Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

The Fires of Pompeii (Part 1)

The Fires of Pompeii

(Originally: 04x02, 'The Fires of Pompeii'; aired April 12, 2008)

Donna's first trip hadn't come right away.

She had, after all, spent the day hiding in the ladies' room, and she'd been in desperate need of a good meal and a decent night's rest. She'd been a little in awe when the TARDIS had easily provided both. Last time, she hadn't stepped foot past the console room, and the fact that the ship seemed to stretch on to infinity after that already massive room was impressive, to say the least. Still, she acted like it was the most ordinary thing she'd seen in days, just because watching the Doctor splutter was beyond amusing.

Six hours was all the sleep she managed, because after that she was much too excited to roll over and go back to sleep. Dressed and ready, she had made her way into the console room.

And found a man who was not the Doctor sitting on the jumpseat.

"Who the hell are you?"

The man's gaze snapped toward her, but before either could speak the Doctor popped up from underneath the console like an overgrown jack in the box. "Donna! You're up!"

"I can see that, yes," she said dryly, pointedly looking from one to the other.

"Ah! Yes! Donna, Matt. Matt, Donna."

"Suppose it didn't take you long to replace us, then," Matt said to the Doctor dryly, getting to his feet and reaching a hand toward Donna. "Good to meet you."

"Pleasure," she returned, more focused on what the Doctor had told her yesterday.

"Matt and Mallory. They were brilliant. And I... destroyed half their lives."

The man in front of her didn't look destroyed. Instead, he had a charming grin and a firm handshake and he shared the Doctor's air of being comfortable in the TARDIS, instead of awestruck as she still was.

It was a puzzle she was already eager to figure out.

"So!" the Doctor said, spinning around the console and pausing a few feet away from her. "First trip, your choice. Past or future?"

Instead of answering, Donna asked Matt, "Are you coming with us?"

"That was the plan," he answered, before glancing between the two. "Unless you'd rather I didn't."

"No, it's fine," Donna answered, far too curious already to turn him away. After a moment, she looked back at the Doctor and decided, "Past."

"Past it is!" the Time Lord exclaimed. With another spin, the TARDIS shuddered, landing with a bump.

Donna paused, glancing between the two of them and the door. "What's out there?"

The Doctor grinned. "Let's find out, shall we?"

~~~

Snatching his coat from the coral strut by the door, the Doctor pulled open the door of the TARDIS, peering out.

A curtain greeted him.

He stepped out, pushing the rough material to the side, before looking sideways as the other two moved to stand beside him. "Ancient Rome!" he exclaimed, taking a few more steps out into the busy street of a market. "Well, not to them, obviously. For all intents and purposes, right now, this is Brand New Rome."

"It's... it's so Roman!" Donna exclaimed, eyes wide. "This is fantastic!" She reached over, wrapping her arms around the Doctor in a brief hug and making the Time Lord chuckle. Matt stood to the side, grinning and taking a deep breath. "I'm here, in Rome," Donna continued. "Donna Noble, in Rome. This is just weird! I mean, everyone here's dead."