"Oo, look at this stunning" the Doctor opened the door and looked around at the large room.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rita asked walking over to a tube holding a clear liquid just like water with millions of bubbles travelling through it.

"What does it do?" Donna asked.

"I think" Rita looked at the liquid. "I think it's Particle extrusion." She looked at the Doctor whose eyes were fixed on the tubes holding the liquid. He turned back to them and grinned.

"Brilliant." He gleamed. "She's right" he nodded over to Rita. "They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, our people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." He pointed to himself and the brunette.

"Your people? Who are they?" He frowned at the Time Lords. "What company do you represent?" Rita snorted out a laugh."Did he not hear Donna earlier? Surely 'Martians' would have given away something"

"We're not Martians though" he pointed out the obvious.

"Would have given him some sort of idea telling him that we're not around here" he tilted his head to the side a little nodding at the Time Lady when he realised that the two humans were staring at him and Rita nodding their heads at each other as if they were both mad.

"Oh, we're freelancers." He snapped his head over to them waving a hand. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form."

Rita picked up a container. "And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked them both.

Rita then slowly twisted the top of the container and it started to glow gold. She looked up a little and noticed so was Donna who was gasping at the sight looking terrified. "Oh, my God!"

"Genius." The Doctor beamed. "Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then. Ha!" He jumped backwards causing Donna and Lance to jump in their skin with shock Rita however slightly moved out the way seeing the redheads face and knowing what was about to happen just by seeing that.

"The wedding!" The Doctor put his hands to his head in thought. "Yes, you're getting married, that's it!" He pointed at her talking excited and very fast. "Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking!" He pointed to her. "Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!" Donna then raised her arm slapping the Doctor right across the face causing him to stumble back and touch his cheek. He looked at Rita for help. The Time Lady just crossed her arms and gave him a look signalling that he was on his own this time.

"What did I do this time?" He shrieked looking at Donna still touching his cheek where she had slapped him.

"Are you enjoying this?" She asked him. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?" She looked at him.

"Yes." He replied.

"Doctor" Rita looked at him raising her brows sadly, wanting him to tell the poor woman the truth.

"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?" She asked quietly.

"Because they were deadly." He quietly replied. Rita moved over to the red head and placed a hand on her shoulder as she gasped. "Oh, my God."

"Donna we will sort it" the Time Lady promised. "I don't make a promise I can't keep. Even the Doctor knows that." She looked at him and he nodded. "Whatever has been done to you. It will be reversed" she promised now facing the woman with her hands on each of her shoulders.

"Oh, she is long since lost." A voice from an unknown location told them. A wall behind them began to slowly slide up revealing a large, deep hole in the middle. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" Rita noticed Lance running away in the corner of her eye.

"Someone's been digging." The Doctor and Rita walked forward looking over the hole.

"This has Torchwood written all over it." Rita peered over.

"Stone how far do you think it goes?" The Doctor asked.

"Hmm not sure" she hummed. "Maybe our new friend can inform us" she replied.

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" It told them.

"Really? Seriously? What for?" The Doctor asked.

"Dinosaurs." Donna blurted out and the two Time Lords turned to her.

"What?" They both said in unison.

"Dinosaurs?" She repeated.

"Oh, it's that film" Rita nodded making an 'o' shape with her mouth laughing a little. "Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Oh, that's weird, something I remember from the parallel world." She said and the Doctor raised a brow.

'Definitely going to have to run some tests' he thought to himself.

"Parallel what?" Donna asked.

"That's not helping Stone" the Doctor muttered at her.

"Such a sweet couple." The voice hissed at them causing Rita to frown shaking her head.

"I don't enjoy talking to air so where are you?" The Time Lady asked looking at the ceiling.

"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." It hissed

"We didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom." The Doctor stated.

"I think it's scared, are you?" Rita asked. "No, of course, you wouldn't be scared of us. You don't know us, do you?"

"So come on then who are you?"

"Who are you with such command?" The voice asked.

"I'm the Doctor and this is the Stone" He answered.

