The Time Child Rewrite
Alright, I can’t stop thinking about this. I can’t promise that I’ll continue, or when the new chapters will replace the old ones. I, at the very least, want to get a few built up so it seems less... I dunno, messy when I do update.
But check under the Read More. Read the first chapter on FF.net and then this one and tell me what you think.
For as long as she could remember, which was maybe the last seventeen of her twenty-two years of life, Danni had always loved Christmas. Not just the day, although it was always fantastic getting presents, but the entire Christmas period. Spending time with friends and family, the music, the general atmosphere, all appealed to her and she always felt her happiest in the last month of the year.
This year it had actually snowed, in the UK, on Christmas! Well, alright, it was maybe a day or four beforehand, but it was the closest she had ever seen since she was a baby. She couldn't stop the grin on her face as she trudged through the couple of inches on the floor, heading towards her best friend Claire’s house for their pre-Christmas meet up. For the last couple of years they had met up a couple of days before the big day to exchange presents before Claire headed down south to her parents and Danni went slightly north to her parents. It was one of the joys of being a university student; you were now considered old enough to cook your own food and wash your own clothes unless you went home to your parents, so no one ever stayed in the vicinity unless absolutely necessary. She knocked on the front door of the red brick house, managing to hide the gift bag she was carrying behind her back before it flung open. Claire was still in her pyjamas, blonde hair sticking up in every direction, in contrast to Danni who was in her big coat and matching scarf and glove combo with her deep red hair sticking out from underneath her woolly hat in pigtails.
“I am so sorry; I was up all last night because next door decided to have a bloody party without warning. Again!” Claire screamed around the doorframe at her bothersome next door neighbours. Danni’d had many encounters with them in the past, and it was generally known that they were inconsiderate party animals. It always made her slightly glad that she’d stayed in halls for her third year rather than in the house as Claire had suggested that summer. She’d never lived well with people anyway, but for the most part people left the halls to get drunk and rowdy.
Danni shrugged. “No problem. Let me in, it's freezing.”
Claire did just that, giving the finger to the house next door, like it would have made any difference, as she headed back inside. Danni took a moment to take her coat and shoes off in the hallway, she didn’t want to trudge snow in through the house, and then she headed to the living room.
Claire was the last one out of her housemates to go home for the holidays, so Danni flopped down on the well-loved sofa and pulled her feet up on it without worrying about encroaching on all the free space. Claire had disappeared for a moment but followed shortly afterwards now wearing an oversized Christmas jumper and carrying a gift bag.
Danni grabbed the one she’d brought and they held them out to each other, getting straight down to business so they could spend the rest of the day watching TV.
“So here it is, Merry Christmas!” Danni sang out loudly as she pulled out a box-shaped present from the bright bag Claire had given her. It was too fat to be a DVD or book and she tore into it with the enthusiasm of a small child. Claire did the same with her small present and squealed at the silver necklace Danni had bought her.
“Oh my god I love it!” she cried. Danni laughed joyfully at the Doctor Who box that had be wrapped in shiny paper. She held it up to her chest as she turned to her friend.
“You know the way to my heart,” she complimented her friend as she gazed down at River Song, who was looking back up at her with a smirk; all bushy hair and full of sass. Inside the dark blue box was a faux leather Vortex Manipulator, with built in calculator and time and date display. She ripped it out of the box and placed it on her wrist.
“Where on earth did you get this?”
“EBay,” Claire replied simply. “I think it came over from America. It must of, it took like a month to arrive. I didn't think it was coming at all to be honest. That's why there's something else in there.”
Danni hadn’t even noticed, but inside the bag was another wrapped up gift. She tore the wrapping off and found a child’s Eleventh Doctor dress-up kit. She quickly took the red bow tie out and placed it around her neck with the same eagerness Claire had done with her necklace.
“This is the best thing ever!”
The friends hugged tightly, then Claire joined her on the sofa, grabbing the remote as she did. “I think there’s a movie on BBC1,” the blonde told her.
~0~0~0~
As the credits of Toy Story 2 began scrolling down the screen Danni stretched and turned to her best friend, who was curled up on the opposite side of the sofa hugging a cushion to her chest.
