Even though I'm on holiday there are still chapters to be published! <3

-----

Set the controls to random." The Doctor beamed after he stopped the TARDIS from rocking. "Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide u-" He stopped when Rita hit his arm, the Doctor opened his mouth in protest then noticed the concerned look she was sending the human woman.

"Donna, are you okay?" She walked over to the redhead who looked a little sick. "I know he can be a terrible driver at times but I have never seen anyone look that sick."

"You're no better." The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her.

"At least I don't cause everyone to fall to the floor sweetheart." She called over her shoulder. Rita then turned back to the redhead looking serious yet again "Anyways are you okay?"

"Terrified." She laughed a little. "I mean, history's one thing but an alien planet?"

"We could always take you home." The Doctor spoke up.

"Yeah, don't laugh at me." Donna joked.

"I know what it's like." The Doctor beamed walking towards them both and taking Rita's hand while they both beamed at the red head. "Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that."

"So do I." Rita grinned.

"Seriously?" Donna raised her brows looking between them. "After all this time?"

"Yeah." They both smiled broadly.

"Why do you think we keep going?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh. All right then, you and me both." She walked over to the doors then turned around. "This is barmy." She started to babble. "I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever had package holidays. Now I'm here. This is so." She tried to think of how to describe it, the Time Lords grinning at her excitement. "I mean it's... I don't know, it's all sort of... I don't even know what the word is." She shook her head turning around and stepping outside.

"Oh, I've got the word." She gasped at the cold. "Freezing."

"Snow!" The Doctor and Rita beamed hugging each other in laugher.

"Oh, real snow. Proper snow at last." The Doctor chuckled wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulder. "That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?"

"Bit cold." Donna held her arms trying to warm herself up.

"Look at the view." Rita breathed looking out to see massive icicles hanging from a bridge made of rock where a vast ravine was. "One of your mystery tours actually paid off." Rita laughed.

"You enjoy anywhere we go." He looked at her grinning.

"Sometimes I worry about how well you know me Doctor." She shook her head at him. "But this is honestly beautiful."

Donna then shivered. "Yep. Beautiful, cold view."

The Doctor and Rita started to wonder in the snow looking at the view. "Millions of planets, millions of galaxies, and we're on this one. Molto bene,"

"I thought Italian was my thing," Rita cut him off pouting. "You took french."

"You can't own a language plus i thought you dropped that." He laughed at her shaking his head and kissing her cheek. "As I was saying, Bellissimo says Donna, born in Chiswick. All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent and tax and take away dinners, all birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday a year, and then you end up here." He continued walking along. "Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that Donna?" They turned around to just see the TARDIS and no Donna behind them.

"Oh" Rita raised a brow wondering where the redhead was. "I thought it was a tad quiet, excluding your rambling on." The Doctor rolled his eyes as Donna walked out of the TARDIS wearing a big coat with a thick hood over her head. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"Better?" The Time Lords asked trying not to burst out laughing at how much she looked like the coat engulfed her.

"Lovely, thanks." She commented walked up to them.

"Comfy?"

"Yep." She nodded.

"Donna, can you hear anything we are saying inside that coat?" Rita asked holding back a laugh. "You remind me of one of the science classes I took when I was a human learning about white blood cells and how they ingest pathogens" she laughed not able to hold it any more.

"Pardon?" Donna blinked at her, the Time Lady just laughed not sure if she was talking about not being able to hear her or not understanding what she was rambling on about.

"All right," The Doctor interrupted. "I was saying, citizen of the Earth-" He was then cut off again as a giant space rocket glided slowly above them.

"Rocket," Donna stated. "Blimey, a real proper rocket." She gasped watching it. "Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box," She hit the Doctors chest. "He's got a Ferrari. Come on, let's go see where he's going." She began to walk off.

"There, there sweetheart." Rita patted the Doctors arm seeing the slightly hurt look on his face. "I bet that rocket can't travel in time and have an excellent library." She grinned kissing his cheek and watching his face brighten a little before they followed Donna.

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

"Out of everything you remembered from being a human that's what you remembered best?" The Doctor questioned raising a brow at the blonde as they walked towards the bridge.

"Ah I remember my human self-loved science." she hummed in thought. "Still after years, my memory of being a human isn't the clearest."

"It most likely never will be the clearest in everything, and you don't love science now?" He playfully smirked at her knowing that she definitely adored science.

"You know what I mean." She rolled her eyes hitting his arm playfully.