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you and your Stone will be sick at heart."

"Oh, why do they always assume that" Rita groaned looking at the Doctor. "Do I look like a pet?" She then looked over at the Doctor and Donna, they both shrugged at the Time Lady not answering her question. The three looked back and noticed that the voice had teleported itself and was now connected to a face.

"Oh, look" Rita turned her head towards the red giant spider-like creature. "Racnoss" She identified it as.

"But that's impossible." The Doctor frowned looking at it. "You're one of the Racnoss?"

"Empress of the Racnoss." It corrected him.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one?" The Doctor questioned.

"I think it is," Rita added.

"Such sharp minds." It hissed at them.

"That's it, the last of your kind." The Doctor then turned to Donna and explained to the woman who was looking a little shocked that a giant red spider as she would most likely call it stood in the same room as her. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" The Empress asked them.

"Destroying and ruining planets? No, but you could have at least not do it in such a savage way" Rita glared at it.

"They eat people?" Donna asked.

"Oh no Doctor, look up," Rita telepathically told him glancing up to see what looked like a man's feet poking out of a large web across the ceiling.

The Doctor moved his eyes upwards and noticed what she was talking about. "HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?"

"He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna replied to the Doctor who then silently pointed upwards to the feet

"Oh, my God!" Donna gasped stepping back slightly. Rita wrapped an arm around the redhead's shoulder trying to comfort her. It wasn't every day you saw your boss hanging dead from a giant web with a giant red spider standing before you.

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." It cackled trying to hurt the woman's feelings.

"You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgeling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out." The Doctor said to the Empress coldly

"Except for me."

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing." The Empress went to move round but was directed back to Donna after she demanded it. "Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" The Empress went to turn again. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me." She demanded.

"The bride is so feisty." It hissed.

Rita noticed Lance sneaking up on the Empress out of the corner of her eye trying not to bring to much attention to him, Donna was having a moment and had to get it out of her system. "Yes, I am!" She shouted at it. "And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" She shouted and Lance began to swing the axe he was holding. The Empress turned and hissed at the man who then cackled with a laugh which the Empress joined in with.

"That was a good one. Your face." Lance chuckled pointing at the Empress.

"Lance is funny." The Empress told them.

Donna looked at the two confused and looking heart broken. "What?"

"I'm sorry." The Doctor's face saddened then looked at Rita watching the woman with the same face as his own. "We both are"

"Sorry for what?" She looked between the Time Lords then back at the groom. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

Lance groaned stopping his act. "God, she's thick. Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map." He snapped.

Donna began to tear up her voice cracking a little. The Time Lady squeezed her shoulder in comfort. "I don't understand."

"How did you meet him?" The Doctor softly asked her.

"In the office."

"Donna" Rita softly said to her quietly. The woman turned her head to her. "He made you coffee, I'm sorry"

"What?" She looked at Lance confused.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months."

"Six months of coffee filled with huon particles.

"He was poisoning me." Her voice cracked and the Time Lords looked at the woman sadly.

"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." The Doctor grimly looked at Lance.

"This time, it's personnel." He grinned at them.

"But, we were getting married." Donna cried.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal." He spat.

"I'll tell you what you deserve" Rita snapped then stopped when she felt the Doctor grasp a hold on her wrist stopping her. She sighed looking down and shaking her head.

"But is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?" He asked letting go of the Time Lady.

"It's better than a night with her." He nodded over to Donna.

"But I love you." She cried. Lance pursed his lips clearly enjoying himself.

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all." he looked up at the ceiling meaning the universe. "I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?" He looked at him then looked to Rita. "And you Stone"

"Who is this little physician and his woman ?" the Empress turned to them.

"She said Martian." Lance looked over at Donna and Rita felt her lip twitch in amusement after frowning at what the Empress called her. 'The one time I am glad to be called a bloody martian.'

"Oh, I'm sort of homeless." The Doctor waved off.

