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gayhuckleberryinatrenchcoat · 3 years

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You are my home💚💙

Happy Valentine’s Destiel Wedding Day everyone!

Part 2 of my Destiel wedding series.

Click here for the masterpost.

Thanks @bonchickabelle for your support

~2,8k words

“Are you nervous?” Sam teased Dean, who stood in front of the mirror, tugging his tie straight. He thought about it for a moment “Excited? Sure, can’t wait to see Cas again after you forced us to spend last night apart for some stupid tradition. Nervous? No. It’s Cas I’m marrying.” Sam smiled knowingly, already half out the door. “I’m very happy for you two!” Alone again, Dean’s eyes drifted back to the mirror and he placed his hand on his shoulder, right over Cas’ handprint. He meant what he had said to Sam. It had been the first night they had been apart since he got Cas back and he barely slept. He had just felt wrong without hearing Cas’ gentle breaths, without being able to wrap his arms around the former angel and without feeling the weight of Cas’ head on his chest. But was he nervous? Not at all. He was almost surprised at how calm he felt. He’d never been this sure about anything in his life. After today, he would never have to spend another night without Cas.

Everything was perfect. Everyone they knew had insisted on helping with the wedding in one way or another. Sam wanted to officiate them, he got his license as soon as he heard the happy news. Eileen had taken the grooms separately to shop for wedding suits, Jack had promised them a warm, sunny day and handmade the invitations with Claire. Jody and Donna had baked their wedding cake, Ellen and Jo contributed a dozen homemade pies, Bobby took care of the bar and the catering. Garth and Bess promised to capture the whole day on their cameras. Gabe offered to be their DJ and Ash took care of all the technical stuff. Rowena had promised them truly magical fireworks at night, while Crowley and Benny were in charge of the security, although that shouldn’t be necessary ever since Jack became god.

Charlie and Dorothy had not only offered their vast, beautiful property as their wedding venue, they had also taken care of the decorations. The ceremony was set to take place on the Southern side of their house. An aisle led through rows of white chairs up to a little lake in front of which they had placed a rectangular wooden arc, decorated with greenery and big white flowers that stood out brightly against the blue water in the background. The Western side of the house was already equipped with a big dance floor around which tables, a big buffet and a bar had been set up. To top it all off, Charly and Dorothy had hanged fairy lights in every single tree on their property, which would create a magical atmosphere at night.

Lost in thoughts, Dean adjusted the flower on his lapel and smiled at the mirror. He never thought that he – Dean fucking Winchester – would ever get married. And yet here he was. His phone buzzed and his smile became even wider as he saw who texted him.

[Cas 10:34] Dean?

[Dean 10:35] What’s up? Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now😉

[Cas 10:37] No, my feet are perfectly fine, why would they be cold?

Dean rolled his eyes, amused at his fiancé’s confusion.

[Dean 10:37] Not literally, that’s an expression for someone who has second thoughts on their wedding day. What’s going on?

[Cas 10:38] Oh. I see. I’m nervous that I might act weird because I don’t know all wedding customs. So I wanted to ask if you could maybe help me out when I’m about to make a fool out of myself.

[Dean 10:39] Sure thing, sunshine, but don’t worry about acting right, it’s your wedding day, all you have to do is enjoy it. And everybody here knows you’re a little weird😉

Without a knock, Charlie barged in. “What’s up bitch, you ready? Cause your fiancé is and he’s smokin’ hot.” She winked as she noticed Dean’s blushing cheeks. “Yeah, I’m ready. Where’s Bobby?” “Already waiting downstairs for you. I have to go, see you in a few”. As quick as she had come, she disappeared again. Dean took another glance at the mirror to make sure everything was perfect before he left the room.

Downstairs Bobby and Ellen were laughing over a glass of scotch. When Bobby noticed Dean, he smiled and reached up to adjust his baseball cap, scoffing when he realized that he didn’t wear one today. “Lookin’ good” he grumbled. Ellen gave Bobby a quick peck on his cheek and winked at Dean as she went to take a seat. “I’m glad ya two idjits finally got the sticks out of your asses. Took ya long enough.” Dean chuckled nervously, his cheeks turning red again. “Thanks Bobby. Truth is I still don’t know how I got this lucky.” “Well, ya really deserve this, ya know? You’re a good man. He’s lucky to be with you. And I like him. Never seen you this happy.” After a pause he added “I’m very proud of you son.” Fumbling with the empty glass Ellen had left behind on the table in front of him, Dean replied “Bobby... Thank you. You’ve always been a father for me, unlike John, who... Anyways, thank you. For everything.” Dean swallowed, unable to put his love and gratitude for this man into words, but as he looked up at Bobby’s face, he caught him wiping over suspiciously wet eyes. “Idjit” he grunted, pulling Dean into a bone crushing hug. He nodded at the clock. “Ya ready? We gotta go.” “Ready” Dean replied, and he meant it. He was more than ready for this.

Or maybe he wasn’t. He was more than ready to marry Cas, but he wasn’t prepared for the sight of all his loved ones in one place, alive – thanks to Jack – gathered to celebrate with him. He always thought the only occasion where they’d all come together would be for his funeral, and he didn’t even expect that since most of them had been dead until a few months ago. Grateful and touched to see how many people where there because they loved him and Cas, Dean fought back some tears. While Garth’s kids waddled down the aisle, scattering white rose petals, Bobby squeezed Dean’s arm, as if he could sense all those thoughts whirling in his head. Dean nodded, linked their arms and let Bobby lead him down the aisle where Sammy already waited with a big grin and an even bigger stack of notes for his speech.

Back in the house, Charly gave Cas an encouraging smile and handed him a gorgeous bouquet of white and yellow flowers. “Thank you for leading me down the aisle, I was made aware that that would usually be the responsibility of one’s father...” “There’s nothing usual about this wedding..” Charly teased him. “Besides, you’ve been my bestie ever since we first met, of course I’m gonna walk you down the aisle!” She linked their arms. “Ready?” Cas nodded. “Ready...” Leaning in, he added with a proud smirk “...bestie”. The doors swung open and they stepped outside.

All heads turned around to see Cas, but he didn’t even notice. He was completely captivated by the sight of his fiancé, who let out a little gasp before breaking into a wide smile. His eyes made those cute crinkles that Cas loved so much and as he came closer, he could see a tear roll over Dean’s check. Usually, although Dean had become way more relaxed over the last months, Cas could always sense a lingering alertness in him. But now... he seemed completely at peace. Cas quickly blinked away some tears. He didn’t want anything to cloud his vision, he needed to preserve this image in his mind. His navy-blue suit combined with a simple black tie and a white flower on the lapel suited Dean incredibly well. He was beautiful and Cas’ heart skipped a beat at the thought that it was him who caused the pure adoration and happiness on Dean’s face.

Charlie led Cas towards him with excruciatingly slow steps. Dean could barely restrain himself from running towards them. Cas was indeed smoking hot in his black suit, the baby blue tie perfectly matching the color of his big, loving eyes. Their eyes locked and Cas smiled at him with his adorable alien head tilt. Dean took a deep breath in, smiling at his fiancé, whose eyes glistened suspiciously. Cas seemed completely awestruck, and Dean felt a little lightheaded like he always did when Cas looked at him like that... like he meant the world to him.

Charly placed Cas’ hand in Dean’s. “Hey handsome! Missed me last night?” Dean whispered with a wink. “Hello Dean. I missed you very much indeed”. Murmuring “Me too”, Dean softly leaned his forehead against Cas’. The grooms stood there for a moment with closed eyes and fond smiles on their faces, the longing for each other almost unbearable. Cas finally pulled away and stated softly: “You are incredibly beautiful”. He turned towards Sam. Dean blushed at the seriousness in Cas’ voice and slowly turned to face his brother as well, not without glancing at Cas’ concentrated face once more and shooting him a loving smile from the side. While Sam held his unsurprisingly deep and thoughtful speech, Cas slipped his hand into Dean’s, who squeezed it lightly in response.

When it was time to say their vows, Dean took Cas’ hands in his and started shakily: “So, uhm, I’d like to start if that’s okay. Cas – you’re my best friend. And you’re the love of my life. I never thought I’d ever say something like that, I didn’t exactly think love was in the cards for me. I never let anyone close. But you...” His furrowed brows softened, and he broke into a fond smile, adopting Cas’ little head tilt. “You immediately got to me – well, right after I stabbed you... Sorry for that, buddy.” He winked and Cas chuckled softly. Dean continued, his voice overflowing with love: “I love your weird, quirky personality. I love that you’re such an openhearted, adorable little dude and at the same time you’re brave, strong and one hell of a badass. You never stop surprising me. You have the most loving, pure and beautiful soul.” Dean’s voice started to crack. “You know me better than anyone, heck, you probably even know me better than I know myself. You looked into my soul and you love me for exactly who I am, which is the best gift you could have ever given me.” Firmly holding Cas’ gaze, he added seriously: “I promise to always love and support you unconditionally, in our human life together and beyond. I’ve been yours ever since you first laid a hand on me. And I swear I will be yours for all of eternity. I love you Cas, so damn much.”

Cas looked at him completely lovestruck, tears glistening in his eyes. In a low, gravelly voice he declared: “I never truly belonged anywhere. I never... functioned the way I was supposed to. And you made me realize that that’s okay. That freedom and free will were more preferable than being a brainwashed soldier of heaven. You gave me your friendship, you made me part of your family. You taught me to love.” He cupped Dean’s face, gently brushing his thumb over Dean’s freckled cheeks. Squinting his eyes in adoration at the miracle before him, he added: “You are the most perfect, selfless and loving human being I have ever known.” Tears started rolling down Dean’s cheeks, he still had a hard time accepting that someone – especially Cas – would think so highly of him. Receiving this praise in front of such a big audience made him blush. “Dean, you are my home. I love you. Forever.” He pressed a soft kiss on Dean’s forehead and wiped away his tears. Dean almost drowned in his loving eyes, completely overwhelmed with affection.

Claire and Jack came up to give them their rings. Claire handed Cas a ring and whispered: “Congrats Ca... Dad”. Cas froze up for a second, tilting his head, squinting his eyes, trying to understand if she really just meant that or if it had just slipped out on accident. When she gave him a shy confirming smile, he pulled her into a strong hug. Jack handed Dean a ring with a “Hello Dad” and a short hug, before tugging on Claire’s hand to pull her back to their seats. The almost married couple shared a confused look after what just happened, Dean opening his mouth to ask “Did they just call us..?” “I believe they did”, Cas replied happily.

Sam moved on with the ceremony and let them repeat some more promises to each other before posing the final question: “Do you, Castiel, take Dean Winchester as your lawfully wedded husband?” Cas answered earnestly “I do.” Sam turned to Dean to repeat his question: “Do you, Dean Winchester, take Castiel as your lawfully wedded husband?” Dean grinned widely, eyes crinkling around the edges: “Hell yeah, I do!” Sam asked them to exchange their rings to seal their bond and Cas took Dean’s hand gently in his. He slipped the ring on slowly, looking deeply into Dean’s beaming green eyes. Dean then slipped a ring onto Cas’ finger, his fingertips lingering longer than necessary. Sam finally pronounced them “...husband and husband. You may now kiss your groom!” Under the roaring cheers of their loved ones, Dean cupped Cas’ face while his husband pulled him close, arms wrapped around his waist. Their lips found each other easily, all of their adoration blooming into a chaste, soft kiss. Cas spontaneously bent Dean backwards, who gasped into his mouth in surprise, before letting himself fall into the strong embrace. Their kiss deepened, both too far gone to hear the excited cheers and whistles around them. It took them a while to gather the strength to break apart, foreheads resting against each other for one more moment before turning to the cheering crowd. Dean linked their hands and raised them up, as Sam exclaimed loudly: “I present to you Mr. and Mr. Winchester!”

The party afterwards was one for the books. Everyone had a blast and surprisingly enough, everyone got along perfectly, which wasn’t exactly a given on a party were hunters and supernatural beings came together. Donna’s and Jody’s wedding cake was mind-blowingly delicious. It was a white cake with three tiers and a figurine of the happy couple on top, wearing their trademark flannel and trenchcoat. When they cut the cake open, it revealed a colorful surprise. The top tier was colored like the bisexual pride flag. The second tier was chocolate-brown and the bottom tier looked like a rainbow flag. Dean insisted on feeding Cas with some cake and “accidentally” smeared frosting on Cas’ face. After he had kissed it away shamelessly, which earned them loud cheers and whistles from their guests, Dean pulled his husband onto the dance floor for their first dance.

They both didn’t exactly know how to dance, but it didn’t matter. They were just happy to feel the comforting warmth of their bodies against each other and melted into a tight embrace. As they were swaying gently, eyes closed and faces buried in each other’s necks, they didn’t realize that the first song had long blended into the next one. After a couple of songs, Dean opened his eyes for a moment, watching all the people he loved enjoy themselves. Jody and Donna slow-danced next to them and Eileen tried to teach Sam how to dance, hoping not to get her toes crushed. The brothers exchanged a big smile that said: “We’re so damn lucky”. Rowena stood at the DJ-table with Gabe, brushing a hand over his arm and whispering something in his ear. Crowley and Benny seemed to hit it off at the bar and Claire and Jack tried to teach Sonny some “tictoc-dance”, whatever that was, while Miracle excitedly jumped around their feet. Dean closed his eyes again and sank even deeper into the feeling of Cas’ arms wrapped around him.

The party carried on deep into the night, roaring rock classics long having replaced the quiet couple-dance music, everyone partying on the dance floor or sharing stories and laughs at the bar. As the newlyweds sat down to chat with Sam and Eileen over some drinks, Cas looked at his husband lovingly. He was overjoyed to see Dean beaming happily from being among all the people he loved, no danger in sight. As Dean caught Cas starring, he gave him a gentle peck and got up. He linked their hands as they strolled towards the lake, the party sounds fading into low background noises. They leaned up against each other, the reflections of stars and fairy lights glistening on the water as they held each other close in the cold night air. Dean nuzzled his nose into Cas’ hair and pressed a gentle kiss on his head. Cas turned to see Dean’s glowing eyes and pulled him into a long, achingly tender kiss. They were home.

#I've been working on this for 2 weeks now #destiel wedding #destiel #deancas #dean winchester #castiel #castiel winchester #destiel wedding fic #deancas wedding #supernatural wedding #spn #supernatural #supernatural family #happy destiel wedding day #spn wedding #saileen #destiel fanfic #spn fanfiction #supernatural fanfic

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captainshazamerica · 3 years

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🎪 titans spoilers

Tim is too well mannered and smart to be associated with the titans they're a literal bunch of toddlers although donna felt like an old lady being called miss troy and ma'am (I'm 23 an I love being called ma'am my brains like who me I'm an adult cool) 😅 gar and tim are prob gonna bond over being the only titans capable of rational thought 😅 The train was quite cool tbh yo how long have people been on that train cuz that one lady looked very 1920s to me

HANK HALL YOU BEAUTIFUL PRECIOUS ANGEL I knew he wasn't gonna make it out of there but my dumb brain held out a smidge of hope Hank is always in protector mode and always concerned about saving the children he tries to help jason and boom dead he tries to help tim and oh no still dead dang it hank, when donna was like oh no dawns gotta be so upset and hanks like yeah she better be 😅 donna wanted to stay and had to leave and hank wanted to leave and had to stay 😢 donna and hank talking about jason and hes like that little fcker blew me up! I know he talked about revenge on jason and I do think that if he got back he would be focused on stopping jason but I also think over a little time he'd forgive him and they'd kinda be buddies again and he'd help him with the drug problem also hank should get to kick crane in the face cuz yeah. Of course hank be driving around the after life blasting living on a prayer and he manages to find a car and a hotel I'm so happy he's with his brother now tho they gonna be kickn ass in the after life hanks basically some type of afterlife guardian now so I'm taking that as he's literally an angel 👼

Maybe hank donna and tim all had the good luck to find each other because of the ritual thingy they were tryna do at themyscira oh my gosh rachel is too funny her idea of themyscira punishment was being made to fight a shark or getting thrown in a pit 😂 that lady tho was that hippolyta and she saying her daughter being dead and earlier donna said to hank it's not like I died stopping an asteriod I died at a carnival so am I connecting stuff that ain't there or did Diana get killed stopping an asteriod? Ahem DONNA WITH THAT SWORD THO why is she so cool can she have a sword on team titans pls now

Okay but honestly somebody please please please help bruce what the heck dick I get he's got a lot to deal with but he could contact bruce now and again and I dunno maybe make him aware that jason is not dead!!! I don't even know if bruce knows or not Although I do think it is interesting character wise that when he broke his no killing rule he ended up turning on himself I really hope they don't just blow past his grief like someone please maybe donna talk to bruce please I was sitting getting so annoyed like bruce spends his whole life as batman and trying to help gotham and save people and there's no one there to save him and then donna swoops in donna I love you

Hank trying to use the power of his imagination to produce a weapon and he ends up with nightwings wingdings 😅😅😅 that was so hilarious to me p.s for that ask game the other day you asked who my fav legends was it's Zari Tomaz (theres two zaris but I've just got a softer spot for the first one) 💕💕💕

also dc should do a really cool back and white noir movie and a scarecrow movie like the way they did that joker movie would be dope too (it would also be intensely cool if they did a dc black label psychoanalytical exploration of Dr Jonathan Crane leading into Scarecrow stories because honestly I think he's one of thier more frightening villians cuz yeah if joker comes to mess you up it won't be a fun time but at least whatever he does to you he's not going to achieve locking you inside your own mind and there's a chance batman or someone will save you but with scarecrow if he comes to mess you up there's a high chance that he'll screw your brain up that much that you literally get trapped in your own mind and like how is anyone gonna be able to get you out of that also the clinical medical-ness would be a touch extra frightening cuz he can mess up with precision whereas joker will wreck you anyway he can but he's not gonna be able to be so precise in what he's doing sorry for the rant but they have such cool characters and so much potential to do stuff with them like ahhh )

Omg I just realized I never replied to your previous titans ask ahhhh I am so sorry!!!! I love getting your asks!!!!

LMAO, u right, Tim IS waaayy too good and pure and smart for the titans ahahaha. Protect him ahhh. I would die for him omg, I absolutely LOVE how they are doing him and how Jay is portraying him omg its near perfect.

Ahahaha, thats so funny xD people called me Ma’am when I worked at Disney world and it always freaked me out xD Especially cause I look so much younger than I am xD It is nice but weird being considered an adult ahahaha

True, Gar and Tim are the only ones with braincells omg xD I feel like they will get along really well awwww.

Omg I thought that one lady on the train looked like she was from the 20’s too!