"Of course I do." He grinned at her before waving his arms about laughing walking across the bridge in the snow, Donna and Rita joined in laughing more at him than anything else. He looked like a small child at Christmas something Rita found extremely amusing as she ran up to him laughing. The Time Lords then stopped their smiles falling slightly hearing a quiet peaceful yet slightly sad song in the distance. "Hold on," The Doctor held out his hand stopping Donna, "can you hear that?" He asked looking at Rita who nodded. "Donna, take your hood down."

"What?" She frowned.

"That noise is like a song." He described. Rita then spotted a body in the snow and slightly gasped pulling the Doctor with her. "Over there."

"What is it?" Donna frowned following the two as they ran over kneeling beside an Ood lying in the snow looking very much in pain.

"An Ood." Rita breathed as the Doctor brought out a stethoscope. "He's called an Ood."

"But it's face..." She stood a little shocked and honestly scared.

"Donna, don't." The Doctor looked up at her seriously. "Not now. It's a he, not an it. Give us a hand."

"Sorry." She muttered stepping closer and kneeling down on the other side.

"I don't know where the heart is." He shook his head taking the stethoscope away and looking at Rita wondering if she remembered being told anything at all of the Ood.

"I don't know if he's even got a heart." She told the Doctor sadly. "Donna please talk to him, keep him going."

"It's all right," She cooed to the Ood as the Doctor and Rita looked at the Ood's body seeing for any signs of anything. "We've got you. Er, what's your name?"

The Ood weakly raised it's hand holding its translator ball and answered as it lit up. "Designated Ood Delta 50." Not knowing what to do Donna gently took the globe from the Ood and went to speak into it. "My name's Donna."

"No. No, no, no." The Doctor shook his head while Rita explained.

"I should have explained sorry Donna that's my fault."

"Sorry." Donna shook her head apologising. "Oh, God. This is the Doctor and the Stone. Just what you need, a doctor." She tried to joke. "Couldn't be better, hey?"

"You've been shot." Rita looked up at Delta 50

"The circle." He spoke full of pain.

"No, don't try to talk," Donna said.

Ignoring her requests he continued. "The circle must be broken."

"Circle?" The Time Lords frowned.

"What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle?" The Doctor asked. "Delta 50? What circle?"

Rita felt that something wasn't right. Seeing a sudden change in the way Delta 50 was looking at them she pulled the Doctor back, she was definitely right, a moment later Delta 50 shot up to a sitting position roaring with red eyes. The Doctor pulled Donna back as Delta 50 deeply exhaled then fell back to the position he was in before.

"He's gone." Donna slowly walked over to Delta 50's body.

The Doctor held out an arm to warn her. "Careful."

"There you are, sweetheart." Donna crouched down gently rubbing his forehead. "We were too late." She turned to the Time Lords. "What do we do, do we bury him?"

"The snow'll take care of that."

"Who was he?" She stood up. "What's an Ood?"

"They're servants of humans in the forty-second century," Rita answered. "They're Mildly telepathic. That was the song. It was his mind calling out."

"I couldn't hear anything," Donna mumbled. "He sang as he was dying."

"Doctor his eyes, they turned red." Rita looked up at him.

"I know."

"What's that mean?" Donna asked them frowning.

"Trouble." The Doctor replied taking Rita's hand and turning away. "Come on."

"The Ood are harmless." Rita started to explain to Donna. "However the last time the Doctor and I met the there was this sort of force like a sort of mind control in the sense, much stronger than them and extremely powerful, at least powerful enough to take over the Ood."

"What sort of force?" Donna questioned.

"Oh, long story." The Doctor shrugged continuing to walk.

"Long walk." Donna countered trudging through the snow.

"It was the Devil."

"If you're going to take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up." Donna groaned at him placing her hood back up over her head.

"But it definitely has to be something different, you took care of the devil last time, put him in a black hole."

He hummed nodding in response then looked over a rock seeing a large sort of factory close by. "Ah ha!" He beamed. "Civilisation."

"Fancy taking a look sweetheart?" Rita grinned knowing his answer.

"Of course my love." He chuckled taking her hand as Donna rolled her eyes catching up with them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ood Sphere." The trio heard a faint female voice as they ran in the direction of a group of people. "And isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs, with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex. My name's Solana, Head of Marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vidfone. Now, if you'd like to follow me..."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." The Doctor interrupted running up with Rita, Donna shortly behind them. "Late. Don't mind us. Hello." He waved at the woman in charge. "The guards let us through."

"And you would be?"

"The Doctor, the Stone and Donna Noble."