"Same for me" Rita shrugged letting go of Donna and nodding slightly at her before following the Doctor. "Guess I'm stuck here now" She shrugged. "Wasn't planning on going back anyways, I do have a question though because while you have been having a nice chat and all I have been thinking" She placed her hands behind her back and started to rock back and forth on the heels of her feet. "What's the big hole for?"

The Doctor stood beside the Time Lady and continued for her. "Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think they want us to talk." Lance looked at the Empress

"I think so, too." She nodded in agreement.

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna." Lance sneered.

"Kill this chattering little doctor man"

"That also includes you Stone" Lance narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't you hurt them!" Donna shouted running in front of the Time Lords and spreading her arms out to try and protect them.

"No, no, Donna. It's all right." The Doctor told her.

"No, I won't let them." She told them both her eyes watery.

"At arms!" The Empress shouted and robots on the sides of the room above on a pathway pointed their guns at the Time Lords.

"Ah that's not good" Rita held her hands up in signalling for them to wait a moment.

"Take aim!" The Empress screeched.

"I just want to point out the obvious." The Doctor spoke upholding the same gesture as Rita.

"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." She promised them.

"Just, just, just, just, just hold on." The Doctor looked at them seriously and slowly reached for his pocket. "Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her." He turned the knob on the Huon container just as the Empress shouted for the robots to start firing at the Time Lords. The TARDIS suddenly appeared around the three and Rita let out a sigh. "Off we go." He ran to the console.

"Don't you mean Allons-y?" Rita grinned following him pulling levers and pressing buttons knowing exactly where he was planning on going. The TARDIS wheezed dematerialising.

"Are you ever going to stop?" He asked her. "What are you doing anyways?" He looked up continuing to run around the TARDIS.

"What does it look like?" She asked. "I'm helping. I know where you're thinking of going so I'm helping" He looked at her for a moment his face falling a little. "Sorry" She muttered noticing his reaction. "I just assumed"

"What?" He looked at her.

"I assumed that you," she trailed off shaking her head, "never mind" She sighed stepping back. His eyes widened at what she thought, did she really think that he didn't want her help? That he didn't want her to fly the TARDIS? Frantically the Doctor shook his head.

"No, no no" He started laughing. "I just haven't flown the TARDIS with another Time Lord in a very, very long time, I just remembered that. Of course, you can fly her, why did you think I taught you and not just told you what to do when we were saving Donna?"

"Oh,womans" She blinked at him.

"I'm still here" The redhead groaned at the two crossing her arms and sitting in the jump seat.

"I wouldn't sit there" he pointed to her. "Someone else likes that spot" He glanced over to Rita then looked back at Donna as the brunette shook her head at him. "Oh," he then looked back at Donna. "Do you know what we said before about time machines? Well, we lied. And now we're going to use it." He and Rita then continued to run around the console again pulling levers, pressing buttons and turning dials. The TARDIS then began to wheeze yet again and the rotor then moved up and down signalling that the TARDIS was heading through the vortex. "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before."

"Make that two of us" Rita grinned pulling another lever.

"We've arrived." The Doctor then turned to the redhead looked was slumped in the jump seat staring down at her hands very upset.

"Donna" Rita slowly walked over sitting down beside her placing a hand on her arm. "Forget him, I know it's hard but you have to try. He was an idiot like most men at times" She looked up glaring at the Doctor for how insensitive he had been about the woman's feelings all day, but then her face softened. She could see the pain of him losing one of his best friends in his eyes, he had known Rose longer than she had, even if she had watched the show it was as if most of her memories were gone. Like she had never met the blonde before she met the Doctor, of course, she knew the blonde for almost a good year but still. "Sometimes they have reasons" she then added before her eyes flickered back to the woman beside her after the Doctor sent her a soft sad smile. "But do you know what Donna?"

"What?" She sniffed mumbling and not looking up from her hands.

"I see a brilliant woman." She smiled warmly at her. "Most people would have run off at the first opportunity but you didn't Donna, when the Doctor said that he and I could handle it you told us you were coming. That takes a large amount of bravery." Donna slowly lifted her head and gave the brunette a small sad smile. "Now, do you want to look outside?"