Right! Hank has grown on me sooo much, like I didn’t really like him 1st season, was indifferent 2nd season, and like him a lot this season. Oh my dumb butt def didn’t think/occur to me that he wouldn’t get out tbh xD I think it works out for his arc though, especially with him and OG kicking butt together there, that was so cute and sweet and perfect. Tho I do want resolution between him and jason but i guess that isn’t gonna happen :(

Huh, interesting about the Diana theory, I never thought of that but you right, I can see that/it makes sense!

Omg I couldn’t handle donna pulling a sword while hank got freaking Robin throw stars and nunchunks that he immediately got hit in the face with xD That was too freaking funny “I was defiantly NOT thinking about Grayson” xD lmaooooo

Dude, this Bruce is so freaking erratic omg. Gosh, I really hope Dick can help him and we get some father son bonding cause my gosh Bruce has me STRESSED this season omg, God bless Donna Troy. I truly thought he was gonna die there! Not even saying goodbye to Dick, smh!

Huh, Ive never heard of Zari Tomaz, Ill have to look her up!

BRO A BLACK AND WHITE SCARECROW MOVIE WOULD BE SO FREAKING GOOD OMGGGGGG. Pleasseeee DC! Gosh, I would KILL for a “psychoanalytical exploration of Dr Jonathan Crane leading into Scarecrow story”, omg, gosh that would be PERFECT! Crane is SUCH an underrated and underused villain! And omg dont apologize cause like same and i love seeing your analysis and rants!!

#batanon #titans spoilers #titans #titans s3 #scarecrow #meredith thoughts #meredith gets an ask #ask #anon #long post

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saiilorstars · 4 years

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The Beginning of Everything

Ch. 17: Dorothy Bell & the Osirans

Fandom: Doctor Who

Pairing: Female OC x 10th Doctor

(OC Renata’s Face claim: Marjorie de Sousa) (Gabby’s face claim: Victoria Moroles)

// Story Masterlist //

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DISCLAIMER: This chapter’s plotline is from Doctor Who’s comic stories. Most of the dialogue is directly written from the comic. The plot is NOT mine.

Chapter Summary: The time travelers are back in New York for an interesting auction that leads them to a celebrity and alien Gods.

For some reason, the Doctor had expressed a need to go to New York due to some strange readings he was getting from the TARDIS. None of his companions, including Renata, had much trouble accepting the impromptu visit since it was the perfect chance for Gabby to visit home and catch up with her family. While Gabby was at home, the remainder of the travelers went to a top-notch secret auction of 'alien' objects.

"Do I hear a hundred thousand? 200,000?" a chirpy young woman raised a finger at a gentleman in the crowd responsible for the new bid amount.

Way in the back, the Doctor rudely snorted.

Renata, who sat beside him, shot him a glance for his action. "Would you keep it down? I thought you were the one who said we needed to keep a low profile. Whatever that means."

"It just means staying low and not getting noticed," Donna chimed in from her seat which was on Renata's left.

"Yes, thanks Donna," the Time Lady huffed and crossed one leg over the other then put her hands over her lap. "I don't see the need for us to entertain this silly auction. Why, pray tell, are you making us sit through this, Doctor, when we all know you can just steal whatever you're looking for in its storage room?"

There was an inevitable smirk on the Doctor's face as he glanced at Renata. "Are you saying I can just steal something and be on our way?" Renata rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "Renée, I am shocked - no, flabbergasted. Maybe I am rubbing off on you."

"You wouldn't be so lucky," Renata flatly said, though there was a hint of pink on her cheeks.

Donna eyed the two aliens as much as she could from where she sat. Those two had been acting...different. And by different, it meant less arguing and more harmless bantering. There was a more clear closeness between the two that, honestly, gave a warmer vibe to the whole TARDIS. Gabby was the only one who often seemed to be on edge about the two aliens, but she wouldn't say why.

"Doctor, why the hell are we here anyways?" Renata asked after watching some suited man pay over a million dollars for an object she was pretty sure was only a hair dryer. Almost all these objects, actually, resembled more human characteristics than alien as they were made out to be.

"I told you, I got some strange readings back in the TARDIS that I couldn't ignore," the Doctor picked up the pamphlet they'd been handed at the start of the auction and went through it again. When he found the item he'd been waiting for, he called one of the employees to inquire over it. The helpful woman informed him the object needed to be bid on privately at the front desk.

So he had the trio get up and go do just that.

"I'm pretty sure you don't have the kind of money to pay for these things," Renata whispered to the Doctor on their way out.

"And I'm pretty sure they don't have clearance to be selling this object," the man retorted with. He pulled out his sonic from his coat's inner pocket and activated its communication feature. "Message to UNIT HQ, NY. Flag this location with a clean up requirement for a few suspicious items, maybe ex-Torcheood - immediate effect."

"What's Torchwood?" Renata dreaded to ask but instead of getting the answer from the Doctor it was Donna who replied. She vaguely remembered the name from her time with the Master, but she could do with a fresh reminder.

"Some facility that was responsible for getting a good half of us killed with their robotic men and weird pepper bottles."

"She means Cybermen and Daleks," went the Doctor who wasn't very interested in retelling the story. He only informed Donna of the full story because she wouldn't leave him alone about it.

"What!?" Renata exclaimed. She honestly could have paid a little more attention while she was trapped with the Master. Once she got to thinking, she did remember a few times the Master mentioned the name 'Torchwood' sometimes but it wasn't like she paid much attention to him. He had a nasty habit of insulting her most of the time so she learned - as a survival mechanism - to ignore a lot of his words.

Before the Doctor could defend himself from any looming argument, he felt a very hard fist connect with the back of his head. He fell forwards, flat on his stomach and with a nose first-down on the ground.

"Doctor!" Renata was horrified at the sight.

"Uh, Ren…" Donna very gently shook the Time Lady's arm, meaning for Renata to look ahead but the woman was too focused on the Doctor.

"Don't make a move," warned a different woman, the culprit of such a blow. She was a young dark skinned woman dressed in all black. She held a high-tech gun on the trio as well as the Doctor's fallen sonic screwdriver.

But instead of being scared, Renata was furious. "And just who the hell do you think you are? And put that thing down before you hurt someone else!"

The woman raised an eyebrow at Renata, as if questioning whether or not Renata was actually demanding things from her when she held the gun. "I don't think you realize your position right now."

"I think I do, actually," the Doctor groaned as he got back on his feet. Renata yanked him to her side and pulled him slightly down in order for her to better check the spot where the woman's fist had knocked him.

"English accents," the woman noted from the trio. "So pompous. Lot 28, the artifact. You bought it and I need it."

"Wait a minute," Donna's eyebrows wrinkled together. "You think we bought it? Whatever the hell it is, we don't have it."

"Ha, sure," the woman scoffed.

"We really don't," Renata's eyes hardened. "And what kind of asking involves punching someone then threatening them with a gun and a stolen sonic?" she pointed specifically to the blue-lit sonic screwdriver in the woman's hand.

"A sonic?" the woman tilted her head at the sonic screwdriver, specifically eyeing the blue glow at the top.

"Unauthorized user alert," went the Doctor all of a sudden and in the next moment the woman was shocked. It was at the same time that the Doctor tackled the woman to her floor. "I haven't got a collection ticket. We're going to look silly at the front desk!"

"Don't be silly with the human who's trying to kill us," scolded Renata.

"We want to know who bought the artifact too," the Doctor informed the woman as he swiped her gun away then sat on the floor like nothing had occurred.

"Really?" the woman sat up, all of a sudden smiling. "Oh, well then we maybe we can work together."

"I think not!" went Renata and Donna at the same time.

"Yeah, I don't think my friends are very keen on you," the Doctor muttered as he disarmed the gun and dropped it to his side.

"Well, we're after the same thing so we can help each other out," the woman insisted as she pushed herself up to her feet. "And in good faith, I'll even tell you my name: Cleo."

"Oh and that's supposed to make us forget you nearly tried to kill him?" Renata gestured to the Doctor still sitting on the floor.

"And us!" Donna reminded with a huff.

"I only wanted the artifact before it got into the wrong hands," Cleo shrugged. "I imagine that's what you all want as well?"

The Doctor swayed his head specifically at Renata, as if trying to say Cleo made a good point. The Time Lady's face indicated pure warning. Do. Not. Do. It.

"We really can't let it fall into the wrong hands," the Doctor reminded her. Renata huffed and looked away, knowing what he was going to do next. "Alright Cleo, you can help us. But don't use that gun again on anything or anyone or it'll just zap you like my—" he swooped up his sonic from the floor, "-little friend did here."

"Oh, so we're just going to ignore my very wise advice not to let the evil woman come with us?" Renata was at his side the moment they started walking again.

"Better to have people who want to kill us near us then far away where we can't see them," he said.

"I'm not sure I like that logic," Donna mumbled to Renata who agreed with a nod of her head.

In a short amount of time, Cleo had taken the lead with a high-tech tracking device the Doctor knew she hadn't gotten out of the local market.

"Where's that Jeridian energy tracer from?" he inquired as Cleo led them out the backdoor of the building.

"Does it matter? I got a signal," Cleo shrugged.

"It really does, though."

"That car right there!" Cleo pointed a car that was just pulling out of the alley into the street.

The Doctor aimed his sonic at the car that was too far to stop. At the same time, Donna yelped that they were no longer alone. A group of armed men were making their way out of the building as well.

"C'mon!" Renata grabbed both Donna and the Doctor to lead them behind a dumpster to hide in. Cleo came as well but she was more interested in the readings of her tracker than the men almost finding them.

"I can't trace the signal!" the woman groaned as she continuously played with the controls.

"But I did," the Doctor grinned at his sonic. "I can pinpoint the power signature to within a few meters once it stops moving."

Cleo lowered her device to look at the man. "Okay, who are you? And what the hell is that?" she nodded to the sonic.

"Oh, right, we haven't been introduced," the Doctor smiled so casually Renata wanted to smack him on the spot. "I'm the Doctor, that's Renata and that's Donna." He then got up, pulling Renata who then pulled Donna towards the street after the men had passed. "Why are you so interested in this artifact, Cleo?" he asked once they were walking on the sidewalk.

"Not me," Cleo put a hand over her chest. "I just hunt that stuff for collectors. A lot of people are interested in that thing but I've no idea why."

"You never thought to ask what you were hunting down?" Renata incredulously glanced at the woman who merely shook her head. "Ignorance is not bliss, you know? You could get hurt."

"I know how to take care of myself just fine," Cleo smiled. "And I don't care where that stuff's from as long as I can put a high price on it."

"Lovely," Donna shook her head.

"Taxi!" Cleo called at the corner of the street, wailing her hand in the air. At her beck and call, a yellow taxi club stopped in front of her. "Come on! See as you're so in charge…" she pointed at the Doctor, "I'm following you. We'll split the proceeds."

"She's not kidding," Renata side-glanced the Doctor with a tilted head.

"Better to have her near," he reminded her of his logic that she could not disagree more with. She was very worried over this mysterious object the Doctor refused to tell her about, saying it was just something that shouldn't be in a human's hands. And this Cleo woman didn't exactly give her a good vibe.

And all those feelings of concern and worriment were, without her knowledge, reaching someone else in the city. A young girl whom Renata wanted far away from them right now.

The tracing had brought them to the upper east side of New York. It was an upscale building that had the end of the trace.

"It's coming from that apartment," the Doctor led the way towards the door marked '4G' at the end of the hallway. Just as he knocked, an small explosion rocked them all to the ground.

Cleo shrieked after feeling most of the explosion hit her. "What did you do to my gun!?"

"Did you seriously just try to shoot us again!?" Renata was about to lose it. The woman had tried shooting them while their backs were to her.

"I told you I didn't like guns," the Doctor frowned at Cleo.

Suddenly, the door he'd knocked on opened up to reveal a ginger woman with another gun pointed at them.

"Oh, that's just great!" Donna huffed at their odds.

"I don't know who you are but you need to come in right now before I shoot you all," the ginger warned and stepped aside.

The group were forced to go in, but secretly the Doctor knew it was their best chance to get the object back anyways.

"Oh my God, you're Dorothy Bell!" Cleo gasped at the sight of a middle-aged blonde woman. Said blonde woman was scowling back.

"What, the movie star?" Donna squinted her eyes for a second before they widened like Cleo's. "Oh my God! It is! You are!"

"I'm your biggest fan!" Cleo laughed in delight as she truly took a look at the apartment. It was full of trophies and awards and pictures. "Is this your Oscar for Tennessee Waltz? They should have given you the Oscar for the love scene in the Great Pretender too. It was so intense—"

"Shut up!" the ginger woman raised her gun as well. "Or I'll shoot you!"

"So shoot me!" Cleo laughed as she picked up a golden trophy.

"Oh my God I'm so confused," Renata deeply exhaled. Since she started travelling with the Doctor, she understood less and less of what went on with her life but this point...this was a new low point.

"Put that down!" Dorothy exclaimed.

"Of course," Cleo's lips suddenly curled into a smirk. "Catch!" she threw the trophy directly at the ginger woman, smacking her in the face and knocking her down. With the commotion, Cleo then reached for a golden object sitting on the table. It resembled a gun but with a wide circular end.

"Don't be so stupid," hissed Dorothy. "Don't touch that! You've no idea what it is!"

"Oh, but I do," Cleo shrugged.

"This—" Renata gestured at Cleo for the Doctor to see, "-is why I told you that she shouldn't have come!"

"Yeah alright, I see your point," the Doctor rolled his eyes. Of course she would pick this moment to say 'I told you so!'.

"I know what you want to use this for, Dorothy! You want to use it to stop getting old. To get young again — to reverse the aging process," Cleo looked at the blonde who seemed now a bit frightened about her knowledge. "People like you think this thing is a fountain of youth. But it isn't. I mean, you can use it for that purpose but it can be used for so much more." Cleo ignited the object and a golden energy struck from it to attack the ginger woman. A golden and orange glow surrounded the woman but it looked like her figure was beginning to shrink. When the glow died down there was a baby girl with a tuft of orange hair right where the woman had been.

"Did that thing just turn her into a baby!?" Donna's eyes bulged to the point of nearly popping from her head.

"This something you can 'use', Cleo? How do you know so much about it?" the Doctor asked the woman who definitely seemed comfortable with the object than an ordinary human would be.

"I could ask you the same thing," Cleo retorted, her eyes narrowing on the Doctor. She dragged the object over Donna first, making the ginger woman squeak in terror.

Renata quickly positioned herself in front of Donna. "Don't you dare!"

"Why? I'm having way too much fun formation point but I'm not a total killjoy. Let's give that movie star what she wants!" Cleo pulled the 'gun' on Dorothy but the Doctor jumped in front of the blonde and received the blow instead.

"Doctor!" Renata exclaimed, almost running towards him when Donna caught her arm. "You need to stop! It's not having the same effect on him!" Renata begged from Cleo as the golden energy surrounded the Doctor.

Unlike the ginger woman, he didn't shrink but instead the energy became stronger, blinding. The Doctor groaned and clutched his head in terrible pain.

"Retro-regeneration!" Renata realized just as the man before him changed. With a new fierce determination, she ran directly for Cleo and tackled the woman down. "GIVE ME THAT THIS INSTANT!"

"Doctor…?" Donna hesitated to help the man on the ground, since he looked nothing like the Doctor she knew. This man had thinner hair and glimmering blue eyes, not to mention more protruding ears.

"It's me, Donna...just...stop them…" the Doctor, in his 9th incarnation, raised a finger towards Renata and Cleo currently battling it out for the damn object causing all the trouble.

Donna turned to the two women but before she even stepped towards them Dorothy beat her to it. All three women had a grip on the object but Renata, being stronger, seemingly was getting the upper hand.

"Renata! You need to stop! The local time field is in flux, be careful!" the Doctor tried getting up but that retro-regeneration was a strong thing. His legs actually felt wibbly-wobbly.

"Doctor — that thing is glowing again!" Donna noticed the golden energy beginning to surge from the object. "But no one's shooting!"

But there came another explosion that threw every women in different corners of the room with only a billowing golden energy afterwards.

At the same time that Renata felt a new surge of energy - the same energy in the air - course through her blood, Gabby felt it from her location. Her best friend, Cindy, was busy babbling about something while they walked the night streets of New York but Gabby had to stop listening. There was something in her head and in her heart that was telling her, yelling at her that Renata was in trouble.

By the time the Doctor and Donna woke up, Cleo was gone with the artifact. The Doctor, now back in his current incarnation, dashed for Renata who was outcold on the ground.

"She's back to normal," Donna pointed at the ginger woman now getting up as well. "Everyone is."

"Hey Renée — wake up," the Doctor gently pulled Renata into a sitting position, but the Time Lady remained unconscious.

"Can somebody help me?" the ginger woman was trying to move Dorothy's body to the nearby couch. Donna figured she was better off helping the humans than trying to wake up a Time Lady. Between the two of them, they moved Dorothy and all the meanwhile Renata stayed unconscious.

"Renée, you're, uh...you're not waking up…" there was a hint of fear in the Doctor's tone as he relentlessly shook Renata's body. He had no idea what happened to her and what could possibly keep her out could like this. What if he had finally hurt her so badly that she was...she was...

Renata gasped awake suddenly. Her eyes flickered from one side to the other as her brain caught up with what happened. "What the — Cleo!" her expression morphed into a deep scowl. "I told you we shouldn't have trusted her!" Her expression, however, seemed to fade when she noticed the Doctor's face. "What? Why are you smiling like an idiot?"

The Doctor had a growing smile on his face, but it was spreading far too much. "I thought you were really hurt..."

"Well, I just got zapped with some energy! I have no idea where it came from but-"

The Doctor pulled her body forwards for a hug, instantly quieting her. "You just scared me," he whispered as he held her tightly.

Renata blinked out of surprise. Slowly, her hands raised to rest on her back, but it was done rather awkwardly. She wasn't used to this type of touch from anyone. She'd made a damn good job keeping the Doctor away from her but it'd been getting harder lately. "Doctor, I'm fine," she patted his back and just barely resisted the urge to bring her hand up to his hair. She could've probably ran her fingers through it to ease his nerves...

But that was probably something a friend wouldn't do. Donna certainly wouldn't.

When the Doctor finally pulled her away, he still held her by the waist. He didn't even let her go when he pulled her up to her feet. He only studied her body to find any obvious injuries. "When we get back to the TARDIS, I'm going to run some tests on you just to make sure you're alright."

"I already told you that I'm fine," Renata rolled her eyes. Honestly, he was making a big deal out of nothing.

But she was thinking like he was. "This isn't the first time you've been hit with an unknown energy."

"Right..." So maybe she hadn't thought about that but she wanted to focus on the bigger problem: Cleo and the missing artifact. However, it was then that ginger woman — who introduced herself as Vivian — brought them to Dorothy and explained her situation.

