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batsutousaiTitle: Dust in the Sky
Part: 2 of 6
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
batsutousai
Beta:tsuki_no_suzu
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Harry Potter/Tenth Doctor (minor Rose/Tenth Doctor, Martha/Tenth Doctor and Jack/Tenth Doctor)
Warnings: Slash, minor Ginny!hate
Summary: Sequel to Hanging by a Thread. Harry has a life to live now with a wife and children, but he can still find time for the Doctor, no matter what he looks like.
Disclaim Her: No.
A/N: I'm going to take a great deal of joy in ruining this episode. So much of it had to do with the Doctor just losing Rose and not having anyone to travel with and watch him, but Harry's with him this time, so things'll have to be a bit different.
Also, I hated Donna in this episode, but I grew to like her a bit later on. Since later Donna is who I remember best, my Donna might not be quite as obnoxious as how she's supposed to be in this episode. Tried to keep her pig-headed, though, to some extent. -nervous laughter-
Last thing! You may have noticed that I've decided to cut this episode off from the Martha Arc, which I hadn't quite decided on as of last chapter. So that means there will be at least four parts, five if I make a different part for the episodes after the Doctor loses Donna, which I'll probably do. Just a heads up, as it were.
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Harry laughed. "You want me to cheat on my wife?"
"You're the one who married her," the Doctor pointed out. "And you don't even like her!"
Harry laughed again. "Don't I know it. Well, I suppose, if I had to cheat with anyone, it might as well be you." He waggled his eyebrows. "But not if this is 'I'm feeling sorry for myself 'cause I just lost Rose' sex."
"Ah..."
"Doctor..." Harry sighed and leaned against the railing. "I know you miss her. So do I. But sex doesn't make everything better."
"You think I don't know that?"
"On the contrary, I think you know it and are trying to forget it."
"I'm not–"
Someone squeaked and they both turned to see a woman in a wedding dress.
"What?" said the Doctor, disbelieving.
"Who're you?" replied the woman.
"Bu–"
"Where am I?"
"Oh dear," Harry said, rubbing at his face.
"Where the hell is this place?!"
"What?" the Doctor said.
Harry snorted and shook his head. "Only you."
"No, no, no! This is impossible! We're in flight!" the Doctor said, staring at the TARDIS controls in disbelief.
"You've kidnapped me!" the woman decided. "Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, I bet it's Nerys!"
"Shut her up, Harry!" the Doctor shouted, twiddling with some things on the console.
Harry rolled his eyes and walked over to the woman. "We haven't kidnapped you. Please calm down. He's trying to figure out what–"
"You can't fool me! I've been kidnapped!"
Harry sighed. "Silencio. Thank you." The woman stared at him in disbelief. "Right. We haven't kidnapped you, we're just travelling a bit. I'm Harry, he's the Doctor. We'll get you back to your wedding." Harry eyed the Doctor, who was running around the console, looking horribly confused. "We're getting her back to her wedding, aren't we, Doctor? And on time this time."
"Yes, yes. I'm working on it!"
Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the woman, only to find her heading for the doors. "No! Don't open the do–"
She opened the doors and froze, staring out at the super nova they were stopped next to.
"Oh, bugger..."
The Doctor looked up and sighed. "Shut her up, but can't keep her inside."
"Oh, shove it," Harry snapped, then walked over to the woman and silently removed his spell. "Look, we're in space. Bit far from Earth, really. Please won't you come back inside? Close the doors? There we go..." Harry led her over to the seat and and sat her down while the Doctor poked at the console some more. "Here, let's try this again. I'm Harry, this is the Doctor."
"Donna," the woman said, swallowing. "We're really in space?"
"Really. This is the Doctor's spaceship. She's called the TARDIS," Harry explained. "We'll figure out what happened and get you back to your wedding. I promise."
Donna nodded, eyes still a bit wide. "Is he human?"
"The Doctor?"
"Yeah."
"No, he's not."
"Are you?"
"Very much so, yes. I just travel with him. Sporadically."
"Then what was that... that bit of making me quiet?"
Harry grimaced. "Magic. You know of the Harry Potter books?"
"Who doesn't?"
"Yeah, well, hello! I'm Harry Potter."
"You're lying," Donna decided.
"Nope. Really, truly Harry Potter. Real thing."
"And you travel with an alien," Donna said, disbelievingly.
"Well, yeah. A bit. After the war, before my wedding. And, ah, now. Saying good-bye to a friend of ours."
"Out there? What did you do, shove them out?"
"No. And if the Doctor hears you suggesting that, he might shove you out there, so shut it," Harry hissed, then turned to look at where the Doctor was frowning at the TARDIS. "Doctor?"
"It doesn't make any sense."
"Yeah, doesn't need to. Let's get Donna to her wedding and then you can puzzle out the intricacies of the TARDIS and her sudden ability to summon humans while in flight."
"But this is important," the Doctor insisted.
"And so is her wedding," Harry hissed, moving so he was standing right in front of the Doctor and poking him in the chest. "If you make her late to her wedding like you did to me, I don't think she's as likely to forgive you as I was."
The Doctor glanced over at Donna, who was glaring at him. "Ah, good point. Right! Where's the wedding?"
"St Mary's Church, Haven Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the solar system!"
"Specific," Harry commented, hopping out of the way as the Doctor danced around the controls to fly to the specified place. "I like specific."
"Much better than your directions," the Doctor commented.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well somebody took me out and got me drunk the night before. Git."
The Doctor grinned at him, then flipped a switch and they stopped. "Right!"
Donna shoved past both men and ran out the doors. Outside, she turned around and glared. "I said St Mary's!"
"Found the city, missing the church," Harry commented, glancing at the Doctor, who was looking in concern at the TARDIS. "Doctor?"
"Something's wrong with her..." he was mumbling.
Harry sighed and looked back at Donna, who was getting impatient. "Doctor, we're going to catch a taxi to the church. Meet us when you can."
"Yeah, okay..."
Harry rolled his eyes and hurried over to Donna, motioning that they should head out to the street. "Let's find you a taxi, then."
Donna stared at him. "Aren't you Harry Potter? Can't you, I dunno, magic me there?"
Harry blinked and shook his head. "Nope. Well, maybe. I mean, I kinda have to have seen the area once. Maybe even been there. Tend to stay away from churches, me. Anyway, Chiswick's a bit out of the way; I live in Surrey. Come on. Taxi!"
They spent a good five minutes trying to catch a taxi before the Doctor came out and joined them. "Having trouble?"
"Is the TARDIS fixed, then?" Harry replied, looking a bit harried.
"Mostly. Come on. Taxi out back." The Doctor led them back to the TARDIS and started her back up once they were all back inside.
They were a bit closer when they landed again and the Doctor was once again frowning at the TARDIS.
"I'll just walk!" Donna snapped, then stalked off.
Harry glanced at the Doctor, who sighed and shook his head. "Go with her, please? I want to be able to find her again."
"Sir," Harry agreed with a salute. He ducked the return half-hearted swat and hurried after Donna. "I'm to follow you about. Keep you out of trouble." He grinned at her. "And make sure the Doctor can find you again when he finally figures out what happened."
"Lovely," Donna replied drily. "I'll have Harry Potter at my wedding. Assuming my wedding is still on." She looked angrily at her watch.
"Ah..." Harry rubbed his hair in a bit of distress and glanced around. "Hold on. Is it Christmas?"
"Yes," Donna replied in disgust.
"Ah, fuck. Ginny's going to have my head."
"Who?"
"My wife. I've been gone for three months."
"Is that his fault, then?" Donna demanded. "Three months gone?"
Harry shrugged. "Usually it's a couple hours here, half a day there, really. But, yeah, three months this time. Not all that surprised, really. Did send her a message when I first left. Let her know it might be a bit. But, ah, she doesn't like the Doctor, see, so she's going to throw quite the fit."
"Couch for you," Donna commented.
Harry grimaced. "Awful couch, too. Slept on it before, long time ago. It's only gotten worse over the years. Ah! Church!"
"Finally!" Donna exclaimed and they hurried up a bit. When they got inside, though, they found another wedding in process and backed out again quietly. "My wedding," Donna whispered.
"I'm sorry, Donna," Harry replied, gently touching her arm. "Honest I am."
Donna sighed. "Reception's down the street a ways, then. Come on."