"I suppose." She muttered. Rita stood up holding out her hand for the woman to take. "I think your way is much better, sorry Doctor" She looked over to him grinning. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her and walked over to the door then opened them standing out the way and stepping beside Rita letting the woman see the stars.

"Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth." He announced. "That was some speech Rita"

"I was very well known for cheering people up back on-" She stopped mid-sentence.

"On what?" He asked raising a brow at her.

"Gallifrey" She quietly mumbled into his mind before she gulped and looked at the Time Lord for his reaction. The Doctor sadly nodded his head and gulped as well.

"So you're still remembering things?" The Time Lady nodded her head sadly not thinking that she would ever fully remember everything, she strongly could remember what her home looked like if there was anything she wanted to remember, any planet. She was happy it was that one.

The Doctor took another large gulp thinking more about his home, his eyes flicking over to her as she stared out at the stars. The Time Lady thankfully didn't notice and watched the stars with Donna waiting for the beginning of the Earth. "We've gone back four point six billion years." The Doctor informed Donna. "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there." He pointed to it over Donna's shoulder. "Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" She asked.

"Everywhere" Rita smiled at her. "The Earth is dust at the moment, technically speaking"

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny." She muttered.

"But you're really not." She shook her head not accepting what the woman just said. "Doctor you're better at explaining this" She sighed.

"Leave everything to me why not" He shook his head. "The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So I came out of all this?" She asked gesturing to everything around her.

"Isn't that brilliant?" He asked.

"I don't think the word 'brilliant' even begins to describe how truly amazingly beautiful this is" Rita softly smiled. "The universe is definitely amazing."

A large rock then floated past gracefully and Donna pointed to it. "I think that's the Isle of Wight." The Time Lords both let out a chuckle happy that the woman was gaining back a sense of humour again.

The Doctor then explained how it all started to the redhead. "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get-"

"The Earth." Donna sighed in awe.

"But the question is, what was that first rock?" He asked.

"I think I just found out the answer to your question Doctor" Rita replied as a seven pointed star came into view.

"The Racnoss." He muttered watching it. "Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"

"Hiding" Rita replied and he then understood as the rocks and dust around the ship began to get pulled towards it starting the creation of the Earth.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." Rita nodded. The three then were jolted causing them to almost lose their balance.

"What was that?" Donna asked sounding terrified.

"Trouble." The Time Lords said in unison closing the TARDIS doors and running to the console.

Rita and the Doctor held the onto the console desperately pulling levers and pressing buttons as well as using their feet since it was almost impossible to fly the TARDIS with only the two of them.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted as the TARDIS shook again.

"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles? Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" He shouted.

"Well, can't you stop it?" She asked. "Hasn't it got a handbrake?"

"He likes to keep that on!" Rita shouted gritting her teeth as she was violently pushed into the console which hurt.

"The sound makes everything better!" He shouted back to her in protest.

"Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna suggested.

"Backseat driver." Both Time Lords muttered.

"Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" The Doctor thought aloud bringing out what looked like a giant high-tech surfboard. "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!"

"Now!" He shouted hitting the hammer with all his might on the TARDIS console. The wheezing of the TARDIS begins again signalling that they were moving. The Time Lords ran out with Donna behind them running in her wedding dress.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" The Doctor shouted to both of the girls.

"Guessing you don't have a plan?" Rita asked running along side the Doctor.

"Nope" he replied. "You?"

"Do I look like someone who makes a plan?" Rita laughed sprinting down the basement corridor. The Time Lords both skidded to a stop and Donna soon caught up with them. The Doctor pulled out a stethoscope from his pocket and started to use it on the Torchwood door.

"But what do we do?" Donna stopped beside them breathing heavily.

"I don't know. We make it up as we go along. But trust me, we have got a history."

"You do, I don't" Rita told him.

"What do you mean? Of course, you do"

"Well come on I was human only a few days ago" she muttered quietly to the Doctor.

"You still have been by my side for a long time though" he told her in a serious tone. "What is it a year or so now?"