“So, Miss Claire Watson, now what?” Danni asked, placing a faux posh accent on her friend’s name.
“Dunno. I'm thirsty though, what time is it Miss Danielle Fielding?” She replied in the same style. Danni flipped open the toy on her wrist and showed it dramatically to her.
“Well, this is flashing 12 am because I haven't set it yet, and personally I think 12 am means only one thing,” they both threw their arms up in celebration.
“Snowballs!”
Claire jumped up from the sofa. “I'll bring the stuff!”
Danni smiled warmly as she watched her friend run out of the room. They were only visiting their families for a week or so, but she was really going to miss her. She looked down at the Vortex Manipulator, poking a few of the buttons to try and change the time and date but all that happened was she found out 2312 minus 2012 was 300, which she did actually know. She frowned and looked around.
“Where's the box for this thing? I want to set the time on it,” she called through to the kitchen.
“Down the side of the sofa. I had to move it ‘cause it was digging into my back,” Claire replied and she pulled it up and took out the instructions. After flipping through the manual to try and find the English instructions she opened it up and did as it said. Press the red button, type in the date first then the time and press the red button again. She typed in the 25th of December 2012 and grinned to herself.
“Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day!” she sang loudly and Claire's laugh floated through. She then pressed the button on the remote to bring up the time on the television. 14.40; that was typed into the pad and she looked at it with a thoughtful frown before checking the instructions to clear the screen then typed in 14.40 on the 25th of December 2006.
“I'm just off to 2006, won't be a moment,” she called into the kitchen.
“Bring back some lemonade with you. I can't find any anywhere,” Claire called back.
“Will do.”
Danni giggled to herself, sometimes it was so much fun being a grown-up child, and forcefully slammed her finger onto the red button. She gasped then groaned in pain as it felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Her vision went white, and she curled up as she felt herself drop to the ground with a thud.
~0~0~0~
Danni winced as a female voice rang through her head, waking her sharply up from her sleep. She hated being woken up, mornings were never something she wanted to live through. She opened her eyes and found herself not in her bed, but on a metal floor in a room she could not place, but seemed familiar.
“Who are you?!” Danni sat up and saw a ginger woman in a wedding dress screaming furious at a man in a pinstriped suit. Not just a ginger woman, Catherine Tate. Catherine Tate was stood in front of her screaming at David Tennant.
“But...” he looked around the console room dumbfounded.
“Where am I?” Catherine shouted again.
“What?” He seemed to be rather confused and she smiled at the look on his face. She had no idea what was going on, but she loved this part.
“What the hell is this place?”
“What?”
Danni pushed herself up. Maybe she got an electric shock from the toy. That must be it. She's unconscious. She laughed in relief; oh thank god for that. The pair turned to look at her and David grinned happy at her.
“Danni, are you alright?” He rushed over and helped her steady herself as she seemed to be rather off balance.
“Yes, yes I'm fine. This is just the best dream ever,” she replied with a grin.
“Where were you? Did you just come from the 1950's?” he asked hopefully and she laughed.
“No, sorry mate. 2012 through and through here. I'm guessing I'm heading back there in a few moments when Claire finds me on the floor unconscious,” she motioned to Catherine who just seemed to be getting increasingly angrier at the fact that she was being ignored. “Don't let me interrupt you, David. Carry on, I love this episode.”
He looked her up and down, taking in every detail. “Is this your first time here?” he finally asked and she nodded.
“Unfortunately it is.” He closed his eyes as if he was in pain then they shot open and he looked at her confused.
“Did you just call me David?”
Danni shook her head in exasperation and pointed behind her. “Aren't you forgetting someone?” He jumped in realisation and spun back around to face Catherine, who stared back at him aggressively.
He then turned back to Danni, still not quite able to shake the confused look on his face. “Are you wearing a bowtie?”
She reached up around her neck, nodding to herself as she did. “I guess I am,” she agreed before smirking at him. “You always liked a bowtie.”
“What does…” he started before sighing. All she would do would be to throw that ‘spoilers’ word in his face and he wouldn’t get anything else from her about it. Sometimes he really hated not knowing what she did. He preferred when he was the cleverest person in the room.