When they stepped out of the church, they found a line of Santas awaiting them. A couple of them levelled their instruments at them in a threatening manner. "Oh, this is so not good," Harry decided, pulling out his wand and looking around for witnesses. "I don't think they're here to play us a tune."
The tuba shot out a jet of flame in their direction.
"Oh my God!"
"My sentiments exactly," Harry grumbled, grabbing Donna around the waist. "Sorry about this." He apparated them a bit down the street, then grabbed her hand. "Now run!"
They hurried off and almost ran into the Doctor on the way. "Whoa! Church is that way," he commented, smiling.
"Killer Santas," Donna replied.
"Killer Santas?" The Doctor peeked around them and his eyes widened. "Oh. Pilot fish." He pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket. "Have you got yours?"
"Why?" Harry asked, pulling his own out from a pocket of his jeans and handing it over. "What are you planning to do with them?"
"Haven't a clue," the Doctor replied with a mad grin. Then he stepped around Harry and Donna. "Right, you lot! I've got two sonic screwdrivers and if you don't back off, I'll be forced to use them!"
Behind the Doctor, Harry sighed and shook his head while Donna looked between the two men in disbelief.
The pilot fish kept coming and were moving their instruments into a position to fire.
The Doctor shook his head, then looked down at the two sonic screwdrivers and fiddled with the controls. "This might be a bit loud," he warned the two humans, then set them off.
Harry and Donna both covered their ears, grimacing at the noise. Others on the street – the few there were – also covered their ears and one or two turned to look at the Doctor in disgust.
As for the pilot fish? They sort of fell apart.
The Doctor finally turned off the two screwdrivers and handed Harry back his. Then the three wandered over to the pilot fish, Donna glaring back at anyone who glared at them.
The Doctor picked up a head and sonic'd it. "Hm. Still transmitting... Where are you..." He frowned and sonic'd it a bit more, then made a pleased sound and rose his screwdriver into the sky. "Up there."
"Aliens at Christmas. Again," Harry grumbled.
The Doctor grinned at him, then looked over at Donna, who was glaring at passer-bys. "But what's so special about her?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Other than the fact that she missed her wedding?"
"Oh. Oops."
"Oops?" Donna said, turning on the Time Lord. "Oops? That's all you can say? Just, oops!"
"I'm sorry?" the Doctor tried.
"You're gonna be sorry!" Donna snapped, then smacked him.
Harry snickered.
The Doctor rubbed at his face, looking mildly startled. "That hurt."
"You really know how to pick them," Harry said.
"Shut up, Harry."
"Harry?" a voice said from behind said man.
Harry turned around and groaned. "Oh, bugger."
Ron was standing there, gaping at him, with a couple of aurors behind him. All of them looked quite surprised to see him. "Where have you been?"
"Now would be a really good time to make a get-away," the Doctor commented, eyeing the group of aurors a bit nervously.
Donna poked her head around the Doctor to see what was going on. "Friends of yours?"
"You've been travelling with him again, haven't you?" Ron demanded, stepping closer to Harry.
"I did leave 'Mione a message," Harry pointed out.
"Three months, Harry!"
"Yeah, well, we lost track of time!"
"Three! Months!"
Harry groped around behind him for Donna's arm and, once he'd grabbed it, it took the Doctor's hand. "Ron, remember how 'Mione always tells you she can't tell you something?" he asked a little desperately.
"Don't you dare."
Harry grinned. "This is one of those times," he said, then apparated them back to the TARDIS. "Oh, he's gonna kill me."
The Doctor laughed and hugged him briefly. "Brilliant!" he declared, then hurried into the TARDIS.
"Wedding reception?" Donna commented, looking a bit angry.
"Sorry!" Harry replied, dragging her into the TARDIS as the Doctor started it up. "I promise, we'll get you there. Promise. But, right now, we really don't want to be in the area. Because Ron's going to kill me."
"Who cares!" Donna shouted. "I've missed my wedding, why not miss the reception as well? Everyone probably thinks I'm dead!"
Harry pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Here. Call your fiancé or something," he said, then hurried over to the Doctor. "What now?"
"Now, we figure out what those pilot fish were doing following her. And how she got on the TARDIS."
"You think it's connected?"
"Certain," the Doctor replied, then parked the TARDIS. "We're safe for now. From your mate and any other pilot fish."
"No where's safe from Ron," Harry replied helplessly. "Not when he's this mad at me."
"You only missed three months," the Doctor replied. "What's wrong with that?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Two kids. Wife. Job. Best friends. I dunno, take your pick."
The Doctor grinned at him, then pulled something out of a pouch hanging off the side of the console and using it to scan Donna. "Nothing even the slightest bit special about you," he muttered.
"Doctor," Harry tried as Donna turned to glare at the Doctor.
"Busy," the Doctor replied, still scanning Donna.
Harry covered his eyes as Donna smacked the Doctor again. "Stop. Blinking. At. Me."
The Doctor turned to Harry with a wounded look and the wizard snickered. "I tried to warn you."
"Shut up," the Doctor muttered, putting his scanner away and going to pout on the chair.
Harry shook his head and walked over to where Donna was standing, glaring at the Doctor. "Here," he said, taking his phone back. "No response?"
"No," she said shortly. "Take me to the reception!"
Harry glanced at the Doctor, who was pouting at them still. "You'll have to give him a moment," Harry said to Donna, shaking his head again. "Tell me about your fiancé."
"Lance?" Donna replied, eyes lighting up just a little. When Harry nodded, she happily started exclaiming over his virtues and how they'd met and how much she loved him, and so on. Harry listened and nodded at all the right places, which kept her talking.
Eventually, the Doctor walked over to them with his thinking specs on. "Where did you say you worked?" he asked, frowning a bit.
Donna blinked at him. "H. C. Clements," she replied. "Why?"
The Doctor shrugged and pulled Harry's mobile from his pocket. "Just a thought," he commented, using his sonic screwdriver on the phone.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Ignore him," he suggested to Donna. "So he asked you to marry him, then?"
Donna's eyes lit up again and she started telling Harry about how Lance had asked her to marry him and just kept wearing her down until she agreed.
"A-ha!" the Doctor said at last and tossed the phone back at Harry before running to the TARDIS controls and starting her up.
Harry frowned and looked down at the screen, only to hiss. "Torchwood?" he demanded, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "They're owned by Torchwood?"
"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "And we're going to go pay H. C. Clements a visit."
"Reception!" Donna shouted, then, as an afterthought, asked, "And who, or what, is Torchwood?"
"Organization created to irritate the crap out of the Doctor," Harry replied drily. "Remember the battle at Canary Wharf? About three months ago?"
"Nope."
Harry blinked at her. "Cybermen all over the world upgrading people. Daleks flying around London?"
"Scuba-diving in Spain."
Harry sighed and shook his head. "Muggles," he muttered, then walked over to where the Doctor was driving the TARDIS.
"Reception!" Donna reminded them loudly.
"Doesn't she ever shut up?" the Doctor grumbled to Harry, then shouted, "Bigger picture!"
Harry snorted while Donna glared.
They landed and the Doctor dashed for the door, ducking around the glaring Donna. Harry followed him, much more calmly, and touched Donna's arm. "Sorry," he said. "But this is important. More-over, we might be able to find out why you ended up on the TARDIS. Are you coming?"
Donna looked distressed for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. "Might as well. No other way to get to the reception except through you two."
Harry nodded and they hurried after the Doctor, who had already sonic'd the doors open and was hunting for a computer. By the time they'd joined him, he was smacking a couple of screens in disgust.
"I've been told that smacking them doesn't actually make them work," Harry commented, pulling out a chair for Donna, who nodded to him gratefully. "But, hey, I'm a wizard. What do I know?"
The Doctor frowned at him. "Lots," he replied, then hit another monitor.
Harry laughed.
The Doctor eventually got a computer working and pulled up the building plans. After staring at them for a moment, he dashed for the lift, Harry and Donna following. There, he exclaimed over the floor not on the plans and grinned at them. "I'll be fine from here, if you want to take her to her reception," he told Harry.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked at Donna. "Your choice," he said.
Donna looked between the two men for a moment, then stepped firmly onto the lift. "Let's go."
Harry grinned at her and hopped onto the lift himself and the Doctor pressed the button to go down.
At the bottom, they found themselves in a green-lit tunnel. "What goes on down here?" Donna demanded.