"About that" she smiled. "It sure has been a long time, never regretted changing that bloody light bulb" she laughed remembering back to when she first met the Doctor properly.

"But I still don't understand." Donna spoke up causing the two to lose their train of thought. "I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but our people unravelled their power source." The Doctor continued with the door not looking back at the two who were both struggling against two of the robots now dragging them away. Rita rolled her eyes at how much he wasn't paying attention. "The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck. They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and the both of you have never been so quiet" He waited for Rita to send a shockingly painful slap on his arm, however, there was nothing. He turned around and groaned noticing they were both nowhere to be seen. Using the sonic screwdriver he unlocked and opened the door to be greeted by one of the robots pointing a gun at him.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Will you two ever stop arguing" Rita rolled her eyes stuck up in the web next to Donna. "Of all the ways I ever imagined to go I didn't expect it to be hanging from a giant web with a huge hole going to the centre of the Earth directly below me. Maybe to the Daleks it that would be a less embarrassing way to go." She snapped at the two finishing her rant to them.

"I hate you." Donna spat harshly in a whisper to Lance ignoring the brunettes comments hoping Rita wouldn't hear, obviously being right next to her the Time Lady did and groaned again rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." Lance snapped back at her.

"My golden couple, together at last. Your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" Donna and Lance both said at the same time.

"She isn't going to release us" Rita rolled her eyes yet again. "Even if she did it would be face first into the centre of the Earth.

"You're supposed to say, I do." The Empress hissed at Donna and Lance ignoring the brunette, was everyone doing that today?

"Huh. No chance." He groaned looking at Donna disgusted.

"Say it!" The Empress snapped shouting at them both.

Lance hesitated for a moment before groaning yet again and saying the words: "I do."

"I do," Donna repeated him.

The Empress looked at the two highly amused. "I don't." It sneered at them. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one." She ordered the robots. Donna and Lance then began to glow the golden colour similar like before.

"And release!" She ordered. The Huon particles then zoomed straight down into the hole.

"Knew I bloody hated Torchwood," Rita muttered. "What am I even here for?" She looked at the Empress. "Why do you need me?"

"With you here, your precious Doctor will come running to save you" she cackled.

"Mine? Precious?" Rita started to laugh. "Please if anything he's my best friend. Nothing more than that" she shook her head. Donna looked at her a little confused after seeing the way they both acted around each other. "So tell me" she then spoke again. "What did the Huon particles do?" She raised a brow wanting to explain for Donna so she wouldn't later.

"The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages." It replied.

"Who will? What's down there?" Donna asked.

"How thick are you?" Lance snapped at her.

"Obviously a lot less than you." Rita told him raising her brows. "I don't know about you but I don't think Donna would go trusting a red spider that promises her that she will see the universe if she does as it says, definitely not as thick as you Lance." The man then shut his mouth not daring to say another word making the Time Lady nod in achievement.

The Empress then explained to Donna. "My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh! The web star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."

"Use them, not me!" Lance pleaded. Donna's eyes widened in horror as the Time Lady glared at his cowardly act.

"Ah well, you see" Rita began hoping to stall it until the Doctor appeared. "Perhaps you should wait until Boxing day, nice little boxing day dinner for the kids?" She raised a brow hoping that the Empress would come to an agreement.

"Oh, my funny little Lance!" The Empress ignored the Time Lady... again. "But you are quite impolite to your lady friend and the little Doctor man's woman."

"How many times do I have to say" Rita groaned yet again. "The Doctor is my friend. F-R-I-E-N-D. Use me instead of him though, I'm much tastier and I'm a martian" Rita winked at Donna signalling to her that she knew what she was doing seeing a figure step up over at the stairs.

"The Empress has chosen and does not approve." She stated before Lance's web released him and he fell straight into the hole.

"Lance!" Donna cried out gasping as she watched the man she loved fall to her certain death.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat." The Empress shouted. My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." She cackled. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man." The Empress looked over to where what supposedly was a robot. The man behind it sighed removing the mask and taking the hood down and removing it all together leaving him back in his pinstripe suit.

