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Danni had to wonder if being a full-time companion was just as infuriating as being with the Doctor now was. The running was just out of control, and he didn't seem to want to wait for anyone as he jumped out of the passenger's seat of the car and ran towards H.C. Clements. She and Donna were quick out of the car after him, with Lance bringing up the rear.
Danni was also rather impressed with Donna who, despite still being in full bridal gear, was keeping up with the Doctor's experienced running. She'd never noticed that in the episode. Perhaps she didn't know the story as well as she thought she did.
"To you lot this might just be a locksmith's," he said as they ran through the courtyard and to the front door of the giant building. "But H.C. Clements was bought up twenty-three years ago by the Torchwood Institute."
He dove towards the first computer desk he came to.
"Who are they?" Donna asked.
"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." There was silence from the bride and he turned to look at her, again incredulous by her seeming lack of observation.
"There was a giant battle between Cybermen and Daleks over Canary Wharf," Danni explained for him. "I wouldn't worry about it. They're dicks, that's all you need to know."
"You really didn't notice?" the Doctor asked her, agreeing with Danni's sentiments completely.
"Oh, I was in Spain," she offered as an explanation. She remembered something being mentioned. Just more stupid people making up stories. Although, saying that, she was being chased by robot Santas. Perhaps she had missed something rather large.
"They had Cybermen in Spain," the Doctor countered.
"Scuba diving," she clarified. No matter. If it was important she would have seen it by now.
The Doctor shared a look with Danni. There were so many questions and not all of them were to do with Donna. How did Danni even know about the Battle if she hadn't been there?
He stuck with what he was working on, though, pushing the other questions to the back of his mind to keep ticking away. "That big picture, Donna - you keep on missing it." He ran over to another computer to inspect it, pushing past Lance rather unnecessarily. "Torchwood was destroyed, but H.C. Clements stayed in business."
Danni and Donna trailed after him, trying to see what he was doing. Danni was rather interested to see what her brain filled in the gaps with. But, as he always seemed to be, he moved too fast for her to see.
"I think... someone else came in and took over," he whacked the monitor as it wasn't cooperating, "the operation."
"But what do they want with me?" she asked. The Doctor stopped what he was doing. That was the big question, wasn't it? Torchwood was right in the middle of this mess, but Donna had been pulled quite literally into it.
Danni reached out, rubbing a hand on her arm. "The Doctor will work it out," she promised, because she knew it was true. "But you've been dosed with Huon energy, which means that they want you for a reason."
"What's Huon energy?" Donna demanded.
"It shouldn't even exist," the Doctor replied. "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 just looked confused and he realised he needed to explain it a bit clearer.
He looked around, trying to find something that would explain it on a more basic level – like he would have done for Rose, but he pushed that thought away. He picked up a mug, deciding that would do. "Say... that's the TARDIS," he started before looking around for something smaller, like a pencil. He picked it up and gave it a little wave. "And that's you. The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and WHAP you were pulled inside the TARDIS." He chucked the pencil into the mug for effect.
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna asked, unsure about whether to be upset at being dosed up with something without her knowledge or upset because he'd compared her to a piece of stationary.
"Yes, you are," he replied, spinning the pencil around. "4H. Sums you up."
"Someone was giving you a little dose of energy every day, topping it up in your food, or drink," Danni explained to the baffled woman. She shot Lance a look but continued without addressing him. "Which means that you're the important part of this, not the TARDIS. You being pulled into her was just a coincidence."
The Doctor had turned back to the computer, continuing his investigation. "Lance? What was H C 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," he replied defensively. The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver to the screen and Danni leant in closer. The website of the company appeared but quickly began switching through page after page. "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance continued.
"Oh, keep up," Danni snapped at him. "Someone is after Donna and it's someone who works in this building. It's not that difficult."
The Doctor shot a quick look out of the corner of his eye at Lance. Someone would have had to top Donna up for her to be dosed high enough to pull her into the TARDIS. And, from what he'd learnt so far about Danni, if she didn't like someone he needed to pay attention. She was friendly to everyone they met except for the people who he needed to be wary of.
