Hello everyone!

Here's the next chapter - Turn Left! So we can traumatise Donna.

I have planned out the next few chapters. After this is a classic ninth episode: Dalek, then Revolution of the Dalek where I will bring in Dan and update the last group. After that, its another two part-er - likely the Pandorica but not confirmed. Hope that sounds good.

Couple quick notes: the pillow thing was inspired by Maassassin who commented (thank you!); second I don't know what's going on with Rose in this video and I don't have time to search the lore, so we're going with my theory of that Rose existed with the alternative reality.

If you ever want to talk to me I am on Tumblr under the same name!

As always, thank you for reading and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Robyn

The group shuffled in their seats wondering what they'd be watching next. The last video had been a bit of break compared to some they'd seen recently, but not exactly a walk in the park with the emotional damage for Donna.

The Tardis didn't give them much time to contemplate everything as the screen went black and the next title appeared.

"Turn Left?" Bill scrunched up her face in confusion, "That's an odd title."

Donna's eyes had widened dramatically, a shiver going down her spine like she'd been dunked in an ice bath. She had a terrible feeling she knew what this was about.

"Donna?" Martha asked concerned upon noticing her reaction. Though whether it was to do with this video or the one they'd just seen was what she didn't know. "Is everything alright?"

Donna turned wide eyes on her, "I think I know what this is about."

"Well, that's not promising." Rory muttered mostly to himself with a long-suffering sigh.

The Doctor looked at her concerned; they couldn't think what this could be about, especially to give her that kind of reaction. "What is it?"

"Nothing you'll remember. Just ... just watch." Donna turned her attention to the screen, leaving the rest of the group mystified, more than a little curious, and very concerned.

The video started promptly after Donna's last words, leaving them no time to consider it.

[Market place]

(Pagodas and flying cars above small wind turbines. Down in the streets, lots of banners with Chinese symbols on them. The Doctor hands Donna a mug of foaming drink.)

"Oh! I remember this!" The Doctor exclaimed upon seeing the market with Donna. "But ... nothing happened?"

"For once." Nardole's sarcastic words were ignored by the group.

Donna shook her head, "Not that you knew about, or that I could remember after it happened." It was starting to hit her how many times her memories had been messed with during her time with the Doctor, and she hated it.

DOCTOR: Oh, ho, ho.
DONNA: I'd rather have a water.
DOCTOR: You are going to love it. One, two, three!
DONNA: Lovely!
(They carry on through the market.)

"Ah the rare occasion we actually make it where we're supposed to, and have a peaceful time." Yaz smiled knowingly at the Doctor who just pouted as the group chuckled.

SALESWOMAN: You want to buy shukina? Or peshmoni? Most beautiful peshmoni in all of Shan Shen?
DONNA: Er, no thanks.

There were a few chuckles at Donna's obvious lack of knowledge on what the person was trying to sell her; they could understand her confusion but it was still entertaining.

(The Doctor is haggling with another stallholder so Donna explores on her own. A young woman in a black and gold robe calls to her.)
FORTUNE TELLER: Tell your fortune, lady. The future predicted. Your life foretold.

Rory shook his head, "Typical fortune tellers."

DONNA: Oh, no thanks.
FORTUNE TELLER: Don't you want to know if you're going to be happy?
DONNA: I'm happy right now, thanks.
FORTUNE TELLER: You got red hair. The reading's free for red hair.

"She's not going to let this go." Martha realised quickly, "She's pushing for something."

Mickey nodded along, "And I doubt it's for any good reason." They'd all grown to be naturally suspicious of people pushing their own agendas across the universe, and they were all getting a weird feeling about this fortune teller. Donna's frown at her appearance only encouraged their suspicions.

DONNA: All right, then.

[Fortune teller's tent]

(The young woman looks at Donna's palms.)
FORTUNE TELLER: Oh, you fascinating. No, but you good. I can see a man. The most remarkable man. How did you meet him?

"This sounds like the most ambiguous starter ever." Bill snorted, arms crossed, "All fortune tellers start off with general statements like that."

DONNA: You're supposed to tell me.
FORTUNE TELLER: I see the future. Tell me the past. When did your lives cross?
DONNA: It's sort of complicated. I ended up in a spaceship on my wedding day. Long story.
FORTUNE TELLER: But what led you to that meeting?

"She's up to something." Clara narrowed her eyes at the screen, suspicions peaking. "She's far too eager to know about your meeting with the Doctor."

The Doctor's forehead was furrowed, eyes darting between the screen and the Doctor perplexed about what was happening and more than a little concerned. Donna's reaction to the video suggested something serious had happened to her while he was distracted, and despite her concern she couldn't deny her curiosity to know what she'd missed.

DONNA: All sorts of things. But my job, I suppose. It was on Earth, this planet called Earth, miles away. But I had this job as a temp. I was a secretary at a place called HC Clements.
(Donna has an intense flashback. It makes her sway.)

"What just happened?" Ryan blinked, jolting in his seat at the intense flashback Donna had just experienced.

Donna grimaced, not looking away from the screen. "It's just beginning." The group all shared apprehensive looks at that ominous statement.

DONNA: Oh. Sorry.
FORTUNE TELLER: It's the incense. Just breathe deep. This job of yours. What choices led you there?

"I doubt it's the incense." Rose mumbled.

DONNA: There was a choice, six months before, because the Agency offered me this contract with HC Clements

[Car]

DONNA [OC]: But there was this other job. My mum knew this man
SYLVIA: Jival, he's called. Jival Chowdry? He runs that little photocopy business and he needs a secretary.
DONNA: I've got a job.
SYLVIA: As a temp. This is permanent, it's twenty thousand a year, Donna.
DONNA: HC Clements is in the City. It's nice, it's posh, so stop it.

Donna shook her head at her mother's normal nagging, it never stopped. The Doctor grinned at the familiar sight of Donna's family.

[Fortune teller's tent]

FORTUNE TELLER: Your life could have gone one way or the other. What made you decide?
DONNA: I just did.
(Our point of view is something small sneaking up behind Donna.)

"What is that?" Jack frowned at the weird camera angle; he couldn't work out what the fortune teller was up to but he wasn't liking it.

FORTUNE TELLER: But when was the moment? When did you choose?

"What's her fascination with your choice?" Graham frowned, unnerved by what they were witnessing.

[Car]

(Donna is at a junction, waiting to turn onto the main road.)
SYLVIA: It won't take long. Just turn right. We'll pop in and see Mister Chowdry, so Suzette can introduce you.
DONNA: I'm going left. If you don't like it, get out and walk.

"Oh." River's eyes widened, the title of the video suddenly making sense. "She's going to change your choice."

Donna nodded with a grimace, "And reveal the consequences."

Jack whistled lowly, "A full blown butterfly effect. This can't go well." All of them were very aware of how much difference one of them could make, if Donna never worked at HC Clements than she likely never would have met the Doctor. That couldn't not have big consequences.

SYLVIA: If you turn right, you'll have a career, not just filling in.
DONNA: You think I'm so useless.
SYLVIA: Oh, I know why you want a job at HC Clements, lady. Because you think you'll meet a man with lots of money and your whole life will change. Well let me tell you, sweetheart. City executives don't need temps, except for practice.
DONNA: Yeah. Well, they haven't met me.

"And I was right." Donna huffed, happy to prove her mother wrong. "If not in the way she meant." The Doctor had certainly changed her life.

[Fortune teller's tent]

FORTUNE TELLER: You turned left. But what if you turned right? What then?

"Bad things." Bill summarised, not even having to watch the video to know that was how things were going to end.

Donna snorted, "Oh, you have no idea." The room all shared long looks, concern peaking.

DONNA: Let go of my hands.
FORTUNE TELLER: What if it changes? What if you go right? What if you could still go right?
DONNA: Stop it.
(Something jumps onto Donna's back.)

"What's on your back?" Ryan asked a bit panicky, a shiver going down his own back at the idea. Donna's grimace said enough, but didn't give them any actual answers.

DONNA: What's that? What's on my back? What is it? What, what's on my back?
FORTUNE TELLER: Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind. Turn right.
(A hooked claw reaches to Donna's shoulder.)
DONNA: I'm turning.
FORTUNE TELLER: Turn right. Turn right. Turn right!

"No, turn left." Mickey countered, "The video title says so." At this point the whole group had made the connection to the title and what they were watching, and none of them were liking the implications.

[Car]

SYLVIA: Well, let me tell you, sweetheart. City executives don't need temps, except for practice.

"Or experiments for evil spider aliens." Yaz muttered.

DONNA: Yeah. Suppose you're right.
FORTUNE TELLER [OC]: Turn right, and never meet that man. Turn right, and change the world.
(Donna turns right.)

"This can't end well." Amy sighed, thinking back to the brief moment they'd witnessed in an earlier video where Chinny had been erased on Trenzalore - entire stars had disappeared from the sky, she dreaded to think what would happen to the Earth.

[Public house]

(The girls office Christmas get together. Donna is carrying a tray of drinks.)
DONNA: Come on, then, get out the way. Get out the way! Here we are. Feed at the trough.
VEENA: Mooky says let's go to the Boardwalk. It's two for the price of one.
DONNA: Christmas Eve? It'll be heaving.

