Doctor Who Fan Fiction ❯ Donna and Ten - The Inbetweens and backstories ❯ Chapter Twelve ( Chapter 12 )

Donna stepped out of the TARDIS into a large pedestrian area, with lawns, raised flower beds, trees, fountains, and . . .

 

'Is that the Statue of Liberty?' she asked the Doctor, as she looked up, suddenly realising that they were inside the most enormous skyscraper she had ever seen.

 

'Yep, the one, and only,' he replied, smiling at her reaction to the view. After all the centuries, it still gave him a buzz to watch peoples wonder and amazement at seeing new environments.

 

'So this is New York in the future . . . what year is it?'

 

'Ah, well, it's the year five billion and eighty three, but it isn't New York . . . it isn't even Earth.'

 

Donna continued to look up at hundreds of galleries containing shops and offices that all faced the statue. Glass walkways criss-crossed between the galleries, and cylindrical glass elevators ascended and descended silently between the floors.

 

'Where are we then?'

 

'New New York, on the planet New Earth, the National Trust brought the Statue here when the old Earth was abandoned.'

 

'Wow, that's amazin'!'

 

'Yeah, and they've been busy over the last thirty years. There was a virus that wiped out a lot of the population, but they seem to have recovered and repopulated the city . . . you humans are just brilliant!'

 

Donna had a proud smile on her face. 'So where's this card shop then?'

 

The Doctor looked up at the galleries, turned around, stopped, and pointed. 'Up there, tenth floor, come on, we can grab one of those lifts.'

 

'Hold on,' she said, standing still and staring at a couple who were looking at a city map. 'Are those cats . . .? They are, they're cats; people sized cats!'

 

The Doctor lowered her arm that she was using to point. 'Donna, it's rude to point, and yes, they are Catkind, and they are the reason this place had recovered so well. Novice Hame has created a lasting legacy . . .; good for her.'

The Doctor explained the story of the Sisters of Plentitude while they travelled in the lift, how he and Rose stumbled upon the human incubators of cures for disease, and how Novice Hame had served a penance by serving the Face of Boe, and saving all the people in the under city from the deadly virus.

 

After purchasing an incredible, futuristic birthday card, they explored the rest of the galleries and ended up in the Crown viewing platform of the Statue of Liberty. From this vantage point, they could see out through the glass front of the skyscraper, over the rest of New New York.

 

Donna was gazing thoughtfully at the view. 'This is beautiful,' she said turning to the Doctor and grinning. 'Oh I bloody love this. Can I just say . . . travelling with you . . . it's, it's . . . brilliant.'

He took a deep breath, remembering Rose saying pretty much the same thing when she came here. 'Yeah, it is, isn't it,' he said with a smile. The queue of people was moving through the viewing platform, and they had to move on.

 

'Have you seen anything that he might like as a gift yet?' he asked her later, as they exited the statue into the pedestrian square.

 

'Nah, not yet. Before I left, he encouraged me to travel the stars with ya, and bring a bit of them back for him.'

 

'Oof, that's not a good idea, superheated stellar plasma is over five thousand degrees Celsius; it would probably set fire to the curtains, not to mention melting the walls.'

 

'I swear you're hard work at times,' she told him, rolling her eyes. 'He meant something from out here, between the stars you Wally. He's always been interested in astronomy.'

 

'Really, then I think I know the perfect gift,' he said with a smile.

 

 

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'I'm back!' Donna called out, as she stepped through the front door. 'Where's the birthday boy then?' She went through to the kitchen, and found Wilf sitting at the table, reading a newspaper.

 

'Donna, you're back Sweetheart!'

 

'Oh, decided to pay us a visit have you?' her mother said, as she came through from the living room. 'And you're still with him then,' she observed, as the Doctor walked into the kitchen.

 

"Charming", he thought to himself.

 

'Don't start Sylvia,' Wilf said, as he received a big hug from his granddaughter.

 

'I couldn't miss my old Gramp's birthday now, could I? How are ya Granddad?'

 

'Ah, well, y'know, can't complain,' he started to tell her.