But, she was right, and he turned his attention back to the bride who had appeared out of nowhere. She looked furious about being ignored, but that was the least of his worries right now.
“You can't- You can’t just appear in the TARDIS,” he accused. “I wasn't... we're in flight! That is-- that is physically impossible! How did--??”
As he fell back into the situation, a stutter in his voice, Danni had to marvel at how her brain seemed to be able to recall the script and yet edit it to allow for her own intervention. Maybe she was some sort of dream genius. That would be awesome.
She’d also added in the details of the console room. There was no crew, no cameras. Just more railings around the edge to create the circle of the elevated platform they were on. But that wasn’t particularly awesome, after all she’d seen many a set photo in her time. The console room was complete, with her own dream Doctor and Donna to join in. She giggled to herself; Doctor-Donna, even.
“Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now - where am I?” Donna cried agitated. Danni couldn't blame her, she was getting married after all.
The Doctor just stared at her as if it was obvious. “Inside the TARDIS.” Danni shook her head; even if she hadn't seen the episode she could see where this was heading.
“The what?”
“The TARDIS.”
“The what?”
“The TARDIS!”
The Doctor turned back to the controls of the ship but his words were just gibberish to Donna. “The what?”
“She’s called the TARDIS,” Danni chipped in, wanting to get the most out of this situation while it lasted. She couldn't wait to tell Claire about this. She was have a fit that she hadn't experienced it.
Donna glared at her angrily. “That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things,” she exclaimed.
“How did you get in here?” the Doctor tried again, still trying to work out how she had suddenly appeared in the TARDIS.
“Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it.”
The Doctor turned to watch her rant, looking her up and down as if the answer would just pop out of her. “Who the hell is Nerys?” he asked her as his curiosity got the best of him.
“Your best friend,” she snapped back.
“No, that's her,” he pointed to Danni, who blinked at him in confusion. He shot her a grin then turned back to Donna. “Hold on, wait a minute - what're you dressed like that for?”
“I'm going ten pin bowling,” she told him sarcastically. “Why do you think, Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!” The Doctor began fiddling with the console as Danni watched Donna begin to rant. “I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away! And then you-- I dunno, you two drugged me or something!” The Doctor looked startled.
“Hang on a minute, I haven't done anything! You watched me appear!” Danni exclaimed, feeling slightly offended at being brought into her accusation. Donna didn’t care that she’d upset her, though, and just shot her a dirty look.
“We're having the police on you! Me and my husband - as soon as he is my husband - we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!” the Doctor didn't reply and Danni didn't really know what to say as Donna noticed the TARDIS doors. She rushed over to them and threw them open, despite the Doctor's protests. She gaped as she saw the supernova they were floating around, her wind taken out of her at the sight outside. Danni had to agree, it was pretty spectacular. It definitely looked better in person than when the Doctor had been saying goodbye to Rose.
Danni’s mouth fell open slightly. Oh, he’d just said goodbye to Rose, hadn’t he? She looked at him again as he approached the magically appearing bride. Poor Doctor. She hated seeing him hurting on the television, in person it suddenly seemed a lot worse.
Suddenly the way he walked over seemed a lot sadder. She knew that this episode seemed like a giant distraction from the pain that he’d faced, and she’d always seen it as that, but suddenly this dream was making that seem less likely. Her heart ached for the lonely time traveller. Would he let her give him a hug?
“You're in space. Outer Space,” the Doctor explained to Donna gently. “This is my... space-ship. It's called the 'TARDIS'.”
Danni walked over to join them, slotting herself in the other side of the doorway. She knew how this would go, however she just wanted to take another look at the outside before she woke up. She wanted to try and commit it to memory. It made her seem so small, made Donna’s anger seem so pointless. It truly was awesome.
“How am I breathing?” Donna asked, also in awe of the sight outside.
“The TARDIS is protecting us,” Danni replied without thinking, barely paying attention at all. The Doctor smiled down at her, a fond look she missed completely. That was the Danni he remembered. Always knowing more than she should.
“Who are you?” Donna asked the Doctor again. This time she was calmer as the realisation of how far from home she was hit her.