He paused on one particular page as he found what he was looking for. "Look at this," he commanded. He'd found what he was looking for, even though he hadn't been sure about what he'd actually been looking for until it had caught his eye.
"It's just the map of the building," Donna retorted. "What's that got to do with anything?"
He looked to Donna and Lance and they both looked perplexed at what they were being shown. He then glanced at Danni, who really didn't seem particularly surprised, which mean that he was on the right track. He still wasn't completely sure that he appreciated her cues, but he wasn't sure if he had time to be pondering that.
"Come with me," he told them all before sprinting off towards the lifts. Danni sighed in resignation. If she thought it would make any difference she would have had a word about all the running off. As it was, she knew where he was going so she just followed with Donna and Lance trailing behind.
The Doctor had already called the lift. "We're on the third floor," he reminded them just as it pinged and the door opened. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" There was no word of correction, so he stepped into the metal box, Danni following.
"There it is," she commented, pointing at the button. "A lower basement button."
"There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans," the Doctor confirmed. "So what's down there then?" He wasn't even sure where Danni had gotten that information from. Had she noticed it too, or was it something she already knew? He was never sure with her.
"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked in disbelief.
"No," the Doctor replied. "We're showing you this building's got a secret floor," the Doctor replied.
"It needs a key," Donna pointed out. She was right. Included on the button was a little key hole, obviously to stop anyone without authorisation heading down.
"I don't," the Doctor boasted. With a quick buzz of his sonic screwdriver the lock clicked and he turned to look at the bride and her almost-husband. He placed a hand on Danni's back, ready to push her back out into the hallway.
"Right then, thanks you three, I can handle this - see you later."
Danni scoffed. This was her dream, she controlled where she went, not some Time Lord. "As if you're going anywhere without me, Spaceman," she replied firmly. The Doctor opened his mouth to try and convince her to stay behind. He couldn't be sure that, in this state of mind, she would be safe going to see what was hiding in the basement. However, Donna joined them in the lift before he could say anything.
"You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight," she declared with an air of finality. The Doctor relented. Perhaps it was better he kept the two redheads in sight at all time.
"Going down," he settled on, finger ready of the button, and Donna looked at Lance.
"Lance!" she commanded firmly. The man looked around, at the exits to the building, looking for an escape.
"Maybe I should go to the police," he suggested. The look on Donna's face suggested that this was not what she had wanted to head.
"Inside."
Lance meekly stepped into the lift, trying to look like he wasn't just doing as he was told. The Doctor couldn't help but lean in slightly closer. "To honour and obey," he reminded the groom.
"Tell me about it, mate," Lance replied, annoyed.
"Oi!" Donna said, scolding them both. Danni smirked slightly as both men seemed to shut up at her warning tones. Danni grinned to herself. She did always love Donna.
~0~0~0~
The lift door pinged as it opened again, this time revealing a dark, damp corridor lit by an ominous green lighting. It smelt horrid and as they all stepped out to have a look around, Danni's nose wrinkled up. It seemed to stretch on for quite a while in either direction and the Doctor tried to spot something that might give them any indication on what was going on.
"Where are we?" Donna asked. "What goes on down here?"
"Let's find out..." the Doctor murmured.
"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" Donna pressed.
"The mysterious H C Clements? I think he's part of it."
Danni was in two minds about what was going to happen next. Lance's fate seemed a little cruel, but she wasn't sure if she should even change it. It made her head hurt to even think about the moral implications of it. He was a dick, but death by spider? Was that really a suitable punishment?
Then she remembered it was a dream, so she really didn't have to care. It had already happened. Lance was written to die so she just had to go along with it.
She grinned, tugging at the Doctor's sleeve. "There," she declared, causing him to turn his attention in the other direction. He seemed rather pleased as well.
"Oh, look – transport."
He walked off in the direction of the Segways that Danni had pointed out with a joy of someone about to have some fun on an otherwise bad day. Danni was fast behind him and soon the four of them were making their way down the corridor.
They all tried to look serious, but Danni had never been any good at hiding her emotions and so she was the first to start giggling. Donna was next, and soon the Doctor joined in.