 

'And if ya did, nobody would listen, I know,' Donna finished with a laugh. She put a glittery bag on the table. 'Happy birthday Granddad.'

 

'Oh Sweetheart, you shouldn't have.'

 

'Course I should; here, open your card.'

 

She dipped into the bag and took out a foil envelope and handed it to him. He opened the envelope and took out the card which read, `To Granddad on your birthday'. When he opened the card, there was a holographic head of Donna which said, `happy birthday Gramps, I love you'.

 

'Oh my Lord! Would you look at that Sylvia . . . it's Donna, an' she talks an' everythin'.'

 

'Mmm, it's certainly unusual, where did you get that?'

 

'New New York,' she said without thinking. 'New York, just the one new,' she corrected herself, winking at her granddad.

 

'New York eh . . . it's alright for some,' Sylvia said, with a hint of envy as she went to the sink.

 

Wilf looked around to see if Sylvia was in earshot, and then leaned towards Donna. 'Is that from . . .' he whispered, pointing up to the ceiling. Donna gave him a big smile and nodded.

 

'Oh my word, that's wonderful that is. Thank you Sweetheart.'

 

'And we went to Blackpool, special like, to get you this.' She rummaged in the bag and brought out a stick of Blackpool rock.

 

'Hah, a stick of rock . . . haven't had a stick of rock in ages, not since you were a nipper on holiday at Brighton,' he said with a far away look in his eyes.

 

'Ah, but this is special rock Granddad, have a look and see what's written in it,' she said excitedly.

 

Wilf unwrapped one end of the cellophane and looked at the writing in the rock.

 

'It says “moon”, hah, I see what you've done there,' he laughed. 'It's moon rock, that's very clever.'

 

Donna reached over the table and squeezed his hand. 'Well, you told me to bring a bit of the stars back with me, but that was just a joke,' she said in a quiet, conspiratorial tone. 'Here, this is the first part of your present.'

 

She took out a parcel, the size of an A4 book, wrapped in birthday paper, and handed it to him. Wilf felt the present first, to see if he could determine what it was, and then carefully unwrapped it. It was a framed photograph, and his eyes went wide in amazement. It was a photograph of Viking One, the first robotic craft to land on Mars, and there, leaning against the craft with her arms folded, wearing an orange space suit, and a yellow helmet, was Donna.

 

'I . . . is that . . .? Are you . . .?' Wilf tried to speak.

 

'Look closely on top of Viking Granddad, what can you see?' she whispered.

 

He looked closely, squinting at the picture, and on top of Viking One, he could see a small, wooden plinth, with a piece of brown rock on it, covered with a glass dome. Donna reached into the bag once more and took out a cylindrical present, again wrapped in birthday paper.

 

'Happy birthday Gramps,' she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

 

He unwrapped the present, and there in his hand was the very same object that was in the photograph. There was a little engraved plaque which read, `To Granddad, a little bit of Mars just for you. Love, Donna'.

 

His eyes started to fill with tears, as Sylvia came back to the table to see what they'd been whispering about.

 

'Where was that taken then?' she asked, inspecting the picture closely.

 

'Er . . .' Donna was desperately trying to think of an answer.

 

'The Kennedy Space Centre in Florida,' the Doctor said quickly.

 

`Brilliant', Donna mouthed at him.

 

'After New York, we travelled down to Florida and did the tour. They've got a mock up of the Viking on Mars, and you can wear a space costume and have your photo taken,' he said, winking at Wilf.

 

Wilf surreptitiously tapped the side of his nose to indicate that he understood. 'It's very realistic, isn't it Sylvia? I mean if we were able to reach Mars, you'd have said Donna was actually there.'

 

The Doctor and Donna had enormous grins on their faces, and Wilf had a mischievous chuckle to himself. 'Thank you Sweetheart, I will treasure these gifts.'

 

'So, are you stopping for some tea and a bit of cake, or are you gallivanting off again?' Sylvia asked them.

 

Donna looked at the Doctor, and saw that he wasn't keen on staying; it was all a bit too domestic for him.