"Representing the Noble Corporation PLC Limited, Intergalactic," Donna added.

"Must have fallen off my list. My apologies. Won't happen again. Now then, Doctor Noble, Mrs Noble, Miss Stone if you'd like to come with me."

"Oh, no, no, no, no." The Doctor shook his head. "We're not married."

"We're so not married," Donna added as Rita began to laugh at them both.

"Never."

"Never ever."

"Of course, my apologies Mr Stone." Rita blinked for a moment then burst out laughing yet again having to hold on to the Doctor for support so she wouldn't fall over.

"No, no, no." The Doctor shook his head "she's just my girlfriend." He replied as Rita continued to not be able to pull herself together.

"Of course." The woman nodded looking slightly embarrassed. "And here are your information packs, vouchers inside. Now if you'd like to come with me, the Executive Suites are nice and warm..."

"Come on Rita calm down."

"It's just too funny." She tried to hold her breath to stop the laughter. All humour disappeared as she heard an alarm start to blare around them.

"Oh, what's that?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know everything, and I can assure you I do not, my ego isn't as big as his." She pointed at the Doctor with her thumb. "But that sounds very much like an alarm."

"Oh, it's just a siren for the end of the work shift." The woman waved it off reassuring them. "Now then, this way, quick as you can."

"I may not know everything but that doesn't sound like a siren signalling the end of a work shift." She hummed into the Doctors mind. He nodded slightly in agreement and followed the woman inside. Upon entering there was what looked like extremely rich people walking about drinks in hand chatting and looking at three of the Ood standing on singular podiums with other Ood around the outside of the room holding refreshments. The Doctor and Rita walked over to the side with Donna following.

"As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve, and we keep them in facilities of the highest standard," Solana explained. "Here at the Double O, that's Ood Operations, we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Rita raised her brows. "I don't know why but I don't trust this place."

"We keep the Ood healthy, safe, and educated. We don't just breed the Ood." Solana continued to speak walking around in front of the three Ood We make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood, but a reflection of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy, too. I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting." She turned to the Ood the furthest away. "How are you today, Ood?"

The Ood brought out its translation globe which lit up. "I'm perfectly well, thank you."

"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen." She walked up to the next. "And how are you, Ood?"

"All the better for seeing you." The Ood replied in a husky feminine voice making Rita practically growl at the sight as Donna looked slightly annoyed. The Doctor slightly shifted away from the blonde not wanting to be on the receiving end of her possible anger.

"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something."

"D'oh." A Homer Simpon voice filled the room, most of the people laughed at the quiet unfunny joke as Rita still growled the Doctor lightly rubbing his thumb over her knuckles to try and calm her.

"All that for only five additional credits." The woman informed them. "The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."

"I hate humans sometimes, not all humans, just certain ones."

"I know you do." The Doctor took out his glasses and placed them on while walking over to the large screen and used Solana's computer the screen then changed showing a solar system.

"Ah, got it." The Doctor looked up. "The Ood Sphere, we've been to this solar system before." he nodded at Rita.

"That was years ago." She muttered. "We're close to the planet Sense Sphere, home to the Sensorites, they didn't let us leave the orbit." She rambled, "Sweetheart could you perhaps zoom out a little?" She asked a moment before the Doctor did that and three other solar systems came in to view. A few red dots appeared on each solar system joining together before a red line formed from the three into the centre. "The year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire.

"4126?" Donna blinked. "It's 4126. I'm in 4126." She gasped out of excitement.

"It's good, isn't it?" The Doctor grinned.

"What's the Earth like now?"

"Bit full." The Doctor shrugged. "But you see, the Empire stretches out across three galaxies."

"It's weird." Donna frowned slightly. "I mean, it's brilliant, but." She paused trying to think of what to say. "Back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live. Global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing."

"I don't understand what is happening to the bees, keep trying to figure it out in my space time on the TARDIS, nothing comes up." Rita shrugged.

"But look at us." Donna looked at the screen in awe. "We're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though?" She then turned to the Time Lords. "I mean, are we like explorers? Or more like a virus?"

"Sometimes I wonder." The Doctor hummed.

"What are the red dots?"

"That's the Ood distribution centres." Rita crossed her arms looking at the screen.

"Across three galaxies?" Donna raised her brows. "Don't the Ood get a say in this?" She questioned before walking over to one of the Ood herself. "Er, sorry, but..." She gently touched his arm gaining the attention of the Ood. "Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"

"I do not understand, Miss." The Ood tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Why do you say, Miss? Do I look single?"

