To Be Loved

Chapter 4 - Planet of the Ood

Planet of the Ood, part 1 -

The Oracle had just gotten dressed in a red hoodie, some jeans and combat boots when she went back to the console room to investigate why they were rattling around like that. The Doctor and Donna were holding on tightly as he explained.

"Set the controls to random. Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide u- Are you all right?"

"Terrified. I mean, history's one thing but an alien planet?", Donna freaked out with a look on her face that seemed to be a mix of a grin and a scared frown.

"We could always take you home", the Oracle approach with a little laugh.

"Yeah, don't laugh at me", Donna was getting giddy.

"I know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that", she jumped down the last step and went to a scanner.

"Seriously? After all this time?"

"Yeah", the Doctor squealed, "Why do you think we keep going?"

"Oh. All right then, you two and me. This is barmy. I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever had package holidays. Now I'm here. This is so. I mean it's. I don't know, it's all sort of. I don't even know what the word is."

Giddily Donna turned to the door and opened it before the Oracle could stop her, having seen really low temperatures on the scanner. She giggled at Donna's excitement, grabbed a big coat for her friend and then followed the Doctor out.

"Snow", the Doctor announced, "Oh, real snow. Proper snow at last. That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?"

"Bit cold", Donna commented.

The Oracle held Donna's coat open for her so she could put it on while they looked around. Bridges of massive icicles seemed to make up all the structural integrity of the surface.

"Look at that view", the Oracle breathed out as he beamed back at her.

"Yep, beautiful, cold view", Donna said wrapping her arms around herself.

"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies, and we're on this one. Molto bene. Bellissimo, says Donna, born in Chiswick. All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent and tax and takeaway dinners, all birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday a year, and then you end up here. Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that Donna?"

The Doctor walked off, then turned around to find Donna wrapped in her fur coat and the Oracle with her hands buried in the front pocket of her hoodie.

"Sorry, you were saying?", Donna asked as they approached.

"Better?", he asked, barely seeing her face through the large hood.

"Lovely, thanks."

"Comfy?"

"Yep.

"Can you hear anything inside that?"

"Pardon?"

They all laughed and then the Oracle spoke up, "It's cold either way. So how about we find out where we are, huh?"

"All right, I was saying, citizen of the Earth-"

He was interrupted when they were all distracted by a rocket gliding through the sky above them.

"Rocket. Blimey, a real proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box, he's got a Ferrari. Come on, let's go see where he's going", Donna walked off in the direction the rocket had flown while the Time Lords stared after her offended.