"They're bigger on the inside." I said, happily. "The Doctor's pockets and mine."
"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh." The Empress said.
"Oh, but I'm not from Mars." The Doctor said.
"Then where?"
"My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey."
"They murdered the Racnoss!"
"I warned you. You did this." The Doctor said, taking some Christmas tree decorations from another pocket.
"Putting so many lives at risk." Kirito said, having the same mindset as the Doctor. "How unforgivable."
"No! No! Don't! No!" The Empress said, as the Doctor and Kirito threw the baubles into the air.
"You deserve this, Empress of the Racnoss." Kirito said, and the Doctor uses the remote to direct the baubles.
The Doctor uses some to blow holes in the corridor wall to let the Thames in, whilst the rest surround the Empress.
"Oh my god…" Asuna said, as fires break out, and manhole covers burst under the pressure. "This isn't my Kirito."
"He's doing this out of guilt and rage." I said, running down the steps to Asuna. "That's what. Both of them are."
"We have to stop them." Asuna said, when water comes flooding into the lair and down the hole.
"But how?" Donna asked, as alien screams come upwards.
"No! No! My children! No! My children! My children!" The Empress said.
"Doctor! You can stop now!" Donna said, looking up at the Doctor.
"Kirito!" Asuna said, looking up at her boyfriend/husband. "This isn't you! Stop it! Please."
"Come on. Time I got you lot out." The Doctor said, looking at Kirito, Asuna, Donna, and I.
"Sorry about that." Kirito said, as the Doctor, Donna, Kirito, Asuna, and I head up the stairs soaked to the skin. "I wasn't thinking straight."
"Transport me!" The Empress said.
"It's okay, you were guilty over losing the people you love." Asuna said, climbing up the ladder below Kirito.
"But what about the Empress?" Donna asked.
"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!" The Doctor said.
"She's defenseless over the military taking her down!" I said, excitedly. "That's what."
"It's so like you and Kirito to get reckless." Asuna said.
Thames Barrier…
The Doctor, Donna, Kirito, Asuna, and I stand on gate 8.
"Just there's one problem." Donna said.
"What is that?" The Doctor asked.
"We've drained the Thames."
Outside the Nobles' home…
The Tardis is parked across the road.
"There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything." The Doctor said, smiling.
"More than I've done." Donna said, sadly.
The Doctor gives Donna a quick sonic scan, "No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."
"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."
"Donna, we couldn't save him." I said, leaning against the TARDIS. "I'm sorry."
"He deserved it. No, he didn't. I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."
"It's the best Christmas present they could have." I said, as Sylvia and Geoff hug each other. "Oh yeah, I forgot you hate Christmas."
"Yes, I do."
"Even if it snows?" The Doctor asked, making the Tardis lamp turn yellow and fire off a bolt of energy into the sky.
"Snow to wrap up a day like today." I said, looking up at the instant snow shower.
"Doctor, I can't believe you did that!" Donna said, at a loss for words.
"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." The Doctor said.
"Merry Christmas. To the both of you."
"Thanks, Merry Christmas to you too, Donna Noble." I said. "So, what will you be doing now?"
"Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."
"Well, you could always…" The Doctor said.
"What?"
"Come with us…"
"No."
"Okay."
"I can't."
"No, that's fine."
"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do the both of you live your lives like that?" Donna asked.
"No." I said, looking away for a moment. "We don't."
"Not all the time." The Doctor said.
"I think the two of you do. And I couldn't." Donna said.
"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful."
"And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and Doctor, you and Kirito stood there like, I don't know, strangers. And then Doctor, you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death."
"I know." I said, with Yui sitting on my shoulder. "I tried my best to stop them both."
"Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner. Oh, come on." Donna said.
"We don't do that sort of thing." The Doctor said.
"You and Jared did it last year. You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."
"Oh, all right then. But you go first. Better warn them. And don't say I'm a Martian. We just have to park her properly. She might drift off to the Middle Ages. We'll see you in a minute." The Doctor said, as he and I both entered the TARDIS.
TARDIS…
"Time for a little break." I said, leaning against the railing and hearing the wheezing noise. "I need some sleep after a day like today."
"You do look a little tired." Yui said.
Outside the Noble's home...
"Doctor! Jared! Doctor!" Donna said, angrily.
"Blimey, you can shout." The Doctor said, as him and I exited the TARDIS.
"Am I ever going to see the two of you again?" Donna asked.
"You might, someday." I said, laughing a little. "Maybe during Spring 2009. Who knows. We might be lucky to seeing you again."
"Just promise me one thing. Both of you. Find someone."
"I don't need anyone. Only Jared does." The Doctor said.
"Yes, you do, Doctor. Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you." Donna said.
"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna. Good luck. And just be magnificent." The Doctor said.
"I think I will, yeah." Donna said, as the Doctor and I entered the TARDIS again. "Doctor? Jared?"
"Oh, what is it now?" The Doctor asked, and he and I popped our heads out of the TARDIS.
"That friend of yours. What was her name?" Donna asked.
"Her name was Rose." The Doctor said.
"Rose Tyler." I said, as the Doctor and I popped our heads back inside the TARDIS.
The Tardis starts to dematerialise, then shoots straight up into the sky before vanishing.