"Apparently you didn't earlier." Rita snorted at her own joke walking over to Donna, the Doctor grumbled knowing that she wasn't going to let him forget about that.

"Back to the point." He groaned narrowing his eyes at the blonde slightly.

"Yeah. What I mean is, are there any free Ood?" Donna asked. "Are there Ood running wild somewhere, like wildebeest."

"All Ood are born to serve. Otherwise, we would die."

"But you can't have started like that." She frowned. "Before the humans, what were you like?"

"The circle." He said.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor frowned in confusion. "What circle?"

"The circle... The circle is..."

"Ladies and gentlemen." Solana interrupted gaining everyone's attention. "All Ood to hospitality stations, please."

"I've had enough of the schmoozing." The Doctor quietly muttered to both girls. "Do you two fancy going off the beaten track?" He raised a brow holding up a map.

"I was wondering when you would get bored of following orders." She grinned knowing fully well that the Doctor very much enjoyed free rein.

"Now, if I can introduce you..." Solana started to speak up.

"Rough guide to the Ood Sphere?" Donna glanced at the map ignoring what Solana was saying just like the Doctor and Rita here. "Works for me."

The Doctor slightly nodded followed then quickened his pace to walk beside the blonde since he did have the map as they snuck out.

They walked down what looked like a slightly wide alleyway with buildings on either side before coming up to a gate with wired mesh fencing. The Doctor used his sonic to open the door in the fence before continuing following the map. They arrived at some stairs and climbed them reaching the top of a building, standing leaning against some railings at the top they saw blocks of Ood marching in rows out of what looked like a factory. One of the Ood then fell down and a man walked over shouting at the Ood. "Get up." He then hissed cracking his whip. "I said get up."

"Servants? They're slaves." Donna said looking heartbroken.

"Get up!" He shouted again, the Ood jumped up out of fear stumbling behind the others. "March!"

"Last time we met the Ood, I never thought." The Doctor quietly said. "I never asked."

"That's not like you."

"He was busy," Rita added thinking back to the adventure.

"So busy I couldn't save them." He sighed, Rita took his hand looking up at him. "I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one."

"We both do," Rita told him gently squeezing his hand.

"That looks like the boss." Donna glanced over at a man walking in the snow with what looked like a couple of scientists behind him and an Ood.

"Let's keep out of his way." The Doctor glanced at him then pulled Rita away, Donna following behind. "Come on."

The three headed back down the stairs checking the surroundings before walking through the maze of warehouse's the Doctor stopping every few moments to check the map before Rita started to groan at how much it was actually slowing them down even though he didn't realise he was doing it, rolling her eyes she took the map off him and started to follow it. The Doctor grumbled at her but said nothing more when she shot him a look to not dare take the map off her. The two walked on with Donna slightly behind following them until they heard a loud whistle the Doctor ducking bringing Rita with him.

Rita glanced back seeing Donna standing beside a door sending the Time Lords an amused look on her face. Sighing Rita stood up shotting the Doctor a look shaking her head before turning back to Donna and flashing her sonic at the door unlocking it.

"Where'd you learn to whistle?" The Doctor asked lightly rubbing his ears, walking over to them.

"West Ham, every Saturday."

"Definitely got good at it." Rita winced slightly her ears ringing a little. "Oh, my sensitive ears can't take high pitches like that."

"You never mentioned this before?" The Doctor raised a brow following her into the warehouse.

"I grinned and bared it." She remarked eyeing the multiple shipping containers stacked on top of one another in the large room. "I guess this is Ood exports."

The Doctor noticed a large claw machine in the air moving about and pointed at it. "You see? Lifts up the containers, takes them to the rocket sheds, ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies."

"What, you mean, these containers are full of...?" Donna stared at him not wanting to believe what he was saying.

"What do you think?" the Doctor walked over to the nearest container and opened it to prove to the human woman.

"Oh, it stinks." Donna held her nose trying not to gag at the smell of well, Ood. "How many of them do you think there are in each one?"

"Hundred?" He looked at Rita who raised her brows at him. "More?"

"A great big empire built on slavery." Donna almost spat in disgust.

"It's not so different from your time."

"Not the time Doctor." Rita winced knowing that Donna wasn't going to take the comment too lightly, she swore that at times for being as clever as he was he could definitely make others disagree especially if they saw the comments he had made to the red head in the past.

"Oi!" Donna snapped her head in her direction. "I haven't got slaves." She protested.

"Who do you think made your clothes?" The Doctor raised his brows at her

"Is that why you two travel round with a human at your side?" Donna glared at them both. "It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots?"