“I'm the Doctor, and she's Danni,” the Doctor introduced quietly. “You?”
“Donna.”
He looked her up and down. “Human?” he enquired.
“Yeah,” she replied before turning to him, a suspicious look on her face. “Is that optional?”
“Well, it is for me.”
Donna glanced around at them, casting her gaze up and down the two individuals. She tried to be surprised, but suddenly nothing seemed like it could be too far-fetched. “You're an alien.”
“Yeah,” he simply replied.
She took a moment to process everything, pondering on what to say next. Her Granddad had always said alien’s existed, but even he would struggle to believe this. “It's freezing with these doors open,” she settled on and he slammed the doors shut then ran back over to the console.
“But I don't understand it and I understand everything!” he exclaimed, rambling as he tried to grab some thought of an idea that might explain what had happened. “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...”
He grabbed a device out of a tool belt he seemed to have lying around – usually very convenient Danni had always thought as she’d watched the show – and held it up 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,” he lowered the device and Danni could see Donna’s hands clenching at her side. While on the show Danni had always found the slap very funny, because he could ramble for an age if he wasn’t stopped, knowing that Rose had just left him made Danni step between them both.
“Doctor,” she stated firmly, catching his attention with a pointed look. If he wasn’t careful he was going to get himself slapped. “Maybe we should take her to her wedding,” she reminded him pointedly. “She’s in her dress. Examining her when she’s stressed isn’t going to give any proper results.”
She blinked, surprised by how the reasoning had just rolled of her tongue. Maybe she’d picked up more off the television that she had always suspected. And they said that television wasn’t educational.
The Doctor, now broken from his ranting, took a look at Donna over Danni’s head. While part of him tensed at listening to her, he fought to push it away and nodded in agreement. “Fine,” he grumbled and Danni smiled at him as he turned to the console.
Danni turned back to Donna, who looked rather annoyed that she had stepped in. “Thank you,” she grumbled begrudgingly and Danni shrugged.
“I’m sure he means well,” she replied, after all she only had a TV show to go off for his motives. “You’ve just excited him.”
Donna gasped in indignation. “Is that why I’m here?” she exclaimed. “Have you- you kidnapped me to breed with me?”
The Doctor shook his head. “Of course not,” he snapped. “I’ve got better things to do than kidnap some human and breed with it. Where is this wedding?”
“Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System,” Donna snapped out as she walked away from him around the console. How dare he not want to breed with her? He shouldn’t be turning his nose up at her. When Lance heard about…
Her angry thoughts tapered off as she spotted something on the railings. Danni watched her reach over to it and almost groaned; it was Rose's top, the one she left behind. Donna snatched it up and stormed over.
“I knew it. Acting all innocent,” she sneered accusingly, showing him the blouse, shaking it in her anger. “I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?”
Danni felt her heart tighten slightly as he looked up at the garment with a confused look, before taking it in and his face fell. He was so hurt. “That's my friend's,” he replied forlornly.
“Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?” Donna asked sarcastically.
“She's gone.”
Donna just looked more enraged than comforted by his answer. “Gone where?” She was obviously scared at her situation, Danni couldn't blame her but her attitude towards him was starting to grate on her nerves. He had just lost Rose, after all, her brain should have calmed her down a little bit. She was never going to watch this episode the same again.
“I lost her,” he replied after a pause.
“Well, you can hurry up and lose me!”
The two women watched him for a moment, Donna expecting denials and Danni wondering yet again if it would be weird to give her dream a hug. Donna suddenly seemed to realise that there was something more in his answer than he was letting on.
“How do you mean, 'lost'?” she asked, a little bit more sensitively. The Doctor stared at her then stormed towards her. Donna looked slightly scared as he snatched Rose's top off her then made his way towards the door.
“Right! Chiswick.”
~0~0~0~
Donna stormed out of the TARDIS as they landed, looking around at the tall, nondescript buildings. The Doctor followed behind her, and Danni slowly behind him. She looked upwards, it all seemed so real. She really should have woken up by now. Feeling the chill of the winter air, she rubbed her arms to try and gain some body heat. Would she remember all this detail when she woke up? Or would it be like the rest of her Doctor Who dreams, where she’d remember she had them but be frustrated by how little she remembered?