 

'Hey, don't pester them Sylvia, they don't want to be botherin' with all that, they've got so much to see and so much to do,' Wilf said with a knowing look at the Doctor.

 

The Doctor saw that look, and immediately felt an affinity with this old soldier. 'Private Wilfred Mott, it would be an honour and a privilege to share a pot of tea and some cake with you.'

 

Donna's mouth fell open in disbelief. 'Blimey Gramps, how did you manage that?'

 

'We're kindred spirits my gal, kindred spirits, eh Doctor?'

 

The Doctor raised his mug of tea and gently `clinked' it with Wilf's.

'I'll drink to that.'

 

'It's just a simple sponge,' Sylvia said, as she brought the cake over to the table. 'And just the one candle, if we put all the candles on, we'd probably set fire to the curtains.'

 

The Doctor and Donna exchanged looks, and burst out laughing, remembering their previous conversation in New New York. The Doctor looked at the sponge cake, which had white icing on the top, and . . .

'Edible ball bearings, oh brilliant! I have got to tell you, edible ball bearings are one of mankind's most brilliant creations,' he told them enthusiastically.

 

After an enjoyable cup of tea and an even more enjoyable piece of cake with edible ball bearings, both Donna and Wilf could see that the Doctor was becoming uncomfortable, and eager to get going.

 

'So where are you off to next then, Sweetheart?' Wilf asked her.

 

Donna nodded her head towards the Doctor. 'Ask `im, he's the driver.'

 

'Oh it's all out there Wilf, new vistas, new horizons,' the Doctor said with a smile.

 

'An' you'll show `em to her won't ya lad?' Wilf said, leaning in close.

 

The Doctor almost laughed at being called a lad at over nine hundred years old. 'Yeah Wilf, I'll show her.'

 

'What car do you drive Doctor?' Sylvia asked him from the sink, where she'd put the plates and mugs.

 

'It's a, er . . . a retro, nineteen sixties model,' he said, tugging his earlobe.

 

'And how do you afford all this travelling?' she asked, curious as to how he could apparently travel the globe like some jet-set playboy.

 

That question stumped him, it involved knowing about finance and money, but this time it was Donna who came to his rescue. The years of being a temporary secretary meant that she could walk the walk, and talk the talk.

 

'He's a sort of fixer Mum,' Donna told her.

 

`A fixer?' Sylvia asked, suddenly taking an interest. `One of those financial advisor whiz kids?'

 

`Yeah, finance,' Donna agreed, taking her mothers lead. ` In the futures market.'

 

'Yep, definitely futures,' the Doctor added helpfully.

 

Donna was on a roll. 'In fact, that's why we were in New York; he had to go to Wall Street to seal a deal.

 

'Yep, seal a deal . . . oh, I like that, seal a deal . . . I'm a deal sealer,' he said, warming to the cover story.

 

Sylvia thought that she had seriously underestimated the Doctor, what with his scruffy looking suit and red converse. He must have a doctorate in economics, she thought, and maybe he dressed like that as a double bluff, to throw the opposition, and make them think he was a bit useless, it had certainly worked on her.

 

She started to dream of the future; a son in law who worked in the city would certainly raise her status in the social circles that she frequented. Alright, that poor Lance had been head of Human Resources, but a financial advisor, that was miles better.

 

Wilf was quietly chuckling to himself at their cover story, Sylvia would love it, and it would mean that she didn't know the truth, and wouldn't fret about her daughter.

 

'So, on to the next deal,' Donna said. 'Onwards and upwards, veni, vidi, vici, as Dad would say.'

 

'Right,' Sylvia said, accepting the fact that a high flying financial advisor would have to do a lot of travelling. 'Well, don't forget you've got a phone, and don't be afraid to use it,' she said, giving her daughter a very strong hint.

 

'Oh come here Mum,' Donna said, pulling her into a hug. 'We'll be back soon.' She stooped down and hugged her granddad. 'See you soon Gramps.'

 

'Yeah, I'll be up on the hill with my telescope Sweetheart,' he said, giving her a wink. 'And Doctor,' he said holding out his hand for him to shake. 'Thank you,' he said, nodding in Donna's direction.