"So, we're going to see what happens if Donna wasn't around for the last video, right?" Rory asked, directing the question at Donna as the only one to actually have any idea what happened this video.

Donna nodded, "And then all the consequences after that. Things spiral." That was putting it lightly but they'd see shortly. The only good thing about the horrible mess was that it did wonders for your self-importance, seeing how the world fell to pieces without you.

MOOKY: Well, exactly, Get in and grab them.
VEENA: Hey, that's the second round of drinks you've bought. It was my turn.
DONNA: I can afford it. Promotion. You are talking to Jival Chowdry's Personal Assistant, I'll have you know. Capital P, capital A, twenty three thousand pound per annum, merci beaucoup.
VEENA: Here's to Mister Chowdry.
ALL: Mister Chowdry!
MOOKY: She gets all the luck.

The group grinned at Donna, glad to see she succeeded and had made friends even with literal different life choices. Though they couldn't help but worried about how things were about to go wrong and there was no denial things were going to go wrong.

(A blonde woman is staring at Donna.)
DONNA: What's wrong? What is it?
ALICE: Sorry?

"What's wrong with her?" Rose scrunched up her eyebrow confused by the odd reaction.

DONNA: Did someone spill a drink on me?
ALICE: Why?
DONNA: Why do you keep looking at my shoulder? What's wrong?
ALICE: I don't know.

"She can see something." Clara realised, "Whatever's on your back."

DONNA: Oh, don't tell me you're getting all spooky again. It was bad enough when you saw the ghost of Earl Mountbatten at the boat show. What are you looking at? What is it?
ALICE: It's like, it's like there's something I can't see.

The group shared worried glances, all very eager to see what was on Donna's back as it was likely the cause of the video they were seeing.

(A man bursts in.)
MAN: Come on, shut up, all of you. Come and see. Just look at the sky! It's a star! It's a Christmas star!
VEENA: Well, come on then.

"I don't think you want to see it." Martha countered, thinking back to the video they'd just seen; the Christmas star wasn't remotely friendly.

[Outside the pub]

MOOKY: What the hell is that?
VEENA: Ken Livingstone, that's what! Spending our money on decorations! I mean, how much did that cost?
(The Racnoss web ship is sailing across the sky.)
MOOKY: Don't be so stupid. It's flying! It's really flying!

"And you don't want to be anywhere near it." Mickey agreed with his wife. It was only time before it started shooting at them.

(The people run around the corner to watch it.)
DONNA: That's not a star. That's a web. It's heading east. Middle of the City.

"Interesting. Something clearly sticks in your mind for you to know it's a web." The Doctor stared at Donna in a mixture of interest and concern.

(Energy lances from the web star and everyone starts screaming and running, except Donna and Alice.)
DONNA: Alice! There's a great big web star thing shooting at people, and you're looking at me?
ALICE: There is something on your back.

"Alice knows what's up." Bill remarked, after all Donna was at the middle of everything.

(Alice runs away. Donna walks forward.)
VEENA: Donna? Donna, where are you going? You'll get yourself killed! Donna!

"Something's calling you." River noticed, watching the screen with only a brief curious glance at Donna. What was calling her was the question.

[Canary Wharf]

SOLDIER: Fire!
(Tanks shoot at the web star. Donna arrives at a barricade.)

"Army doesn't waste any time, regardless of reality." Graham muttered; not sure he was happy about that even if it meant the web was dealt with quickly. The Doctor couldn't help but glance at the Master, knowing he was behind the arm mobilisation. She couldn't help but wonder how the change in reality from Donna's choices would affect his Saxon plot.

SOLDIER: Everyone, stay back. The Thames has been closed. Return to your homes. Keep away from the river, and that's an order.
(Donna quietly sneaks around the back to the Army trucks.)

"You may have made different choices but you still have enough sense of what should have happened to go to the scene of the crime." Jack noted curiously, he'd not experienced something quite like this and he couldn't deny he was interested to see how it would be fixed.

OFFICER [OC]: Trap One to Greyhound Fifteen. What is your report? Over.
HARRIS: From the evidence, I'd say he managed to stop the creature. Some sort of red spider. Blew up the base underneath the barrier, flooded the whole thing. Over.

"So, the Doctor still found out about the Racnoss and stopped them." Amy nodded, "That's good."

She made the mistake of looking at Donna whose eyes had not left the screen, but expression was solemn. Maybe the Doctor's interference wasn't good in this case.

OFFICER [OC]: And where is he now? Over.
HARRIS: We found a body, sir. Over.

The group went silent, horrified expressions standard across the group. Any jovial curiosity that had been spreading across the group, eager to see how Donna's choices affected everything was gone in an instant.

"Doctor ..." Rose whispered, terrified about how easy things had changed for the worst.

The Doctor herself, was watching the screen with only detached curiosity. She knew how much Donna had affected her, and their first meeting had certainly been risky but it hadn't really clicked how bad Rose's disappearance had affected her and how much Donna had softened the loss. Without Donna there she would have just stayed with the Empress and drowned with her. "Huh." Was the only response she could manage.

"That's it." Surprisingly it was the Master that snapped first. He turned her attention to the ceiling and demanded to the Tardis, "Now!"

Before the Doctor could question what, he meant, no less than a dozen pillows of varying sizes, shapes and colours appeared around his armchair, on top of him included. She opened her mouth to ask what on Earth was happening, only to be greeted by a well-aimed pillow to the face.

She blinked, in a state of complete confusion over what was now happening. Vaguely she heard several snickers from other members of the group but she was distracted by a second pillow whacking her in the nose.

The Master was looking on with a smirk, ever the cat that got the cream. She spluttered in protest, now wary of the collection of pillows well within his reach. "What?" She finally managed to ask.

She could practically feel the pride in his smirk, "My dear, you really think I've been wasting our breaks?" Everyone watched on, cautiously amused by what had just happened, and grateful for the break after seeing the Doctor die on screen. "The Tardis and I reached an agreement, you see. And one thing we can agree on is you continuously prove yourself to be stupider and stupider. We decided that if you were punished for your stupid ideas, maybe you'd be less likely to go through with them."

"And you're not allowed to do any actual harm, hence the pillows." The Doctor realised with a sigh, feeling more than a little betrayed by the Tardis. The Master's answering smirk was all the confirmation she needed, thankfully the Tardis decided to take mercy on her (for once) and continued the video before she could be attacked by another pillow.

(Ambulance personnel bring a body on a stretcher.)
OFFICER [OC]: Is it him? Over.
HARRIS: I think so. He just didn't make it out in time.

"Or he chose to stay." Clara frowned with a glare at the Doctor. They'd all seen how he was acting in the last video, and it wasn't surprisingly that without Donna's interference he would have just stayed. Not after losing Rose.

(As the stretcher is lifted into the ambulance, an arm drops from under the blanket and drops a sonic screwdriver to the ground.)

The group watched in silence, any protests or feeble denial they could have mustered disappearing with the sonic screwdriver. River grabbed her wife's hand and clutched it tightly, this very premise haunted her nightmares especially after the wholly too close mess with the Silence when time stopped.

"Guess Donna was right; we didn't know how bad this was going to be." Yaz muttered, Donna's earlier words hitting differently now. There was a difference between a world where Donna and the Doctor didn't meet, and a world where the Doctor was just dead; and they hadn't been expecting the second to be due to the first.

HARRIS: The Doctor is dead. Must have happened too fast for him to regenerate. Escort the ambulance back to UNIT base.

"Or he chose not to." Bill muttered quietly, unable to stop thinking about Eyebrow's refusal to do so. The tension wasn't even broken by the Doctor getting whacked in the face by another pillow.

(Donna walks on. A blonde woman runs towards her. She speaks as if her top lip is glued to her teeth.)

"Rose?" Martha blinked at her appearance, very confused on how the other was on their world. Or at least what she presumed was still their world, it was confusing enough with the alternative reality thing.

The Doctor's eyes had widened, glancing at the figure on screen. Apparently when Rose saved them during the Earth being stolen, it hadn't been her first attempt to cross dimensions.

ROSE: What happened? What did they find? I'm sorry, did they find someone?
DONNA: I don't know. A bloke called the Doctor, or something.
ROSE: Well, where is he?
DONNA: They took him away. He's dead. I'm sorry, did you know him? I mean, they didn't say his name. Could be any doctor.

The group all winced, that can't have been easy to cross dimensions to just find out the Doctor was dead. Rose was frowning, very glad that she couldn't remember this alternative reality

ROSE: I came so far.
DONNA: It, it could be anyone.
ROSE: What's your name?
DONNA: Donna. And you?
ROSE: Oh, I was just passing by. I shouldn't even be here. This is wrong. It's wrong. This is so wrong. Sorry, what was it? Donna what?

"You see whatever's on her back too!" Ryan pointed out, just eager for this video to be over quickly already.

DONNA: Why do you keep looking at my back?
ROSE: I'm not.
DONNA: Yes, you are. You keep looking behind me. You're doing it now. What is it? What's there? Did someone put something on my back?
(Donna tries to look at her own back, and Rose disappears.)

Mickey and Rose shared a glance, very aware of what had just happened. One of the numerous tests they'd tried before finally succeeding.

"How did you manage that?" Rory asked curious.