"Sorry." The Doctor and Rita both looked down slightly ashamed.

"Don't," She hissed at them then paused smiling a little. "Spaceman, Blondie"

"Blondie?" Rita looked at Donna slightly offended.

"I don't have a nickname for you Stone." Donna shrugged. "Best I could come up with." She then turned to the Ood crammed into the container with practically not room around them at all. "I don't understand, the door is open, why don't you just run away?"

"For what reason?" One of the Ood asked.

"You could all be free," Rita added knowing exactly what Donna was thinking. Donna nodded in agreement as the Ood started to talk again.

"I do not understand the concept."

"What is it with that Persil ball?" She looked at the Time Lords. "I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?"

"Ood, tell me." The Doctor spoke up not sure how to answer Donna's question since he didn't know himself. "Does the circle mean anything to you?"

"The circle must be broken." All of the Ood in the container simultaneously replied.

"Oh, that is creepy."

"Guess I can tick sleeping off my list for a good few days." Rita eyed the Ood.

"But what is it?" The Doctor frowned. "What is the circle?"

"The circle must be broken." They repeated.

"Why?"

"So that we can sing." They all replied before an alarm started to blare. The Doctor took hold of Rita's hand and started to pull her out of the container Donna following them. "Oh, that's us. Come on."

They started to run the corridors shaped out of the containers the Doctor and Rita taking the lead with Donna behind them, they sped up hearing guards faintly behind them not realising that it was guards shouting at Donna who couldn't keep up with the Time Lords. Rita frowned slightly while running expecting the red head to be screaming and shouting at them both. Glancing around she groaned and stopped the Doctor skidding to a halt and looking around in front. "Doctor."

"We can't just stop." He said looking at the paths in front trying to guess which one would lead them out of the warehouse.

"Doctor!" Rita shouted. "It's quiet."

The Doctor whipped his head around and groaned seeing that she was indeed correct, it was too quiet. Donna wasn't behind them. "I wish every single companion would not run off." She groaned the Doctor then took her hand again and pulled her away hearing more guards behind them.

"I thought you enjoyed it?" He asked running beside her before they skidded to a stop seeing guards around the corner. The Doctor pulled Rita in another direction while shouting for Donna.

"Not at times like this where people have guns!" She raised her voice breathing heavily while running. "I... hate... guns."

"So do I" The Doctor then jolted back Rita stopping him and raising her hand.

"Shush."

"What's wrong." He looked at her concerned

"Do you hear that?" She raised a brow her eyes drifting above a couple of containers hearing the sound of machinery coming closer. "Oh great." She muttered under her breath seeing the gigantic claw coming around the corner above them. The Doctor grabbed her hand pulling her away over to a container trying to pull it open, having no use he took hold of her hand again and they ran not daring to look back at the claw metres away from them. The claw then came down to the ground just behind them, the Doctor and Rita both yelped trying to pick up speed turning a corner hearing the claw still behind them.

They continued running the claw coming down again making both Time Lords roll on the floor before quickly regaining their footing they began to run again, the Doctor turned another corner pulling Rita with him then jumped over a couple of barrels in the way Rita tripped over them, falling on top of the Doctor. swallowing hard knowing the claw was now above them and descending she buried her face in the crook of his neck, the Doctor not thinking at all pushed Rita off of him and rolled over her now burying his face into her neck both of them squeezing their eyes shut tightly waiting for the claw to crush them. Rita blinked removing her head from the Doctors neck, she looked past his shoulder and noticed the claw. The Doctor did the same looking up before sighing of relief. Rita then started to giggle and the Doctor frowned. "How is almost dying funny?"

"When I die I expect it to be at the hands of the Cyberman or a Dalek, not that they have hands but still, not a gigantic metal claw." Her eyes then locked on to the Doctors twinkling slightly. "Although, I'm not complaining about how you risked your own life to protect me, sweetheart, even with how much I protest about being able to take care of myself." The Doctor blinked swallowing thickly as Rita could practically feel the heat radiating off of his face, his cheeks doing no better at trying to hide the blush forming on them. Shaking his head the Doctor bent down slightly to kiss her before stopping as four guards holding guns surrounded them both pointing their weapons at the two.

"Stand with your hands in the air!" One of the guards shouted.

"Best do as they say," Rita muttered the Doctor nodded standing up then holding out his hand to help her, taking his hand Rita stood up before they both raised their hands, two guards then took the Doctor the other two taking Rita marching them away.