"This is ridiculous!" Danni cried. "She's in her wedding dress!"
"I'm in my wedding dress!" Donna cackled. Danni suddenly felt like she was having the time of her life. Watching the Doctor and his companions seeing the universe and having a good time was one of the reasons she loved the show so much. Even in the depths of the horror he could come across, he could always find the best of the universe and humanity. She really wished it was something that would stay.
The Doctor noticed the sign the moment it came into view. 'Torchwood Authorised Personnel Only'. It was always something to do with Torchwood, wasn't it? He really didn't want to follow that lead but it was the best he had, so he parked up and quickly dashed over to the door the sign was stuck to.
He quickly opened the door, revealing nothing more than a small square room and a ladder that lead upwards. He turned to the trio. Donna and Lance were staring at him expectantly whilst Danni was still grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't risk them running off or doing something stupid.
He pointed at them all. "Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything," he instructed firmly before he started climbing upwards.
Danni leant into the room, looking upwards as he climbed. She considered, for a moment, following him but that seemed like a lot of ladder to climb. She was probably better off staying behind. It wasn't like she didn't know what she was going to see up there anyway. "You'd better come back," she warned him anyway.
"I couldn't get rid of you if I tried." She was slightly taken aback by the harshness off his words. She hadn't expected him to sound mildly annoyed. Then again he was climbing a rather long ladder. She couldn't blame him for being more concerned about that than his tone.
Still, words would have to be had. She wouldn't stand for him being rude. This was her dream, he had to behave properly.
~0~0~0~
"Thames flood barrier!" the Doctor declared, jumping down the last part of the ladder rather dramatically. He'd had an inkling they had been underneath the river, but it was nice to know exactly where they were. "Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."
"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked sceptically.
"I know! Unheard of," he replied almost sarcastically as he walked away, Danni falling into line next to him.
"Can't be many left unused. It was bound to be the Thames eventually," she commented quietly, to which he nodded in agreement. He didn't even ask how she knew that considering how new she seemed to the whole 'adventure' scenario, but he would find out more when they had time to do so. He didn't want to…
He stopped, turning to her. "How do you know that?" he asked. "You shouldn't know that. You shouldn't know anything about the secrets underneath London."
She shrugged. "Of course I know that," she replied. "It's my dream, I know everything."
"You're not…" he started before realising that if it was going to take a lot more than him telling her it wasn't a dream for her to believe it, like he could use his last dying breath to tell Donna he wasn't a Martian and she wouldn't pay any attention. He could see it on her face, and she'd always been so bloody stubborn that he was never going to change her mind.
His strides were slightly farther apart as he continued down the hallway and she struggled to keep up with him. She'd annoyed him, she could tell, but hopefully it would pass. He had bigger things to deal with than the source of her spoilers, surely? And she didn't want to tell him that he was a TV character. Even in a dream that seemed so cruel.
This time the door they approached had a large glass window in with the Torchwood 'T' symbol printed on it. The green flood lighting illuminated it like it was the exit, but instead it led to another room. Danni couldn't help but look around in amazement at all of the chemistry equipment that had been stuffed into the room, all bubbling and boiling away. Immediately she wanted to run around and touch every single thing, trying to work out what it was all for. No wonder the Doctor couldn't resist a large, red button. Everything was so tempting.
"Oh, look at this! Stunning!" the Doctor cried as he looked around like a kid in candy store. Danni smiled fondly; he was adorable.
"What does it do?" Donna exclaimed, sounding offended she was out of her depth.
"Particle extrusion," the Doctor explained as if everyone should have known what that was. "Hold on..." He darted over to a one, tapping on a small blue bubbling tube, watching the reaction, grinning wildly. "Brilliant," he declared, a grin on his face. "They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Of course, my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."
"Your people?" Lance asked. "Who are they? What company do you represent?"
"Oh, he's just an ancient amateur," Danni replied for him. "He just passes through and helps out where he can."
"That's me," the Doctor agreed as he continued to examine the equipment. It was quite genius, really, if it hadn't been so incredibly worrying. "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." He pulled out a small glass container from underneath one of the giant tubes. "Huon particles in liquid form."