Mickey answered for the pair, "Cross-dimension transporter. Took lots of tests before we got it completely right." The group just nodded, accepting that crazy idea because that was just their lives.

[General office]

DONNA: You can't sack me. I'm your personal assistant!

The group winced, apparently things in this reality kept going downhill. Regardless of realities, Donna couldn't keep a job because of the Racnoss.

CHOWDRY: You don't have to make a scene. Just come downstairs and we can have a little talk.
DONNA: Oh, I'll make a scene, all right, right in front of a tribunal. And the first thing I'm going to say is wandering hands!

Martha shook her head fondly at Donna, it took a lot to phase her.

CHOWDRY: Now, come on, Donna. You know what it's been like for the past few months, ever since that Christmas thing. Half my contracts were on the other side of the river and the Thames is still closed off. Look, I can't deliver. I'm losing a fortune.

"The draining had that much of an impact? How? It didn't the first time?" The Doctor mused curious more than anything. The rest of the group ignored her, shooting her a few disbelieving look for her messed up priorities.

DONNA: Well, sack one of this lot. Sack Cliff. He just sits there. Don't know what he does all day. Sorry, Cliff. Actually, I'm not sorry. What do you do all day?
(Boom! the building shakes.)

"What was that?" Amy asked wary; they'd all been waiting for the impacts of the Doctor's death to hit them but they hadn't expected it so literally.

Donna grimaced as the Doctor winced, both the only ones aware of what was about to happen for different reasons. Martha glanced at the pair, curious to see how the lack of Doctor would affect everything that happened to her.

CHOWDRY: What the hell? Like an earthquake.
(A black cloud is gathering in the sky.)
CHOWDRY: That's weird. Funny sort of clouds.
DONNA: Who typed this? I'm your PA. Did you get somebody else to type this? Beatrice?

There were a few snickers at Donna still being completely fixated on losing her job when some major event had just happened outside.

NEWS 24 [on TV]: It sounds impossible, but the entire hospital has vanished. The Royal Hope no longer exists. It's not been destroyed, there's no wreckage. It's simply gone. Reports from bystanders say that the rain lifted up around the hospital

"Oh." Martha remarked, eyes darting between the screen, Donna and the Doctor. She had the terrible feeling that she knew how this was going to end without the Doctor intefering. Mickey was watching her concerned, she'd explained how she'd met the Doctor to him after all.

(Donna is clearing her desk.)
DONNA: Hole punch. Having that. Stapler, mine. Toy cactus. You can have that, Beatrice. Catch. Cliff, I'd leave you the mouse mat, but I'm worried you'd cut yourself.
CHOWDRY: All right, Donna, have some respect. There's two thousand people in that hospital, and it's vanished.

"Martha's in there." Mickey clarified for the rest of the room.

The attention turned her way, worry increasing as Martha's life became another thing on the line. She nodded, "It's how I met the Doctor." She didn't need to add how that wasn't going to happen in this reality.

DONNA: Oh, I'll show you vanishing. Thanks for nothing. Oh, and you know when that money went missing from the kitty? Anne-Marie, that's all I'm saying. Anne-Marie!
(Boom, rattle.)
DONNA: Don't tell me, the hospital's back. Well, isn't that wizard.

"At least its back?" Ryan tried to be optimistic.

"But how many are still alive?" Yaz added on, with a grimace. Ryan just waved his hands at her; he wasn't going to mention that part!

[Nobles' home]

NEWS 24 [on TV]: To confirm, the Royal Hope hospital was returned to it's original position, but with only one survivor. The only person left alive is medical student Oliver Morgenstern.

Mickey grabbed Martha's hand, clutching it tight to remind himself this was an alternative reality and Martha was safe next to him. The Doctor glanced concerned to her, everyone else following her lead; they'd really gone straight into major consequences.

Martha just listened to the video with a grim look on her face, it was really weird to think how one little choice from Donna had such major impacts – not because of it being Donna, more because the realities of the truth behind the butterfly effect hitting her.

MORGENSTERN [on TV]: And there were these creatures, like rhinos. Talking rhinos, in, in, in black leather. DONNA: Rhinos?

"The Judoon." Martha grimaced.

The Doctor offered her a frown, "A Judoon platoon upon the moon." Except this time, they hadn't gotten home safe.

WILF: Rhinos could be aliens.
DONNA: Shush.
MORGENSTERN: There were hundreds of them. We couldn't breathe. We were running out of air. A colleague of mine gave me the last oxygen tank. Martha. Martha Jones. And she died.

Again, the groups attention went straight to Martha who was just frowning at the screen. Donna was also watching, when this had all gone down, she'd had no real idea of how big an affect she'd had, or how the consequences affected the Doctor's next companions.

"So that's the Doctor and Martha dead." Jack was frowning as he leaned forward in his seat. "The consequences are only going to double." And they weren't going to be pleasant. Personally, he could think of several occasions where Martha had saved everything, without her many things would have gone different. Add that to having no Doctor, they were on a rapid downward spiral.

SYLVIA: At least you got a hole punch and a raffle ticket.
DONNA: Yeah, well, they can keep the raffle. I won't take a penny off that man.
WILF: Honestly, you two. There's aliens on the news. They took that hospital all the way to the moon, and you're banging on about raffle tickets.

"Wilf is a sensible man." Rory gestured to the only sane member of the trio on screen.

The Doctor grinned, "Wilf is an amazing man." Donna shook her head; Wilf and the Doctor really had their own relationship built on mutual admiration and awe.

DONNA: Don't be daft, Gramps. It wasn't the moon. It couldn't be.

"It was." Martha muttered mostly to herself, thinking back to how it had gone in her memories.

WILF: Yes, well, I am telling you it is getting worse, these past few years. It's like, all of a sudden, they suddenly know all about us, and there's keen eyes up there and they're watching us, and they're not friendly.

"Some are." River countered, "We just have the misfortune of seeing those that wish to take over most of the time."

SYLVIA: This stapler says Bea.
DONNA: I can't believe how well you're taking it, me getting sacked. Thought you'd hit the roof.
SYLVIA: I'm just tired, Donna, what with your father and everything. To be honest, I've given up on you.

Donna was frowning sadly at the screen; it was just different enough from what had actually happened but it still stung. In the actual reality she'd gotten so focused on finding the Doctor that she hadn't cared what her mother said, yet here she'd lost her job and everything was falling to pieces.

NEWS 24 [on TV]: This further report just in from Oliver Morgenstern.
MORGENSTERN [on TV]: There was this woman who took control. Said she knew what to do, said she could stop the MRI or something. Sarah Jane, her name was. Sarah Jane Smith.

The Doctor sat up in their seat at the news, eyes widening. "No! Sarah Jane!" Losing Martha was bad enough, losing Sarah Jane too in the same incident was too much.

"The Earth's defenders are dwindling, fast." Mickey frowned. Really with Sarah Jane and the Doctor gone, that only left Torchwood and Jack at that time. Jack bit his lip, he was starting to expect to hear of his own demise soon and he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it.

NEWS 24 [on TV]: Sarah Jane Smith was a freelance investigative journalist, formerly of Metropolitan Magazine. Her body was recovered from the hospital late this afternoon. Miss Smith had a son called Luke, but early reports that Luke

The group watched on in dread, this video just kept getting worse and worse; they could only take reassurance from the fact that it was an entirely other reality. Still, hearing about Martha and Sarah Jane's demise, and how the Earth was increasingly less and less defended wasn't easy.

DONNA: What's for tea?
SYLVIA: I've got nothing in.
DONNA: I'll get chips. Last of my wages. Fish and chips, yeah?
NEWS 24 [on TV]: Also had been inside the Royal Hope, along with his teenage friends Maria Jackson and Clyde Langer. It is feared that they also perished.

The Doctor shook his head in disbelief. Not just Sarah Jane and Martha, but all three of the teenagers that followed her gone too. She wasn't sure what she'd expected out of this video, but it wasn't this. She was looking forward to having it be over.

[Street]

(Night. Donna is walking slowly when there is a blinding flash in a nearby jennel and Rose runs out.)

"Rose again." Clara mused.

"Another failed test." Rose sighed; she would have preferred to not have to suffer this reality anymore but apparently, she wasn't getting her wish.

DONNA: Blimey! Are you all right? What was that, fireworks or
ROSE: I don't know. I was just walking along. That's weird.
DONNA: You're the one. Christmas Eve. I met you in town.
ROSE: Donna? Isn't it?
DONNA: What was your name?

"Still not getting an answer." Nardole muttered.

ROSE: How're you doing? You're looking good. How's things, what have you been up to?
DONNA: You're doing it again.
ROSE: What?
DONNA: Looking behind me. People keep on doing that, looking at my back.

"Because something is wrong." Bill crossed her arms.

ROSE: What sort of people?
DONNA: People in the street. Strangers. I just catch them sometimes, staring at me. Like they're looking at something. And then I get home, and I look, and there's nothing there. See? Look, now I'm doing it!
ROSE: What are you doing for Christmas?

"What do you know?" Amy raised an eyebrow at Rose, she wasn't the best actress and it was clear something was off. Rose just shrugged, even if she'd ended up in this reality instead of the actual one, she couldn't remember anything about it.

DONNA: What am I what?
ROSE: Next Christmas. Any plans?