"Let's find out," the Doctor replied, looking around. After a moment, he grinned. "Oh look, transport," he said cheerfully and skipped over to a group of segways.
Before they knew it, they were heading down the tunnel and all laughing at each other.
After stopping to get his bearings, the Doctor led them into a lab. "Oooh... Look at this. Stunning," he mumbled, walking among the tubes and pipes.
"What does it do?" Donna asked.
"Particle extrusion," the Doctor replied and pulled out his thinking specs and his sonic screwdriver. "Hold on..." He took a couple of readings, frowned, took a few more. "No..."
"Doctor?" Harry said, tapping the tube he was examining. "What is it?"
"Huon particles," the Doctor replied, turning his sonic screwdriver on Donna. "Well, damn."
"Doctor."
"What are Huon particles?" Donna demanded, looking a bit like she might smack the Doctor again if he didn't stop pointing things at her.
"Huon particles haven't been around for billions of years," the Doctor explained, wisely pointing his sonic screwdriver elsewhere. "Only place you'll find them now is in the heart of the TARDIS." He looked in amazement at the tube next to him. "Brilliant." He pulled a little bottle out of one of the tube bottoms and grinned at it. "Huon particles in liquid form."
"So that's what brought Donna into the TARDIS?" Harry asked.
"Yup. Donna's bristling with them. Amazing."
"But why?" Donna demanded. "And is it dangerous?"
The Doctor blinked. "No, no."
Harry coughed and rose an eyebrow at the Doctor when he looked at him. The Doctor looked away and Harry sighed. He knew that expression, the one that says, 'I'm lying to you, but it's for your own good'. He, himself had worn it on auror missions when someone wasn't going to make it. "Well, dangerous or not," Harry said, jumping forward and resting an arm around Donna's shoulders, "let's see about getting them out, eh? Oh, and finding out why. Maybe even the how." He grinned between the two of them.
There was a sudden hiss and a false wall started rising. "Oh, I can tell you the why, and the how," a female voice told them. "But you won't enjoy the knowledge for long, for you are my key. The key to the secret heart that I have waited so long for."
"I'm beginning to understand why UNIT likes to shoot first," Harry muttered as lines of pilot fish pointed guns at them.
The Doctor eyed the pilot fish for a long moment, then stepped forward to a giant hole. "Somebody's been digging," he commented. "Oh, very Torchwood. Built by laser. How far down does it go?"
"Down and down. All the way to the centre of the Earth," reported the voice.
"Really? Seriously. What for?"
"Dinosaurs?" Donna suggested.
"Aliens don't usually care about dinosaurs," Harry helpfully pointed out.
The Doctor shook his head at them. "Only a madman talks to thin air, and, trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" he called to the voice.
"High, high in the sky," the voice replied.
"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom! Come on! Let's have a look at you!"
"Who are you, with such commands?"
"I'm the Doctor!"
"Prepare your best medicines, Doctor-man, for soon you will be sick at heart." Then, a form of a giant spider-person appeared on a ledge above the hole and hissed rather gleefully at them.
"Racnoss," the Doctor whispered. "You're one of the Racnoss. But that's impossible."
"Empress, of the Racnoss," she informed them.
The Doctor blinked.
"Why is it impossible for her to be a... Racnoss?" Harry asked.
The Doctor explained about where the Racnoss came from, as well as the fact that they were supposed to all be extinct while the empress laughed her hissing little laugh.
Just as he was winding down in his explanation, they saw someone appear on the walkway behind the empress. Donna sucked in a breath and stepped forward. "So what do you want with me, then? What's all this talk about a key? Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
The man on the walkway crept closer and closer to the empress while Donna tried to distract her. The Doctor and Harry traded worried looks, not quite certain what was going on, but both pretty sure it wouldn't end well.
"Do it!" Donna shouted as the man stood just over the empress, axe raised. She smiled at Harry and the Doctor. "My Lance."
But Lance shouldn't have known where they were.
"Oh, no," Harry whispered, staring at the man as he pretended he was going to kill the empress, then started laughing.
"Oh, yes," the Doctor whispered back.
"What?" Donna said, looking between Lance and her two companions.
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, squeezing her shoulder.
Lance laughed a bit more and told them all about how he'd suffered while pretending to be in love with Donna.
"But... I don't understand."
"How did you meet?" the Doctor asked. "He made you coffee?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"He made you coffee," he said again. "You had to be dosed with Huon particles over the course of six months."
"Oh my God..."
"I think it's about time we made an exit," Harry suggested to the Doctor, gripping Donna's shoulder a little bit tighter.
"No, wait." The Doctor stared up at the empress. "What's down there? Down that hole? Just the molten core of the planet, right? What good does that do you?"
The empress hissed a laugh. "Kill the little physician man."
"Time to go!" Harry snapped as the pilot fish cocked their guns. He grabbed the Doctor's hand and apparated them back to the TARDIS.
"Excellent!" the Doctor said, hurrying inside.
Harry gently led Donna in after the Doctor as the Time Lord danced around the console. "Okay?" Harry asked her.
Donna just stepped away from him and took the seat in the console room.
Harry glanced up at the Doctor and he nodded, eyes sad, then went back to flying the TARDIS. "We're going back further than I've ever been before!" he told them, flicking a couple of switches. "I've always wanted to see this!"
When they arrived, he bounded to the doors, then turned to look back at the heartbroken Donna and Harry, who stood next to her, offering his silent support. "Come on, you lot. No human's ever seen this before. You'll be the first. Magic and muggle. Come on."
"All I want to see is my bed," Donna complained, but got up and walked over to the doors with Harry all the same.
The Doctor opened the doors, saying, "Welcome, to the creation of the Earth."
"Oh," Harry whispered, unconsciously reaching for the Doctor's hand.
"Look, there's the sun. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."
"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.
"All around us," the Doctor said. "In the dust."
"Puts the wedding in perspective," Donna commented.
"Stop that," Harry chastised, gently shaking her shoulder. "Weddings are important. Every day is important. No matter how beneath notice it is. Even days that don't work out because the groom is an arse plotting with a giant spider to overthrow the human race."
Donna laughed a bit at that and the Doctor grinned at both of them, then looked back out at the dust and rocks.
"So, how is it formed?" Donna asked, looking a bit better.
"Well, one rock that's bigger than all the others comes along and pulls everything else to it. All the gas and the rocks and the dust, getting bigger and bigger until..."
"You have the Earth," Donna finished for him.
"Exactly."
"So, what was that rock?" Harry asked.
"That's what we're here to find out."
"Look, there," Donna said, pointing. The other two turned to look as a spiky thing came out of a cloud of dust.
"The Racnoss," the Doctor hissed.
-
After watching the Racnoss ship become the centre of the Earth for a while, the Doctor shut the doors and rubbed at his face.
"What now?" Harry asked. "That empress will be trying to revive her children. They'll eat everyone on Earth."
The Doctor nodded. "I know." He looked between Harry and Donna. "We'll have to go back," he said. "Give her one last chance. I'll offer to take her to a new planet. Her and her children."
"And if she refuses?" Harry asked quietly.
The Doctor looked at Harry for a long moment, not saying a word, and Harry looked away.
"If she refuses?" Donna demanded. "What then?"
"Kill her and the children," Harry said for the Doctor. "They're under the Thames, right?" He looked at the Doctor, who nodded. "Go back, then. Give her one last chance. If she refuses, we'll flood them."
"How can you say that?" Donna demanded, grabbing Harry's shoulder and spinning him to face her. "How can you just decide to destroy an entire culture?"
"Because it's the only way," the Doctor answered for Harry. "It's the Racnoss, or Earth."
Harry looked Donna in the eye. "I choose Earth. How about you?"
Donna looked away.
Harry turned back to the Doctor, gently removing Donna's hand. "Have you got some sort of communication device? Another mobile, perhaps?"
The Doctor considered that for a moment, then nodded. "I've got a set of radios. Why?"
"You talk to the empress, I'll find a way to deal with them if she says no."
They stared at each other for a long moment, neither wanting to make the call in destroying the Racnoss, but neither wanting the other to, either.
"Better I do it," Harry said, softly. "I'll have to do the paperwork for it, anyway." He managed a smile. "They're already cross with me for missing three months, might as well give them something else for them to be cross with me about."