"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked quietly. He replied by gently twisting the top of the tube, causing the contents to glow a brilliant gold. Donna gasped as she also began glowing gold. "Oh, my God!"
"Genius," he commented. "Because the particles are inert they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then..." He explained before trailing off as he worked out what had happened. "HA!" he exclaimed as both Danni and Donna jumped as he began pacing backwards and forwards madly. "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, terrified and angry in equal measure, slapped him hard across the face, surprising him enough to cause him to stumble backwards. "What did I do this time?" he asked indignantly.
"Are you enjoying this?" she demanded angrily and the Doctor calmed down, slightly ashamed of himself.
"Of course not," Danni interjected, walking over to the other woman. Throughout this whole episode Danni had always felt so sorry for Donna. She'd been loud and brass, but she'd just wanted to get married to a man who she loved and who she thought loved her in return. "He just gets excited when he works things out, but that's a good thing. You know why?" Donna shook her head. "Because if he knows what it is, he can fix it."
"Am I safe?" Donna asked them both imploringly. "These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"
"Yes," the Doctor said both dismissively and unconvincingly. Donna stared at him, seeing straight through his lie.
"Doctor... if your lot got rid of Huon particles... why did they do that?" she asked him.
The Doctor could see it on her face, and he couldn't lie to her. "Because they were deadly."
"Oh, my God..." she breathed out, looking around the room, trying to find a way out of the news she'd just been given.
Danni instinctively reached out, taking hold of Donna's arms to force her to look at her. "Donna," she started gently. "He will fix this. That's what he does. The Doctor comes in, saves the day, and fixes things. He will fix you too."
"Really?" Donna asked. "How?"
"It doesn't matter how," Danni replied. "He will. That's what he does. You are not safe yet, but you will be. He'll reverse it and you will be fine."
The Doctor stared at the top of the smaller ginger woman's head, as surprised by her words as Donna seemed to be comforted by them. She hadn't met him yet, but she seemed already to have so much faith in him. Where had she come from?
As he turned to Donna, who looked afraid despite her best efforts not to, he couldn't help but think of the events that had brought them here. How it had been Torchwood who had opened the cracks, how Rose had been on the other side. How he'd wanted to tell her so much when she disappeared, only for the words to stick in his throat.
"I'm not about to lose someone else," he added with the determination in his tone and in his gaze.
The sound of machinery starting up took them all out of the moment. "Oh, she is long since lost," a female voice hissed. Much to the surprise of everyone – even Danni who felt like she didn't remember that particular part of the episode – the wall behind them began to rise up off the floor. There had been no sign that it had been a façade, but it rose to reveal a secret room. Everything was made of stone and there was a very large, very deep hole in the floor. There were cobwebs everywhere and robots lined either wall on scaffolding, but Danni could only focus on the never-ending chasm, knowing exactly what was hiding down there. If this had been real she would have been absolutely terrified, but she told herself that it was just a dream. There was no need to panic. Her heart really didn't have to race so hard. She definitely wasn't going to fall straight down the hole and into the mouths of thousands of spider babies.
She stepped slightly backwards, away from the hole. Just in case.
"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe..." the voice continued, sounding like she was slobbering, like she had too much in her mouth. "Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" All the robots, in unison, turned and pointed their guns at the group. Donna stared, open mouthed, still surprised by everything they were coming across. The Doctor, on the other hand, placed his hands in his pockets and stepped forward.
"Someone's been digging," he commented, moving towards the giant hole. Immediately Danni saw him falling down it, even though she knew that didn't happen. He peered over the edge. "Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"
"Does it matter?" Danni snapped. "Get away from it."
"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" the voice told him, still not revealing herself.
"Really?" the Doctor replied, not really expecting that answer. He had hoped for something a bit more meaningful. "Seriously? What for?"
Donna's face lit up slightly as she had an idea. She hitched her skirt up slightly and moved to his side. "Dinosaurs," she stated.
"What?" he asked.
"Dinosaurs?" she repeated, sounding a little unsure at his confused look, but sticking to her idea none the less.