The Doctor's eyes had widened, suddenly reminded of what happened next Christmas. Without him there to stop it, Donna really didn't want to be in London.

DONNA: I don't know. That's ages away. Nothing much, I suppose. Why?
ROSE: Just, I think you should get out, you and your family. Don't stay in London. Just leave the city.
DONNA; What for?
ROSE: Nice hotel Christmas break?

"She's right. Get out of London." The Doctor turned a serious look on Donna, despite knowing there was literally nothing she could do and this was both the past and an alternative reality. Donna just grimaced, aware of what the Doctor was trying to warn her about.

DONNA; Can't afford it.
ROSE: Well, no, you got that raffle ticket.
DONNA: How do you know about that?
ROSE: First prize, luxury weekend break. Use it, Donna Noble.
DONNA: Why won't you tell me your name? I think you should leave me alone.
(Donna walks on. There is a flash of light behind her.)

"I think you should listen to her." Yaz declared, not sure why it was so serious Donna wasn't in London over Christmas, but confident that both Rose and the Doctor had a very good reason.

[Firbourne House Hotel]

(Noddy is screaming out his song as they drive up to the converted country house.)
WILF: Cor blimey, that's what I call posh. I said you were lucky, didn't I? I always said, my lucky star.

"You won the raffle prize." Rory stated the obvious.

Donna nodded, "Yes, very luckily." She snorted, there was no was it hadn't been rigged. By who or what she wasn't sure but there was no way she'd been that lucky. It was more likely whatever was controlling the alternative reality wanted her to see the full consequences of her choice.

(Wilf is wearing antlers on his head. Two men come up to help them unload the car.)
SYLVIA: Look, for God's sake don't tell them we won it in a raffle. Be classy. Dad, take those things off.

"Good old Wilf." The Doctor grinned fondly, very glad to see Wilf, Sylvia and Donna all safe out of the collision range of London. Wilf was as stubborn as his granddaughter, and it took a lot to calm his cheer.

WILF: No, I shan't. It's Christmas. Oi, I'll have that one, thank you. It's got my liniment in it.
DONNA: I reckon we deserve this. It's been a hell of a year.
SYLVIA: Your dad would have loved this.
DONNA: Yeah. He would have.

Donna frowned at the screen, regardless of reality her dad died. Though maybe it was better than having to go through what they went through in this alternative reality.

[Hotel room]

(There is a knock on the door.)
DONNA: Oi, Gramps, get that. That'll be breakfast. We've got croissants.
(Poor old Wilf had to sleep on the sofa. Sylvia is still in bed, eating chocolates.)
WILF: Why can't you get it, Lady Muck?
SYLVIA: It's Christmas Day, I never get up before ten. Only madam there was up with the dawn chorus, like when she was six years old.

"Enjoy the holiday while you can." Mickey muttered, both serious because the place looked cool and worried because they all knew something was about to go very wrong.

DONNA: I'm not wasting a second in this place. How was the sofa?
WILF: Oh, yeah. Oh, not so good, really. Oh gawd. You know, we could have paid for a second room. Oi! Merry Christmas.
DONNA: Merry Christmas.
SYLVIA: Merry Christmas, Dad.
(A knock at the door.)
WILF: Yeah, all right. Come on in, my darling. Grub's up. Merry Christmas!
MAID: Merry Christmas, sir!

Despite the tension in the room and foreboding feeling, the group managed some small smiles at seeing Donna and her family happy.

NEWS 24 [on TV]: We have interrupted your programme to bring you breaking news.
SYLVIA: Have you seen this?
NEWS 24 [on TV]: We will now return to the BBC news studio.

"I think you might want to watch the TV." Graham remarked, eyes darting to the TV whenever it was on screen. He didn't know what was about to be announced, but it couldn't be anything good.

DONNA: Because I thought, nice early breakfast and then we'll go for a walk. People always say that at Christmas. Oh, we all went for a walk. I've always wanted to do that. So, walk first, presents later, yeah?
SYLVIA: Donna, come and see.
SPANISH MAID: Tienes algo en tu espalda.
NEWS 24 [on TV]: Satellite.
DONNA: What?

"Yes, what is it?" Amy leaned forward in her seat, apprehension killing her enough that she just wanted to see what disaster had occurred. The sooner this was all over the better.

SYLVIA: Donna, look at the telly.
SPANISH MAID: Tienes algo en tu espalda.
NEWS 24 [on TV]: Replica of the RMS Titanic.

River raised an eyebrow at the Doctor who was grimacing, she could have sworn she'd heard a story about a Titanic from the Doctor at some point.

DONNA: What does that mean? I don't know what you're saying.
SYLVIA: Donna, look at the TV!
SPANISH MAID: Tienes algo en tu espalda!
(The claws are visible by Donna's shoulders, but the bathroom mirror reveals nothing. The maid flees. )

"Seriously what is on your back?" Bill asked getting more and more frustrated by the lack of answers. Donna didn't provide any answers, eyes glued to the screen.

The Doctor, River, Jack and even the Master were all attempting to work out what was on Donna's back, and causing everything they were seeing but each kept coming up blank. This wasn't something any of them had encountered in their long years travelling time and space, and for once they were quite glad of that fact.

SYLVIA: For God's sake, Donna. Don't just stand there, come and look.
NEWS 24 [on TV]: Not sure how this is possible, but this footage is live and genuine. The object is falling on Central London. I repeat, this is not a hoax. A replica of the Titanic is falling out of the sky, and it's heading for Buckingham Palace. We're getting this footage from the Guinevere range of satellites.

"A what is what?" Clara blinked in disbelief before letting out a long-suffering sigh, "You know what, of course it is." It was hardly the craziest thing they'd seen.

DONNA: Is that a film or something?
NEWS 24 [on TV]: The Royal Air Force has declared an emerg
(The Titanic crashes into Buckingham Palace and the picture is lost. A shockwave rattles the hotel.)

The room was dead silent, no one daring to even breath at the sudden obliteration of London. No one was sure what to say, although Rose and the Doctor's push for Donna to be out of London for Christmas suddenly made a lot more sense. After several moments of silence, the group struggling to fully take in what they were witnessing, the video continued.

SYLVIA: It's gone dead. All of them.
DONNA: No, but, the Titanic? Well, don't be daft. Is that like a sequel?

"Oh, Donna." The Doctor shook her head at the redhead's state of shocked denial.

(Wilf looks out of the window.)
WILF: Oh. Oh, God rest their souls.

[Firbourne House Hotel]

(The guests and staff go outside and look down the valley, to the viaduct and beyond, to where a mushroom cloud is rising.)
WILF: I was supposed to be out there selling papers. I should have been there. We all should. We'd be dead.

The Doctor grimaced at the reminder of how they'd seen Wilf in their reality where the Titanic had been stopped, very glad for Rose's warning.

SYLVIA: That's everyone. Every single person we know. The whole city.
DONNA: Can't be.
SYLVIA: But it is. It's gone. London's gone.

"That's going to have major consequences everywhere. The whole of London just ... gone." Mickey exclaimed; eyes still wide at the scope of destruction.

Martha nodded along with her husband's declaration even as he eyes drifted to the Master, very curious to know what he'd been up to in this reality. They'd not heard a whisper about any of his schemes. Had he still gone for Prime Minister? Or had the Doctor's death put him off everything?

WILF: If you hadn't won that raffle.
(Donna turns to see the maid pointing an accusing finger at her.)

[Housing office]

(A makeshift premises.)
DONNA: Leeds? I'm not moving to Leeds.

"Anyone not in London during the collision is suddenly homeless." Rose realised with a grimace.

Donna nodded with a matching expression, "And not just those from London." Her comment drew a few curious glances, but she just waved to the screen to answer for her.

HOUSING OFFICER: I'm afraid it's Leeds or you can wait in the hostel for another three months.
SYLVIA: All I want's a washing machine.
DONNA: What about Glasgow? I heard there was jobs going in Glasgow.

Clara couldn't help but mutter something about Glasgow, the Doctor grinning at her even as the rest of the group was left confused by the little interaction.

HOUSING OFFICER: You can't pick and choose. We've the whole of Southern England flooded with radiation. Seven million people in need of relocation, and now France has closed its borders. So, it's Leeds or nothing. Next!

Jack let out a low whistle, "Consequences. That little butterfly created a hurricane with one flap."

One little change in direction from Donna had caused all this. It was incredible in a terrible way.

[Leeds Street]

(The Nobles are relocated by army bus and dropped off in a terraced street with lots of other families..)
SOLDIER: The Daniels Family, billeted at number fifteen. Mister and Mrs Obego, billeted at number thirty one. Miss Coltrane, you're in number eight. The Noble family, billeted at number twenty nine.
(Wilf picks up his telescope.)
WILF: That's us. Come on, off we go. All right?
WOMAN: Used to be a nice little family, number twenty nine. They missed one mortgage payment. Just one. They got booted out. All for you lot.

"Apocalypse world much." Ryan muttered at the video on screen. They really were seeing how everything could go wrong so quickly.

Yaz raised an eyebrow at him, "Would you not call a giant Titanic falling on London an apocalypse?"

Ryan shrugged, "Not a conventional one."