"Oh well. Nice try." He shrugged. "I've got you, Donna!" He pointed his sonic screwdriver at Donna and the web started to break.

"I'm going to fall!" She cried.

"No Donna! You're going to swing! Trust me he's got you!" Rita shouted as the web snapped. Donna grabbed on for dear life screaming as she swung past across the hole past the Empress. The Doctor held out his hands for her. The web was too long and Donna crashed to the floor.

"Oh. Sorry." He muttered looking down over the railing to see Donna lying there flat on her back.

"Thanks for nothing." She groaned sitting up and brushing herself off then standing.

"The doctor man amuses me. I still have your precious Stone, however." It cackled.

"Are you sure about that? Stone?" he raised a brow before he pointed the sonic at the web again, it snapped. Rita held on to the rope-like web and swung across like Donna. The Doctor held out his arms as she laughed swinging across, the web was short enough as she continued to happily scream as swinging across and knocked into the Doctor who stumbled back a little but managed to keep upright.

"Oh, hello" he grinned at her. "You okay?"

"Better now that I'm not up there above that" she gestured to the hole. The Doctor nodded and raised a brow when she started to stare at him. "Doctor" she tried not to show the grin on her face she was holding back. "You can put me down now" The Doctor looked at Rita then down at her feet realising he still was holding her in his arms he gently lowered her to the floor and felt his cheeks slightly burn.

Shaking his head he ignored the feeling and slight rise in body temperature putting his attention back to the Empress. "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now." He warned.

"These men are so funny."

"Oh, he's not joking" Rita leant on the railing standing beside the Doctor.

"What's your answer?" The Doctor asked ignoring Rita's comment.

"Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline." The Empress sneered not realising what she had just done.

"You called on this yourself Empress," Rita said a little sadly. "You have no one to blame for what happens next but yourself."

"I'll show you what happens next." It snapped at them. "At arms!" It shouted and the robots followed orders tirning towards the Time Lords who didn't seem fazed. As lightly scary as this was Rita knew that the Doctor had a remote, if he took as long as he did she knew he had found one, plus she trusted him to have one. "Take aim!" They pointed the weapons at the Time Lords. "And-"

"Relax." The Doctor took out a remote control very similar to the one the robot Santa's had earlier in the day. He pressed a button and the robots arched forward no longer operating.

"What did you do?" Donna looked up at them. They both leant forward to speak.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" The Doctor asked showing the control.

"Pockets." The Time Lords said at the same time.

"How did that fit in there?" She asked confused.

"They're bigger on the inside." He grinned at her.

"Roboforms are not necessary." The Empress pulled the attention back to itself. "My children may feast on Martian flesh."

"Oh, but we're not from Mars." He told it.

"Then where?" The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded resting her hand on top of his letting him know that she was there with him. He had been the last of the Time Lords for so long. Now he was no longer alone.

"Our home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on." He paused then glanced over to Rita with his eyes seeing her there. "Gallifrey." They both said.

The Empress gasped and cried out. "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"Empress we warned you what would happen. You only did this to yourself" Rita coldly told it as the Doctor reached into his pocket and took out the Christmas tree baubles and threw them into the air and used the remote control to direct them. The Empress cried out as loud explosions were heard and the sound of water began to echo in the area.

The water then bursted into the room and traveled to the hole falling in and therefore killing the Empresses children. The Doctor and Rita watched on with unreadable unaffected faces not showing any emotion or mercy for the Empress. They had warned it and this is what happened when you ignored the Doctors warnings. But was this what Rita was to become. Like him? She told him she was the same. Yet this was most definitely the opposite of her, Rita Stone wouldn't have done this, she wouldn't have allowed it. Had she changed? Was it because of him?

"No! No!" The Empress cried out in emotional pain and suffering. "My children! No! My children!" It cried out over and over. "My children!"

"Doctor..." the Stone swallowed seeing the water flowing in at a fast rate, her voice sounding thick with worry. The Time Lord continued to stand there, he gaze just as cold as his brow eyes at he stared at the Empress who cried out for her children.