The Doctor shook his hand, looking over at Donna, and then back to Wilf. 'My pleasure,' he said with a smile.

 

They left the house, crossed the road, and walked around the corner to the TARDIS. They stepped inside and walked up the ramp to the console.

 

'So, where to now?' he asked her with a smile. 'We could see the Mistfall on Alzarius.'

 

'Yeah, we could,' she said, uncertainly.

 

'What about Karas don Kazra don Slava then, a planet with intelligent sand and singing fish? Or, I know, we could go visit my old mate Leonardo da Vinci . . . you could even sit for him. You never know, you could end up in the Louvre, the Donna Noble with an enigmatic smile.'

 

'I'll give you an enigmatic slap in a minute,' she said with a laugh, and then gave him a lopsided smile. 'What about somewhere posh? I mean, you're a wheeler dealer sealer city gent now, take me somewhere where money talks, where they have cocktails, and people straighten their little pinkie when they drink tea,' she said in the closest she could get to a posh accent.

 

'Hah! You're on. I'll take you somewhere where they have posh coming out of their ears,' he said with a laugh, operating the controls with a flourish. They felt the TARDIS land, and he closed down the console, before leading Donna down the ramp to the doors, and stepping outside into a walled garden of a manor house.

 

'Oh, smell that air, grass and lemonade . . . and a little bit of mint. A hint of mint; must be the nineteen twenties.'

 

'You can tell what year it is just by smelling?' she asked him with a hint of scorn in her voice.

 

'Oh, yeah,' he said as a matter of fact.

 

'Or maybe that big vintage car coming up the drive gave it away,' she said, pointing at an open topped tourer approaching the house.

 

They watched, fascinated, as the butler and a footman came out of the house.

 

'The Professor's baggage, Richard, step lively,' the butler said.

 

The older driver, who they presumed was the professor, got out of the car and removed his flat cap and goggles.

 

'Good afternoon, Professor Peach,' the butler said in greeting.

 

'Hello, Greeves old man.'

 

Just then, a young man dressed in black and wearing a Panama hat, cycled up the driveway, ringing his bell. When he got closer, they could see he was wearing a `dog collar', which told them he was a man of the cloth.

 

'Ah, Reverend,' Peach said.

 

'Professor Peach, Beautiful day,' the reverend said, climbing off his bicycle. 'The Lord's in his heaven, all's right with the world.'

 

'Blimey,' Donna said quietly. 'It's like bein' in an episode of Black Beauty or somethin'.'

 

Greeves greeted the vicar. 'Reverend Golightly, Lady Eddison requests you make yourselves comfortable in your rooms. Cocktails will be served on the lawn from half past four.' He nodded to the footman to take the reverend's bike.

 

'You go on up,' Peach said to Golightly. 'I need to check something in the library.'

 

'Oh?' Golightly raised an eyebrow.

 

'Alone,' Peach said in answer.

 

Golightly smiled at him. 'It's supposed to be a party, all this work will be the death of you.'

 

The Doctor and Donna were peeking around the corner of the house, listening to the conversation.

 

'Never mind Planet Zog, a party in the nineteen twenties, that's more like it,' Donna said with enthusiasm.

 

'The trouble is, we haven't been invited,' he told her, and then reached into his coat pocket. 'Oh, I forgot . . . yes, we have,' he smiled, waggling his wallet of psychic paper in front of her.

 

Donna grinned at him, and they headed back to the TARDIS to get changed. Well, Donna went to get changed; the Doctor would continue to wear his usual brown, pinstripe suit. He waited patiently outside the TARDIS for Donna to appear in a costume suitable for the period, until his patients started to run out.

 

He knocked on the door. 'We'll be late for cocktails,' he shouted at the door.

 

The door opened, and Donna appeared in a beaded dress suitable for nineteen twenties England. 'What do you think? Flapper or slapper?' she asked, unsure if she had got it right.

He looked her up and down and then smiled warmly. 'Flapper . . . you look lovely.'