DONNA: Don't get all chippy with me, Vera Duckworth. Pop your clogs on and go and feed whippets.
WILF: Sweetheart, come on. You're not going to make the world any better by shouting at it.
DONNA: I can try.

"I don't know, if anyone could it would be Donna." Martha laughed, proud of her friend and glad to see she was still herself despite everything she was going through in this alternative reality.

(Outside number 29.)
SYLVIA: What happens? Do we get keys?
WILF: I don't know, do I?
SYLVIA: Who do we ask? The soldiers?

"They don't really look talkative." Rory pointed out, his own experience with soldiers telling him they didn't want to mess with them unless they really had to.

(The front door opens.)
ROCCO: Hey, hey. Is a big house. Room for all. Welcome! In you come.
DONNA: I thought this was our house.
ROCCO: Is many peoples house. Is wonderful. In, in, in.

"Sharing." River remarked, "Not surprising with that many people displaced."

"For once the north wins!" Graham cheered.

[Number 29]

ROCCO: We've been here for eight weeks already. I had a nice little paper shop in Shepherd's Bush. All gone now. So, upstairs, we have Merchandani family. Seven of them. Good family. Good kids. Except that one. You be careful of him. I's a joking! Where's that smile, eh? Rocco Colasanto. I'm here with my wife and her sister and her husband and their kids and their daughter's kids. We've got the front room. My mother, she's got the back room. She's old. You forgive, eh?. And this? This is you. This is your palazzo.

"That's a lot of people in one house." Nardole remarked, the list going on and on.

[Kitchen]

(The galley kitchen has camp beds on the floor, and a curtain for a door.)
SYLVIA: What do you mean, this is us?
ROCCO: You live here.
DONNA: We're living in the kitchen?
ROCCO: You got camp beds. You got the cooker, you keep warm. You got the fridge, you keep cool. Is good, eh?

"Cheerful bloke." Mickey tried looking on the bright side. There wasn't exactly much for them to be happy about in this video outside of Donna and her family still being alive.

SYLVIA: What about the bathroom?
ROCCO: Nobody lives in the bathroom.
SYLVIA: No, I mean, is there a rota?
ROCCO: Is pot-luck! Is fun. I go wake Mamma. She likes new people. Mamma! Is people! Nice people!
(Rocco leaves.)
WILF: Ah, well. We'll settle in, won't we? Make do? Bit of wartime spirit, eh?

"You'd know, Wilf." The Doctor sighed, mustering a fond smile for the old man.

DONNA: Yeah, but there isn't a war. There's no fight. It's just this.
WILF: Well, America, they'll save us. It was on the news. They're going to send Great Britain fifty billion quid in financial aid. God bless America. (Later, at mealtime -)

"I wouldn't count on that." Jack muttered; very confident something was going to hit America soon. With the alien's normal target of Britain gone, surely, they'd turn their attention elsewhere.

AMNN [on TV]: America is in crisis, with over sixty million reported dead. Sixty million people have dissolved into fat. And the fat is walking. People's fat has come to life and is walking through the streets. And there are spaceships. There are reports of spaceships over every major US city. The fat is flying. It's leaving

"Fat!?" Amy nodded in disbelief, eyes wide, "Things can somehow always get weirder."

Donna and the Doctor shared a look, apparently the Adipose had gone for America in the absence of Britain, and this time they'd succeeded.

WILF: Aliens.
DONNA: Yeah.

"That summarises about 75% of our lives." Clara snorted.

AMNN [on TV]: the fat creatures are being raised into the air
(Bedtime, lit by tea-lights. Sylvia and Donna's beds are head to head.)
SYLVIA: Mary McGinty. Do you remember her?
DONNA: Who was she?
SYLVIA: Worked in the newsagent on Sunday. Little woman. Black hair.
DONNA: Never really spoke to her.
SYLVIA: She'll be dead. Every day I think of someone else. All dead.

"Not the best coping mechanism." Ryan muttered; this video was really one disaster after another.

DONNA: Maybe she went away for Christmas.
SYLVIA: Maybe.
DONNA: I'll go out tomorrow. I'll walk into town. There's got to be work. Everyone needs secretaries. Soon as I'm earning, we'll get a proper place. Just you wait, Mum.

"Got to stay optimistic." Yaz tried to muster a smile, but with little success.

SYLVIA: What if it never gets better?
DONNA: Course it will.
SYLVIA: Even the bees are disappearing. You don't see bumble bees anymore.

"Weird detail to notice." Rory frowned, confused about why that was important but knowing it had to be as everything so far had been.

"But an important one." The Doctor remarked, sharing a small grin with Donna.

DONNA: They'll sort us out. The emergency government. They'll do something.
SYLVIA: What if they don't?
DONNA: Then we'll complain.
SYLVIA: Who's going to listen to us? Refugees. We haven't even got a vote. We're just no one, Donna. We don't exist.

"Everybody is someone." Amy remarked. It had been a lesson the Doctor had been careful to drill into their heads during their time travelling with them.

(There is singing in the front room.)
ROCCO [OC]: And I spent all my money on whiskey and beer.
DONNA: I am going to kill that man!

[Front room]

DONNA: Now listen, Mussolini! I am telling you for the last time to button it! If I hear one more sea shanty
(Rocco steps to the side, to reveal -)
WILF: I always loved a sing song.

"Good on you, Wilf!" Jack smiled, happy to see the old man making the best of a terrible situation.

(So, on the principle of if you can't beat them, join them.)
ALL: I'm just a poor boy. Nobody loves me. He's just a poor boy from a poor family. Spare him his life from this monstrosity. Easy come, easy go, will you let me go? Bismillah, no

The tension eased slightly, the group enjoying watching Donna's family on screen trying to live their lives within an apocalyptic Britain.

(Gunfire outside.)
ROCCO: No, you stay here. Everyone, stay.

Instantly, the cheer left the room. Smiles dropping as the tension rose at the familiar sounds of gunfire.

[Leeds Street]

(A soldier is trying to kill his jeep, which is pumping out thick exhaust gas.)

Martha's eyes widened, grimacing as she made the connection. "ATMOS."

"ATMOS?" Bill questioned, glancing between Martha and the screen.

She shook her head, "Something the Doctor and I dealt with."

Graham nodded in understanding, "But with you and the Doctor gone, it wasn't dealt with." Which means whatever disaster they'd adverted was about to reck Donna's alternative reality.

ROCCO: Hey! Firing at the car is not so good. You, you crazy or what?
SOLDIER: It's this ATMOS thing, it won't stop. It's like gas. It's toxic.
WILF: Well, switch it off.

"Don't think it's that easy." Mickey dipped his head; he loved Wilf but he strongly doubted the soldiers hadn't already tried that before reaching for their guns.

SOLDIER: I have done. It's still going. It's all the cars. Every single ATMOS car, they've gone mad. You, lady. Turn round! Turn around now!
(The soldier aims his weapon at Donna.)

"Woah, woah, woah!" Rose protested, "This is escalating too fast."

"He's seen whatever's on your back." Ryan realised concerned.

Yaz grimaced, "And he's got a gun."

ROCCO: Are you crazy, boy?
WILF: Put the gun down!
SOLDIER: I said, turn round! Show me your back!
SYLVIA: Do what he says!

"She's right, do as he says." Clara stated, every nerve on her body alight.

SOLDIER: Show me your back!
SYLVIA: Turn around!
SOLDIER: Turn around, now! Show me your back!
(Donna raises her arms and turns around slowly.)
SOLDIER: Sorry. I thought I saw.

"I'm not sure I can take much more than this." Martha sighed, shaking her head. When was this video going to end?

WILF: Call yourself a soldier? Pointing guns at innocent women? You're a disgrace. In my day, we'd have had you court martialled!
(Donna sees a bright flash of light at the bottom of the street, and walks towards it.)

"Rose." Nardole declared, all of them now able to recognise the signs of Rose's appearance in their world.

SYLVIA: Donna? Where are you going? It's not safe at night. Donna! Donna!

[Street]

(Around the corner.)
DONNA: Hello.
ROSE: Hi.

"Remarkably calm." Amy mused upon observing Donna's state of mind. Apparently, Donna was also getting very fed up of everything happening in this reality.

[Park]

ROSE: It's the ATMOS devices. We're lucky, it's not so bad here. Britain hasn't got that much petrol. But all over Europe, China, South Africa, they're getting choked by gas.

"So, what was ATMOS?" Rory asked curious.

Martha thought for a second before answering vaguely, "Long story short. Sontarans."

DONNA: Can't anyone stop it?
ROSE: Yeah, they're trying right now, this little band of fighters, on board the Sontaran ship. Any second now.
(The sky burns.)
DONNA: And that was?
ROSE: That was the Torchwood team. Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, they gave their lives. And Captain Jack Harkness has transported to the Sontaran home world. There's no one left.

The group all turned their attention to Jack who just sighed, having been expecting that news for a while but still disappointed to hear his whole team was dead.

"And there goes the last of Earth's defenders." River frowned; everything was up to Donna now.

DONNA: You're always wearing the same clothes. Why won't you tell me your name?
ROSE: None of this was meant to happen. There was a man. This wonderful man, and he stopped it. The Titanic, the Adipose, the ATMOS, he stopped them all from happening.

"You know a lot about everything, Rose." Yaz turned a questioning look on the older woman.