“I said 'Saint Mary's'. What sort of Martian are you?” she snapped, “Where's this?” The Doctor turned and faced the TARDIS, stroking it almost tenderly and ignored her completely.
“Something's wrong with her...” he replied, concerned for the spaceship. Donna rolled her eyes at him. “It's like she's... recalibrating!” Danni stepped out of the way as he ran into the TARDIS.
Danni didn’t follow him in, instead staying with Donna who seemed to realise that she’d walked out of a rather small blue wooden box. She backed away slightly, staring up at the TARDIS in shock.
“It's alright, you know? She’s supposed to be like that.” Danni told her gently, but Donna just shot her a look of disbelief and began pacing around the TARDIS. She reached out, touching the wooden walls as if she didn't believe it was there.
“Donna? You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might've caused this?” the Doctor called from inside. “Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you... have you seen lights in the sky? Or... did you touch something? Something-- something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or... who're you getting married to?” Donna chucked her hands over her mouth in horror at what she had just seen. Danni stepped closer to her but she just turned and ran the other way.
“Donna! Wait!” Danni cried and began chasing her. She knew the Doctor would catch up in a moment, but this was a dream and not the actual episode. If she didn’t follow Donna would that mean that she’d disappear and the whole scenario would change? Or would she just jump to a point where they were together again? She’d never really had much control over her dreams in the past.
But if she was going to lose one, she definitely didn’t want it to be the Doctor. She turned her head, slowing down but the Doctor came running out of the TARDIS and she smiled in relief. Oh good. He was the best part of any dream.
He fell by Donna’s side, barely having to walk fast to keep up with her. She only spared him a glance. “Leave me alone. I just want to get married,” she pleaded.
“Come back to the TARDIS,” he suggested instead but she just hitched her dress up slightly so she could walk faster.
“No way. That box is too...” she paused for a moment to find the right word to describe the impossible box she’d stepped out of. “Weird.”
“She’s just bigger on the inside, that’s all,” Danni tried to reassure her but Donna shot her a look.
“Oh! That's all?” she retorted sarcastically. She continued on but checked her watch, tears appearing her eyes. “Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it.”
“Can’t you phone them? Tell them where you are?” the Doctor asked.
“How do I do that?” she asked, distraught.
“Haven't you got a mobile?”
Donna came to a stop, turning to him with an angry look on her face. “I'm in my wedding dress,” she explained sharply. “It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting at Chez Allison, the one thing I forgot to say is ‘give me pockets!’”
The Doctor nodded to himself. “... This man you're marrying, what's his name?”
The anger immediately fell from her face. “Lance,” Donna replied dreamily.
“Good luck Lance,” he replied and Donna glared at him, almost shaking with rage as she pointed at him.
“Oi!” she exclaimed. “No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married.” She hitched her skirt up. “To hell with you!”
She turned and ran off, the Doctor sighing heavily in resignation. “I'm-- I'm not... I'm not... I'm not from Mars,” he muttered to himself. Why couldn’t he have a random bride who took to the whole ‘time travelling box and alien’ thing a lot smoother? Like Danni. She wasn’t complaining at all about it.
The thought had him turning to her, suddenly concerned by just how easygoing she was being about the whole thing. If this really was her first time in this universe she should have been much more upset about it. Was she in shock? He needed to remember to take better care of her now.
“Are you okay?” he asked her, concerned.
She shrugged. “I'm just getting a bit worried. I thought I'd've woken up by now,” she confessed. There seemed no point in lying to him, after all. He was her subconcious, he probably knew that anyway. It was nice, though, to see the Tenth Doctor looking at her with concern on his face.
“Woken up?” he asked, confused.
“You know? Cause I'm unconscious? This is all a dream,” she replied. He blinked for a moment, as if realising something before his look turned distinctly apologetic. That look on the Doctor’s face that would appear when he had to tell someone that something terrible had happened.
A cold rush went over her. The fact that, so far, everything was going just like the episode hadn’t bothered her but now that he wasn’t running after Donna she realised just how strange that was. “What’s going on?” she asked him.