"Doctor! Stone!" Donna shouted up at them. "You can stop now!" She shouted. Rita and the Doctor both gritted their teeth. Rita heard Donna's pleade and it almost reminded her of herself only a few months maybe a few days ago where she would have never allowed the Doctor to do this.

"My children!" The Empress cried again. A tear trickled out of Rita's eye slowly falling down her cheek and dropping to the floor. The Doctor noticed and squeezed her hand.

"I'm so sorry Rita" he then looked down at Donna. "Come on. Time I got you out." The Doctor holding on to the Time Lady's hand tightly took her down the stairs to get Donna. They then turned the other way and headed up. They were both soaked. Rita's shirt was surely ruined with a small rip she hadn't noticed earlier from where she had tried to fight back the robot that pulled her away. Her vans were definitely ruined again for quite possibly the eighth time. Or ninth. Honestly the Time Lady had lost count.

They climbed the ladder and the Doctor opened it. Rita got out first almost falling off of the thing but the Doctor quickly grabbed on to her waist. Her eyes widened and she felt her hearts beat a little faster and cheeks grow in colour which was quite unusual due to the Time Lady's pale skin. He quickly let go noticing Donna's giggles seeing the Time Lady's reaction. He then helped Donna up who almost fell herself and grabbed on to her arm to stop her from falling. The three then began to laugh.

"Just there's one problem," Donna spoke between her chuckles.

"Which would be?" Rita asked her hearts now calming themselves and her cheeks returning to normal colour.

"We've drained the Thames." She laughed again. Rita then laughed hugging the redhead and then the Doctor shaking her head and just admiring the view.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The Doctor and Rita stepped out of the TARDIS followed by Donna.

"There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything." He patted the side of the TARDIS smiling.

"More than I've done," Donna commented. The Doctor quickly scanned Donna with his sonic and read the reading smiling then showed Rita.

"No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

"Fine and healthy" Rita smiled.

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

"I couldn't save him. Neither could the Stone. She tried" he glared at her. "Almost costing her life but she tried" he softened and then turned to Donna to hear her reply.

"He deserved it." She told them. Rita looked at the woman sadly.

"Did he Donna?" The Time Lady questioned. "He just wanted to see the stars. People dream about seeing what we see. Sometimes it even makes them do things they don't want to do to see them. He just wanted to see them so badly." Donna looked down feeling disappointed in herself for what she just said.

"You're completely right Stone, he didn't." Rita stepped forward and gave the woman a hug. After letting go she stepped back to where she was standing again beside the Doctor. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried." She looked over to the window to see her mother and father hugging each other.

"Best Christmas present they could have." Rita lightly slapped his arm and shook her head.

"Do you ever listen?" She asked him crossing her arms. "Donna said that she hated Christmas"

"I was listening, I just forgot." He protested.

"For that big Time Lord brain of yours, you do forget and act like a complete idiot at times." She shook her head a little and the Doctor grumbled at her. "Now Donna," the Time Lady changed to conversation. "If I know the Doctor as well as I do from having to spend 3 hours locked up in a prison listening to him go on about everything and everything under the bloody Earths sun" she glared at him for a moment then winked at him, turning back to the redhead. "Then I know he is planning something to try amd impress you into thinking that Christmas is not bad."

"Sometimes I wonder if you know me a little too well." He muttered "Would you hate Christmas even if it snowed?" He asked Donna then reached up to the TARDIS lamp making it to turn yellow. A bolt of energy then shot up into the sky and a snow shower then fell around them.

"I can't believe you did that!" Donna gasped looking up.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." He shrugged.

"Merry Christmas Donna" Rita smiled.

"Merry Christmas you both." Donna returned the smile.

The Doctor began smiling as well "And you. So, what will you do with yourself now?" He asked. Rita knew where this was going and was itching to know what the redhead would say.

She laughed "Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."