"What are you on about 'dinosaurs'?" he replied, trying to work out what she was trying to tell him. Was it code? Were the Huon particles causing her to feel slightly unwell?
"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs," she explained. "Trying to help"
"That's not helping," the Doctor replied.
"Hey, rude!" Danni scolded him. She took a glance over the edge of the hole, then decided it might have just been better to ignore it. Scary parts of dreams usually meant something, didn't they? Perhaps the reason she was so focused on it was because there was a hole in part of her life and it had nothing to do with the idea of plummeting into the mouths of tiny alien spider-babies. She stepped a little closer to the pair as if to prove she really wasn't scared.
"Such a sweet couple," the voice interrupted mockingly.
For some reason that thought really annoyed the Doctor. He started turning on the spot in a circle, looking for the source of the voice. "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!" he taunted as he paced around the two women.
"Who are you with such command?" the voice hissed, offended by his tone.
"I'm the Doctor."
"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart." In a wave of light, the large red spider-like creature Danni had been expecting appeared in the corner of the room. She snarled and growled, trying to look fearsome and intimidating. It was working. On the show she'd looked like some woman in a ridiculous costume, up close she was terrifying. Even the Doctor was looking up at her in horror.
"The Racnoss," he breathed. "But that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!"
"Empress of the Racnoss," the creature declared proudly.
"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?" the Doctor demanded, eyes widening in realisation as he answered his own question. "Or... are you the only one?"
"Such a sharp mind," the Empress replied, sounding like it was more of an insult that a compliment.
"That's it, the last of your kind." He turned to Donna and Danni "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?" the Empress cried.
Donna blinked, stunned as she realised what was being implied. "They eat people?"
"H C Clements, did he wear those- those erm, black and white shoes?" the Doctor asked. Donna nodded, grinning at the memory.
"He did!" she replied. "We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats."
Both the Doctor and Danni pointed to the ceiling in unison, to the cobweb that had a pair of feet dangling out of it wearing black and white shoes. It took a moment for Donna to locate where they were pointing, but when she did she grabbed the Doctor's arm in shock. "Oh my god!"
"Mm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress told them before cackling and smacking her lips together.
"You shouldn't even exist!" the Doctor accused before turning back to his companions. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss - they were wiped out." Danni caught sight of Lance climbing towards the Empress and sighed to herself; not long now.
"Except for me," the Empress boasted as Donna caught sight of her fiancé. She quickly formed a plan in her head, stepping forward so that the Racnoss would keep her attention on her.
"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing," Donna called up. The Empress started to turn away dismissively but Donna exclaimed in annoyance. "Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Behind the Empress Lance had picked up an axe, walking slowly towards the giant spider. Once again the Racnoss turned her head and Donna called to get her attention. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."
"The bride is so feisty!" the Empress hissed in appreciation.
"Yes, I am!" Donna agreed. "And I don't know what you are, you big..." She made a hand motion, unable to describe the creature in front of her. "Thing. But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" Donna watched with pride as Lance swung the axe towards the Racnoss, but as the Empress faced him he stopped, looked round at Donna and began to laugh with the Empress.
"That was a good one," Lance laughed, pointing at the Racnoss. "Your face!"
"Lance is funny," the Empress told them before laughing again.
"What?" Donna asked, confused.
"Lance is a prick!" Danni called back angrily. Donna looked to the other red head before back up at her husband-to-be.
The Doctor leant in to her. "I'm sorry."
She only glanced at him briefly. "Sorry for what?" she asked offhandedly. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"
Lance didn't look impressed, or happy to see her anymore. He just looked annoyed. "God, she's thick," he snapped. Donna looked back up at him, unable to comprehend what was happening. "Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map," he continued harshly.
"I don't understand." Donna stated quietly, looking at between the Doctor and her fiancé imploringly.
"How did you meet him?" the Doctor asked gently.
"In the office," she reminded him, unable to see the significance.
"He made you coffee," Danni added on the end, giving Donna a soft rub on the arm for comfort whilst continuing to glare up at the horrible man who had tricked her for all this time.