"Harry–"
"Look! I don't have your knowledge of her species. I'm just a stupid ape. But I'm an ape with a wand, and that's the best thing we've got right now."
The Doctor sighed. "You're not a stupid ape," he said. "Radios are in the attic."
"On it," Harry replied, then disappeared down the hall into the TARDIS.
Back in the control room, Donna shook her head. "You're really willing to kill them? All of them?"
The Doctor refused to look at her, focusing instead on flying the TARDIS. "You don't have to come with us," he commented. "I can drop you off at your reception and you can pretend you had no part in this."
Donna considered the out for a moment, then shook her head. "Not a chance. I'm seeing this through."
The Doctor smiled up at her as Harry walked back in with the radios. "Good thing I found three, then," the wizard commented, holding one of them out to the other human.
Donna stared at him, then motioned to her dress. "Where am I supposed to put it?" she demanded.
Harry sighed and pulled out his wand and a bit of string he carried with him for moments like this. He transfigured a cloth belt from the string and held it out to Donna. "Tie it around your waist."
"Oh..." Donna did as she was told, then attached the radio to the belt.
Harry smiled and tossed the other radio to the Doctor. "Ready?" he asked.
"One last little bit of unfinished business," the Doctor said, shoving the radio in his pocket and coming over to stand next to the two humans as they landed. "Harry promised we'd get those Huon particles out of you."
"Oh, yeah." Harry grimaced. "Suppose I ought keep at least one of my promises today, hm?"
Donna frowned at him, clearly remembering the litany of promises he'd made her already.
Harry looked at the Doctor. "How do you propose we do that, hm? I assume it's not particularly easy."
The Doctor pulled a bottle out of his pocket and showed it to the two humans. It was the bottle he'd taken from the lab. "Think you can summon them from her and put them in here? Or shunt them off into the TARDIS. She'll probably have a bit of indigestion, but she'll be able to handle it."
Harry considered the particles, then Donna, who was still frowning at him. "Never tried summoning particles before," he said, then pulled out his wand. "Have to write a paper on it or something if it works. Ready, Donna?"
"Ready," she said, not looking particularly ready.
"Accio Huon particles in Donna," Harry said.
A bright shine of gold left her and hung in the air in front of Harry for a moment, then slowly filtered themselves into either the bottle the Doctor was holding, or the TARDIS' console.
"That was a bit weird," Harry commented, considering his wand with an amused look. "Wonder if that's just how Huon particles react, or if it's something all forms of energy would do?"
"Dunno," the Doctor responded, placing the bottle on the console. "Don't suppose we'll be finding out anytime soon, either."
"Most forms of energy don't glow when they're tickled," Harry agreed. "Come on, Donna. Let's go save Earth."
"And kill the Racnoss?" she demanded.
Harry winced. "If they agree to be transported, they won't be killed. Either way, we'll be saving Earth. Let's stick with calling it that. Come on." He led the way out of the TARDIS, which had landed just by the lift to H. C. Clements. "Hm. Transport's at the other end," he pointed out as the Doctor and Donna joined him.
The Doctor nodded. "Forgot about that. Think you can apparate us to just outside the lab? I'll go in, talk to the empress. You see what you can do about fixing it to flood."
"Sure thing." Harry turned to Donna, who was standing in the doorway of the TARDIS. "Who're you coming with?"
She looked between them for a moment, then nodded to the Doctor. "I have to check on Lance. Get him out of there if you decide you have to flood them."
"Acceptable," Harry agreed and the Doctor nodded. The wizard grabbed both their arms and apparated them to just outside the lab, then, with a jaunty little wave, apparated off to see what he could do.
-
They did end up having to flood the Racnoss. Harry kept envisioning his own sons as he opened the floodgates on the Racnoss, feeling the empress' pain, but unwilling to see James and Albus become food for the aliens. It kept him going when he could hear the empress' screams through Donna's radio, which she'd accidently left on.
When Harry met them atop the Thames Barrier, Donna pointed out that they'd drained the Thames and they all laughed a bit. Then, Harry apparated them back to the TARDIS, and they took her to Donna's house.
"Well, here we are. Home at last," the Doctor said, leaning against the TARDIS. Harry stood next to him, smiling, while Donna stood just a bit across from them, cold and wet, but with a transfigured fur coat to help keep her from catching hypothermia – Harry and the Doctor had been able to change in the TARDIS, but they hadn't had clothing for Donna.
"I bet they're worried about you," Harry commented, nodding to where they could see a couple through the window of Donna's house. "Lovely Christmas present, you coming back after disappearing like that."
Donna grimaced. "I hate Christmas."
"Aw... Even if it snows?" the Doctor asked, reaching up inside the TARDIS and setting off the light on top of her. It burst into the sky and it started to snow.
"Oh my God." Donna shook her head. "How did you...?"
"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," the Doctor replied, grinning a bit madly.
"Loon," Harry muttered.
"Oiy!"
They all laughed a bit.
"What will you do now?" the Doctor asked.
"Oh, I dunno. Travel a bit. See the world." Donna smiled. "Walk in the dust."
The Doctor nodded. "You could..."
"What?" Donna asked when he didn't continue.
"You could... come with me."
Donna shook her head, still smiling. "No."
"But you've seen it out there!"
"Doctor," Harry murmured, shaking his head.
The Doctor sighed and nodded. "Okay, then."
Donna glanced at Harry. "And what about you?"
Harry grinned. "Oh, I'm gonna head home, I think. Get reamed a new one by my wife, sleep on the couch for a couple weeks. Hold my kids a bit. Get reamed a new one at work." He laughed. "The usual."
Donna nodded and looked back at the Doctor. "Find someone to travel with you."
The Doctor blinked. "I'm fine on my own."
Donna shook her head. "No. I don't think you are. Find someone. Someone who can stop you, before you go too far."
The Doctor looked up at the sky, avoiding Donna's gaze, and shrugged.
Donna sighed. "Tell you what, how about a Christmas supper? Both of you."
Harry shook his head. "Nah. Best not put off the inevitable. I'll take a rain check, though. If that's alright?"
Donna nodded. "Sure. Doctor?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No, no. I don't do Christmas dinners."
"You sure? Mum always cooks enough for twenty. It'd be no problem."
"No." The Doctor shook his head again and coughed. "I should, ah, probably go with Harry, anyway. Let Ginny yell at me a bit." He grinned. "Save him from the couch."
"You're so sweet," Harry said drily.
"Alright then," Donna said, looking a little awkward.
Harry stepped forward and hugged her. "Hey, I'm just in Surrey if you ever need an ear." He grinned at her. "Right?"
She smiled. "Right." She looked between the two men. "Thanks. For everything."
Both men smiled at her and waved before climbing back into the TARDIS. The Doctor was just starting up when they heard Donna calling his name, so he poked his head back out. "Blimey, you can shout."
Donna smiled at him. "Will I ever see you again?"
The Doctor grinned. "Almost certain to," he promised her. "Oh, and Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"Just... Be magnificent."
Donna nodded. "Yeah. I think I will."
The Doctor winked and closed the door and then they were off, heading back towards Surrey.
The Doctor parked just down the road and leaned against the console, facing Harry, who was leaning against the railing. "So, home again."
"Three months gone," Harry agreed.
The Doctor nodded. "What do you say to missing another hour?" he asked, nodding to the hallway that led to the living area of the TARDIS.
Harry reached out and grabbed the Doctor's hand. "I thought you'd never ask."
-
-
A/N: I'm sure you all can guess where they're off to.
On that note, I'm debating a bit over making a lemon – a real, honest to goodness one – for the last part. When the 10th Doctor says good-bye, just before he regenerates. Should I have a lemon? Or just a sweet little good-bye kiss?
Readers' choice.
XD
Also, a few of you are requesting that I find some way to allow Harry to live forever, so he can stay with the Doctor. Let me just say I'm considering it, and we'll leave it at that. This story is meant to be largely canon, of course, but once I get to the 11th Doctor, I'll either have to start making stuff up, or put it on hold. (I can guess which one you lot would prefer. XD)
'Til the next instalment.
~Bats ^.^x
Harry & the Doctor Series:
Hanging By a Thread
Dust in the Sky Chapters:
One |Two | Three | Four | Five | Six
The Future Doesn't Scare Me Chapters:
One | Two | ???