The Doctor looked over at Rita for a moment who nodded knowing what he was going to ask. "Well, you could always" he began to mutter and looked down mumbling the rest. Rita rolled her eyes knowing Donna couldn't hear as well as Time Lords therefore she had no idea what he just said.

"What?" She looked at them.

"Come with us?" He looked at her hopefull.

"No." she replied. Rita gave a small, sad smile knowing that some people couldn't. Some people could and some people couldn't and Donna just couldn't.

"Okay." The Doctor nodded.

"I can't." She told them.

"It's completely fine Donna" The Time Lady reassured her.

"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you both live your lives like that?" She asked looking between the two.

Rita swallowed and looked at the ground then back at the redhead. "We don't all the time."

"I think you do." She looked between them again. "And I couldn't."

"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful."

"Doctor..."

"And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you two just stood there like, I don't know, strangers." She then looked at the Doctor. "And then you made it snow. I mean, you two scare me to death."

"He scares me to death as well sometimes" Rita smiled and the Doctor then glared at her.

"Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner." The Doctor looked at Rita pleading for her to say no and decline. The Time Lady sadly shook her head knowing that the Doctor spent last Christmas with... he was still hurting from loosing a friend like that, it hurt her to see him like this. She was trapped in a parallel universe, something he could do nothing about. "Oh, come on." Donna begged them.

"I don't do that sort of thing."

"And I can't go leaving him on his own." Rita nodded over at the Doctor. "Might ditch me here" she smiled jokingly. "If I want to be ditched anywhere it would be Bath. Sometimes you can't forget about the closest thing to home" she mumbled.

"But you did it last year." She looked at the Doctor. "You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

"Oh, all right then. But you go first. Better warn them. And don't say we're Martians." He looked back at the TARDIS. "I just have to park her properly. She might drift off to the Middle Ages. I'll see you in a minute."

"Wait a minute Doctor. I want to at least say goodbye to her" he nodded and stepped inside the TARDIS to 'park her properly'.

"I'm just saying goodbye now" Rita shrugged.

"You'll see me again won't you?" Donna raised a brow.

"Hopefully. You're not so bad Donna, don't let anyone tell you your bad because your not"

"Thank you" Donna smiled and gave the brunette a hug. "I was wondering ever since the whole taxi thing." Donna began. "What are you two" she waved her hands in the air before Rita began to speak. "Not like that" she laughed. "But you and him" she looked at the TARDIS. "You said best friends earlier. It looks more than that to me" she crossed her arms.

"I've only known him for a year. There are so many things I don't know about him Donna. We're just friends, really great friends"

Donna nodded. "I'll be the judge of that next time I see you" she hugged the brunette one more time.

"I better go give him a hand with parking her" Rita shook her head. "He can be an idiot at times" she smiled to the redhead and then entered the TARDIS. The TARDIS started to wheeze and dematerialise.

"Is that Donna I can hear shouting?" Rita asked looking at the Doctor. He pulled a lever and Rita pocked her head out just after the Doctor.

"Blimey, you can shout." The Doctor stepped out after her frowning at the woman wondering what she wanted.

"Am I ever going to see you two again?"

"What did The Stone say?" He asked raising a brow as she then popped her head out of the door.

"Hopefully" she quoted the Time Lady.

"If we're lucky." He grinned then looked down at Rita who nodded approvingly.

"You two just promise me one thing. Find someone." Rita frowned needing it to be explained further.

"We don't need anyone." He shook his head.

"Yes, you do." She protested. "Because sometimes, I think you both need someone to stop you." She truthfully told them and Rita slowly nodded understanding what she had meant.

"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna." He smiled. "Good luck. And just be magnificent."

"I think I will, yeah." Donna nodded. The Time Lords then headed back inside only to hear the redhead shouting for them both again.

"Oh, what is it now?" The Doctor whined. Rita slapped his arm and scolded him.

"That friend What was her name?"

The Doctor took a large gulp feeling a small lump form at the back of his throat, tears begin to well up in his eyes, Rita took his hand gently squeezing it as he swallowed his voice cracking when he spoke. "Her name was Rose."