Where did he start with that? He opened his mouth to reply when his brain caught up with him. The reason that he’d even been thinking of Danni was because of Donna. He jolted, turning around.
“Donna!” he exclaimed, taking off after her and leaving Danni to stare.
She could feel herself starting to panic, and it had nothing to do with what was going on around her. This was turning into a bad dream. She didn’t want it to. “No, wait!” she cried as she ran after him. “Doctor! Please!”
“Why do they always run off?” he snapped as they headed onto the highstreet.
“Do you blame her?” Danni replied, panting in a way none of the companions ever seemed to do when meeting the Doctor. “No one would appreciate being zapped somewhere they didn’t know without warning.”
There was that look again. Almost pitying and she really didn’t like it. Luckily he spotted Donna and rushed off before she could question it further. She wasn’t hard to miss, stood in the street in a wedding dress while everyone around them was bundled up against the cold. She was trying to call down a taxi but nothing was stopping.
“Why's his light on?” she exclaimed in annoyance as one drove past.
The Doctor immediately set off in a run neither women could keep up with. “There’s another one!” he cried but even though all three of them waved it down it just drove by.
“Oi!” Donna called after it before setting her sights on yet another taxi. Once again it didn’t stop for them.
“Do you have this effect on everyone?” the Doctor asked her as they took a moment to stop of the pavement. “Why aren't they stopping?”
“They think I'm in fancy dress,” she reasoned uncertainly. A taxi that drove past honked its horn and the driver inside made a drinking motion as he drove past.
“Stay off the scotch darlin'!” he called and Donna chucked her arms into the air.
“They think I'm drunk.”
“You're fooling no-one, mate!” A couple of young men in a blue car called out as they drove past.
“They think I'm in drag!” Donna exclaimed, hands out by her side, offended and a little hurt. The Doctor looked her up and down as if to check and Danni caught the look. Donna was already having a bad day, there was no need to add to it.
She smacked him on the arm. “Oi, rude,” she scolded and he grabbed where she’d hit him. He still grinned at her with that cheeky grin that she’d loved to see on the Tenth Doctor and, try as hard as she might, she couldn’t surpress the one that would appear on her face in return.
“Hold on, hold on,” he said, turning to the street and looking for the next taxi coming towards them. He put his fingers between his lips and whistled, much louder than a human possibly could and the two women had to cover their ears to protect them from the high-pitched noise. It worked, though, a taxi stopped in front of him. They all climbed in; Donna first, then the Doctor and then Danni.
“St Mary’s, in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road,” Donna told the driver quickly. “It's an emergency, I'm getting married! Just... hurry up!”
“You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today,” the driver replied, looking at the trio through his rear view mirror.
“Oh, my God!” She turned to the Doctor. “Have you got any money?”
“Um... no. And you?” he replied.
She stared back for a moment before waving up and down herself. “Pockets!” she reminded him. They both turned to Danni, who just held her hands up in front of her.
“Hey, don't look at me, I'm just here for the ride,” she told them. The taxi skidded to a halt and a moment later the three were unceremoniously chucked out. The Doctor slammed the door shut as Donna made a rude gesture at the driver.
“And that goes double for your mother!” she yelled angrily as the taxi drove off. “I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas Spirit,” she ranted as the Doctor looked around in slight surprise.
“Is it Christmas?” he asked happily. He’d always liked Christmas. Danni had too, if he remembered correctly. It made sense that this was when she’d first landed.
“Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve,” Donna retorted. Danni frowned. That wasn’t right, though, was it?
She opened the flap on the vortex manipulator and saw the screen was completely blurry, like someone had broken a calculator. She had typed in Christmas Day. She was sure Donna had gotten married on Christmas Day, but maybe she hadn’t. Either way the screen didn’t look healthy.
“There's something wrong with this thing,” she stated.
“You have no idea,” the Doctor replied under his breath and she glared up at him, hand on her hip.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked angrily.
“You'll find out soon enough,” he replied vaguely and she poked him hard in the arm.