As it turned out, Dorothy had some type of illness that was going to end life very soon. Hearing about this magical artifact that could cure anything, Dorothy sought out to buy it no matter how much it cost. After running a few quick exam on the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor realized that Dorothy was now connected to the power field of the artifact and that it was giving off even stronger signals than before. It meant that wherever Cleo and the artifact were, they would be able to track it with Dorothy's help.

"Uuh, Doctor…" Renata was the first to spy Dorothy's body levitating off the couch. "Don't think that's supposed to happen."

"Oh my God, what is it now?" Donna stepped backwards while the Doctor rushed to get up close.

"What's happening to her!?" Vivian shrieked in horror.

"If I didn't know better, I would say she was regenerating," the Doctor blinked, clearly flabbergasted with the sight.

"Hello?" they suddenly heard Gabby's voice. Renata spotted the young girl poking her head into the room. Along with her came an Asian girl with black hair.

"How'd you find us?" frowned Renata. She really didn't want Gabby anywhere near this place.

"You...wouldn't really believe me," Gabby smiled awkwardly since even she didn't understand how she'd found this place so fast. All she knew was that someone — Renata — had been in trouble and she just followed that sense. It brought her directly to this apartment. "Are you okay?" she walked up to Renata with a full etched concern on her face.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Um, Maybe because you was that with some artifacts energy?" Donna reminded, something that earned quite a look from the Time Lady.

"Energy? What type of energy? Did it hurt you?" Gabby's mind immediately went to the prediction that Ood had made. What if this was the place where Renata would die?

"I'm fine," Renata smiled as wide as possible, almost as if she was reading Gabby's thoughts. She looked over Gabby's head and saw the black-haired girl. "And who's that?"

"Cindy," the girl introduced herself with a small wave since most of her attention was landing on the walls so clearly pointing out Dorothy Bell's life.

"She just followed me, sorry," Gabby apologized. In all her running, she didn't exactly tell her best friend where she was leading her to.

"Uh, excuse me!?" Vivian called back to Dorothy's situation. The unconscious woman was glowing white and still levitating. "She's pulsing now!"

The Doctor hurried to the window to see the reflection of the same glowing energy shooting into the sky.

Dorothy's body moved so that her head was closer to the ceiling and her feet below. The glow around her was becoming unbearingly blinding. But just like that, it died down.

Dorothy Bell stood in front of them, looking younger than ever. She was dressed in all white that consisted of a long pencil skirt tucked over a blouse and with a blazer. She was even wearing a 50s white hat.

"Ooh, so not regeneration but rejuvenation," the Doctor blinked.

"I was a bell and now I'm a key! I'm both!" Dorothy laughed, even the sound of her voice sounded completely new.

"She's now glowing orange," Renata raised an eyebrow and looked at the Doctor. "She's just rejuvenated and now she's glowing orange. How much trouble is this?"

"I have no bloody idea," admitted the man. He brought a hand to scratch the top of his head. He'd never seen anything like this.

The smile on Dorothy's face slowly faded as she looked out the window. "That looks wrong," she said suddenly.

"What does?" the Doctor watched her carefully. "The city?"

Dorothy looked back at the group, letting her bleached blonde hair flip over her shoulder. She walked up to them and smiled at Renata. "You in-took part of my energy."

"Did not mean to, honestly," Renata took a cautious step back.

"I know, and I am so sorry."

Renata tilted her head. For some reason, that didn't really sound like it was coming from Dorothy. "Sorry…? For what?"

Behind her, Gabby gulped. Was this another reminder of what was coming?

But Dorothy suddenly groaned as she staggered on her feet. The glow around her became a little bit stronger in that one moment. Everyone rushed to help her stay on her feet.

"Dorothy?" the Doctor called. "You are still Dorothy, right?"

"Who else is she supposed to be?" Cindy was staring at the entire procession like a true civilian: she was so lost. And a bit scared. What the hell had Gabby brought her into?

"I'm not, yet I am. How strange. We are merged as one. But then again, not quite as one...missing final component," Dorothy spoke in pauses and in different voices. One was hers and another sounded like a computerized female voice.

"We?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. "You and who else? Tell me what's wrong, how are you feeling?"

"Nothing is wrong. I can put everything together they it's supposed to be. The city, I can make it better. More efficient." Dorothy turned away from the group and walked towards the window. She touched the glass with one palm and in that instant disintegrated the glass into nothing. The same blinding light that had her earlier once again enveloped her as she shot into the sky.

"What is going on with her?" Donna couldn't understand and she wasn't the only one.

"She's taking the new ones for a spin! Vivian where is she heading?" the Doctor turned to the ginger woman. "What's the first place Dorothy would go to?"

"The hospital. St. Joe's. Not for treatment though, she's funding a new wing and they're building it now," the woman quickly answered.

"Ah, Now I understand."

"Why we wanted the artifact?" Vivian sighed. "She wanted to be able to see the construction work completed, to be there when it opened."

"It's all sad but defying death is a huge mistake," Renata pointed at the woman, not that she thought a human would understand. It was natural that a human — with such short life spans — would want to elongate their lives.

"Are we going to follow her?" Gabby asked the Time Lady who then pointed a thumb at the Doctor.

"You think he's going to let it go?"

Gabby smiled and shook her head.

~ 0 ~

After leaving Vivian back in the apartment, hoping that they would have some luck and Dorothy might just go back to the apartment where her good friend was, the group rushed to follow the trace they had on Dorothy. Like Vivian had said, Dorothy had come to the hospital she was funding. With swift movements of her arms, she finished the construction herself and left a pretty damn good building.

On their way, however, a black car drove past them and an angry Cleo yelled at them through the passenger's door.

"I really hate her," Renata shook her head.

"Same," agreed Donna with a similar scowl on her face.

The car had stopped not too far from them and out came Cleo with two other men. They were making their way towards them and fearing they would get in the way, the Doctor ushered Renata forwards.

"Renée, try talking to Dorothy," he said as soon as they stood a few feet from the woman. She was still gazing at the newly finished hospital, almost as if she wasn't even aware that they had found her.

"What? Why me!?" the Time Lady frowned.

"Because she seems to like you? Just try it please," the Doctor gently pushed her forwards. "We can't afford to lose her when we don't understand what kind of abilities she now has."

Renata knew he was right. It would be irresponsible to let Dorothy get lost in the city again. "Fine," she huffed and walked towards Dorothy. "Um...Dorothy?"

At the sound of her voice, Dorothy turned around with a dreamy smile. "Hello again. See what I did? Nine extra levels. There's everything they will need," she gestured to the building behind her.

"It's all great…" Renata admitted it was a cool power to have. "But...maybe we should take it easy. It's not very wise to go running about using these abilities when you don't know how strong they are or what side effects can they have on you."

"Well honey, I do feel a bit wobbly. It's all so new and strange but I can't say I'm enjoying it. but to be honest my dear Renata, listen to your instincts. You will totally get what's going on." As Dorothy said those words, Renata stiffened as she had no idea what Dorothy was going on about. Dorothy walked up to the Time Lady with the sweetest smile anyone could have. "Looking at you, I can see a glow around you…it's fading. Unfairly too."

"Oh please just stop," Renata rolled her eyes and stepped away. "I need you to listen to me and just take a breather."

"Um, Ren?" Gabby called from her spot. She'd moved away from the Doctor and was pointing at the man arguing with Cleo and two other men. "That's not sounding very good."

"Yeah, got that," Renata sighed. "Look, Dorothy, I just need you to come back with me so we can make sure everything is okay."

Dorothy backtracked several steps before the glow around her became a dark red. She levitated into the air and struck a hand forwards. All arguments between the others ended when the artifact came zipping out from one of the men's pockets and into Dorothy's hand.

"Goddess, we have awaited for your arrival!" one of the men with Cleo, a man in a white lab coat named Hanif, exclaimed.

"That's ours," Dorothy's voice overlapped with the computerized voice from before. "Mine. That's what was missing."

"Dorothy?" Renata called from below. "Remember that thing I said about taking a breather? Now might be the right time to take it. Please?"

"Internal enhancements in progress. Biogenetic overhaul completed." Dorothy's hand seemed to merge with the artifact and disappeared altogether.

"Dorothy, we really need you to listen!" called the Doctor, but the woman just smiled at him.

"I'm fine," she assured. "Look at you all. So many possibilities. You Cleo, I haven't forgotten about you," she raised a finger at the woman in question. "You going to behave yourself now?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Cleo gave a quick nod of her head. "I really am a fan."

"And Doctor, you are an adept, present in the here and the now and yet not. You move through this reality like smoke, a beautiful, dangerous idea. You are a very complicated space-time event."

"Oh come now, I bet you say that to all the boys!"

"Not the time," Renata shot him a quick look.

"Don't joke," scolded Dorothy, very much sounding like Renata in that moment. "I saw what you did. You made Vivian stay at home. You kept her safe, protecting her."

"It was just an instinct…" the Doctor tried to say, but Dorothy shook her head.

"No, you're attuned to the Flux Of potentialities. If she had come here this man—" Dorothy pointed at the man suited in black, Erik, who'd come along with Cleo, "-would have shot her as she tried to protect me. She would be dead now. In a world parallel to this one, Vivian is dead."

"What?" went the man indignantly. "But I haven't!"

"I can see the possibilities," Dorothy began to lower herself to the ground but even then the glow around her hadn't dissipated.

"We came here only to welcome you," Erik began to say when the second man, Hanif, added.

"And to collect, humbly, our reward."

"Oh really — that's what brought you here," Donna scowled at the two men.

"We know only what our forebears told us," Hanif said. "Generations of us have guarded the secrets of your kind for Millennia. You are a herald, one who the return of the Gods."

"Now wait a minute," the Doctor called for the attention before it got more lost. "Dorothy thought the artifact was a fountain of youth while you think it's a radio for talking to the gods, is that it? It isn't either of those things."

"Let me guess, you've seen this before?" Renata wasn't even asking at this point, she just presumed he had to know.

"Then do tell us what the artifact was for, Doctor," Hanif pointed. "If this woman isn't a goddess, then she is a harbinger of the Gods."

"Lower East gods of yours...you're a religious sect. A cult?"

"Oh but there's nothing anymore," Dorothy suddenly went, raising her head as if she were looking up to the sky. "There's no more Gods."

"Ooh…" the Doctor blinked and slowly turned to Dorothy with a new look in his eyes. "Dorothy, hold on, I think I know what you are...what you've become."

But Dorothy's face had become the place for a stream.

"Oh now you've made her cry! Good going!" Renata exclaimed to the three men. "Dorothy, you should calm down…"

Dorothy shook her head away but seized Renata's wrist and pulled her up into the sky. The Time Lady screamed out of shock, and after realizing how high she was going it turned into screams of fear.

"Dorothy, come back! You're a Quantum Harvester!" the Doctor was left to holler from the ground. His hearts were pounding wildly under his chest as he saw Renata disappear into the sky.

"Doctor, we have to get Ren back!" Donna shook him by the arm while Gabby took hold of his other arm.

"What if she hurts Renata!?" Gabby started panicking, thinking this was yet the way Renata was supposed to go.

"Hello," Cindy suddenly called, "Was like some rustic form of particle physics terminology? Before anyone says anything, yes I do understand science."

"Beginning to like you a bit," the Doctor said but he was more focused on the missing Time Lady. "What was your name?"

"Cindy, and I'd really like to know what the hell is going on here?" Cindy looked more directly at Gabby for the answers. She'd been following Gabby everywhere and sure Gabby had already warned her that this was out of her world but would it kill Gabby to explain it better?

"Cleo warned us that you could mess things up for us," Hanif's words drew the traveler's attention and alerted them to the silver gun aimed on them.

"Thanks to you and your little friends, none of this went the way we anticipated. You are responsible—" Erik had been saying before Cleo pulled him back.

"Wait!" the woman blocked the gun's way to the travelers. "I am strategizing here! This is tactical, what you keeping me around for. Much as I hate to admit it, Doctor, you seem to know what's going on here. If we're going to follow the Hollywood all-high we should join forces."

"I would like to point out that Renata told us not to trust her," Donna quietly told the Doctor while keeping narrowed eyes on Cleo.

"You can walk behind me if you'd like," Cleo offered as another sign of good faith.

"Donna, we don't have much of a choice," the Doctor muttered. He needed everything and everyone at his disposal to get Renata back.

With his sonic, he managed to pick up a trace on Dorothy again and so that's what they did: follow it. With Cleo's help, they now had a car at their disposal to take them around the city as they went on a chase for Dorothy.

"So when are you going to explain what Dorothy is?" Donna asked, though she wasn't sure if the Doctor was listening to her. He'd been keenly focused on his sonic so far.

"She's a fusion of a human being and incredibly advanced alien technology. That's all."

"But is she dangerous?" asked Gabby who kept chewing on her lower lip.

"I don't think so," the Doctor said and that's the only thing keeping him somewhat calm. "I think she's an overwhelmed being who grabbed the person who was making her feel a bit better in all the chaos. Naturally, it had to be Renata. She inspires calmness and peace wherever she goes and I should know. Changed my life a while ago."

Both Gabby and Donna gave him the same strange, tilted-head look that he missed since he was staring at his sonic. He hadn't even realized what he said.

~ 0 ~

Renata only got her bearings back when Dorothy finally brought them back to the ground. And that was only after Dorothy went around the city repairing and building what she thought New York needed.

"You really should start listening," the Time Lady helped Dorothy — who was now weary from all her work — down the sidewalk leading up to her apartment building. "You can't go around doing that stuff when you've no idea what abilities you have nor what side effects you have."

"Something's coming…" Dorothy mumbled the same thing since they'd started to walk.

"You keep saying that but you don't tell me who is coming."

"I don't know," Dorothy admitted. "But it wants me."

"And here you are drawing attention to yourself."

They heard a car skid to a stop beside them and when Renata saw the Doctor jumping out of the car, she so greatly relaxed. If he was here, then Dorothy couldn't be in trouble anymore.

"Renée!" the Doctor came directly to the Time Lady, once again pulling her in for a hug just as when she'd fallen unconscious in Dorothy's apartment. Twice already he'd scared her and it was all because of some threats he hadn't been able to foresee.

"Oh no…" Dorothy stepped backwards when she saw the others getting out of the car.

"No, no, it's okay now," the Doctor tried to bring her back but Dorothy shook her head.

"No, it's them!" she pointed at Erik, Hanif and Cleo. "They're calling whatever's coming here."

The Doctor immediately looked back and saw the lab-coated man holding something in his hand, something he hadn't seen yet. "What are you doing!? Stop—"

But a golden light struck down and took all of them away, up into a clear alien spaceship. The room was huge with dark brown walls and one set of controls set at the end of the room. There was a clear distraught in Gabby, Cindy and Donna but for the other humans - Cleo, Erik and Hanif - they were quick to begin arguing. Cleo seemed to be the one taking the sudden transportation the worst.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Donna asked Renata since the Doctor had already begun sonicking the entire room. Renata was tending to the even more fear-stricken Dorothy.

"Really? What would I do?" Renata shook her head. "Sounds to me like Cleo is finally getting a reality check. That is what you call it, right?"

Erik caught onto her poor description and turned at the woman. "We are very real! We are the Cult of the Black Pyramid!"

But to be honest, Renata stopped listening after that. She had no interest in learning what they were nor what exactly they worshiped.

"Would you all just stop?" the Doctor called. He had made his way up to the main bridge's control panel. "This is not the place of the 'Gods'. It's just a vessel of an old civilization that died eons ago. The ship is a remnant of the civilization, as if the relic that Dorothy merged with."

Dorothy's eyes widened. She looked at her palms as if the relic was still there, but it was far gone and yet so close.

"So, the ancient Egyptian gods those people-" Gabby jerked a thumb over her shoulder to Erik, "-are just aliens?"

"Yup! They're from a planet called Phaester Osiris."

"How about ancient Chinese gods?" Cindy asked, gesturing herself since she was of Chinese descent. "Got any of those?"

"It's not a game," scolded Renata.

The Doctor pressed a few buttons on the control panel, prompting Renata to warn him that messing with unknown controls of an unknown spaceship could lead to even worse consequences -

But then the spaceship rumbled and a rough voice spoke from the computer. "This is the will of the Seeker…"

"Doctor, what is that?" asked Donna.

"Like a Janitor Robot - an AI."

"And it wants me," Dorothy shook her head. She chose to merge with an alien tech and now the spaceship that owned that tech had come for it.

"And this," Hanif raised his hand with a peculiar ring on his finger. "I'm so sorry but I had to do it. It's said that this ring came from you - the Old Gods - and has been handed down in my family for more than a hundred generations."

"And that was a lie," Cindy rolled her eyes.

"See the mark of our faith?" the man went on, pulling up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a triangle inside a circle. Erik did the same behind him. "We are your true disciples."

"Did you not just hear that they're aliens and not Gods?" Renata gestured to the clear alien control panel. Why were they still on this plan? They were desperate for their beliefs.

But she was ignored, like Cindy's earlier remark. Hanif went on to explain how his family had cared for an old Egyptian black pyramid centuries ago that disappeared into darkness after some false prophet showed up.

The Doctor scratched the top of his head as he corrected, "The chap in the pyramid was probably the last Osirian. Trust me, he's gone too."

"I've had enough of your blasphemy, Doctor!" Erik pulled out his gun and pressed it to the back of the Doctor's head.

Renata stiffened but the Doctor seemed way too calm for her liking, leading her to believe he had something up his sleeve.

"Erik, there might be some automatic defenses-" Before he would finish, a golden light erupted from the gun in Erik's hand and when it disappeared Erik was left screaming in pain as the gun merged with his flesh.

"Force will be met with force," went the computer.

"This is our reward!?" Hanif cried in anger. "He's an archaeologist, one of the faithful! And my family have served you for centuries!"

"Seriously? He just tried to kill our friend," Gabby scowled at him.

"He wouldn't have used it!"

But now the Doctor frowned as well. "He had already pulled the trigger. That's why the seeker registered it as a projectile weapon."

"The key has been retrieved," the computer suddenly declared, at the same time Dorothy's glow became stronger. "All sentient Osirian devices are reclaimed. Any non-sentient devices will be rendered useless."

"Hey!" Hanif witnessed the glow from his ring die in two seconds.

"My purpose here has been fulfilled. Individuals potentially of value to be historical record will be retained for authentication. Individuals irrelevant to mission parameters will be returned to earth."

Flashes of portals blinded them all before one of theirs were dropped back to Earth. It was only the Doctor and Cindy who were dropped back onto the street. The Doctor quickly attempted to use the sonic to get them back into the ship, but the ship prevented it somehow.