The Perfect Sky is Torn Chapters:
One | Two | Three
DISCONTINUED
Adrenaline Rush
Part: 2 of 6
Author:
batsutousaiBeta:
tsuki_no_suzuRating: PG-13
Pairings: Harry Potter/Tenth Doctor (minor Rose/Tenth Doctor, Martha/Tenth Doctor and Jack/Tenth Doctor)
Warnings: Slash, minor Ginny!hate
Summary: Sequel to Hanging by a Thread. Harry has a life to live now with a wife and children, but he can still find time for the Doctor, no matter what he looks like.
Disclaim Her: No.
A/N: I'm going to take a great deal of joy in ruining this episode. So much of it had to do with the Doctor just losing Rose and not having anyone to travel with and watch him, but Harry's with him this time, so things'll have to be a bit different.
Also, I hated Donna in this episode, but I grew to like her a bit later on. Since later Donna is who I remember best, my Donna might not be quite as obnoxious as how she's supposed to be in this episode. Tried to keep her pig-headed, though, to some extent. -nervous laughter-
Last thing! You may have noticed that I've decided to cut this episode off from the Martha Arc, which I hadn't quite decided on as of last chapter. So that means there will be at least four parts, five if I make a different part for the episodes after the Doctor loses Donna, which I'll probably do. Just a heads up, as it were.
-
Harry laughed. "You want me to cheat on my wife?"
"You're the one who married her," the Doctor pointed out. "And you don't even like her!"
Harry laughed again. "Don't I know it. Well, I suppose, if I had to cheat with anyone, it might as well be you." He waggled his eyebrows. "But not if this is 'I'm feeling sorry for myself 'cause I just lost Rose' sex."
"Ah..."
"Doctor..." Harry sighed and leaned against the railing. "I know you miss her. So do I. But sex doesn't make everything better."
"You think I don't know that?"
"On the contrary, I think you know it and are trying to forget it."
"I'm not–"
Someone squeaked and they both turned to see a woman in a wedding dress.
"What?" said the Doctor, disbelieving.
"Who're you?" replied the woman.
"Bu–"
"Where am I?"
"Oh dear," Harry said, rubbing at his face.
"Where the hell is this place?!"
"What?" the Doctor said.
Harry snorted and shook his head. "Only you."
"No, no, no! This is impossible! We're in flight!" the Doctor said, staring at the TARDIS controls in disbelief.
"You've kidnapped me!" the woman decided. "Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, I bet it's Nerys!"
"Shut her up, Harry!" the Doctor shouted, twiddling with some things on the console.
Harry rolled his eyes and walked over to the woman. "We haven't kidnapped you. Please calm down. He's trying to figure out what–"
"You can't fool me! I've been kidnapped!"
Harry sighed. "Silencio. Thank you." The woman stared at him in disbelief. "Right. We haven't kidnapped you, we're just travelling a bit. I'm Harry, he's the Doctor. We'll get you back to your wedding." Harry eyed the Doctor, who was running around the console, looking horribly confused. "We're getting her back to her wedding, aren't we, Doctor? And on time this time."
"Yes, yes. I'm working on it!"
Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the woman, only to find her heading for the doors. "No! Don't open the do–"
She opened the doors and froze, staring out at the super nova they were stopped next to.
"Oh, bugger..."
The Doctor looked up and sighed. "Shut her up, but can't keep her inside."
"Oh, shove it," Harry snapped, then walked over to the woman and silently removed his spell. "Look, we're in space. Bit far from Earth, really. Please won't you come back inside? Close the doors? There we go..." Harry led her over to the seat and and sat her down while the Doctor poked at the console some more. "Here, let's try this again. I'm Harry, this is the Doctor."
"Donna," the woman said, swallowing. "We're really in space?"
"Really. This is the Doctor's spaceship. She's called the TARDIS," Harry explained. "We'll figure out what happened and get you back to your wedding. I promise."
Donna nodded, eyes still a bit wide. "Is he human?"
"The Doctor?"
"Yeah."
"No, he's not."
"Are you?"
"Very much so, yes. I just travel with him. Sporadically."
"Then what was that... that bit of making me quiet?"
Harry grimaced. "Magic. You know of the Harry Potter books?"
"Who doesn't?"
"Yeah, well, hello! I'm Harry Potter."
"You're lying," Donna decided.
"Nope. Really, truly Harry Potter. Real thing."
"And you travel with an alien," Donna said, disbelievingly.
"Well, yeah. A bit. After the war, before my wedding. And, ah, now. Saying good-bye to a friend of ours."
"Out there? What did you do, shove them out?"
"No. And if the Doctor hears you suggesting that, he might shove you out there, so shut it," Harry hissed, then turned to look at where the Doctor was frowning at the TARDIS. "Doctor?"
"It doesn't make any sense."
"Yeah, doesn't need to. Let's get Donna to her wedding and then you can puzzle out the intricacies of the TARDIS and her sudden ability to summon humans while in flight."
"But this is important," the Doctor insisted.
"And so is her wedding," Harry hissed, moving so he was standing right in front of the Doctor and poking him in the chest. "If you make her late to her wedding like you did to me, I don't think she's as likely to forgive you as I was."
The Doctor glanced over at Donna, who was glaring at him. "Ah, good point. Right! Where's the wedding?"
"St Mary's Church, Haven Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the solar system!"
"Specific," Harry commented, hopping out of the way as the Doctor danced around the controls to fly to the specified place. "I like specific."
"Much better than your directions," the Doctor commented.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well somebody took me out and got me drunk the night before. Git."
The Doctor grinned at him, then flipped a switch and they stopped. "Right!"
Donna shoved past both men and ran out the doors. Outside, she turned around and glared. "I said St Mary's!"
"Found the city, missing the church," Harry commented, glancing at the Doctor, who was looking in concern at the TARDIS. "Doctor?"
"Something's wrong with her..." he was mumbling.
Harry sighed and looked back at Donna, who was getting impatient. "Doctor, we're going to catch a taxi to the church. Meet us when you can."
"Yeah, okay..."
Harry rolled his eyes and hurried over to Donna, motioning that they should head out to the street. "Let's find you a taxi, then."
Donna stared at him. "Aren't you Harry Potter? Can't you, I dunno, magic me there?"
Harry blinked and shook his head. "Nope. Well, maybe. I mean, I kinda have to have seen the area once. Maybe even been there. Tend to stay away from churches, me. Anyway, Chiswick's a bit out of the way; I live in Surrey. Come on. Taxi!"
They spent a good five minutes trying to catch a taxi before the Doctor came out and joined them. "Having trouble?"
"Is the TARDIS fixed, then?" Harry replied, looking a bit harried.
"Mostly. Come on. Taxi out back." The Doctor led them back to the TARDIS and started her back up once they were all back inside.
They were a bit closer when they landed again and the Doctor was once again frowning at the TARDIS.
"I'll just walk!" Donna snapped, then stalked off.
Harry glanced at the Doctor, who sighed and shook his head. "Go with her, please? I want to be able to find her again."
"Sir," Harry agreed with a salute. He ducked the return half-hearted swat and hurried after Donna. "I'm to follow you about. Keep you out of trouble." He grinned at her. "And make sure the Doctor can find you again when he finally figures out what happened."
"Lovely," Donna replied drily. "I'll have Harry Potter at my wedding. Assuming my wedding is still on." She looked angrily at her watch.
"Ah..." Harry rubbed his hair in a bit of distress and glanced around. "Hold on. Is it Christmas?"
"Yes," Donna replied in disgust.
"Ah, fuck. Ginny's going to have my head."
"Who?"
"My wife. I've been gone for three months."
"Is that his fault, then?" Donna demanded. "Three months gone?"
Harry shrugged. "Usually it's a couple hours here, half a day there, really. But, yeah, three months this time. Not all that surprised, really. Did send her a message when I first left. Let her know it might be a bit. But, ah, she doesn't like the Doctor, see, so she's going to throw quite the fit."
"Couch for you," Donna commented.
Harry grimaced. "Awful couch, too. Slept on it before, long time ago. It's only gotten worse over the years. Ah! Church!"
"Finally!" Donna exclaimed and they hurried up a bit. When they got inside, though, they found another wedding in process and backed out again quietly. "My wedding," Donna whispered.
"I'm sorry, Donna," Harry replied, gently touching her arm. "Honest I am."
Donna sighed. "Reception's down the street a ways, then. Come on."