Rose just shrugged, "I have no idea how." Maybe it was a consequence of the alternative realities or something but she really couldn't remember any of this.

DONNA: That Doctor?
ROSE: You knew him.
DONNA: Did I? When?
ROSE: I think you dream about him sometimes. It's a man in a suit. Tall, thin man. Great hair. Some really great hair.

Several people managed chuckles despite the tension in the room, Donna and Rose sharing a grin while the Doctor just floundered unsure how to respond to that.
DONNA: Who are you?
ROSE: I was like you. I used to be you. You've travelled with him, Donna. You've travelled with the Doctor in a different world.
DONNA: I never met him, and he's dead.
ROSE: He died underneath the Thames on Christmas Eve, but you were meant to be there. He needed someone to stop him, and that was you. You made him leave. You saved his life.

"Several times." The Doctor smiled at Donna, thinking back to the good days of their time travelling time and space.

(Donna has a memory of the Racnoss Queen, and water bursting into the tunnels below the Thames.)
DONNA [memory]: Doctor, you can stop now.

"So, things can slip through, interesting." River mused, that was a promising sign.

DONNA: Stop it. I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone!
ROSE: Something's coming, Donna. Something worse.
DONNA: The whole world is stinking. How can anything be worse than this?
ROSE: Trust me. We need the Doctor more than ever. I've, I've been pulled across from a different universe because every single universe is in danger. It's coming, Donna. It's coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it.

"Big responsibility." Mickey exclaimed, wide eyed.

The Doctor was busy ignoring the pointed looks Jack and River were giving her – they'd take any chance to remind her of her importance and that was a pretty good point.

For once she decided turning her attention to the Master was the smart choice, he wasn't likely to be giving her any kind of awed look or reminder. It was a mistake. She didn't even get to see his face before a pillow wacked her in the face. With the lack of any other option she turned to the screen, pillow tumbling to the floor as she hoped the Tardis took mercy on her and allowed the video to continue.

DONNA: What is?
ROSE: The darkness.

"Ominous but not descriptive." Bill declared, arms crossed and concern obvious.

DONNA: Well, what do you keep telling me for? What am I supposed to do? I'm nothing special. I mean, I'm, I'm not. I'm nothing special. I'm a temp. I'm not even that. I'm nothing.

That caught the Doctor's attention, immediately whipping around to face Donna who just rolled her eyes at the Doctor. The Doctor frowned but didn't make the point she was desperate to try.

ROSE: Donna Noble, you're the most important woman in the whole of creation.

"Absolutely." The Doctor agreed without hesitation, eyes never leaving Donna who was turning red under the attention. This whole video was showing them all just how incredibly important Donna was.

DONNA: Oh, don't. Just don't. I'm tired. I'm so tired.
ROSE: I need you to come with me.
DONNA: Yeah. Well, blonde hair might work on the men, but you ain't shifting me, lady.
ROSE: That's more like it.

Rose grinned happy to see Donna acting like Donna, and hoping the version of her on screen had some answers on how to stop everything.

DONNA: I've got plenty more.
ROSE: Then you'll come with me, only when you want to.
DONNA: You'll have a long wait, then.
ROSE: Not really. Just three weeks. Tell me, does your grandfather still own that telescope?

"So now you can see the future?" Clara asked perplexed.

Rose just shrugged, "Apparently. The parallel world I live in runs on a different time pace. That might be why I know so much."

DONNA: He never lets go of it.
ROSE: Three weeks time. But you've got to be certain. Because when you come with me, Donna, sorry, so sorry, but you're going to die.
(Rose fades away.)

"Oh great." Amy said, "Best way to convince someone to come with you."

The Doctor was watching Donna, getting increasingly worried about how this was all going to end. It wasn't sounding like it was going to end well, but she was eager for it to end.

[Outside No 29]

ROCCO: And you! I'm going to miss you most of all. All flame-haired and firey.
DONNA: Oh, but why do you have to go?
ROCCO: It's the new law. England for the English, et cetera. They can't send us home. The oceans are closed! They build labour camps.

"Oh, I doubt that." River tensed, apparently the English government had gone there. She'd heard that plenty of times before.

DONNA: I know, but labour doing what? There aren't any jobs.
ROCCO: Sewing, digging. Is good. Now, stop it before I kiss you too much.
(Rocco kisses Donna on both cheeks.)

"He knows." Rory frowned, unsure how Rocco could be so cheery when he knew exactly was about to happen to him and his family.

ROCCO: Wilfred. My capitano.
(Rocco salutes Wilf, who returns the honour. Rocco joins his family on the back in the army truck.)
DONNA: It'll be quiet with him gone. Still, we'll have more room.
WILF: Labour camps. That's what they called them last time.
DONNA: What do you mean?
WILF: It's happening again.

The group sat in silence, dread filling their bones at Wilf's solemn declaration.

"You have to fix this Donna." Martha turned a stubborn stare onto her friend. She'd had more than enough of this. Donna met her with an understanding look, giving a solemn nod, she'd done all she could to ensure she did. And she had.

DONNA: What is? Excuse me? Excuse me, where are you taking them? Where are you going? Rocco, where are you going? Where are you going? Where are you going?

"Nowhere good." Nardole sighed.

[Number 29]

DONNA: I asked about jobs with the army. They said I wasn't qualified. You were right. You said I should have worked harder at school. I suppose I've always been a disappointment.
SYLVIA: Yeah.

"No." The Doctor offered no further words, but her tone was fixed. This wasn't a matter she was willing to bend on.

[Garden]

(Wilf has got a fire going in a brazier, and his telescope is set up.)
WILF: You know, we'd get a bit of cash if we sold this thing.
DONNA: Don't you dare. I always imagined, your old age, I'd have put a bit of money by. Make you comfy. Never did. I'm just useless. You're supposed to say, no you're not.
WILF: Ha, it must be the alignment.

"Something's wrong with the stars." Clara guessed, unable to help but think back to the video they'd watched recently on Trenzalore. They'd been seeing the effects of the Doctor's death and Donna's choices on Earth, but they hadn't seen the consequences in space, and there were guaranteed to be consequences.

DONNA: What's wrong?
WILF: Well, I don't know. I mean, it can't be the lens, because I was looking at Orion. The constellation of Orion. You take a look. And tell me, what can you see?
DONNA: Where?
WILF: Well, up there in the sky.
DONNA: Well, I can't see anything. It's just black.

"They're gone." Bill muttered in horrified awe. The night sky had never been so empty, and that was a terrible thing.

WILF: Well, I mean, it's working. The telescope is working.
DONNA: Well, maybe it's clouds.
WILF: There is no clouds.
DONNA: Well, there must be.

"Denial is the only way to stay sane." Rose hummed in sympathy and understanding.

WILF: There's not! It was there. An entire constellation. Look. Look there. They're going out. Oh, my God! Donna, look. The stars are going out.

"Everything is ending." Jack said solemnly, sharing a knowing glance with River.

"No, its only just beginning." Donna countered with a grim look, not moving her eyes from the screen despite the worried looks the room shared around her.

DONNA: I'm ready.
(Rose is standing behind her.)

Yaz sighed, "What else is going to convince you that something is wrong than the stars going out?"

[Warehouse]

(A UNIT Land Rover delivers them to a warehouse filled with scientific equipment, UNIT soldiers and people in white lab coats.)

"UNIT." Martha nodded, "Maybe everyone that could help isn't gone."

TANNOY: Lodestone testing now at fifteen point four. Repeat, fifteen point four.
(A woman officer salutes Rose.)
MAGAMBO: Ma'am.
ROSE: I've told you, don't salute.

Rose rolled her eyes at the Doctor, not disagreeing with her alternative self but knowing where she'd got that habit from. "Doctor."

"What?" The Doctor protested, unable to see how this was her fault. Rose just shook her head fondly.

MAGAMBO: Well, if you're not going to tell us your name.
(Rose goes to a control console.)
DONNA: What, you don't know either?
ROSE: I've crossed too many different realities. Trust me, the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus.

"Or help in this case." Amy countered. She had no doubt hearing Rose's real name might help convince Donna, or when she returned to her own reality the Doctor may want to know about Rose.

MAGAMBO: She talks like that. A lot. And you must be Miss Noble.
DONNA: Donna.
MAGAMBO: Captain Erisa Magambo. Thank you for this.
DONNA: I don't even know what I'm doing.
ROSE: Is it awake?
MAGAMBO: Seems to be quiet today. Ticking over. Like it's waiting.
(It is the Tardis, hooked up to some equipment by connectors on the outside.)

"The TARDIS!" The Doctor cheered at seeing her baby, glad to know it hadn't been buried at the bottom of the Thames, or destroyed by the Titanic. UNIT was probably the best people to have the Tardis if someone on Earth had to have her.

ROSE: Do you want to see it?
DONNA: What's a police box?
ROSE: They salvaged it from underneath the Thames. Just go inside.
DONNA: What for?
ROSE: Just go in.
(Donna enters the Tardis.)
DONNA [OC]: No way.
(Donna comes back out, checks the outside, then goes back inside, then finally out again.)

"The normal reaction." Mickey grinned, they'd gotten two Tardis reactions out of Donna and in consecutive videos.

ROSE: What do you think?
DONNA: Can I have a coffee?