"They've got all of 'em!" Cindy cried as she watched the triangular shaped - the Black pyramid - fly off in the sky. "Now what?"

The Doctor didn't even answer her. He'd broke into a full-fledged run down the sidewalk. He lost Renata twice to that thing, he wasn't going to let it happen again. There would be no more times!

"HEY! Wait up!" Cindy hollered as she ran her fastest to catch up with him. "You're going to have to start explaining things here! I haven't forgotten that you said Dorothy was a 'Quantum Harvester'. You can start with that!"

But the Doctor only explained once he was back in the TARDIS, because that's where he could get work done to get back onto that ship. "The Osirians used them to construct their civilization. They calculate and harvest the best possible outcomes of parallel universes' histories and co-opt them for our own. They are keys to the underlying structure of reality. With them, the Osirian architects reshaped whole galaxies to their whims. And they should all be extinct by now."

Cindy watched him work around that console, something she hadn't yet commented about. In fact, Cindy was the only person the Doctor had met who wasn't shocked about the TARDIS' misleading dimensions.

"Then you clearly misjudged the entire situation!"

"Yeah, won't happen again! Hold on now!" the Doctor pulled the lever of the console, jolting the TARDIS to life. Cindy yelped as she fell flat on her back. "We're heading for the 'Center of Things' - whatever that is!" He'd locked onto the Black Pyramid's location and merely following it. What he would find on the other side, he wasn't sure except for the fact Renata would be there.

~ 0 ~

Renata was getting really tired of being separated from the Doctor when there was an impending alien threat looming over them. The Black Pyramid ship had taken flight as soon as the Doctor and Cindy were teleported out and no matter how much Renata tried figuring the control panels out...she couldn't figure out where they were going. In the meanwhile, though, Dorothy and her merged Osirian half took it upon themselves to heal Erik with the hope that the man would re-evaluate his life choices. Donna loudly disagreed with that hope.

'Commencing disembarkation ritual,' the AI declared. At the corner of the room started creating a blue humanoid figure.

"I-is that an Osirian?" Cleo guessed, her eyes widening as the hologram finished forming.

"No, it's the AI - the Seeker," Renata sighed.

'I have scoured the universe to find and collect the last remnants of our civilization - and now that the task is completed. The debt is repaid.'

The ship embarked onto a new ship, this one making it seem like they were outside with the dark scenery around them. At the end of its short platform was a huge, golden pyramid.

The AI took form of a silver mummified figure with its arms crossed over his chest in the shape of an 'x'. It actually walked over to Dorothy, dismissing or ignoring the others' wide-eyed stares. "Sister, do you remember our home, the Shining Horizon? Here, sleep has long had the countenance of death but now the time of Atonement is over for us all."

"All?" Renata caught on fast to the word choice.

"Hear that?" Erik had turned to Hanif with a new flourished grin on his face. "Maybe we were right after all!"

Renata shushed them with a pointed finger, almost looking like a mother scolding her children for being so imprudent. "No, no you were not! They are still aliens!"

"Why do you speak in riddles?" Dorothy asked the AI. "You always speak in riddles. Can't you make sense for once?'

"Sister, suddenly you speak with acrimony and yet your compassionate nature is evident," the AI noted. "Horus would be proud. It is as if you chose your new human vessel very deliberately - perhaps as a reaction towards your previous owner?"

"No one owns me!" frowned Dorothy.

"You're incorrect," the AI sounded as if it was snapping. "Sutekh the Destroyer owned you! With you and the others like you, he extinguished life on millions of worlds."

"Well, at least now why she came to Earth," Donna remarked sourly.

"He burned a trail of death and destruction through the cosmos until his brother Horus, leader of the Osirians, cornered him on Earth and imprisoned him within the Forbidden Pyramid. You are his instrument - you are the hand of Sutekh."

"Now wait a second!" Renata yanked Dorothy behind her as if she could protect the woman from a 6 foot soldier. "You've no right calling anyone an 'instrument'. So do it again and I'll have my go at you right here and now! And I don't care if I'm dealing with Horus or Sutekh or Anubis - I want you to return me and the others back to Earth this instant!"

"But what he says is true…" Dorothy whispered behind her. "And they're not all dead. I can feel it. It's here."

"What is?" Gabby dreaded to ask.

"Master...architect. Your millenia long fatigue is over!" the AI raised his arms in a worship. "I have served you faithfully. Awake now. Our task is accomplished."

"Renata, what is he waking?" Donna wore the same dread Gabby had.

"Well…" Renata hated that she was actually beginning to figure it out as the situation went along - it made her feel a lot like the Doctor right now. "Remember how I said I'd rather face one of the Gods?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I might get that wish. Because if these two-" Renata pointed at the AI and Dorothy, "-were the lackeys, and they just re-united...that means they have the keys to bring out the...what do you guys call it? 'The big guns'?"

The ground under them rumbled again as if an earthquake was striking. A black hole started forming out of thin air. With seconds, it formed a tall - a very tall - figure but it wasn't human. It was all black, like the true color of a black hole, but its hands were claw-like and its face...was the head of an animal.

"Anubis…" Renata sucked in a deep breath of true fear. She took a step back for caution but she knew that if her wanted to, he could wipe them out with a snap of a finger.

"Who dares wake Anubis, the son of Sutekh!?"

"Ren…." Donna's voice trembled with utter fear.

The Time Lady was at a loss for their next course of action. She had no idea what she was supposed to do - this is where the Doctor shined! Oh be honest, he always shines, the little voice in her head reminded her. "I-I don't know…the Doctor would know, I...I don't..."

"I awoke you," the AI spoke up. He explained how they came to be on the ship and that the world was at Anubis' hands.

"But these primitives?" Anubis gestured with his staff to the group crowded together.

"Excuse you," Renata said, momentarily getting over her fear to snap on behalf of the humans. "My friend over here-" she nodded to Dorothy, "-had a play in your awakening and you repay her by insulting her? Spoken like a true Noble, or God in your case."

"My key?" Anubis seemed to take a double-look at Dorothy. "I didn't recognize you in this form. You're now...part human?"

Suddenly, they heard the familiar wheeze of the TARDIS and a few seconds later the Doctor and Cindy emerged from the blue box.

"Renée!" the Doctor rushed up to the Time Lady, encasing her in a tight hug.

This time, Renata hugged him back with the same intensity. "Oh thank God you found your way to us! I have no idea what I'm doing here!"

The fact she even admitted that was a clear indication of how scared she actually was. For that, the Doctor may have squeezed her a bit tighter. Today had just been far too crazy, even for them, and if he had anything to say about it would be the last trip that separated them multiple time. "I'm here," he whispered beside her ear, unknowingly reminding Renata of the many times they'd done this back home too.

Each time she was upset, scared, or simply needed him, he'd be right there giving her such comforting hugs and his comforting whispers. Even today, his whispering voice next to her ears gave her the same chills. Funny how time couldn't make those feelings go away, or at least decrease.

Donna awkwardly cleared her throat to get the pair's attention. "Sorry to interrupt but I believe there is an alien trying to kill us all?" She smirked when they pulled apart with the same red blushes on their faces.

She gestured towards the alien and when the Doctor looked over he blinked in shock. "Well, sure missed a lot, then."

"More primitives?" roared Anubis.

"There's that word again," Renata frowned at him.

"They are uninvited," the AI said fast. "I only brought those with interesting historical records since it was one of your interests in the past."

"Historical records?" Gabby repeated quietly. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you, Donna and Renata each hold valuable historical importance to the time lines," the Doctor shrugged, not too worried about it as the three women seemingly were.

"What?" Renata frowned. "But me? I've done nothing important."

"I didn't say it was in your past," the Doctor smiled at her. "Who knows what your future has in store for you." He had no doubt that her future was bright considering all the amazing things she was capable of doing. Who knew where her big hearts would lead her to?

Renata looked away, for the first time feeling guilty about her pending fate. She thought, honestly, she was doing him a favor by sparing him the details of what was (apparently) coming. He didn't need to be burdened by her problems.

"Master!" the AI said, once again opening his arms only this time he had white spheres come into the air. "You must let the nano-meds begin their work. They must rejuvenate you before you start your work."

"Wait, Anubis needs medical attention now?" Cindy shot a look at the travelers as if they had some explaining to do. "Seriously?"

"They're aliens, not Gods," Renata sighed. She was getting tired of reminding everyone that details. "If they're aliens then medical attention makes sense."

Cindy looked between her and the God that was an alien. She shook her head a minute later. "...sure."

Renata glared. She didn't need that right now.

"You, Doctor," called Anubis who had trapped by the nano-meds as they commenced their work, "You are not a lesser species — as is the woman —" he languidly pointed one claw finger at the Doctor then Renata. "You're both long lived. I sense great age in both of you. What are you?"

"Time Lords," the Doctor answered only to be scoffed at.

"Last time I heard the Time Lords were engaged in some petty squabble with a Daleks."

Renata's face instantly morphed into a furious incredulity. "Squabble with the Daleks — are you serious!?" she moved for Anubis, as if ready to charge at him, but the Doctor grabbed onto her arm to keep her at his side. "He just said 'squabble' as if it were—"

"-I know," he nodded at her. He'd love to correct Anubis as well but he didn't want to make things worse. "But it's not really the time to correct him." Renata rolled her eyes but figured he was right.

"It is time for me to ascend," Anubis declared. "To travel beyond this universe!"

"No chance," went the Doctor. "Your 'circle of transcendence' isn't stable anymore. Don't even try it."

"Ha, who are you to tell me I can't do what I was meant to?"

The Doctor glowered at the creature. "Anubis, if you try to pass through that gateway, it will collapse. It will kill you and create a catastrophic effect that will Ripple outward at translight seeds, destroying the rest of the universe." He'd figured out that Anubis wanted to cross over through a 'gateway' promising some sort of new world for him and his people, but it was far too weak to actually work as a proper gateway.

Anubis rose into the air again, gaining a green glow in his eyes as he spoke. "You do not comprehend how long and lonely these final duties would be. I miss my people, my wife, my children."

"But there are ways to counter the loneliness," the Doctor said. "I speak from experience so trust me."

"You know me by what insight, Time Lord? Your race is gone too. You're a fugitive from destiny, as is your partner."

The Doctor unconsciously moved his body slightly in front of Renata's. He could handle whatever was said at him but there was no need to bring in Renata.

"Horus asked two final duties of me. Mindful of the destruction my father brought, the first was to stay behind as guardian of the circle, to keep it turning."

"The second was to seek and collect any remaining of Osirian technology from this universe, so as to help with people's departure from this plane," Dorothy suddenly said, the words seemingly tumbling out of her mouth before she could even process.

It seemed to surprise Anubis. "You remember?"

"Sure," she said after careful thought. "Just like I remember New Jersey, where I'm really from."

"So you see why it is time for me to transcend this universe, to follow the other Osirans through. Do not tell me that I cannot."

"Fact is, there is a lot of stuff in here that are mine and yet not mine," Dorothy brought her hands to her head. She shared a vast knowledge know with an alien and her mind was pretty jumbled up right now.

"What if we find a compromise?" the Doctor offered. "I can help you heal and safely get rid of the circle before it destroys us."

"It is my right to ascend!"

"And so, therefore, your right to destroy an entire universe? Because that's what you'll be doing. And you know what? I met Sutekh," the Doctor confessed, instantly gaining Anubis' and the other's attention. "I know what he stood for and I don't think it's quite you. You're not the same as him, no matter what horrid that to you before trapping you here. You need to forget your father and Horus because one destroyed and one lied but both of them fought. Don't be like either of them. You have power over all life and death. Live Anubis, and let the universe live too."

Anubis retracted a step from them, for the first time looking like words had affected him.

"We don't really have much to lose, do we?" Dorothy offered one small smile at Anubis. "Maybe, sometime in the future, we could fix the Circle and you can cross through safely. Without putting anyone in danger."

"But it would take eons before it'd be fixed!"

"So you would rather die because you're impatient?" Renata found her voice to demand. It was a fairly good question that stumped him for a moment. "Because that's the risk you're taking if you cross through the gateway. Wouldn't you rather wait and see it actually get fixed?"

"Look, Anubis," the Doctor called again, hoping to really drive things home with this last bit especially when he already seemed to be considering, "I'm not telling you that you'll never be able to cross through. I'm only saying to let us find a way of collapsing the circle safely so when the day comes...you can cross safely."

There was a moment of tensed silence as Anubis thought. If he didn't agree, then it would all be over. And truthfully, the Doctor didn't know what else to do.

"...Very well. I agree to delay my voyage to the circle," Anubis' words caused simultaneous relived sighs. "It's always best not to get caught between Horus and my father. I did as I had the misfortune of birthright. What is clear is that I cannot leave, not until the circle is repaired."

"Or until someone can take your place as guardian," Dorothy stepped forward, the look on her face indicating she would volunteer for the job.

"Are you sure about that, Dorothy?" Renata turned to her with concern, as if thinking that the other half of her, the alien half of her, was making Dorothy say that.

Dorothy nodded. "Yeah. I can learn. At the very least I can help. Anubis can train me. I'm only just beginning to explore my powers."

"We'll come back and check up on you," the Doctor offered, putting one hand over Renata's shoulder to let her know they wouldn't be abandoning Dorothy.

"I take that agreement," Anubis announced. " Doctor, I give you five thousand time-cycles, and no longer. I will look in on you and I will expect progress reports."

"I don't quite like the idea of leaving you here," Renata admitted to Dorothy while the Doctor started ushering everyone else into the TARDIS before Anubis changed his mind.

Dorothy still smiled her sweet smile. " I will be just fine. I'm an Osiran-Human hybrid now - I can take care of myself. Thank you for what you've done for me and I'm so sorry that I put you through so many scares."

Renata nodded. If it was Dorothy's choice, then there was nothing more she would say. At least now, she could return home safe and sound.

Until the Doctor would drop Cleo, Erik and Hanif back on Earth along with Cindy. Despite asking Gabby if she wanted to stay home for a few days, to get over what happened, the young girl shook her head and said she would much rather be in the TARDIS. So, she bid goodbye to Cindy and left with the trio in the TARDIS.

And while Renata usually whipped up her famous dinners, this night she seemed to missed it. Gabby and Donna ate dinner alone and it was just regular human cereal.

"Where are they?" Gabby asked the ginger at the table. She moved her spoon in endless circles against her bowl, not really in the mood to eat.

"Don't know," Donna shrugged. "Doctor said he wanted to run some tests on Ren but…" she smiled for a moment, "...Renata refused so it turned into one of their arguments. Kind of funny."

"Wait," Gabby straightened up in her chair, "He was going to run some tests on her? Like...medically-wise?" Donna nodded. "I have to go!" Gabby jumped from her chair and ran out of the kitchen before Donna could even say her name.

It was the perfect time to confirm whether or not Renata was safe in terms of health. If she was lucky, Gabby thought maybe she could be there when the results were in. Of course, she would have to convince Renata to let her stay in the room or at the very least she would have to convince Renata to tell her what the results were. Gabby came to a skidded stop before the open door of the medbay. She was already hearing some of the conversation and she didn't really have the courage to come in.

"So, are we finally done here?" Renata sat on the edge of the medbay bed, looking completely irritated. "And then you can realize this was a waste of time — I didn't even get to make dinner for everyone!"

The Doctor was reading off the results from the computer screen in front of him. He looked far too focused for there to be nothing wrong. Renata came to that conclusion only a minute after speaking up.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

The Doctor straightened up and looked at her. "I'm so sorry. I keep putting you in danger, don't I?"

"Where'd you get that from?"

"I…" the Doctor drew in a breath then turned to face her completely. "You're...okay, but...you haven't expelled the energy you in-took from when we visited Zhe's art gallery. The Block-Transfer Matrix energy from the apprentices?"

"How could I forget?" Renata sourly said as she remembered the homicidal apprentices Zhe had conjured up. "But that was weeks ago!" Her body, while not being completely invincible, was still more attuned to a higher standard when it came to health. She'd always been very healthy in her previous incarnations. Why would this one be the exception?

"No," the Doctor shook his head. "And then you took in new energy from the Osiran lot. Now that's combined inside of you and…" a new type of fear etched across his face as he willed himself to say the truth, "...you've been contaminated."

Renata blinked slowly, the movements of her body slowing down to awkward shifts. From the hallway, Gabby felt her heart pounding under her chest.

Is this what that Ood meant? She started coming up with terrible ways this 'contamination' could kill Renata. Out of fear, she rushed away from the room.

"Contaminated?" Renata finally spoke up after a minute of processing. "I've been...contaminated? With what?" there was a confused smile on her face but the Doctor wondered — he had to — if it was in place of a growing fear.

"These two different energies have merged to form something new, something a Time Lady shouldn't have — that no Time Lord should have — because remember, we carry a bit of the Time Vortex in order to regenerate. Now couple this new energy with the Time Vortex and we have a triple-way contamination."

"So...am I just going to die, then?" Renata pushed herself off the medbed and walked over to the computer screen to see for herself.

"No," the Doctor said automatically. "You're not dying but...it's something we have to keep a constant eye on. We have to be careful of what you expose yourself to from here on out and see how your body continues to react to these energy forces."

Renata turned the computer screen off and turned to the Doctor. The fear on her face had disappeared, or perhaps stored away for the moment. "Okay, so we'll just do that but is there really any cause for concern? For all we know, my body is just a little slower in expelling the energy."

"No, it hasn't expelled anything," the Doctor urgently reminded her. "We cannot brush this off, Renée." If that was her plan then he was going to be sorry for being himself and making it a priority! He wasn't going to lose her.

Renata rolled her eyes but it seemed more like an action she forced in an attempt to be casual. She put a hand on his arm and wore her best smile. "I'm not brushing it off, Doctor, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. You've been through worse and I don't see you 'raising 'alarm' about yourself."

"Because it's you I'm talking about," the Doctor started to frown. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'd rather it be me than you." He didn't even realize he said the words until they'd left his mouth. But Renata had flinched when he said those words. It actually made her gasp. It was astounding that he'd said it like it was an automatic instinct, but even as he went back to think about it...he wouldn't take them back. He was a terrible man, who cares if he got contaminated? Better him than someone as pure and honest as Renata.

Don't you dare! Renata felt her hearts skip several jolts while her mind went crazy wondering if he truly meant that. Once upon a time, he'd said those exact words to her but during the period where they both knew they loved each other. Right now, they were nowhere near that. They were friends, just friends.