When they stepped out of the church, they found a line of Santas awaiting them. A couple of them levelled their instruments at them in a threatening manner. "Oh, this is so not good," Harry decided, pulling out his wand and looking around for witnesses. "I don't think they're here to play us a tune."
The tuba shot out a jet of flame in their direction.
"Oh my God!"
"My sentiments exactly," Harry grumbled, grabbing Donna around the waist. "Sorry about this." He apparated them a bit down the street, then grabbed her hand. "Now run!"
They hurried off and almost ran into the Doctor on the way. "Whoa! Church is that way," he commented, smiling.
"Killer Santas," Donna replied.
"Killer Santas?" The Doctor peeked around them and his eyes widened. "Oh. Pilot fish." He pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket. "Have you got yours?"
"Why?" Harry asked, pulling his own out from a pocket of his jeans and handing it over. "What are you planning to do with them?"
"Haven't a clue," the Doctor replied with a mad grin. Then he stepped around Harry and Donna. "Right, you lot! I've got two sonic screwdrivers and if you don't back off, I'll be forced to use them!"
Behind the Doctor, Harry sighed and shook his head while Donna looked between the two men in disbelief.
The pilot fish kept coming and were moving their instruments into a position to fire.
The Doctor shook his head, then looked down at the two sonic screwdrivers and fiddled with the controls. "This might be a bit loud," he warned the two humans, then set them off.
Harry and Donna both covered their ears, grimacing at the noise. Others on the street – the few there were – also covered their ears and one or two turned to look at the Doctor in disgust.
As for the pilot fish? They sort of fell apart.
The Doctor finally turned off the two screwdrivers and handed Harry back his. Then the three wandered over to the pilot fish, Donna glaring back at anyone who glared at them.
The Doctor picked up a head and sonic'd it. "Hm. Still transmitting... Where are you..." He frowned and sonic'd it a bit more, then made a pleased sound and rose his screwdriver into the sky. "Up there."
"Aliens at Christmas. Again," Harry grumbled.
The Doctor grinned at him, then looked over at Donna, who was glaring at passer-bys. "But what's so special about her?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Other than the fact that she missed her wedding?"
"Oh. Oops."
"Oops?" Donna said, turning on the Time Lord. "Oops? That's all you can say? Just, oops!"
"I'm sorry?" the Doctor tried.
"You're gonna be sorry!" Donna snapped, then smacked him.
Harry snickered.
The Doctor rubbed at his face, looking mildly startled. "That hurt."
"You really know how to pick them," Harry said.
"Shut up, Harry."
"Harry?" a voice said from behind said man.
Harry turned around and groaned. "Oh, bugger."
Ron was standing there, gaping at him, with a couple of aurors behind him. All of them looked quite surprised to see him. "Where have you been?"
"Now would be a really good time to make a get-away," the Doctor commented, eyeing the group of aurors a bit nervously.
Donna poked her head around the Doctor to see what was going on. "Friends of yours?"
"You've been travelling with him again, haven't you?" Ron demanded, stepping closer to Harry.
"I did leave 'Mione a message," Harry pointed out.
"Three months, Harry!"
"Yeah, well, we lost track of time!"
"Three! Months!"
Harry groped around behind him for Donna's arm and, once he'd grabbed it, it took the Doctor's hand. "Ron, remember how 'Mione always tells you she can't tell you something?" he asked a little desperately.
"Don't you dare."
Harry grinned. "This is one of those times," he said, then apparated them back to the TARDIS. "Oh, he's gonna kill me."
The Doctor laughed and hugged him briefly. "Brilliant!" he declared, then hurried into the TARDIS.
"Wedding reception?" Donna commented, looking a bit angry.
"Sorry!" Harry replied, dragging her into the TARDIS as the Doctor started it up. "I promise, we'll get you there. Promise. But, right now, we really don't want to be in the area. Because Ron's going to kill me."
"Who cares!" Donna shouted. "I've missed my wedding, why not miss the reception as well? Everyone probably thinks I'm dead!"
Harry pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Here. Call your fiancé or something," he said, then hurried over to the Doctor. "What now?"
"Now, we figure out what those pilot fish were doing following her. And how she got on the TARDIS."
"You think it's connected?"
"Certain," the Doctor replied, then parked the TARDIS. "We're safe for now. From your mate and any other pilot fish."
"No where's safe from Ron," Harry replied helplessly. "Not when he's this mad at me."
"You only missed three months," the Doctor replied. "What's wrong with that?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Two kids. Wife. Job. Best friends. I dunno, take your pick."
The Doctor grinned at him, then pulled something out of a pouch hanging off the side of the console and using it to scan Donna. "Nothing even the slightest bit special about you," he muttered.
"Doctor," Harry tried as Donna turned to glare at the Doctor.
"Busy," the Doctor replied, still scanning Donna.
Harry covered his eyes as Donna smacked the Doctor again. "Stop. Blinking. At. Me."
The Doctor turned to Harry with a wounded look and the wizard snickered. "I tried to warn you."
"Shut up," the Doctor muttered, putting his scanner away and going to pout on the chair.
Harry shook his head and walked over to where Donna was standing, glaring at the Doctor. "Here," he said, taking his phone back. "No response?"
"No," she said shortly. "Take me to the reception!"
Harry glanced at the Doctor, who was pouting at them still. "You'll have to give him a moment," Harry said to Donna, shaking his head again. "Tell me about your fiancé."
"Lance?" Donna replied, eyes lighting up just a little. When Harry nodded, she happily started exclaiming over his virtues and how they'd met and how much she loved him, and so on. Harry listened and nodded at all the right places, which kept her talking.
Eventually, the Doctor walked over to them with his thinking specs on. "Where did you say you worked?" he asked, frowning a bit.
Donna blinked at him. "H. C. Clements," she replied. "Why?"
The Doctor shrugged and pulled Harry's mobile from his pocket. "Just a thought," he commented, using his sonic screwdriver on the phone.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Ignore him," he suggested to Donna. "So he asked you to marry him, then?"
Donna's eyes lit up again and she started telling Harry about how Lance had asked her to marry him and just kept wearing her down until she agreed.
"A-ha!" the Doctor said at last and tossed the phone back at Harry before running to the TARDIS controls and starting her up.
Harry frowned and looked down at the screen, only to hiss. "Torchwood?" he demanded, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "They're owned by Torchwood?"
"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "And we're going to go pay H. C. Clements a visit."
"Reception!" Donna shouted, then, as an afterthought, asked, "And who, or what, is Torchwood?"
"Organization created to irritate the crap out of the Doctor," Harry replied drily. "Remember the battle at Canary Wharf? About three months ago?"
"Nope."
Harry blinked at her. "Cybermen all over the world upgrading people. Daleks flying around London?"
"Scuba-diving in Spain."
Harry sighed and shook his head. "Muggles," he muttered, then walked over to where the Doctor was driving the TARDIS.
"Reception!" Donna reminded them loudly.
"Doesn't she ever shut up?" the Doctor grumbled to Harry, then shouted, "Bigger picture!"
Harry snorted while Donna glared.
They landed and the Doctor dashed for the door, ducking around the glaring Donna. Harry followed him, much more calmly, and touched Donna's arm. "Sorry," he said. "But this is important. More-over, we might be able to find out why you ended up on the TARDIS. Are you coming?"
Donna looked distressed for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. "Might as well. No other way to get to the reception except through you two."
Harry nodded and they hurried after the Doctor, who had already sonic'd the doors open and was hunting for a computer. By the time they'd joined him, he was smacking a couple of screens in disgust.
"I've been told that smacking them doesn't actually make them work," Harry commented, pulling out a chair for Donna, who nodded to him gratefully. "But, hey, I'm a wizard. What do I know?"
The Doctor frowned at him. "Lots," he replied, then hit another monitor.
Harry laughed.
The Doctor eventually got a computer working and pulled up the building plans. After staring at them for a moment, he dashed for the lift, Harry and Donna following. There, he exclaimed over the floor not on the plans and grinned at them. "I'll be fine from here, if you want to take her to her reception," he told Harry.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked at Donna. "Your choice," he said.
Donna looked between the two men for a moment, then stepped firmly onto the lift. "Let's go."
Harry grinned at her and hopped onto the lift himself and the Doctor pressed the button to go down.