Donna's comment caused the group to break out into chuckles beside themselves. Everything was still tense, Rose's earlier comment on how this all had to end weighed heavily on them.

[Tardis]

ROSE: Time And Relative Dimension In Space. This room used to shine with light. I think it's dying.

"Abandoned and with her Time Lord dead, its only a matter of time." River sighed; eyes closed. Every time they thought they'd seen all the consequences they were only presented with more.

(Rose strokes the time rotor and it moves a little.)
ROSE: Still trying to help.
DONNA: And, and it belonged to the Doctor?
ROSE: He was a Time Lord. Last of his kind.

The Master snorted, protesting the claims. Regardless of what happened to them in this warped reality, the Doctor was very much not the last Time Lord; if any one got claim to that title it was him. He chucked a pillow at the Doctor just because he felt like it. The Doctor's answering splutters made him grin.

DONNA: But if he was so special, what was he doing with me?
ROSE: He thought you were brilliant.

"Are." The Doctor countered; arms crossed. "I think you are brilliant." If nothing else, they were going to use this video to deal with Donna's self-confidence issues. They couldn't deny their importance after watching this.

DONNA: Don't be stupid.
ROSE: But you are. It just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him. He did the same to me. To everyone he touches.

"If they don't kill you." The Master smirked. The group ignored him, focusing on the events unfolding in front of them on screen.

DONNA: Were you and him?
(Rose strokes Donna's shoulder.)
ROSE: Do you want to see it?
DONNA: No. Go on, then.

[Warehouse]

(A circle of mirrors and arc lights has been set up.)

"Interesting set up." Ryan remarked, inspecting the machinery. "What's it all for?"

"To get answers." Donna replied simply. She was sure they were all eager to get some themselves.

ROSE: We don't know how the Tardis works, but we've managed to scrape off the surface technology, enough to show you the creature.
DONNA: It's a creature?

"A creepy thing lurking on your back and messing up reality." Clara wrinkled her nose; she didn't have to see it to know that much.

ROSE: Just stand here.
MAGAMBO: Out of the circle, please.
ROSE: Yes, ma'am.
(Rose leaves Donna in the middle of the mirrors.)

"All eyes on you." Bill muttered, sing-song to herself. Yaz was the only one that heard her based on the hidden grin the other woman sent her.

DONNA: Can't you stay with me?
MAGAMBO: Ready. And activate.
(The lights come on.)
ROSE: Open your eyes, Donna.
DONNA: Is it there?
ROSE: Open your eyes. Look at it.

"Let's see the little bugger." Amy rubbed her hands together in eager anticipation. It was past time they got to see the culprit for this whole mess (aside from the fortune teller who was undoubtedly behind this).

DONNA: I can't.
ROSE: It's part of you, Donna. Look.
(A giant stag horn beetle is hanging on Donna's back like a rucksack.)

"That's one ugly beetle." Martha grimaced at the sight of the alien bug.

Mickey nodded, "And unsettlingly large." He shivered a bit; very glad it wasn't on his back.

ROSE: It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. Calm down, Donna. Donna? Donna! Okay.
DONNA: What is it?
ROSE: We don't know.

Donna turned a look on the Doctor who took a moment before realising where the feeling of eyes on her was coming from.

"What?" She asked perplexed.

Donna rolled her eyes, "What is it Genuis boy?"

The Doctor's eyes widened dramatically, "Oh. It's a Time Beetle. Very rare. Able of manipulating time by changing a life decision. Usually has little to no impact, but with a very important person like Donna, and a major life decision like hers? Well, results can be disastrous." She laid out her knowledge of the creature.

"And you didn't mention this earlier, why?" Clara asked with an exasperated roll of her eyes.

The Doctor shrugged, "Didn't work it out till recently. They're not exactly common beasties."

Yaz hesitated for a moment before leaning over her sofa to grab a pillow from the Master's collection. She didn't hesitate in throwing it right in the Doctor's face. Maybe the Master was onto something with this.

DONNA: Oh, thanks.
ROSE: It feeds off time, by changing time. By making someone's life take a different turn, like er, meetings never made, children never born, a life never loved. But with you, it's
DONNA: But I never did anything important.

The Doctor made a fussy noise but Donna shot her a pointed glare to shut her up before she could start. She got the message; the Doctor didn't need to keep drilling home the point.

ROSE: Yeah, you did. One day that thing made you turn right instead of left.
DONNA: When was that?
ROSE: Oh, you wouldn't remember. It was the most ordinary day in the world. But by turning right, you never met the Doctor, and the whole world just changed around you.

"The butterfly effect." Bill tilted her head; they'd worked out this much to begin with.

DONNA: Can you get rid of it?
ROSE: No, I can't even touch it. It seems to be in a state of flux.

"And that means?" Graham asked to be greeted by silence from the room.

DONNA: What does that mean?
ROSE: I don't know. It's the sort of thing the Doctor would say.

That earned several snorts, including from Rose herself.

DONNA: You liar! You told me I was special. But it's not me, it's this thing. I'm just a host!
ROSE: No, there's more than that. The readings are strange. It's, it's like reality's just bending round you.
DONNA: Because of this thing!
ROSE: No, no! We're getting separate readings from you. And they've always been there, since the day you were born.

The Doctor and Donna shared a knowing glance, some things made more sense now that everything had seemingly reached their conclusions. They didn't share that knowledge with the rest of the group despite the concerned glances.

MAGAMBO: This is not relevant to the mission.
ROSE: I thought it was just the Doctor we needed, but it's the both of you. The Doctor and Donna Noble, together, to stop the stars from going out.

The mentioned pair shared a grin though it was tinged with sorrow as they both recalled how that had ended for both of them.

DONNA: Why? What can I do? Turn it off, please.
ROSE: Captain.
MAGAMBO: Power down.
(Rose goes to Donna.)
DONNA: It's still there, though. What can I do to get rid of it?
ROSE: You're going to travel in time.

"Oh, so a normal day." Amy snorted, though she like the rest of the group was still tense. All of them were curious to know how they were going to free Donna from the time beetle and sort everything.

(Donna is wearing a jacket with lots of wires all over it.)

"That looks ... Safe." Mickey tried, wincing at his own very unconvincing words.

ROSE: The Tardis has tracked down the moment of intervention. Monday the twenty fifth, one minute past ten in the morning. Your car was on Little Sutton Street leading to the Ealing Road, but you turned right heading towards Griffin's Parade. You need to turn left. That's the most important thing. You've got to go back, turn left. Have you got that, Donna? One minute past ten, make yourself turn left, heading for the Chiswick Highroad.

"Again, the video title says it all." Graham commented.

MAGAMBO: Keep the jacket on at all times. It's insulation against temporal feedback. This will correspond to local time wherever you land.
(A scientist puts a high tech watch on Donna's wrist. Captain Magambo holds out a glass of water.)
MAGAMBO: This is to combat dehydration.

Clara snorted, "Very high-tech solution." It was amusing to see the glass of water after the time travel jacket and watch, though there was no point making it complicated if it worked.

(Donna is escorted back to the mirrors.)
ROSE: This is where we leave you.
DONNA: I don't want to see that thing on my back.

"Understandable." Rose muttered; she wasn't sure she'd want to have the constant reminder of the creature on her back messing up everything.

ROSE: No, the mirrors are just incidental. They bounce chronon energy back into the centre which we control and decide the destination.
DONNA: It's a time machine.
ROSE: It's a time machine.

"A barely effective and unsafe one." The Doctor crossed her arms, more annoyed than impressed at UNIT's attempt at tome travel. Humans messing around with that technology rarely went well. The group ignored her, several people just rolling their eyes.

MAGAMBO: If you could?
(Donna takes her place in the middle.)
MAGAMBO: Powering up.
DONNA: How do you know it's going to work?
ROSE: Hmm? Oh yeah, we, we don't. We're just, we're just guessing.

"Always reassuring to hear." Ryan muttered in sympathy. That was the last things you'd want to hear before having to sue the make shift time travel device.

"It's always nice being a guinea pig." Donna threw her hands in the air.

DONNA: Oh, brilliant.
ROSE: Just remember, when you get to the junction, change the car's direction by one minute past ten.
DONNA: How do I do that?
ROSE: It's up to you.

"As so the normal; a time limit and near impossible task to accomplish without any actual instructions." Martha sighed. Still, she believed in her friend. Donna would work it out, plus they wouldn't be seeing this if she hadn't.

DONNA: Well, I just have to run up to myself and have a good argument.
ROSE: I'd like to see that!

"We all would." Jack grinned teasingly at the redhead.

MAGAMBO: Activate lodestone.
ROSE: Good luck.
DONNA: I'm ready.
ROSE: One minute past ten.
DONNA: Because I understand now. You said I was going to die, but you mean this whole world is going to blink out of existence. But that's not dying, because a better world takes its place. The Doctor's world. And I'm still alive. That's right, isn't it? I don't die. If I change things, I don't die. That's that's right, isn't it?
ROSE: I'm sorry.

Donna shook her head at her past self, she was naïve in way the real her hadn't been in a long time. The rest of the group had tensed, all knowing what was about to happen deep within them even if they were trying strongly to deny it.

DONNA: But I can't die. I've got a future. With the Doctor. You told me!
MAGAMBO: Activate!
(Sparks fly along the power cables running to the Tardis, and Donna dematerialises.)