#doctor who #10th doctor #ocapp #ocappreciation #dw imagines #doctor who imagines #10th doctor imagines #10th doctor fics #doctor who fics #doctor who imagine #10th doctor imagine #donna noble #gabby gazonalez #oc: Renata Cartwright #fic: the beginning of everything

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saltandburn-ilovesamwinchester · 5 years

Text

Have A Drink On Me

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Warning: Slow burn .. 18+

Standing in the mirror, you looked closely at yourself. Your addiction to body piercings growing throughout your years now made you self conscious, especially living with the Winchesters. They were perfect. It took everything you had not to find your own place when they would bring their dates back to the bunker, mostly Dean. Your crush on him was enormous and imaginary. There was no way a guy like him could like a clumsy mess of a person like yourself.

The mirror on the dresser made you want to throw it across the room. Until there was a knock. "Come in," you answered and rolled your eyes at your reflection, hiding the worry on your face.

You were thankful to see the kind smile in Sam's eyes when he walked in. Completely opposite of Dean. "Just wanted to say that Dean and I wanted you to know we were going out later,and we wanted you to come with. Ya know.. if you didn't have plans."

Sam was the sweet one. He respected your privacy and needs to wonder without having two bodyguards leaning over your shoulder all the time.

Just when you thought you were totally a lost cause.

Dean, on the other hand, when the three of you would end up at the bunker he would always find a way to disappear from any room you were in. He either had weapons to clean, go on beer runs, or he would fiddle with the car until you found something else to do. Were you really that pathetic?

"That's nice, Sam, but I don't know if I'm up for an adventure tonight," you declined softly and gave him your best fake smile. "I'm not really feeling it."

He looked like he wanted to question you but decided against it. Sam knew if you wanted to talk you would. "Oh, okay," he cast his eyes down his narrow body to his feet and huffed. "We leave at eight if you change your mind." With a single smile your way, he turned and shut the heavy door, leaving you with your thoughts again.

...

Dean's P.O.V.

By lunch the three of your were starving and everyone had different ideas for a meal. "Hey Y/N, I bet you haven't had Dean's sandwiches yet," Sam winked at you from across the table. "They're the best." Dean turned to his little brother with wide eyes.

What the hell is he doing, Dean thought to himself. Sam knew for a while that his brother had a crush on the girl that was two years younger than his baby brother. Every once in a while Sam would catch him staring at her while she would research the things they needed for a hunt. Her tiny hands running across the keyboard. Or Dean would stare in awe as she took on the largest of creatures that go bump in the night. Dean knew things could go bad if he ever went there with her. How could he ever come close to hurting you like that?

I would always find ways to keep myself busy. Just long enough to keep my mind off Y/N. Running through the garage, playing with weapons, and above all avoiding eye contact. Staying away from her but wanting to stay beside her was like fighting a war between my head and heart. I always wanted her, but I knew my consequences if something bad ever happened.

"Mmm..no. I don't think I have," Y/N's beautiful smile spread in my direction. Her smile, Jesus Christ, her smile! If I could keep that smile on her face all day, I would. Then the way her eyebrow piercing would bounce when she laughed or the one on her tongue would sneak past her lips when she would wet them.

"Well, prepare to be amazed," my laugh came out short and fast and I took off to the kitchen. I had to get out of there before little Dean got fired up and my stomach knotted when I heard her feet shuffling behind me.

"Jus' wanted to watch the master chef himself," she smiled at me, her eyes wide and shining. Man I could take her right here if she were willing. Why the hell would she want this, though? Y/N didn't belong in this world. She belonged in a fairytale, with her prince charming, where they ride off into the sunset. Even if I could make her happy, how long would it last?

Well, if this is my shot, I'm shooting it. I grabbed her hands the way I always wanted to and spun her until she was by the refrigerator. "Help me get the stuff out, sweetheart," I grinned and watched her search for everything she wanted on her sandwich.

Y/N had her hands full with stuff and just as she handed me the sliced cheese, it slipped from our hands. We both bent down for it and my hands crossed her small fingers, and I pulled away. I took the rest of the ingredients and worked fast, trying to busy myself from her watching beside me. "And here you go," I happily set the neat sandwich down on her plate, the crust cut off like she requested. If only she would request me to do other things for her..

She licked her lips again before sinking her teeth into the fresh bread. Watching her face light up was pure sweetness. Oh, dear God, I want to be that sandwich. I want to have those little bite marks all over me. My mind was screaming with the urge to ask her out right then. What would she think? Would she laugh? Would she say yes? "Okay, I'm going to make Sam's and let you finish that," I trailed off as my geek brother walked through the kitchen doorway.

He looked at me with those puppy dog eyes, asking if I asked Y/N to go with us yet. "No you," I mouthed back at him." The panic had formed into beads of sweat, luckily only I knew about.

Y/N was completely oblivious to our conversation and Sam put his hands up in surrender and shook his head, "She already told me no."

"Deannn.." Y/N moaned as she took the last bite of her sandwich and the sound didn't go unnoticed by the boys. She was still slumping over the counter top, sandwich in one hand and chip in the other, and her eyes rolled in the back of her head. "That was amazing," she sang lovingly.

Dean closed his mouth that had fallen slack. Did she just make that sound for him? I need to leave right now, he thought to himself then scolded after looking at Sammy with red cheeks. "Hey, are you going out with us tonight," I spoke in a rush. Never had I been so nervous around a girl before. Maybe because she wasn't a girl. Y/N was a woman.

...

Reader P.O.V.

Throughout the day you flip flopped the idea of Sam and Dean's offer in your head. Why in the hell were they so caught up on you leaving the bunker tonight? And what got into you today at lunch? Following Dean's path like a puppy, praising his name over a damn sandwich?

You tucked away all the embarrassing moments and sat up from your place in bed. "Okay," you sighed to yourself and put down the TV remote. "If you are going to do anything, you have to do something with yourself first."

The water and steam in the shower relaxed your muscles a little. You watched the bubbles form on your skin from the body wash and the soft, pink loofah while the sweet smell of the shampoo soaked through your locks of hair. Then, Dean's name appeared in your cloudy brain. Not here. Not now. You cringed at the thought of him seeing you like this and started to scrub that thought out of your head like the bubbles on your body.

When your shower was completely over and you stepped out into the open cool air of the bathroom, you found yourself looking in the mirror again. Your eyes wandered from every hole that had been made by a needle in a piercing shop. One night wouldn't hurt anyone. Would it? You went to work, removing the stud earrings, the tongue piercing, all of it.

Your hair and makeup do over came to an end and you glanced at your straight hair and even eyeliner, proud that your features came together for one night. The red dress that had been a gift from Donna and Jody as a birthday present sat in back of the closet for the longest time. Now, the tight fabric clung to all the right places and the black lace up heels complemented your red toes. It's now or never, you thought and walked out of the comfort of your room.

...

Sam's P.O.V.

"Where is she? Y/N should be here by now," Dean fidgeted in his seat in the library chair. Having to admit that his brother's nervousness about seeing the woman of his dreams all dressed up and the possibility of her liking him too gave Sam the little hope he always held onto. "Do I look okay, Sammy? Too much?"

Sam smiled and laughed at his older brother. All his life he had looked up to Dean. When it was Sam that was nervous about a girl, he didn't talk to his father about it, he went to Dean. Now, seeing him like this, it was Sam's turn for the pep talk. "You look fine, just chill dude. She'll be down in a minute."

"What if I can't do it? What it I look crazy or some lunatic comes up to her before I get a chance to," his brother was panting now and Sam could tell he was about to back out of going. Oh HELL no. He will not ruin this for him nor her.

"Dean, it's okay. You really don't know how much she's into you, do you?" Sam's calm voice flowed through Dean's ears.

Dean looked at his younger brother as if he had two heads. "What are you talking about," his voice went high for a moment and it made Sam giggle.

"Oh, you are hopeless," Sam sighed and played with his thumbs, enjoying this very much. "Buddy, my room is closer to hers and I promise you these walls may hold a very strong power to protect us, but these walls are also very thin," Sam grinned and bit into his lip, wondering if telling Dean this was a good idea.

He watched as his brother's emotions unfolded in the small leather chair. "What? What the FUCK, Sam? Why didn't you tell me this sooner," Dean's out burst made Sam's head fall back with laughter.

Before Sam could say another word Y/N's heels let them know she was getting closer.

...

Reader's P.O.V.

You padded down the bunker's hallway, until you reached the opening of the library. Before stepping into site, you could hear Sam's laughter booming over something Dean had said. These boys, you smiled to yourself.

Your heels clicked a few more strides before stopping in front of the wide table where they sat. "Y/N, you look amazing," Sam smiled and stood from his comfortable chair. Dean had been fiddling with the collar of his shirt but made a double take at you and your new dress. His eyes traveling from your lace ups to your eyes, taking in as much as possible.

"Whoa," he smiled that handsome smile and stepped closer to you. His hand reached out to grab yours and he kissed the top it. You smiled and felt your cheeks turn crimson because his eyes never left yours.

The two of you were so caught up in each other, you forgot Sam was watching the whole thing. "Are you two finished now," he poked fun at his brother and winked at you. "Because if I'm going anywhere, I'm leaving now."

Dean waved him off and turned to your side, holding out his elbow for you. You questioned him silently but took his arm and when Sam was farther away he leaned into you, "Y/N, you look beautiful tonight," his green eyes shined and so did his smile. The two of you had reached the car where his younger brother was and Dean held open the door for you.

When everyone was comfortable the Impala pulled away from the bunker and the night began. "Two more minutes and we should be there," Sam announced from his place in the passenger seat. You looked up from your phone and you met Dean's stare. How long had he been watching you? You licked your lips for show and rubbed your knees together, never taking your eyes off his.

You forced yourself from looking at him and you sat up straighter to see the parking lot of the bar you had just pulled into. Dean was the first out the car and quick to open the door for you. You smiled at his thoughtfulness and took his hand to help you out. "Have a drink, on me. Please," Dean found himself looking at your lips the whole time he ask.

Smiling your best ten of ten smile, the kind that reached your eyes, you nodded and followed him to the bar door.

...

Some how, somewhere this felt right. It sure felt right an hour later when the two of you escaped back to the bunker and into your room. You never would have thought that Dean could have been into you. But now, balls deep inside of you and the bruised and wet skin, gave you the satisfaction of your earlier thoughts.

"So good," you moaned against his lips when he thrust harder into you. Your nails clawed into his back, taking in every inch of him. The bed moving with every stroke turned you on even more. "Dean..." you threw your head back as he found that perfect spot between your neck and shoulder and bit down, coming hard.

Dean brushed his nose against yours, still holding himself above you, "Mine." Your heavy panting and heartbeat slowed when the words left his lips. Your hands still holding his above your head. "Yours," you smiled and kissed him, his tongue fighting yours and he bucked into you again, making you whimper.

♤♡◇♧

Hahaaa... so sorry for the wait, yall. But the suffering is over. I hope you enjoyed it! All mistakes are mine. Please tell me what you think. Feel free to comment and share! ❤💋

@waywardbaby @imperiusimpala @leatherandapplepies @idreamofplaid @plaid-lover-bay25 @waywardnerd67 @maddiepants @sammyimpala-67 @oldfreakything @idabbleincrazy @the-magic-rabbit-99 @tumbler-tidbits @shatteredabby @destielhoneybee @cosicas-cuquis @heycasbutt @flamencodiva @coffee-obsessed-writer

https://saltandburn-ilovesamwinchester.tumblr.com/tagged/my-masterlist

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immortalcockroach · 5 years

Note

21 + 15 + 8!

asdfghjkl rose thank you for asking ♥️ this ended up coming out incredibly long, so i apologize in advance!

8) where do you take your inspiration from?

surprising! mostly from visual media, actually. graphics, art, moodboards, films, tv series, that kind of stuff. occasionally, music, and even more rarely, written media (fics, books, poems, similar). that’s for when i’m starting to get ideas. when i already have something written or ideas developed a bit more, then i have a moodboard on pinterest and a playlist on spotify, or i watch something that has the same mood/theme as the thing i’m writing.

15) if you write oc’s, how do you decide on their names?

i don’t usually write oc’s for fics, but i do them for my original stuff. the names depend on the characters’ background and location, but they all have a name that either sounds specific to their character or who they’re supposed to be, or the meaning is very connected.

in other cases, most of the time, i just go ‘woah this sounds cool’ or sometimes i build a whole character because of their name and subsequently the whole story.

21 tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? what is it about them that you admire?

i love this question!! let me give my favourite fic writers a shoutout, even though i’m probably missing some too!! it’s really long but honestly these people worked hard and they really deserve it

@grumpybell‘s ideas are absolutely brilliant. i’m a huge fan. the stories themselves, the plots would be enough for me to have a whole paragraph about, but for me, the characters are where it’s at. well-developed, very true to the canon but also to the universe the fic is set in, but also very well-rounded and overall realistic. the fics just flow really nice, honestly, and i could read them for eternity.

fic shoutout: oh darling, here’s hoping god i remember reading this red riding hood au and just... falling in love. i did. i fell in love with bellamy as the wolf and clarke’s desperation to save him, and the new take on the fairy tale, it was just absolute perfection. i keep coming to it every once in a while, honestly. it’s just magic.

@asroarke is one of those people who are just integrated into a fandom’s fanfiction. imagining t100 fanfiction with asroarke is like... imagining the sky without the stars. i think those fics were the first ones i read when i joined the fandom, and i remember one of the things i thought was how easy it was to read. everything flowed as if there was no effort needed, as if the words have always been there, just plucked and placed on a blank document. and the consistency, honestly, damn. these fics are better than probably more than half of published stuff i’ve read.

fic shoutout: drag me down. look there’s a pattern here and it’s the mythical/legends/fairy tale aus. i present you with a retelling of little mermaid in the most beautiful, soul-wrenching way. i waited every single chapter for when i came out. i read it as soon as i saw it came out, even if i was in the middle of grabbing coffee with a friend. honestly everything by asroarke is absolutely fantastic.

@blvke-bellamy okay look. when i saw may is just 15 i nearly fell off my chair. i’d kill to have that talent at 15. i would. look, i keep saying look, because i’m shook. but honestly, may’s characterization is brilliant. she took my faves from the 100 and managed to insert them into a different universe, and they feel so much like the original characters and not at all. the dynamics between them are so raw and so pure and so believable i cried at one particular scene in her fic. or it might be two scenes. and look, this is impressive on its own, and then knowing she’s just 15...god.

fic shoutout: step into the sun is a bellarke tangled au and honestly. i’m a slut for tangled. it’s so damn good. and this fic?? inspired by tangled?? absolutely brilliant. marvelous. 11/10. brought my fish to life. and honestly murphy is my favourite in the fic, literally one of my favourite portrayals of him in every fic i’ve ever read. i binged this. i lost sleep over this. no ragrets.

@pawprinterfanfic (i’m biased but. in top 3 fic writers ever. and i’ve been in a lot of popular fandoms.) paw manages to take a universe and make it hers. paw manages to create a universe out of nothing and make it feel more realistic than my own life. and honestly, i am reading her hunger games au right now and it’s amazing, but the best part is that i’m also reading the harry potter au which is even better and although both are masterpieces, i can see the improvement. the development of the characters, the amount of effort in planning and mapping things out, it’s marvellous. her fics just speak to me on a different level, it feels as if i’m experiencing them myself rather than reading them, and what i’m mostly in awe of is how immersed i am in those fics, especially the newer ones. i feel like it’s a rare skill to have.

fic shoutout: starry eyes and galaxy minds (we’ll be dancing on the clouds at night) which is a spider-man au, and honestly, i cried. it’s beautiful. it’s a masterpiece. but so is literally every single one of paw’s stories, so it was a really difficult choice. the harry potter one? j k rowling wishes she wrote it.

skai_heda (i don’t know their tumblr please someone help me find it). where do i begin. honestly. when i started reading the fic i put below, i was mesmerised by the writing style. it was partly in second pov which i’d usually refuse to read, but this writing style is something that belongs to gods. the characterization is amazing, it manages to fix some of the stuff in canon without actually changing it. everything just comes together naturally, and i always feel so satisfied when reading their fics. plus, the writing style again, especially in the fic below, is flawless. some people can create magic with their words, and i’m convinced i’ve just found one.

fic shoutout: everything that comes after deserves so much!! more!! attention!!! i remember reading the first two chapters and just being like...wooow. i was starstruck. i left a long ass comment. it’s so unique and so beautiful. it’s the only fic on this list written in the canon universe, and it’s one of my favourites i’ve ever read about the canon universe. it hurts. it makes you cry, and ache, and understand, and smack your head because you just want people to be happy. if i could pocket the way this fic made me feel, i would always keep it with me. (a little frustration, but a whole lotta love.)

give me a number and i’ll answer questions about writing fanfiction

just in case you’d like to see the same questions answered for non-fanfiction/non-fanfiction influence, see below!

15) if you write oc’s, how do you decide on their names?

specific example of mentioned above - a wip about teenagers who come from a rich side of town and a poor side. there’s posh names, like cedric, declan, byron and gregory, for people who are supposed to represent the posh, stuck-up class; hadley, tessa, abigail, kate for privileged people who are the ‘good guys’; and luca, oliver, han, freddie, who are from the poor side. it’s very classist so it was very important that the names represent the characters. usually, i go for the “vibe” of the name over the meaning, to be honest.

21 tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? what is it about them that you admire?

i love this question!!

fiction: maggie stiefvater, because her raven cycle series genuinely feels like magic when i read it. the characters are brilliant. erin morgenstern, who wrote the night circus, because that novel also feels like magic. donna tart’s the secret history feels as if you’re reading a secret and the storytelling sort of reminds me of f. scott fitzgerald’s the great gatsby in a way i can’t really describe. she creates a beautiful, magnificent atmosphere and you know what the characters are doing is wrong, but you completely understand them and it makes me, as a reader, question my own moral standards. madeline miller’s the song of achilles is a beautifully written masterpiece that made me fall in love with mythology, legends and history all over again. the way she develops the characters and retells the story i’ve heard a million times is so poetic and beautiful it just resonates with me on a different level. and finally, leigh bardugo with her six of crows series that again, makes me question my morals, but shows the friendship and loyalty between people in a beautiful way. it also shows a romance that i think is one of best written i’ve read, up there for me romances from the novels/series i’ve already mentioned.

there’s a pattern - storytelling and character-building that feels almost otherworldly, very focused on emotions and character development. basically, stories that you feel like as if they were made into films without proper, detailed development, wouldn’t translate well enough to bring the world to the screen. and romances incredibly well-developed over time, that go beyond just being romances and actually show a beautiful connection.

special mention of these directors, as they have a huge influence on my writing: christopher nolan, john krasinski, quentin tarantino, m night shyamalan, steven knight, guillermo del toro, alfred hitchcock, for their storytelling and character building. also, some of these are for the suspense that seems to come naturally. i know most of these are very popular directors, but they’re popular for a reason. i could literally write an essay on each of these people, honestly. my writing is very inspired by motion pictures, i most often look up to how these directors approached some things that i have in my writing, especially themes. (this could literally be a whole essay on its own)

#zoyanasyalenzky #god this took me ages #fic rec #the 100 #bellarke #these are all bellarke fics #i should probably say this #also #fic talk #rose #i had so much fun though #and there's so many people i haven't put in here #mostly because i'm exhausted #i just really love reading these people's fics #ask me questions if you want horribly long answers #i'll always deliver #also i might do a fic rec soon #probably should ah

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cozcat · 6 years

Text

because I’ve not actually listened to it in full, thoughts on the entire Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again soundtrack, because @freetobegrace did it and now I need to get it out of my system

and i’m sorry to everyone on mobile who needs to scroll past this

When I Kissed The Teacher:

I’m so glad they changed the pronouns in this song to make it gayer. Kind of wished they’d followed through on that. Just... make Donna canonically bi, you cowards.

when watching it in the movie the vocals seemed so lacking - it sounds so studio-sung compared to their very energetic dancing. so it works better as a soundtrack.