At the bottom, they found themselves in a green-lit tunnel. "What goes on down here?" Donna demanded.
"Let's find out," the Doctor replied, looking around. After a moment, he grinned. "Oh look, transport," he said cheerfully and skipped over to a group of segways.
Before they knew it, they were heading down the tunnel and all laughing at each other.
After stopping to get his bearings, the Doctor led them into a lab. "Oooh... Look at this. Stunning," he mumbled, walking among the tubes and pipes.
"What does it do?" Donna asked.
"Particle extrusion," the Doctor replied and pulled out his thinking specs and his sonic screwdriver. "Hold on..." He took a couple of readings, frowned, took a few more. "No..."
"Doctor?" Harry said, tapping the tube he was examining. "What is it?"
"Huon particles," the Doctor replied, turning his sonic screwdriver on Donna. "Well, damn."
"Doctor."
"What are Huon particles?" Donna demanded, looking a bit like she might smack the Doctor again if he didn't stop pointing things at her.
"Huon particles haven't been around for billions of years," the Doctor explained, wisely pointing his sonic screwdriver elsewhere. "Only place you'll find them now is in the heart of the TARDIS." He looked in amazement at the tube next to him. "Brilliant." He pulled a little bottle out of one of the tube bottoms and grinned at it. "Huon particles in liquid form."
"So that's what brought Donna into the TARDIS?" Harry asked.
"Yup. Donna's bristling with them. Amazing."
"But why?" Donna demanded. "And is it dangerous?"
The Doctor blinked. "No, no."
Harry coughed and rose an eyebrow at the Doctor when he looked at him. The Doctor looked away and Harry sighed. He knew that expression, the one that says, 'I'm lying to you, but it's for your own good'. He, himself had worn it on auror missions when someone wasn't going to make it. "Well, dangerous or not," Harry said, jumping forward and resting an arm around Donna's shoulders, "let's see about getting them out, eh? Oh, and finding out why. Maybe even the how." He grinned between the two of them.
There was a sudden hiss and a false wall started rising. "Oh, I can tell you the why, and the how," a female voice told them. "But you won't enjoy the knowledge for long, for you are my key. The key to the secret heart that I have waited so long for."
"I'm beginning to understand why UNIT likes to shoot first," Harry muttered as lines of pilot fish pointed guns at them.
The Doctor eyed the pilot fish for a long moment, then stepped forward to a giant hole. "Somebody's been digging," he commented. "Oh, very Torchwood. Built by laser. How far down does it go?"
"Down and down. All the way to the centre of the Earth," reported the voice.
"Really? Seriously. What for?"
"Dinosaurs?" Donna suggested.
"Aliens don't usually care about dinosaurs," Harry helpfully pointed out.
The Doctor shook his head at them. "Only a madman talks to thin air, and, trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" he called to the voice.
"High, high in the sky," the voice replied.
"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom! Come on! Let's have a look at you!"
"Who are you, with such commands?"
"I'm the Doctor!"
"Prepare your best medicines, Doctor-man, for soon you will be sick at heart." Then, a form of a giant spider-person appeared on a ledge above the hole and hissed rather gleefully at them.
"Racnoss," the Doctor whispered. "You're one of the Racnoss. But that's impossible."
"Empress, of the Racnoss," she informed them.
The Doctor blinked.
"Why is it impossible for her to be a... Racnoss?" Harry asked.
The Doctor explained about where the Racnoss came from, as well as the fact that they were supposed to all be extinct while the empress laughed her hissing little laugh.
Just as he was winding down in his explanation, they saw someone appear on the walkway behind the empress. Donna sucked in a breath and stepped forward. "So what do you want with me, then? What's all this talk about a key? Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
The man on the walkway crept closer and closer to the empress while Donna tried to distract her. The Doctor and Harry traded worried looks, not quite certain what was going on, but both pretty sure it wouldn't end well.
"Do it!" Donna shouted as the man stood just over the empress, axe raised. She smiled at Harry and the Doctor. "My Lance."
But Lance shouldn't have known where they were.
"Oh, no," Harry whispered, staring at the man as he pretended he was going to kill the empress, then started laughing.
"Oh, yes," the Doctor whispered back.
"What?" Donna said, looking between Lance and her two companions.
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, squeezing her shoulder.
Lance laughed a bit more and told them all about how he'd suffered while pretending to be in love with Donna.
"But... I don't understand."
"How did you meet?" the Doctor asked. "He made you coffee?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"He made you coffee," he said again. "You had to be dosed with Huon particles over the course of six months."
"Oh my God..."
"I think it's about time we made an exit," Harry suggested to the Doctor, gripping Donna's shoulder a little bit tighter.
"No, wait." The Doctor stared up at the empress. "What's down there? Down that hole? Just the molten core of the planet, right? What good does that do you?"
The empress hissed a laugh. "Kill the little physician man."
"Time to go!" Harry snapped as the pilot fish cocked their guns. He grabbed the Doctor's hand and apparated them back to the TARDIS.
"Excellent!" the Doctor said, hurrying inside.
Harry gently led Donna in after the Doctor as the Time Lord danced around the console. "Okay?" Harry asked her.
Donna just stepped away from him and took the seat in the console room.
Harry glanced up at the Doctor and he nodded, eyes sad, then went back to flying the TARDIS. "We're going back further than I've ever been before!" he told them, flicking a couple of switches. "I've always wanted to see this!"
When they arrived, he bounded to the doors, then turned to look back at the heartbroken Donna and Harry, who stood next to her, offering his silent support. "Come on, you lot. No human's ever seen this before. You'll be the first. Magic and muggle. Come on."
"All I want to see is my bed," Donna complained, but got up and walked over to the doors with Harry all the same.
The Doctor opened the doors, saying, "Welcome, to the creation of the Earth."
"Oh," Harry whispered, unconsciously reaching for the Doctor's hand.
"Look, there's the sun. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."
"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.
"All around us," the Doctor said. "In the dust."
"Puts the wedding in perspective," Donna commented.
"Stop that," Harry chastised, gently shaking her shoulder. "Weddings are important. Every day is important. No matter how beneath notice it is. Even days that don't work out because the groom is an arse plotting with a giant spider to overthrow the human race."
Donna laughed a bit at that and the Doctor grinned at both of them, then looked back out at the dust and rocks.
"So, how is it formed?" Donna asked, looking a bit better.
"Well, one rock that's bigger than all the others comes along and pulls everything else to it. All the gas and the rocks and the dust, getting bigger and bigger until..."
"You have the Earth," Donna finished for him.
"Exactly."
"So, what was that rock?" Harry asked.
"That's what we're here to find out."
"Look, there," Donna said, pointing. The other two turned to look as a spiky thing came out of a cloud of dust.
"The Racnoss," the Doctor hissed.
After watching the Racnoss ship become the centre of the Earth for a while, the Doctor shut the doors and rubbed at his face.
"What now?" Harry asked. "That empress will be trying to revive her children. They'll eat everyone on Earth."
The Doctor nodded. "I know." He looked between Harry and Donna. "We'll have to go back," he said. "Give her one last chance. I'll offer to take her to a new planet. Her and her children."
"And if she refuses?" Harry asked quietly.
The Doctor looked at Harry for a long moment, not saying a word, and Harry looked away.
"If she refuses?" Donna demanded. "What then?"
"Kill her and the children," Harry said for the Doctor. "They're under the Thames, right?" He looked at the Doctor, who nodded. "Go back, then. Give her one last chance. If she refuses, we'll flood them."
"How can you say that?" Donna demanded, grabbing Harry's shoulder and spinning him to face her. "How can you just decide to destroy an entire culture?"
"Because it's the only way," the Doctor answered for Harry. "It's the Racnoss, or Earth."
Harry looked Donna in the eye. "I choose Earth. How about you?"
Donna looked away.
Harry turned back to the Doctor, gently removing Donna's hand. "Have you got some sort of communication device? Another mobile, perhaps?"
The Doctor considered that for a moment, then nodded. "I've got a set of radios. Why?"
"You talk to the empress, I'll find a way to deal with them if she says no."
They stared at each other for a long moment, neither wanting to make the call in destroying the Racnoss, but neither wanting the other to, either.
"Better I do it," Harry said, softly. "I'll have to do the paperwork for it, anyway." He managed a smile. "They're already cross with me for missing three months, might as well give them something else for them to be cross with me about."