"What?" Donna asked, still confused.
"Every day, I made you coffee," Lance explained as if he was talking to a child.
"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," the Doctor explained and it all clicked in Donna's mind. The horrid truth of what had happened to her.
"He was poisoning me," she realised, wounded.
"It was all there in the job titled," the Doctor declared, looking up at the two monsters in front of them. Another example of the stain of humanity. "The Head of Human Resources."
"This time, it's personnel," Lance finished jokingly. He and the Racnoss laughed at the terrible pun together before turning back to face the trio.
"But... we were getting married," Donna tried weakly.
"Well, I couldn't risk you running off," Lance replied bluntly. "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. 'Oh, Brad and Angelina - is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me!'" he ranted off before looking at her in disgust. "Dear God, the never-ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia."
"Hey!" Danni exclaimed, unable to listen to him any longer. She'd hated this part in the episode and even dreaming about it made her blood boil. She pointed at Donna whilst never taking her eyes of Lance. "This woman is the most important woman to ever exist!" she told him sincerely and passionately. "If you think any different then you deserve exactly what's coming to you!"
"I deserve a medal," he insisted.
"You deserve everything you get!" Danni reiterated.
"Is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss?" the Doctor asked. "What are you? Her consort?"
"It's better than a night with her," Lance replied, motioning to Donna as if he hadn't done enough damage already.
"But I love you," Donna said almost mournfully. Lance looked at her pitifully.
"That's what made it easy," he replied nastily. "It's like you said, Doctor," he continued. "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-to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?" The Doctor just looked back at him disgusted at his actions.
"Who is this little physician?" the Empress hissed and Lance glanced at her.
"She said Martian," he replied.
The Doctor shrugged, hands in his pockets as he started to walk towards the giant hole in the ground. "Oh, I'm sort of homeless," he brushed off. "But the point is, what's down here?" He pointed downwards. "The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"
"I think he wants us to talk," Lance taunted in a childish tone.
"I think so too," the Empress replied.
"Well, tough!" Lance finished. "All we need is Donna!"
"Kill this chattering little doctor-man!" the Empress ordered her robots. Donna, terrified and angry, moved in front of the Doctor, arms spread to her side. She felt helpless and useless, but the Doctor and Danni had tried to help her whereas Lance and his spider girlfriend had just wanted to hurt her. She was only small and ineffective, but she wasn't just going to stand back and watch him die.
"Don't you hurt him!" she exclaimed.
"No, no, it's all right," the Doctor reassured her as he tried to move her back behind him again.
"No, I won't let them!"
Danni reached out, grabbing Donna's hand. "It's fine, I promise," she told the other woman.
"At arms!" the Empress cried. The robots around the room turned and pointed their guns at the Doctor, ready for the order to shoot.
"Ah, now, except," the Doctor started, pointing into the air with both fingers.
"Take aim!"
"Well, I just want to point out the obvious…" he continued.
"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots," the Empress promised with a sickly grin that showed off all of her teeth. It was too many, Danni decided. Too many teeth.
"Just- just- just- hold on, just a tick, just a tiny- just a little- tick." He showed the size of the tick with his finger and thumb just to show how little time this was going to take. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it," he pulled out the tube of liquid Huon particles and turned to top like he had done before, "the spaceship comes to her." He pulled the tube of Huon partials out of his pocket and turned the top around. Danni pushed herself up against the Doctor as Donna started to glow again.
"Fire!" the Empress ordered but the bullets bounced away as the TARDIS materialised around the trio. The Doctor darted to the console as Danni felt an unnatural amount of relief to see the TARDIS again.
"Off we go!" he cried as he flew the TARDIS away from harm. "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it." He told her as he flew the box into the Vortex, "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up…"
"Doctor?" Danni called over. "How about we just stop for a minute, yeah?"
He looked over at the pair. Donna was stood there, sobbing quietly and Danni had already moved over to give her a hug. He felt a bit bad about being so excited to see the beginning of the universe and instead flew them away silently as Danni helped Donna sit down in the pilot seat.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," she whispered gently. "I'm so sorry."