I Wonder (Departure):

I can see why they cut it, it’s a lovely song but it goes nowhere - it’s nearly five minutes of yeah we get it she’s leaving.

A ninety second excerpt would have been nice as it is quite appropriate, though

Hopefully we get it as a deleted scene like we did The Name of the Game

I like the “my friends are my family” line change. But like...zzzzz.......

(I’m also annoyed that they give Rosie and Tanya so few songs and then cut one of them. like I’m here to stan them give me something to react to.)

One Of Us:

how dare you take this song from Donna. I’d have loved to watch Meryl act the fuck out of it.

the way they shot it was cool though

but also holy shit I can’t take their voices they’re so weak

Waterloo:

why did they cast actual stage actors in roles that barely sing and then do this

backing vocals are good though

and it was ridiculous which was fun

Why Did It Have To Be Me:

probably my favourite of the younger dads’ songs, somehow. it’s better suited to questionable vocal abilities, possibly because they haven’t had to alter the vocal range for it, as it was originally written for a man singing it.

not doing a medley with Happy Hawaii was a wasted opportunity, though: it’s a song about a holiday, work with it!

After all I've had to go through / I'm making no plans (making no plans oh-ooh) / But I, but I believe love gives me a second chance, mmm see! throw it in, nobody will even notice except for die-hard ABBA fans losing our goddamned minds!

I've got a feeling the dream will come true / Somebody's waiting and I'll forget you / Hey Honolulu, we're going to happy Hawaii look change the last line back to “why did it have to me" and you’ve got a perfect song end

for context Happy Hawaii has the exact same tune

I Have A Dream:

pretty forgettable... but pretty. worked in context.

seriously it sounds so similar to the version in the original movie I’ve very little to say

Kisses of Fire:

this is better than the mess we got in the movie

I still haven’t forgiven them for their crimes against this song - if they wanted a joke song, ABBA has about a dozen weirdly niche songs they could have used, not one of my childhood faves

Andante, Andante:

I think they just wanted to include this song tbh - had Lily James jumped in on Kisses of Fire it would have worked better

The Name of the Game:

I find it far too interesting that they kept the change from “bashful child” to “curious child” that they made for the song in its original context in the musical

Knowing Me, Knowing You:

taking Sam’s song from the stage show and giving his younger self the same song? works so well!

having young Sam and young Donna sing together, and Sam and Sophie together? also works well!

why did they shorten the ah-has, everybody knows them so it sounds weird

Angel Eyes:

finally some good fucking food

seriously this is the first song thus far that I’ve actually put on my phone

it’s just FUN and I’ve missed Tanya and Rosie throughout, oh my god

this really highlights how much better the ensemble was done in the first movie - like it’s a bit weird how enamoured these generic young adults are with Sophie, whereas the ensemble in the first movie had a bit more age and appearance range and were a bit more of a Greek chorus as opposed to a generic workforce who really like their boss with the American accent despite her spending pretty much her entire life in Greece... but I digress

the best part of this song is definitely when Rosie and Tanya are singing

Mamma Mia:

yes! fun! happiness!

Lily’s vocals are growing on me now that I’m not looking at her being far more energetic than she sounds

seriously though let Rosie and Tanya sing too damnit

also I know it ends on the shock return of Bill but like... it doesn’t even have that energy in the recording

Dancing Queen:

let’s be real this is the most joyous scene in the movie

you’ve got the boats, you’ve got the run for the harbour, it’s pure happiness

not sure if the lack of a standout lead vocalist is a good thing or not... but it’s so damn happy (I mean it’s probably supposed to be Amanda but you can barely bloody hear her)

though you’re a teaser you turn them on / leave them burning and then you’re gone soooo sounds like they didn’t want to be saying it

I’ve Been Waiting For You:

this started and I felt like I’d been stabbed because I bawled my guts out both times I saw it (and my mum cried too which made me cry more)

and listened to the original and cried ninety seconds in

the lyrics are so so different to the original which is just disorienting

end of the first chorus and I’m crying

it’s okay but it works well in the context of the flashback (less so in the present)

Fernando:

it cracks me up that you can barely hear Andy Garcia on the rare occasion that he is singing

can’t believe his entire character was probably a device to get Cher to sing Fernando

worth it

My Love, My Life:

I’m crying right now and Meryl hasn’t even appeared

this is probably my favourite song on this soundtrack and yet it isn’t on my phone because that’s how we get me crying in public when it comes up on shuffle

Super Trouper:

the tiny medley intro to this is the sound of me trying and failing to emotionally deal with the emotional whiplash that is My Love, My Life into a goddamned concert

it’s goddamned Super Trouper and Meryl turned up and I cried

it’s a party it’s so fun but I cry nonetheless

who the fuCK gave Meryl the line “the sight of you will prove to me I’m still alive”

The Day Before You Came:

I was so baffled when this was on the soundtrack and baffled again when it wasn’t in the movie - I was expecting it in the credits. but apparently they just did it cos they could

they change “seventh cigarette” to “second cigarette” and make her work day an hour longer, she watches House of Cards instead of Dallas and reads Margaret Atwood instead of Marilyn French...

it is very oddly specific in its lyrics

though the common ideas of what exactly comes the next day tend to be like... a lover, a stalker, a murderer, death itself... so with that in mind... big yikes

In general:

I think part of the fun of the questionable singing in the first movie is that it’s a bunch of Hollywood heavyweights giving it their all and clearly having a blast while they do it. If we don’t know who they are, and their singing is a bit meh, it’s just... not quite so fun.

too many men singing

not enough energy - were they singing on set like they were in the first one? because a lot of the recordings are kinda lacking in guts

genuinely the fact that we get an extended version of Kisses of Fire that never appeared in the movie when we don’t get Hasta Mañana is going to annoy me until we get a proper recording of Helen Sjöholm singing it (prayer circle for the DVD honestly) because that was the best sung song in that entire movie

I prefer the first one but I’m far too attached to it to waver easily

#personal

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eurusholmmes · 6 years

Text

Let Me Be Brave | Twelfth

This will probably be the last Doctor Who oneshot for a while.. but I was told when I wrote this originally that alot of people cried. So here it is: Your daily angst!

Set during 9x10 - Face The Raven

Most of the time after your initial meeting, you and the Doctor had been inseparable. Attached at the hip no matter where you went. Ever since he had regenerated into the old Scottish grump you’d come to love, you weren't sure what you felt for him. It had used to be love. The purest love a human could give. You'd stayed simply because he'd asked you too. You and Clara both had. The Impossible Girl, who you had come to admire so deeply, had stayed because he was the Doctor. And even thought he would never admit it, he needed you as much as you needed him.

So one day, you'd become the Doctor, and it caused your death. Your death.

The entire time you'd been present on-board the TARDIS, you'd always been terrified of dying with the Doctor present. And now that day had finally come, where he would witness the love of his life die because you were just like him. He had given you the facade that you were indestructible.

Rigsy had a wife and baby girl to get back to at home, and you weren't about to let him die due to Ashildir's naivety. So, like a good little companion that you were, you snagged the chronolock before Clara could get to him and grab it herself. She still had the universe to look forward to, and stars to watch die and live.

Your time was up.

Rage does not even begin to describe how The Doctor felt upon realizing that you’d taken the chronolock from Rigsy to save his life. Ashildir had specifically stated that she couldn't do anything to save you, and you felt your heart sink inside your chest. This was it. The day he lost himself. The day The Doctor lost you. "No, no, no!" He screamed, stomping his foot against the ground. Tears pricked your eyes as you tentatively reached your hand outward to grab his own. Just as you had suspected, it never came. “For the love of - Y/n.. What were you thinking?!”

"Doctor." You whispered, your fingertips grazing his own as you laced your fingers together. You had yearned so long for his touch, and now you finally got what you'd wished for. "Please, please. Be a little bit proud of me." Your hand went up to cup his face, thumb running over the cracks etched into his new face before settling right in the curve of his lip. He trembled under your touch and found himself inhaling sharply, eyes fluttering shut so no one else would see his moment of vulnerability. "You daft old man... I always said it wouldn't last forever. Remember?"

Silence ensued between the both of you as his ancient, blue green eyes filled with tears and he picked your hand up, clutching it in his own. Your heart pounded as his lips brushed against your knuckles. "No matter what body." Bowtie had said, staring down at you as you laid in his bed together. "You'll always be the one for me. Even if I don't say it. You'll know." Your jaw slackened as he stared at you with quite possibly the most somber expression of adoration you had ever seen. "This is all my fault,” The Doctor growled, Scottish accent thickened by his anger as he averted your gaze. “I-I should’ve- I should have taken care of you. I have a duty of care!”

''I never asked you too.” You retaliated. “All that time we've spent together since the day you rescued me from myself, never once did I tell you that you needed to rescue me again. You saved my life, and I've been running ever since. Maybe now it's time for me to face the Raven."

You wanted to take his lips captive in your own in that minute - To perform that cliche last kiss that you see in all the tragic romantic comedies so you could convey to him that it had only ever been him.

He knew. Oh, how he knew. You just hoped you had said it enough.

"Lift those beautiful eyes and look at me, old man.” You whispered. His calloused hands settled themselves comfortably at your hips, and you exhaled the breath you didn’t know you had been holding. “I'm going to leave you, and that means you’re going to be with Clara now. You’re going to be so angry. Full of rage and guilt. I don’t want you to be. I want you to forget about me. Move on and travel the stars, teach those beautiful souls you call companions about the woman whose life you saved.” You turned back towards Clara who was watching the entire altercation with tear stained cheeks, arms crossed awkwardly over her chest as you met her gaze .”Clara, I have one job for you. One final thing to ask."

"Anything. Anything, y/n." "Don't let him be angry. And for the love of God," You slowly brought your fingertips up to rest against the apples of your cheeks, stunned at the amount of tears that had gathered on your skin. “Don’t let this change either of you.”

The Doctor lifted his eyes and pulled you back towards him, fingers curling around the inside of your wrist. "What's the point of being a Doctor if I can't cure you?" He breathed, his lips just barely grazing your ear.

If you wanted to remember anything, you wanted to remember the sound of his heartbeats. It reminded you he was real. That he was alive, and that a haunted old man had defied the laws of time and space and had fallen in love with a human somewhere along the way. "Heal yourself. You have too. I will die, and no one else anywhere, not here, will suffer for it." And when you looked into those ancient eyes,you saw him.

Sandshoes was the first one. You saw yourself inside of the TARDIS years earlier, watching from the catwalk as he ran around the TARDIS console like a crazed child, beaming at you like you were the most perfect creature he’d ever laid his eyes on.

Bowtie, of course was the second. You remembered Akhaten the best. How he’d confessed your love story in a gut wrenching speech to a god. His story of loss, his grief, his anger.. And then you saw him running at your side, constantly telling you how much you meant to him. How much he loved you.

Each console room in the TARDIS; The box he stole that showed you the Universe. And then the Doctor. The man who had stolen your heart with the first whisper of, "Run." "What about me?" Your heart broke as you heard his voice shrink, something that sounded so foreign to you. He never backed down from talking if it was to save a life.

"If there's something I could do about that, old man, I would." You stood on your tiptoes, cupping his face in your hands as his grip tightened on your waist. "I can give you one last thing to remember me by." His eyes fluttered shut as you pulled him in for a bittersweet last kiss, something that was so short you wanted it to last forever. The Doctor hummed against the curve of your body, fingers coming to pull your hips in line with his as he tilted his head to the side to further deepen your kiss. When you were the first one to pull away, you could've sworn you heard a sob break past his lips. "Now I guess we're both going to have to be brave, sweetheart."

You reached up to unclasp the chain from your neck which contained a beautiful ruby engraved ring, the first present that the Doctor had bought you whenever you’d gone to Rome with Donna so long ago. It had also doubled your wedding ring, and now here you were.. Laying that same ring back in his palm. “Y/n-”

For the first time that day, a sob broke past your lips as you wound your arms around his neck and tried to contain your hysteria by burying your nose in the crook of his neck. “I love you.” You whispered into his ear, resting your hand on the nape of his neck. Your fingers subconsciously wound into the silver curls that had begun to grow there. “Please remember me like that, Doctor. I loved you so deeply.” Before he could respond, you cut him off sharply. “I know you. I have always known you. Everything you’re about to say, I already know. We’ve already had enough bad timing.”

The caw of the raven sounded through the windows, and it took everything in you to not shiver at the sound of it. Death was lurking right outside your door. "Don't run. Stay with me, please." The Doctor pleaded, his steel grip on your hand causing you to wince as you whipped back around to face him.

"No." You nearly laughed at how broken the two of you sounded. All of time and space, three new faces, and here you were, running away from each other. "Don't move. Stay here with Clara. My mother and father died apart, so I have to die alone too."

“Y/N-” "This is about as brave as I get Doctor." You snapped, inhaling sharply to try to keep the tears away. If you looked at him the way he kept looking at you, you wouldn't have stayed inside. "I know how much this is going to hurt you because I've seen what happens when your companions leave." Donna's pleas. Amy's screams. Rory's fright. You'd seen it all. It had broken you nearly as much as it had broken him. "After all we've been through, be a little proud of me." You wanted him to have a good memory of the last time he saw you - so for your Doctor - you feigned a smile.

"Goodbye Doctor." And with that you were outside the house, locked away from your best friend and you loved. The street was vacant as your feet padded down the cobblestone, heart pounding violently against your sternum and blood roaring in your ears. The raven sat only fifty feet away, staring at you hungrily through beady eyes.

You opened your arms in total surrender and cast your eyes toward the sky.

“Let me be brave.” You didn't even know he was standing directly behind you whenever it happened. Watching you from the darkness of the doorway with an equal mixture of unconditional love and pure, raw fear in his eyes. The Doctor cursed himself for not taking care of you, for not telling you how much you truly meant to him. He hated how unsympathetic this new body was. How uncaring. He was going to hate himself forever for this.

Your petrified scream echoed aimlessly through the cobblestone streets as the Raven flew right into you. Your knees suddenly buckled beneath you and then you fell, your last memory being those ancient blue eyes that would be with you forever, even through death.

The Doctor slowly took small steps towards you as your y/e/c eyes became vacant of their shine, and black smoke spewed from your mouth. If he couldn’t save you, he was going to make sure to give you the burial you deserved. The TARDIS would assist. “I’m sorry, darling. I am so, so sorry.” He rasped, swallowing the bile in his throat as he tugged your body into his arms, resting his forehead in the crown of your hair. It was in that moment The Doctor wished he could feel your heartbeat beneath his fingertips - but it was just like you were.

Lifeless.

He carried your body inside the TARDIS, laying you down on the floor above the console. You look so pale, so lifeless, so human it broke his hearts to see you. "W-What are you doing!?" Clara exclaimed, screaming as the TARDIS lurched to the side. "DOCTOR!" "I have to save her! Go back into her own timeline, and rescue her from the Raven!" The brunette's face lost color, and in that moment, your last order to her echoed clearly inside her head. "I have too, Clara! She's been there through three faces. I can’t just allow her to die.. Not like this! It-It wasn’t her time!” Don't let him be angry.

She took small steps around the console, wrapping her arms around his waist and guiding him away from the controls. "Doctor, she wanted this. She saved Rigsy, and she saved me. You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved." He froze at Clara's words, screwing his eyes tightly shut as your face popped back into his head. So beautiful, so human... "I need her." He muttered as she hugged him tightly. The two of them looked back to where your body laid and let out a sob in unison. "I need her." "I know you do. She told me all of what you two have been through together. But here's the thing." She reached two fingers inside his jacket pocket and pulled out the glowing red ring you'd handed to him earlier. "She told you to tell the story of the girl you saved to other universes, to tell your other companions about how she changed your life. And now, you've got to respect that wish. If you're going to bury her, bury her where home was. Home was wherever you were at with her." He could make you apart of the TARDIS. So very much dead but living alongside him in his blue box. Even if it wasn’t your body.. He’d take your consciousness, your being, you.. any day. So that’s what he did.

But he never forgot the beautiful, pure human that he saved one fateful day in London all those faces ago. The way you’d smiled so widely he was sure you’d split your cheeks, took his hand, and stole his hearts with the first, “Hello.”

So he wrote your name down in Gallifreyan across the top of the console just like he had with everyone else, taking careful time in etching every detail. Every day he looked at it, and everyday it reminded him of you. His wife - His impossibly brave wife.

Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N Forever In My Hearts The Girl Who I Rescued And the Woman Who Saved Me

#Twelfth Doctor #Twelfth Doctor x Reader #Doctor Who #Face The Raven #Clara Oswald #my silver haired dork #Doctor Who oneshots #Doctor Who imagines #Kayla Grace writes imagines

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darveyfics · 7 years

Note

Harvey asks Donna to move in with him. *Love all of the fics :)*

“Home is Where…”

“Okay, what?”

“What- what?”

Donna places her fork down, meal half eaten on her plate. “That’s the fifth time you’ve stopped eating to stare at me, and the eighth time tonight you’ve stared at me period since I got here. Spill it, Specter. What gives?” She raises an eyebrow at him, staring him down across his dinner table. She’s been at his apartment for just over three hours now, having helped him make dinner and set the table- a domestic routine they’ve come to quickly settle into.

It wasn’t rare for her to come straight to his apartment after work, greeting him with a lingering and slightly teasing kiss, falling into an easy and all-to familiar banter with her boyfriend of six months now.

That fact still startled her.

Harvey Specter. Her boyfriend.

It had been a journey and a half to get them where they were now- in complete bliss and love with one another. He wasn’t a perfect boyfriend, but that much she expected. He was still sweet and simply Harvey, the man that’s been her best friend for over a decade. And they still bantered, still teased and argued with each other, but now they could follow it up with kisses and make-up sex. She had to pinch herself from time to time, just to make sure this was the reality they lived in now.