"Harry–"
"Look! I don't have your knowledge of her species. I'm just a stupid ape. But I'm an ape with a wand, and that's the best thing we've got right now."
The Doctor sighed. "You're not a stupid ape," he said. "Radios are in the attic."
"On it," Harry replied, then disappeared down the hall into the TARDIS.
Back in the control room, Donna shook her head. "You're really willing to kill them? All of them?"
The Doctor refused to look at her, focusing instead on flying the TARDIS. "You don't have to come with us," he commented. "I can drop you off at your reception and you can pretend you had no part in this."
Donna considered the out for a moment, then shook her head. "Not a chance. I'm seeing this through."
The Doctor smiled up at her as Harry walked back in with the radios. "Good thing I found three, then," the wizard commented, holding one of them out to the other human.
Donna stared at him, then motioned to her dress. "Where am I supposed to put it?" she demanded.
Harry sighed and pulled out his wand and a bit of string he carried with him for moments like this. He transfigured a cloth belt from the string and held it out to Donna. "Tie it around your waist."
"Oh..." Donna did as she was told, then attached the radio to the belt.
Harry smiled and tossed the other radio to the Doctor. "Ready?" he asked.
"One last little bit of unfinished business," the Doctor said, shoving the radio in his pocket and coming over to stand next to the two humans as they landed. "Harry promised we'd get those Huon particles out of you."
"Oh, yeah." Harry grimaced. "Suppose I ought keep at least one of my promises today, hm?"
Donna frowned at him, clearly remembering the litany of promises he'd made her already.
Harry looked at the Doctor. "How do you propose we do that, hm? I assume it's not particularly easy."
The Doctor pulled a bottle out of his pocket and showed it to the two humans. It was the bottle he'd taken from the lab. "Think you can summon them from her and put them in here? Or shunt them off into the TARDIS. She'll probably have a bit of indigestion, but she'll be able to handle it."
Harry considered the particles, then Donna, who was still frowning at him. "Never tried summoning particles before," he said, then pulled out his wand. "Have to write a paper on it or something if it works. Ready, Donna?"
"Ready," she said, not looking particularly ready.
"Accio Huon particles in Donna," Harry said.
A bright shine of gold left her and hung in the air in front of Harry for a moment, then slowly filtered themselves into either the bottle the Doctor was holding, or the TARDIS' console.
"That was a bit weird," Harry commented, considering his wand with an amused look. "Wonder if that's just how Huon particles react, or if it's something all forms of energy would do?"
"Dunno," the Doctor responded, placing the bottle on the console. "Don't suppose we'll be finding out anytime soon, either."
"Most forms of energy don't glow when they're tickled," Harry agreed. "Come on, Donna. Let's go save Earth."
"And kill the Racnoss?" she demanded.
Harry winced. "If they agree to be transported, they won't be killed. Either way, we'll be saving Earth. Let's stick with calling it that. Come on." He led the way out of the TARDIS, which had landed just by the lift to H. C. Clements. "Hm. Transport's at the other end," he pointed out as the Doctor and Donna joined him.
The Doctor nodded. "Forgot about that. Think you can apparate us to just outside the lab? I'll go in, talk to the empress. You see what you can do about fixing it to flood."
"Sure thing." Harry turned to Donna, who was standing in the doorway of the TARDIS. "Who're you coming with?"
She looked between them for a moment, then nodded to the Doctor. "I have to check on Lance. Get him out of there if you decide you have to flood them."
"Acceptable," Harry agreed and the Doctor nodded. The wizard grabbed both their arms and apparated them to just outside the lab, then, with a jaunty little wave, apparated off to see what he could do.
They did end up having to flood the Racnoss. Harry kept envisioning his own sons as he opened the floodgates on the Racnoss, feeling the empress' pain, but unwilling to see James and Albus become food for the aliens. It kept him going when he could hear the empress' screams through Donna's radio, which she'd accidently left on.
When Harry met them atop the Thames Barrier, Donna pointed out that they'd drained the Thames and they all laughed a bit. Then, Harry apparated them back to the TARDIS, and they took her to Donna's house.
"Well, here we are. Home at last," the Doctor said, leaning against the TARDIS. Harry stood next to him, smiling, while Donna stood just a bit across from them, cold and wet, but with a transfigured fur coat to help keep her from catching hypothermia – Harry and the Doctor had been able to change in the TARDIS, but they hadn't had clothing for Donna.
"I bet they're worried about you," Harry commented, nodding to where they could see a couple through the window of Donna's house. "Lovely Christmas present, you coming back after disappearing like that."
Donna grimaced. "I hate Christmas."
"Aw... Even if it snows?" the Doctor asked, reaching up inside the TARDIS and setting off the light on top of her. It burst into the sky and it started to snow.
"Oh my God." Donna shook her head. "How did you...?"
"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," the Doctor replied, grinning a bit madly.
"Loon," Harry muttered.
"Oiy!"
They all laughed a bit.
"What will you do now?" the Doctor asked.
"Oh, I dunno. Travel a bit. See the world." Donna smiled. "Walk in the dust."
The Doctor nodded. "You could..."
"What?" Donna asked when he didn't continue.
"You could... come with me."
Donna shook her head, still smiling. "No."
"But you've seen it out there!"
"Doctor," Harry murmured, shaking his head.
The Doctor sighed and nodded. "Okay, then."
Donna glanced at Harry. "And what about you?"
Harry grinned. "Oh, I'm gonna head home, I think. Get reamed a new one by my wife, sleep on the couch for a couple weeks. Hold my kids a bit. Get reamed a new one at work." He laughed. "The usual."
Donna nodded and looked back at the Doctor. "Find someone to travel with you."
The Doctor blinked. "I'm fine on my own."
Donna shook her head. "No. I don't think you are. Find someone. Someone who can stop you, before you go too far."
The Doctor looked up at the sky, avoiding Donna's gaze, and shrugged.
Donna sighed. "Tell you what, how about a Christmas supper? Both of you."
Harry shook his head. "Nah. Best not put off the inevitable. I'll take a rain check, though. If that's alright?"
Donna nodded. "Sure. Doctor?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No, no. I don't do Christmas dinners."
"You sure? Mum always cooks enough for twenty. It'd be no problem."
"No." The Doctor shook his head again and coughed. "I should, ah, probably go with Harry, anyway. Let Ginny yell at me a bit." He grinned. "Save him from the couch."
"You're so sweet," Harry said drily.
"Alright then," Donna said, looking a little awkward.
Harry stepped forward and hugged her. "Hey, I'm just in Surrey if you ever need an ear." He grinned at her. "Right?"
She smiled. "Right." She looked between the two men. "Thanks. For everything."
Both men smiled at her and waved before climbing back into the TARDIS. The Doctor was just starting up when they heard Donna calling his name, so he poked his head back out. "Blimey, you can shout."
Donna smiled at him. "Will I ever see you again?"
The Doctor grinned. "Almost certain to," he promised her. "Oh, and Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"Just... Be magnificent."
Donna nodded. "Yeah. I think I will."
The Doctor winked and closed the door and then they were off, heading back towards Surrey.
The Doctor parked just down the road and leaned against the console, facing Harry, who was leaning against the railing. "So, home again."
"Three months gone," Harry agreed.
The Doctor nodded. "What do you say to missing another hour?" he asked, nodding to the hallway that led to the living area of the TARDIS.
Harry reached out and grabbed the Doctor's hand. "I thought you'd never ask."
-
A/N: I'm sure you all can guess where they're off to.
On that note, I'm debating a bit over making a lemon – a real, honest to goodness one – for the last part. When the 10th Doctor says good-bye, just before he regenerates. Should I have a lemon? Or just a sweet little good-bye kiss?
Readers' choice.
XD
Also, a few of you are requesting that I find some way to allow Harry to live forever, so he can stay with the Doctor. Let me just say I'm considering it, and we'll leave it at that. This story is meant to be largely canon, of course, but once I get to the 11th Doctor, I'll either have to start making stuff up, or put it on hold. (I can guess which one you lot would prefer. XD)
'Til the next instalment.
~Bats ^.^x
Hanging By a Thread
Dust in the Sky Chapters:
One |
The Future Doesn't Scare Me Chapters:
One | Two | ???
The Perfect Sky is Torn Chapters:
One | Two | Three
DISCONTINUED
Adrenaline Rush
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