"Please work." Nardole pleaded with the screen. Whether he was talking about the time travel or the alternative reality no one knew, but none of them argued.

[Sutton Court]

(Donna is on her hands and knees outside a cafe. She rejoices briefly.)
DONNA: But hold on. But this is. I'm not. This is Sutton Court. I'm half a mile away. I'm half a mile away!
(The chronometer says 9:57.)
DONNA: Four minutes? Oh, my God.
(She starts running.)

"You're not going to make it." Yaz realised, glancing quickly between the screen and Donna in the room in concern. Four minutes to run half a mile was no easy feat, and that was without time to convince Donna of the moment to go left.

[Car]

SYLVIA: Jival Chowdry. He runs that little photocopy business in Merchant Street, and he needs a secretary.
DONNA: I've got a job. HC Clements is in the City. It's nice, it's posh, so stop it.
(Donna and Sylvia are at the junction, waiting to turn.)
SYLVIA: It won't take long. Just turn right.

"No, turn left!" Rory countered despite knowing that she wouldn't be able to hear him on screen.

DONNA: I'm going left. If you don't like it, get out and walk. You think I'm so useless.
SYLVIA: Oh, I know why you want a job with HC Clements, lady. Because you think you'll meet a man.

"She needs to meet that man." River argued with Sylvia on screen. Glancing fondly at Donna and the Doctor.

[Ealing Road]

(Donna has run out of breath, and it is 9:59.)

"You're running out of time." Bill muttered, leg bouncing in anticipation.

DONNA: I'm not going to get there.
ROSE: You're going to die.
(Donna sees a van coming towards her. It has just passed the junction the car is waiting at.)

"Donna." Martha sat straight up in her seat, eyes locking onto her friend who was refusing to look at anyone, her own eyes on the screen. She had a sinking feeling she knew what Donna was thinking and she absolutely despised it, but what she hated more was that she couldn't do anything about it.

[Car]

SYLVIA: City executives don't need temps, except for practice.
DONNA: Yeah. Suppose you're right.

[Ealing Road]

DONNA: Please.
(Donna steps out in front of the van. The driver stands on the brakes. A woman screams.)

"Oh god, Donna!" Rose's hands covered her mouth in shock and horror. The rest of the group reflected her horror at their friend's decision and fate.

"It was the only way." Donna told them unusually solemnly, eyes still locked on the frozen screen.

No one knew what to say to that, all still in a state of shocked horror to be able to articulate any thoughts. The Tardis took the opportunity to continue the video.

[Car]

(Sylvia hears her.)
SYLVIA: Can you hear that?

[Ealing Road]

(The driver gets out and waves at the taxi behind.)
DRIVER: Hold on! Back up!
TAXI DRIVER: Oi, get a move on.

[Car]

DONNA: The traffic's stopping.
SYLVIA: Something must have happened.

The group all shared sad glances, very aware of what exactly had happened. The only bright side to the terribly dark storm cloud they were under, was that Donna's plan seemed to be working.

[Ealing Road]

ROSE: Tell him this. Two words.
(Rose whispers in dying Donna's ear.)

"What did she say?" Ryan asked curious.

No one answered, but Jack, Rose, Donna and the Doctor all shared knowing looks. Only Donna may actually remember this moment, the other three had a very good assumption of what Rose could have said.

[Car]

(The tailback is past her junction now.)
DONNA: Well, that decides it. I'm not sitting in a traffic jam. I'm going left.

"Wooh!" Nardole muttered. There were muted cheers and celebrations across the room, very glad this whole affair was finally sorted but still stuck on how exactly Donna had fixed it. It brought to mind a question they often struggled with in their adventures; did the ends justify the means?

[Fortune Teller's tent]

DONNA [OC]: I'm going left. Left. Left.
(Donna screams. Key events rewind, then the beetle drops from her back.)

"Finally!" Martha cheered, happy to see the ugly time beetle removed from Donna's back.

DONNA: What the hell is that?
FORTUNE TELLER: You were so strong. What are you? What will you be? What will you be?

Donna and the Doctor shared a knowing look. It seemed it hadn't been a targeted attack, which was one thing, but that fortune teller really had no idea what they were getting into or the possible consequences.

(The fortune teller runs out the back of the tent. The Doctor enters.)

"And where have you been this whole time Mister?" River crossed her arms half-teasingly at her wife.

The group all turned their attention on the Doctor who put her hands up in surrender, "From my perspective it had literally been about two minutes. I didn't know anything was wrong." She tried to defend herself, the group accepted it if their vague head nods and sighs were to be believed.

DOCTOR: Everything all right?
DONNA: Oh, God.
(Donna hugs the Doctor.)

"That's a strong no." Mickey spoke for Donna on screen. It was very understandable after everything they'd just witnessed; they couldn't imagine actually having to live through it like she had.

DOCTOR: What was that for?
DONNA: I don't know.
(Later, the Doctor is prodding the dead beetle with a stick.)
DONNA: I can't remember. It's slipping away. You know like when you try and think of a dream and it just sort of goes.

"It was probably for the best." Jack grimaced in sympathy.

Donna nodded, "Unfortunately when I got my memories back, I got those ones back too." She could have lived without remembering the alternative reality, a small mercy was that it wasn't much more detailed than what they'd just seen.

DOCTOR: Just got lucky, this thing. It's one of the Trickster's Brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but with you? Great big parallel world.
DONNA: Hold on. You said parallel worlds are sealed off.
DOCTOR: They are. But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, seems to be happening a lot to you.

"What do you mean by that Doctor?" Clara asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

The Doctor grinned but waved to the screen in answer.

DONNA: How do you mean?
DOCTOR: Well, The Library and then this.

"Ah." Rose nodded in understanding. They'd already seen that mess, and while it wasn't exactly the same there were some unfortunate similarities.

DONNA: Just goes with the job, I suppose.
DOCTOR: Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once, then I met your grandfather, then I met you again. In the whole wide universe, I met you for a second time. It's like something's binding us together.

"And it was." The Doctor turned a triumphant look on Donna who rolled her eyes at her smug grin.

DONNA: Don't be so daft. I'm nothing special.
DOCTOR: Yes, you are. You're brilliant.
ROSE [OC]: He thought you were brilliant.

"And I still do, because you are amazing Donna Noble." The Doctor continued pressing the point with a solemn look that Donna tried her best to ignore. She couldn't deal with the Doctor right now.

DONNA: She said that.
DOCTOR: Who did?
DONNA: That woman. I can't remember.

Rose sat up eagerly, hopeful that Donna would be able to convey her appearance despite the lack of name. Several members of the group glanced her way in anticipation.

DOCTOR: Well, she never existed now.

"She does, just not in that reality." Mickey countered; trust him he'd had to deal with all her desperate attempts to reunite with the Doctor.

DONNA: No, but she said the stars. She said the stars are going out.
DOCTOR: Yeah, but that world's gone.
DONNA: No, but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said the darkness is coming even here.

"Less the stars going out, more the Earth gets moved and then the stars are destroyed." Jack summarised the whole stolen Earth and dalek weapon mess, which is what he presumed Rose was trying to warn about.

"I don't even want to know." Amy blinked at that comment. She'd learned better than to ask, if they needed to know they'd be shown.

DOCTOR: Who was she?
DONNA: I don't know.
DOCTOR: What did she look like?
DONNA: She was blonde.

"Very descriptive." Yaz grinned teasingly.

DOCTOR: What was her name?
DONNA: I don't know.

"You really didn't give her much to go with." Bill told Rose who shrugged in surrender.

DOCTOR: Donna, what was her name?

"You're suspicious." River remarked quietly, able to read her wife despite the different faces. "And hopeful." The Doctor just gave her a false nonchalant shrug, what else did they expect?

DONNA: But she told me to warn you. She said two words.
DOCTOR: What two words? What were they? What did she say?
DONNA: Bad Wolf. Well, what does it mean?
(The Doctor runs outside. Every printed thing now says Bad Wolf. Even the Tardis says Bad Wolf instead of Police Box.)

"I'm getting the feeling those are important words." Ryan commented, they'd seen it a few times before including the first video they'd seen.

"You have no idea." Rose offered, her eyes locked in a silent conversation with Jack and the Doctor. Those words had haunted the three of them for a very long time.

[Tardis]

(The inside is lit by red emergency lighting, and the cloister bell tolls.)
DONNA: Doctor, what is it? What's Bad Wolf?
DOCTOR: It's the end of the universe.

"Dramatic much?" Bill scoffed at the Doctor's theatrics.

Those involved in the stolen Earth event all shared grimaces. "But almost accurate." Mickey defended the Doctor's ending declaration.

The group all took a deep breath as the screen turned blank. That had taken a larger toll on them than they'd expected; a whole other reality of other possibilities based off of one choice from Donna. It was almost unbelievable - they'd struggle to believe it themselves if they hadn't just watched it. But they had.

Instead of the Doctor as normal rounding up the video, Donna took over eager to move on before anyone could comment. "Right. Let's move on quick."

"Donna." Martha attempted to interrupt but Donna stubbornly ignored her.

"Nope. I want to know what the Tardis has in store for us next." She could only help it had nothing to do with her for once.