But tonight- he was just acting weird.

Harvey stares at her for a moment, mouth opening and closing as he tries to formulate the words trapped in his throat.

“I-” He clears his throat, shifting in his seat to collect himself. “Okay, you know we’ve been dating for a couple of months now…”

Donna nods slowly, a quizzical expression on her face. “I believe I do…”

“And things have been going pretty well, for us, these past couple of months.”

“They have.” She looks at him in amusement, watching as he squirms in his seat, loosening the tie he still hasn’t managed to take off since he got home.

He sighs, suddenly standing to sit on the chair perpendicular to her own, reaching out to grab her hands in his. “Donna… you mean- the world to me…”

“Oh my god are you proposing?” Her eyes are wide now, eyes tracing every inch of his features, trying to find the answers in his flustered demeanor.

“What? No, no, I’m not.” His forehead creases, her response taking him by surprise. “Not uh, not like this, not yet.” He finishes quietly, noticing the way her eyes soften before him.

“Okay, what’s with the word vomit then?” She muses.

“I’m- okay see, this would’ve been the perfect time to hand you the keys to my apartment, but seeing as you already have them…” He sighs, trying to gain some semblance of clarity for a moment. “I want you to move in with me.” He feels himself holding his breath, waiting to gauge her reaction.

Donna raises her eyebrows. “Move in.” She states, though poses it like a question.

Harvey nods. “Yeah… I just think- you’re here all the time already, and it would just be easier to make it official-”

“So this is for convenience reasons?” She tilts her head at him.

“No! No, I mean, yes, it would be convenient, but you’re-” He lets his head drop to his chest. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

She chuckles, the noise relaxing his senses for a moment. “Where would the fun in that be?”

He glances up at her again, lips quirking to find hers full and playful.

“Donna,” He begins slowly again. “You know I love you.” Her smile softens then, a small nod following as her eyes glimmer with emotions. “I want you to move in. I don’t want you to have to go home early in the morning, or late at night. I want this to be your home. I want you stay here, permanently, with me.”

“Okay.”

His brow knits in confusion. “Okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll move in with you.” She nods in his direction.

“Just like that?”

“Well, half of my clothes are here already, so, why not make it official?” She shrugs.

“You’re- serious?” His mind fogs over, searching her face for any markers that tell him she’s playing a practical joke on him.

“What? Did you expect to grovel your way into convincing me?” She tilts her head, a puckish smile on her lips.

“I had a whole speech prepared.” He mumbles, eyes still locked on hers.

“Well, as much as I would’ve loved to have heard that…” She leans over then, their faces mere inches apart. “My mind’s already set.” She finishes softly, yet firmly.

Harvey allows a Cheshire Cat smile to slowly take over his features, his dimples on full display. “So, we’re really doing this?”

She nods, the corner of her eyes crinkling in mirth as she takes in the pure glee in his. “We are.”

“You’re really moving in?” His voice is full of wonder, disbelief dripping with every word.

“That’s the consensus.”

His lips are on her then, bruising and all encompassing, a surprise squeak escaping her at his child-like excitement. Her lips quirk against his, warmth and a simple happiness overwhelming her.

They part just seconds later, twin smiles on their faces. “I love you.” Harvey tells her again, an all-too familiar giddiness bubbling in him for merely being in her presence. The fact that she’ll be staying with him permanently now is just an added bonus.

She quirks her head. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

He shakes his head at her antics, smile still in place.

“I love you too.” She whispers, leaning over to give him a chaste kiss. “So, you can stop squirming now.” She pats his knee in assurance.

“I wasn’t-” He tries to defend, stopping when she fixes him with a stare- that Donna look. “Okay, fine, maybe I was… a little.”

“Uh, huh.”

“I wouldn’t have gotten so tongue tied if you hadn’t figured out I was up to something.” He grumbles.

“It was cute- entertaining, actually.” Her tongue peaks out between her teeth, a teasing tone to her voice.

“Glad you enjoyed the show.” He smirks, despite himself.

Donna reaches up to cup his cheek then, thumb running smooth circles on his skin. “Just try not freak out on me when you propose, okay?”

She turns in her seat suddenly, her attention returning to her meal again, seemingly ignoring the way he gapes at her from the corner of her eye.

Harvey manages to clear his throat, shaking his head as he stands to return to his previous seat.

He catches her smirking throughout the rest of their dinner, and he decides to let her have the upper hand for tonight.

She doesn’t need to know he already bought the ring.

#darvey #darvey fic #donna x harvey #author: ali #prompt #just a cute lil short one this time #and thank you! :)

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raywritesthings · 7 years

Text

Lost in Translation 5/?

My Writing Fandom: Doctor Who Characters: Donna Noble, Tenth Doctor Pairing: Doctor/Donna Summary: In a universe where people are born with the name of the person destined for them displayed on their skin, intergalactic soulmates can be rather difficult to navigate. AO3 link

Donna Noble woke up that morning to sunlight streaming through the windows and breakfast waiting on her bedside table, the same way she had for — how long had she been here, exactly?

There was a knock at her door, and a strange man entered.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Doctor Moon. I’ve been treating you since you came here, two years ago.”

“Oh, Doctor Moon! I'm so sorry. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Donna. How are we feeling today?”

“Fine. I'm fine, really. Not even sure why I'm in hospital.”

“Why don't we take a walk?” Doctor Moon suggested—

And they were strolling across the grounds together.

“No more dreams then?” Doctor Moon was asking her. “The Doctor and the blue box, time and space.”

“How did we get here?”

“We came down the stairs, out the front door. We passed Mrs. Ali on the way out,” he reminded her.

“Yeah. Yeah, we did. I guess I forgot.”

He smiled kindly at her. “And then, you remembered.”

“What were you saying about dreams?”

“Not having them anymore, I hope?”

“No. I mean, yes.” Donna frowned. It wasn't as if she was trying to dream about the mad, skinny bloke. He just kept showing up in her head every night, and then they'd be off having such fun together. Much more fun than hospital. “Only they're not dreams, are they? I know the Doctor.”

“The Doctor does not exist here, Donna,” Doctor Moon reminded her patiently.

“I don't feel much like walking anymore,” said Donna, turning to go—

And sitting on her bed.

It was so funny. She could swear she remembered walking back inside and to her room, but it just didn't feel like she had. Maybe there really was something wrong with her, and that was why Doctor Moon insisted she stay.

“Donna?” A nurse was knocking on her door frame, a piece of paper in her hand. “Someone just dropped this off for you.”

She caught a flash of movement outside her window; a woman in a black Victorian-style dress was walking away. She was wearing a veil and everything.

Donna shook her head. “Sorry, thanks. I’ll take it.”

It was a note which read Dear Donna, the world is wrong. Meet me at the playpark outside the hospital, two o’clock tomorrow.

What kind of prank was this? “Nutter,” Donna muttered under her breath. Still, couldn't hurt to go. The park was in a public area, so no chance of any funny business. She'd see what this was about tomorrow—

Which dawned bright and early. Before she knew it, Donna was putting on her coat to head to the park.

“Donna?”

“Oh, Doctor Moon! I'm just stepping out for a minute. We didn't have an appointment, did we?”

“No, we didn't. But Donna, I’m not sure it's wise for you to leave the hospital on your own with your condition.”

“I can go for a walk, can't I? I mean, it's not as if I’m in quarantine. I don't even remember having any weird dreams last night.” She also didn't remember going to sleep last night, either, but that was beside the point.

“Oh, Donna.” Doctor Moon took off his glasses to clean them. “You’re doing so well even with your limitations. I truly wish we could see you fully integrated.”

With no warning, Doctor Moon disappeared, only to be replaced by the Doctor — her Doctor. He was doing something with the bloody sonic and talking nonsense as usual. “No, the signal's definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through.”

He looked up then, seeming to only just have noticed her. His expression transformed to one of pure shock and elation. “Donna!”

But then he was gone, and Doctor Moon was back with a hand placed over his middle. “Sorry. Mrs Angelo's rhubarb surprise. Will I never learn?”

“I saw the Doctor!” That note had been right; the world was wrong. She wasn't supposed to be in hospital. She'd been traveling on the TARDIS with the Doctor, and she needed to find out how that had stopped and where she was.

Two years had gone by! Didn’t feel like it sometimes, but they had. Her mum and grandad were home waiting, and the Doctor — well, he was waiting, wasn’t he? She’d just seen him, and he’d looked happy. Or stunned, nevermind he was the one who’d turned up unexpected. But he couldn’t have run off without her, could he? Even if Professor Song had acted surprised at the sight of her.

“Donna. Donna Noble,” she’d said, eyes tracking up and down as if needing the whole of her to confirm it. “These are early days, aren’t they?”

Donna hadn’t understood half the words coming out of the archaeologist's mouth. But if River Song claimed to know the Doctor’s future, what did Donna being ‘early days’ mean? Was she not in those later ones?

Before Doctor Moon could even speak, Donna raced out of the room and down the stairs. She had to get to that meeting—

In the park, where she suddenly found herself. But it wasn't sudden, was it? She swore she could remember making her way from hospital to park.

She didn't have time to puzzle over that oddity, though. The woman with the black veil was sitting on a bench across the play park. Donna crossed over, dodging around a boy and girl playing tag.

“I got your note last night. ‘The world is wrong,’” she quoted in lieu of a hello. “What's that mean?”

“No, you didn't.”

Donna stopped just before lowering herself to sit on the bench. “I'm sorry, what?”

“You didn't get my note last night,” the woman clarified. “You got it a few seconds ago. Having decided to come, you suddenly found yourself arriving. That is how time progresses here, in the manner of a dream. You've suspected that before, haven't you, Donna Noble?”

She had, but she couldn't possibly be the only one, could she? Why had this woman picked her to talk to? “How do you know me?”

“We met before, in the Library. You were kind to me. I hope now to return that kindness.”

And that sounded familiar, too. She had been in a library with the Doctor, and there had been other people there as well. “Your voice. I recognise it.”

“Yes, you do,” said the woman. “I am what is left of Miss Evangelista.”

“Oh my God,” said Donna. “But — I’m sorry, but you're dead. I remember, you died.”

“Yes. My data ghost was picked up by the Library wifi and automatically uploaded. You were teleported directly here, a perfect copy of yourself.”

“What do you mean, the Library? We're still in it?”

“We never left.”

“But that's not possible. I mean—” she gestured around them “—we're outside.”

“Exactly. I asked you to meet me here for a very specific reason, Donna. It's the easiest way to spot the lie.”

“What lie?”

“Just look. Look at the children. You’ve been programmed not to, but fight it.”

She looked again at the pair playing tag, and then at another pair on the swings — except it wasn't another pair. It was the same pair, all over the play park. The same boy and girl over and over down to their outfits and every single hair on their heads.

Her voice sounded hoarse to her ears when she asked, “What the hell am I looking at?”

“They're not like you and me, or the rest of those who were uploaded. They're not even real.”

“But they're children.”

“Exactly. One boy and one girl, repeated over and over to maintain the illusion. Only storing one of each saves cyberspace.”

“Why are you telling me this? If we're stuck here, why do you have to ruin it all?” She didn't remember Miss Evangelista being like this when she was alive, so cold and cruel. “And why are you wearing that veil?”

Before the other woman could react, Donna plucked it from her head, only to scream at the sight beneath.

“Your- your face!”

“Transcription errors,” Miss Evangelista explained, somehow still able to speak despite the severe disfigurement of her features. “Destroyed my face, did wonders for my intellect. I'm a very poor copy of myself. But it's allowed me to see this world for what it truly is. Just as your soulmate mark has kept you safe.”

Donna stiffened. She didn’t like talking about her mark. Didn’t even like thinking about it. “What do you mean?”

“It's how the computer sorts the uploaded individuals into virtual lives, convinces them they have jobs they never go to, families with fake children. Only it couldn’t read yours. You were rendered incompatible by your mark, and I by my face. My appearance has been my greatest advantage here. I am brilliant and unloved.”

“But you said I’m a perfect copy. My mark’s like this in here and out there.” She could remember that now, the nights she'd spent crying into her pillow, the jeers of her classmates. “So am I just unlovable then?” She reached a hand back to touch the edge of the strange symbols under her coat. “Is that what this means? There's really no one out there for me.”

“Even for someone like me, your mark is incomprehensible. But there are more important things at stake, Donna,” Miss Evangelista urged.

Donna kept her gaze on her knees, unable to reply. If she was just some virtual projection or something then why could she feel tears coming on?

“Your mark deemed you a glitch in the Library system. Not as severe as mine, but it kept you from being fully integrated. That's why you were able to hold onto your memories of the Doctor and the Library as well as you have. You see? It's only helped you. Now that you know the truth, you cannot go back to the hospital.”

“Well, what else can I do?” She asked at a loss. “There's no way out of here, is there?”

“Not for me. I have no physical form to return to in the real world. Instead, I have dedicated my time to uncovering the truth of our situation.”

“And what's that? Who's behind all this?” Who got to decide she wasn’t compatible with any other person?

“There is a word I have discovered,” Miss Evangelista told her. “Just one word. CAL.”

“CAL. That's what was on those terminals in the Library, wasn't it? What's it mean?”

“That, I have been unable to determine.”

“It's not exactly a word, is it? It's got to be short for something or stand for something — like TARDIS.” Donna stood from the bench and began pacing. “C-A-L. Something-Something-Library?”

She looked back at her ally who had just finished replacing her veil. It was nearly impossible to tell what she might be thinking now.

“It's a start.”

A sudden cry came from the swings. One of the little girls had fallen and was holding her knee.

“It's just a distraction,” Miss Evangelista reminded her before she could do more than take a couple steps. “Meant to keep you from thinking about the truth. She's not hurt, Donna. She's not real.”

Even knowing that, it was hard to fight her instinct to go check on the child. And watching her reminded her… “What about the little girl?”

“Which little girl?”

Donna turned back to face the other woman. “The one who showed up on the screen in the Library. She didn't look like these two, so where does she fit in?”

“I have not found any records of her,” said Miss Evangelista. “It could be a good avenue to pursue.”

“It's the only thing I can think of. I wish I could remember everything she said.” Donna was still having trouble keeping in mind she hadn't been here for two years. It made her head hurt to focus on the details. “There's gotta be someway of getting through to the real Library, cause Spaceman showed up here for a minute. I don't think he meant to do it, though.”

Miss Evangelista’s head tilted to the side. “How do you mean? What happened?”

“Well, Doctor Moon had come to see me, and one minute he's standing there and the next he’s gone, and the Doctor’s there saying something about blocking a signal. But then Doctor Moon was back acting like nothing had happened.”

Miss Evangelista stood and began to pace herself. “The Doctor — your Doctor, must have found a weak point in the security. It is maintained by Doctor Moon, hence why he disappeared when the breach occurred. It is not likely he would allow such an oversight again.”

“So he's in charge here? With his mind tricks and whatnot?”

“He is responsible for maintaining security and order in this virtual world. You might think of it as virus protection.”

“Okay, so he's not in charge. I’ll bet he knows what CAL is, though.” Donna took a step closer to the other woman. “Come back to the hospital with me. We can deal with him together. It's like you said, we're safe from forgetting cause we got defects or whatever.”

“I’m not sure that would be the wisest course of action.”

“Oh, enough with the cloak and dagger! Your way’s gonna take cyber centuries. There's no point pretending we don't know what's going on.” Donna took hold of her hand and turned—

Into Doctor Moon’s office.

“You know, this really does save time!”

Doctor Moon looked up. “Donna, you’ve come back. And I see you’ve brought a guest. Have you been properly checked in downstairs?”

“Your last attempt to do so failed,” said Miss Evangelista.

Doctor Moon frowned and stood up. “I see.”

Donna stepped slightly in front of her in case he got any ideas about a firewall or something. “Look, all we want is for you and whoever did this to let all the people back out of here. Why did you grab them up in the first place?”

“The shadows. The ones you encountered, I’m sure,” he said. “They entered the Library a century ago by unknown means. There was nowhere on the premises to evacuate the patrons.”

“So you saved them,” Miss Evangelista concluded. “The only way you could, by storing them on the hard drive.”

“It was the only workable solution. Had immediate action not been taken, countless more would have perished.”

“But these people have been trapped here for a hundred years,” said Donna. “Their real lives and real families passing them by. There's got to be some way of transporting them off the planet, even if it means being downloaded into the real Library for a minute. Don’t you think, if they knew the truth, they'd want a choice whether to risk it?”

Doctor Moon shook his head. “Even if that were true, leaving the Library datacore is impossible, not with the current state of CAL.”

“So what's CAL? And before you go trying that ‘then you forgot’ bit, remember that doesn't work on me too well,” Donna warned. “That's why you’ve been keeping me in this hospital, isn't it? To make sure I don't go giving anyone else a virus on their back?”

He had the grace to actually look regretful. “The nature of your condition could not be understood. I did everything I could to integrate you as fully as possible.”

“Yeah, well this wasn't a system screwup. This is my real mark,” said Donna, jerking a thumb at her back. “How can you not have some way of decoding it — you're the biggest library in all of history, the Doctor said!”

Doctor Moon removed his glasses to clean again. “There is no record in the Library of this language, if it is a language. And if it ever existed, it has been lost to time.”

“So why do I have it, then? Why wouldn't my back just be blank like all the people who don't need soulmates?”

“The intricacies of such coding are not a primary function of my programming,” he told her, replacing his glasses. She wondered if he just kept them on hand for the look like Spaceman did. “But an educated guess would say that you do need one.”

Donna's shoulders slumped. “I’m never gonna find him, though. He doesn't exist or he's been dead for centuries. He’s definitely not in the bloody Library, that's for certain!”

“Donna, this isn't what we came here for,” Miss Evangelista said, touching her arm.

Donna shrugged her off. “What's it matter what we came here for? We can't get everyone out ourselves. And soon as the Doctor's figured it out — and he will — I’ll be out there, and nothing will have changed. Your world’s wrong? Well how about I’m just plain wrong, been that way since the day I was born! Just ask my mum!” To her mortification she discovered she really could cry in a virtual world.

“Sorry,” Donna muttered, swiping at her eyes with her sleeve.

She wasn't sure if she was grateful or not that neither of them acknowledged her outburst; on the one hand she was ashamed of herself but on the other she desperately wanted a hug or something right now, and her current company wasn't inclined to such actions.

“What is the current state of CAL, then, and why does that render it impossible to download these people to reality?” Miss Evangelista asked.

An alarm began to sound as the lights turned red.

Donna looked around in confusion. “What's that?”

“Charlotte,” said Doctor Moon.

“Who?”

“CAL. I must go to her at once,” he said, walking around the desk and past them.