“No, you listen here Spaceman,” she started. “You will tell me right now what the hell is going on. You’ve been looking at me sadly since the moment I arrived and I know for a fact you shouldn’t be. It’s freaking me out. Tell me what is going on!”
“I will,” he promised her. “But not yet. We have other things to worry about.”
He nodded towards Donna pointedly but that wasn’t good enough for her. “Oh no, now mister.”
He placed a hand on her arm in an attempt to calm her down. “Let's just get Donna home, then I'll explain. I promise,” he told her with a calming tone and she relaxed slightly, nodding.
“Alright. But you promised, and I expect you to tell me.” He nodded and made two crosses on his chest, one over each of his hearts and she couldn't help but grin at his cuteness. Donna suddenly hit him on the arm, much gentler than maybe she would have before.
“Phone box!” she told the, pointing at the ordinary phone box off one of the streets and they all rushed towards it. “We can reverse the charges!”
“How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?” the Doctor asked, intrigued. Christmas was a time for families and domesticity on Earth, but it seemed a bit odd to be getting married when there was a holiday happening around them.
“Can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine – lovely.”
The Doctor held the door open for Donna, but stood in the way before Danni could get in as well. She frowned to herself, feeling rather left out all of a sudden. This was her dream, right? She crossed her arms.
Donna picked up the receiver before turning back to the Doctor. “What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?” she asked, still panicking about making it on time. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the machine, setting it off with a quiet buzz.
“Just-- just call the direct,” he told her before pocketing it again.
“What did you do?” She demanded.
“Something,” he paused for a moment wondering if he should explain it to her. He decided against it. “Martian,” he settled on instead. “Now, phone. I'll get money!” He ran off and left Danni watching Donna try and ring someone at the wedding.
“Ohh, answer the phone!” Donna exclaimed to herself before trying another number. Danni watched as she suddenly took a breath, ready to speak. “Mum, get off the phone and listen,” she told her mother’s voicemail. “I'm in-- ” she paused. She had no idea. She turned to Danni, who also shrugged. She was a Northern girl, she’d never really even been to London before. She was no use.
Donna turned back to the phone, still panicking. “Oh, my God-- I dunno where I am!” she exclaimed. “It's... it's a street. And there's WH Smith... but it's definitely Earth,” she assured her mother’s answering machine. Danni couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the words. Donna shot her a dirty look as she slammed the receiver down.
“Bloody use you are,” she snapped before she stepped out into the street again. She looked around, looking for her best bet, before approaching a woman with a few shopping bags.
“Excuse me... I'm begging you,” she said almost breathlessly. “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.”
The woman smiled and nodded, handing her a note and Donna could have hugged her. Danni glanced down at the Doctor, who was still waiting impatiently for the ATM machine. She couldn’t let Donna go. She’d just get caught in the taxi with the santa robot.
“Look, just wait for the Doctor,” she said to try and convince her to stay. “He'll be back in a sec with money.”
Donna ignored her and, hand full of money, called the first taxi that drove past down. Danni quickly glanced into the front seat and saw the Santa robot and grabbed Donna’s arm.
“Look, Donna, just look in...” she started but Donna pushed her off and onto the floor.
“I don’t have time to play around,” she snapped. “If you wanna follow him, fine, but I’m going to my wedding.”
“Will you just look?” Danni tried again as she scrambled up but Donna opened the back door, climbing in. Danni turned back to the Doctor, who was finally finishing up. “Doctor!”
The Doctor looked over at them and his eyes widened. “Donna!” he exclaimed but the taxi just drove off. He rushed over to Danni’s side and she tapped his arm.
“It's worse than you think.” She told him, pointing at the Santa's playing trumpets behind them. He watched as they move to hold the trumpets as if they were weapons. “There was one driving the taxi Donna got in. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”
She reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, pointing not at the robots but at the cash machine he’d been using. Money started spewing out and she grinned up at him as people starting running to grab the flowing cash.
“Just point and think, right?” she recalled cheekily.
“Are you sure you’ve not been here before?” he asked in return and shook her head.
“Never,” she promised. With another shared grin, they turned and headed back to the TARDIS while they still had the chance. This was more like it. The Doctor and Danni running away from bad guys. This was what her dreams were normally about.
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