“Well, you're not just leaving us behind! What do you mean ‘her’?” Donna demanded, following him out the door—

And into a flat. Someone was crying, and the three of them continued into the sitting room to find the little girl who had appeared on the terminal screen in the Library. She was curled up on the rug with tears running down her face.

“Oh no, what's happened?” Donna moved to step forward but was held back by Doctor Moon’s hand on her arm.

He approached instead, crouching to the side of her and speaking in a stern tone, “Now you really must stop this, you know.”

“Oi, what's she done? She's just a little girl!” Donna did move forward this time, hands planted on her hips. Nobody would talk to a child like that if she had anything to say about it.

“She's far more than that, but she's forgotten again, haven't you, Charlotte? It was you who saved all those people. And then, you remembered.”

“Shut up, Doctor Moon!” Charlotte picked up a television remote that had been sitting beside her and hit a button. Instantly, he disappeared. The girl dropped the remote and curled up again, sobs renewed.

“She's disabled the protections,” said Miss Evangelista. “She must be the main computer.”

Donna looked back at her. “What do you mean? How can she be a computer?”

“This is all fake, Donna,” the other woman reminded her. “A projection of her mind, perhaps, because she can't process the truth.”

“But a living computer?”

The Doctor had said the same thing about the security camera, that it was alive. Was it really possible that all that was contained in one tiny girl?

A little girl who was in some kind of pain or distress. Her tears continued to drop onto the carpet as she whimpered, “Help me. Please help me.”

Donna knelt down and pulled the girl into her lap. A moment later, Charlotte’s arms wrapped around her, hands clenching in the fabric of her shirt. Donna looked over her shoulder at Miss Evangelista. “Is there something we can do?”

“Without Doctor Moon, the Library datacore is incredibly vulnerable. She does not seem to grasp her own capabilities.”

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte gasped. “I'm sorry!”

Donna shushed her. “It's okay, sweetheart, it's okay. You didn't mean it.”

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte repeated, looking up at her. “I couldn't make you better. I tried to fix it.” One of her hands was resting over Donna's mark. “I just wanted everyone to be happy!”

“I know,” said Donna. She wiped at the tear tracks on Charlotte’s face with a thumb. “It's okay. You did your best. It's not your fault.”

Charlotte tucked her head down again and continued crying.

With seemingly no cue, the toys scattered about the room turned on and began moving about of their own accord. A toy car rolled right into her leg. Donna swatted it away. “Oi!”

“That isn't the computer. Someone from the outside must be trying to reach us again,” Miss Evangelista realized. Donna's heart leapt; the Doctor had figured it out, and everything was going to be okay.

“How do we respond?”

She pointed to the television remote still lying on the floor, the one Charlotte had used to make Doctor Moon disappear. “That remote seems to be acting as the control panel in this virtual setup.”

Donna picked it up, frustrated to discover it was labeled like an actual remote and not with things more helpful like ‘real Library button’.

“Charlotte?”

She didn't seem to hear her at first, and, when Donna looked, her eyes were squeezed shut. “The shadows. I have to. I have to save. Have to save.”

“I know, and we want to help you. Charlotte, sweetheart, can you show me which button gets your library up on that screen?”

With a shaky hand, Charlotte took hold of the remote and began fumbling with the buttons. The television came on and cycled through different areas of the Library. Donna let her keep going until a flash of white and blonde curls in a ponytail caught her eye.

“Professor Song!”

The archeologist had been following someone else from the team — Donna thought she caught the back of Lux’s balding head — but stopped in her tracks and hurried over towards the screen. “Donna!” Her eyes caught sight of Charlotte tucked in at her side. “You found CAL.”

“Yeah, listen, she didn't mean to do all this. She didn't know—”

“Yes, there's too much stored on her hard drive. She doesn't have enough memory space.” The corners of her mouth turned down, and something tightened in her eyes. “The Doctor is taking care of it.”

“River, what's he gonna do?”

“Something I wish you'd been here to talk him out of,” she answered, mouth set in a grim line now.

Donna’s heart lurched uncomfortably. “What's that mean? He’s not going to get himself hurt, is he?”

“You're both going to get yourselves killed saving the other one of these days.” A look of resolve settled over her features. “But not today.”

“Wait, hang on, what are you gonna do?”

“Something none of you would approve of.”

“None of — you mean you do know me in the future? But you said—”

“You took me off guard is all, dear. I’ve never known you two before you knew — well, it really does change a person when they find out. Mum always said. But don't worry about that now, Donna,” she said. The smile she wore didn't quite reach her eyes. “Spoilers.”

They both looked up at the sound of an automated voice coming from the professor’s end. “Autodestruct in seven minutes.”

“I have to go,” said River. “But you’ll see me again, don't worry. And try to remember, no spoilers.”

“Wait, wait, River!”

But she'd run out of sight.

“River!”

“There's no use, Donna,” said Miss Evangelista. “Either the professor finds a way to safely download all of you, or this world and everything in it will be lost.”

Charlotte began whimpering again and shut the television off with a press of a button. Donna redoubled her efforts to comfort the child, even while she felt utterly useless sitting trapped in this virtual reality. She could only hope Professor Song knew what she was doing and that that stupid Martian would still be there when she got back. If she got back.

“It's gonna be okay, sweetheart,” she said to Charlotte. “You're gonna be just fine any minute now.”

How long could it have been now? Three minutes? Five?

Gradually, she noticed the light around them shift from red to white. Then it grew brighter and brighter, till it was hard to see anything around her.

“What's happening?”

“The download or destruction!” Was Miss Evangelista’s answer. “Don't fight it, Donna!”

She was being pulled away from her, from Charlotte, from the sitting room, from everything. Donna blinked and found herself standing on the teleport the Doctor had led her to what felt ages ago in the clothes she'd arrived in the Library in.

Other people, more than she could count, were standing around in all black looking far more confused than she.

“What's happened?” Voices echoed all around. “Where are we?”

Four-thousand and twenty-two people living in a dream world for a century. That'd be enough to muddle anybody.

But she couldn't stop for that now. There was someone shouting in the next room, and she thought she recognized the voice.

“Look at you! You're all back!”

“Mr. Lux?” Donna called.

She found him standing by one of the terminals. None of the other members of the team were in sight. “Oh! You're alright then!” He was smiling, actually, far more jovial than she remembered him being. She supposed near-death changed a person.

“Where's the Doctor?”

“Down with the main computer,” answered Lux. “But it's alright, he's done it. You're all back!”

“How do I get down there?”

He pointed. “There's a lift.”

Donna didn't spare the man a second thought and took off. What sort of state might the Doctor be in? Had River intervened in time? And all those shadows...Donna had to find him.

—-

Donna was dead. Donna was dead, and it was all his fault.

The Doctor did not know how long he stood there with his hand touching the information node’s face. The Library picked a face it calculated the individual person might like or find pleasing, he had told Donna what seemed a lifetime ago now. Well, they had him pegged.

River Song, the mysterious archaeologist he couldn't begin to understand, was forced to drag him onward, or he might have stood there till the Vashta Nerada came and swallowed him up, too. Gone in the blink of an eye, save the bones and shredded cloth, just like Donna was. It didn't sound so bad an idea.

He just felt empty. Was this what it was like, to lose the one person — the most important person — in the universe? In his universe? Yes, Donna was not his the way he longed for, for whatever reason. But he had been holding onto the promise of days, weeks, maybe years to come spent in her company. To feel, even for a little while, content. Instead she'd been taken from him far before he was remotely ready and by his own doing.

The Doctor knew now why he could not have been Donna's soulmate; he had always been meant to be her destruction.

River was doing everything to keep him moving, keep him working, and, in return, he snapped at her and rebuffed her friendlier attempts. She didn't deserve that, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

“Listen to me. You’ve lost your—” River seemed to stumble over her words a moment. “—friend. You're angry. I understand.”

He tried not to roll his eyes, he really did.

“But you need to be a little less emotional, Doctor, right now.”

He looked at her sharply. “Less emotional? I'm not emotional. And for the record, if I am,” he continued just as she opened her mouth, “and you’re telling me not to be, then you really don't understand.”

The Doctor turned away from her, looking his screwdriver over to try and determine the source of interference.

“There are five people in this room still alive. Focus on that! And Donna—”

He wheeled right back around. “Donna what?”

River had pressed her lips together in a thin line. “Spoilers.”

He scowled at her.

“Doctor, one day I’m going to be someone you trust completely, but I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I’m sorry. Tell her I'm sorry.” The professor leaned forward and whispered the last thing he could have expected in his ear.

She whispered his name.

The Doctor froze where he stood. River pulled back and looked him in the eye.

“Are we good? Doctor, are we good?” She had to repeat.

“Yeah, we’re good,” he said, voice nearly faint enough to be a whisper.

“Good.” She walked around him, back to the group, and he couldn't begin to bring himself to join them yet.

Because he was not good at all.

River Song knew his name. There was only one logical explanation for that, and yet his mind shied away from it.

Instead, he distracted himself with his usual babbling, this time about the unexplained interference with the sonic. At least, for now it was unexplained.

“Tell me about the moon. What's there?”

Lux was cooperative enough to reveal that it was a virus checker — amazing how threat of being eaten alive made silly things like waivers matter less and less. The Doctor held the sonic screwdriver up to his ear as he adjusted the frequency by minute degrees. If he could just block the signal for a moment, he might be able to find—

“Doctor!” River's shout caused him to look up, and he nearly didn't believe his eyes.

“Donna!”

The image of her was projected in a grainy blueish hue just a few feet in front of him. She said nothing, staring at him in shock, and quickly as she had appeared her image flickered and went out.

“That was her!” For the first time, River and he were on precisely the same page. “Can you get her back? What was that?”

“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” he said, re-activating the sonic. “I’m trying to find the wavelength.” He made a frustrated sound as the sonic beeped a negative. “I’m being blocked!”

“Professor?” Said Anita.

“Just a moment,” River replied. The Doctor didn't even look.

Not until Anita spoke again. “It's important. I have two shadows.”

Anita was on the clock now. They’d lost Proper Dave and Miss Evangelista. Donna...he wasn't sure what had happened anymore. Their numbers were rapidly dwindling, and the Doctor had no idea what to do. River seemed to think he would, but there was no fighting a swarm. They could only hope to keep running, just a step ahead and out of the shadows.

Half his mind was on their situation and half was on Donna. Had that truly been her, or just another cruel trick of the Library? What did it mean if it was her?

He wasn't doing well at all; he couldn't focus and he was missing something, something vital.

It took a chat with the swarm and losing Other Dave to them before he began to unravel it. The Vashta Nerada had not invaded; they had been born here, hatched out of the pages their trees had been made into. These were their forests, and, to their view, he and Donna and the archaeological team and all those four-thousand and twenty-two people had been the invaders.

He returned alone to the rest of the group to find River and Anita discussing him, of all topics.

“Yes, the Doctor's here. But not all here. I suppose a part of him’s with her, and he won't get anything done that way. And how can you expect him to?” River shook her head with a pitying sort of smile. “No, I’ve seen the Doctor at his best, and that man. Whole armies would turn and run away. And he’d just swagger off back to their TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of his fingers. Next stop, everywhere.”

“Spoilers.” The Doctor announced his presence. “Nobody can open a TARDIS with a snap of their fingers. It doesn't work like that.”

He didn't know what to make of it. In all his years of traveling, he'd never encountered anyone who made a claim so bold about his future as River Song. What was she to him? He knew, seemingly, what she would be, as Anita reminded him.

“When we first met you, you didn't trust Professor Song. And then she whispered a word in your ear and you did.”

Professor Song was smart, clever even, and certainly capable. If he’d met her under different circumstances, he’d probably quite like her.

But he already knew he couldn't love her, not in the way she deserved.

Perhaps they could learn to work together, grow more comfortable with each other. It could be like before, on Gallifrey. Yet while he would never regret the life — the family — he had had there, he did not see how he could possibly make that choice again. Not when he’d known even briefly what is was to have Donna in his life.

And if despite everything it was true, what did that mean about Donna? Was this really where he lost her?

“What did she say?” Anita asked him. “Give a dead girl a break. Your secret’s safe with me.”

And just like that, it all clicked. Saved.

The visitors to the Library that day one hundred years ago hadn't been eaten. They had been saved. Uploaded via the teleports, just waiting for download. Still alive.

Donna was still alive.

With that knowledge in mind, it was simple to put the pieces all together. He went into something like overdrive, explaining it to the remainder of the team in rapid fire. River was watching him with a growing smirk; he supposed that meant he was in top form according to her. And he supposed that meant she'd known Donna was fine all along. What else did she know? Any attempt at asking would be met with her refrain of ‘spoilers’, no doubt.

Just as he finally felt in control, an alarm began to blare. “Autodestruct enabled in twenty minutes.”

Their group rushed down to the datacore where Lux finally revealed his final secret; CAL was just a little girl, struggling to maintain the safety of more minds than she could handle.

Well, he could help her, give her enough memory space in order to download those minds into their bodies and allow them to finally escape the Library. He promised River to try not to die, but it was an empty promise at best. Better him than over four-thousand people. Better him than Donna.

Apparently, the archaeologist didn't think so, because before he even saw it coming she'd decked him.

The Doctor woke up handcuffed to a pole while River sat in a chair several feet away and was putting the finishing touches on the device that would hook her up to the computer.

“Oh, no, no, no, no. Come on, what are you doing? That's my job.”

She responded with a quip in what seemed her typical fashion, which angered him. This wasn't a game anymore, this was her life!

Of course, she also sobered rather quickly. “Funny thing is, this means you've always known how I was going to die. All the time I’ve known you, you knew I was coming here.”

He’d begun to realize that as well, and it only caused him to fight all the harder against his restraints. If he could just reach the sonic, either of them—

“There's nothing you can do,” she told him.

“You can let me do this.”

“If you die here, it’ll mean my entire life is changed. And for the last time, Doctor, that is not something I want. Remember that, when you see me again.” She smiled then. “You’ve both got all that to come. Just you watch.”

The countdown was getting closer and closer to its end and closer to taking her with it. There was still so much he didn't understand. “River, you know my name. You whispered my name in my ear.”

“It's not what you're thinking,” she said as she continued to work with the wires.

He dragged his free hand through his hair. “How could it be anything else? There's only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name. There's only one time I could.”

The countdown had nearly reached zero and he didn't know if he truly wanted an answer, or what he wanted that answer to be.

She smiled through her tears, even as she shook her head. “Hush now. Spoilers.”

In a blinding light, she was gone. The Doctor stared at the spot where she'd once been. He couldn't think of anything, feel anything. It was all a jumbled mess in his mind. River was dead, but he was supposed to see her again — possibly even marry her. Marry a ghost.

He didn't know how long he sat there on the hard floor. There was nowhere else for him to go, chained to the pole and with the sonic just out of reach. All those people milling about upstairs with no idea he was down here. They all might just teleport away and leave him for the Vashta Nerada to find.

There was one person who wouldn't, though, and her voice preceded her. “Doctor?”

It took him a couple tries to speak around the sudden lump in his throat. “In here, Donna.”

She appeared looking just as she had before he'd tried to send her away. He was never making that mistake again. “What have you been chained up for?” Donna came forward a few more steps but stopped short once she'd gotten a better look at him. “What happened to you?”

“Pass me the sonic?”

She did and watched him point it at his restraints. “Where is she? Professor Song. She went back for you, didn't she?”

“She did,” said the Doctor, eyes fixing again on River’s empty chair.

Donna turned round to look herself. “Oh.”

The lock of the cuffs popped open, and he stood while circling his wrist to work the feeling back into it.

Donna stood there. He wasn't sure what he'd expected. A hug? A slap? Perhaps they'd canceled each other out.

“We should go make sure they're all getting out,” he said eventually.

“Yeah,” she agreed. Donna seemed oddly subdued. He itched to ask her what had happened inside the Library datacore, yet his own guilt at having been the one to put her there kept him quiet.

“It's only been a day, hasn't it?” She asked as they got on the lift. “Only in there, it was like years were going by, except they weren't really.”

“Virtual reality. Time functions differently.”

“Yeah, she said that.”

He looked at her. “Who did?”

“Miss Evangelista. The computer picked up her neural relay, so she was in there. Still in there, I suppose.”

“Oh, Donna, I’m sorry.” He’d seen how badly the data ghost had affected her, and he wished he knew how to comfort her this time.

She shrugged it off. “Well, she didn't seem too upset about it. Wasn't stuck repeating herself over and over, anyway. She just wanted to help me, I guess.”

Donna didn't volunteer why she'd needed help or if she'd gotten it. He couldn't detect any physical evidence, and yet he had the strongest impression she'd been crying recently.

They reached the main floor in silence and watched together as people stepped up to the teleports three at a time.

“What about you?” She asked eventually. “Are you alright?”

Wasn't that the question of the hour? He’d lost — someone. A wife, a friend, a confidante, he didn't know. Couldn't know. Couldn't begin to imagine the circumstances or decisions he would make that would lead to River Song learning his name and sacrificing herself in the Library. Part of him didn't want to try; part of him wished he'd ignored the psychic paper and taken Donna to the beach like he'd promised.

He kept his gaze fixed on the people forming their queues to the teleports. “I’m always alright.”

“Is alright special Time Lord code for really not alright at all?”

He looked at her and found her already staring back at him. Seeing right through him. “Why?”

“Because I’m alright, too,” Donna said simply.

The Doctor held her gaze for a long moment, then reached out to take her hand. Wordlessly, they left the main floor.

He found a balcony to place River’s screwdriver and diary on. After today, no one would ever come to the Library again, leaving them undisturbed. A fitting final resting place for her and the other members of the team.

Although, what Donna had said, about Miss Evangelista…

He raced back down the steps to the future sonic, the one he would design and give to River specifically for this trip. It couldn't just have been a parting gift, could it? Not with what he knew and would know.

A hidden compartment inside proved him right. A neural relay sat inside.

“Oh! Oh, look at that. I'm very good!”

“What have you done?”

He showed it to Donna. “Saved her.”

It was down to the wire, but he just managed to plug her relay into the datacore in time. Professor Song might never go on another expedition in the real world, but there was an endless virtual reality for her to explore in the Library. Not bad.

He returned to the TARDIS when he couldn't find Donna where he'd left her. And just to try it, just to see how much might be true, he stopped several feet in front of the ship, raised his hand, and snapped. The doors sprung open, golden light spilling out onto the floor, and Donna was waiting at the console for him. Next stop, everywhere. He grinned.

It still didn't answer any of his questions about River. All the uncertainties, all the implications. But perhaps, should they cross paths with her again, they might find it a better adventure.

But that would be spoilers.

#ten x donna #doctor x donna #donna noble #tenth doctor #doctor who #the doctor #my writing

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