Storm: Storm is Brewing

The Runaway Bride 3

The four ran into the HC Clements office building, heading up the lift for the offices upstairs as the Doctor explained quickly to Donna and Lance: "To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute."

"Who are they?" Donna asked, confused, and the Doctor explained as he quickly clicked at one of the office computers: "They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf."

He looked up to see Donna's blank expression, and he tried: "Cyberman invasion."

Donna continued to look confused, and the Doctor said a little incredulously: "Skies over London full of Daleks?"

"Oh, I was in Spain." Donna shrugged, and the Doctor stared at her as he said flatly: "They had Cybermen in Spain."

"Scuba diving." Donna explained shortly, and the Doctor answered with a slight frown: "That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it."

"Moving on." Terry interjected, and the Doctor explained to Donna as he dashed out from behind the computer: "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business."

He moved to another computer, clicking furiously at it as he added: "I think someone else came in and took over the operation."

He smacked a fist down on the computer irritably as it refused to work for him, and Terry rolled her eyes at him while Donna asked, bewildered: "But what do they want with me?"

The Doctor continued to smack the computer, and Terry explained: "Donna, you've... somehow been dosed with Huon energy."

"And that's a problem," the Doctor interjected as he gave up on the computer and turned back to them, "because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the Tardis."

Donna stared at him, starting to look alarmed but still a little confused, and the Doctor explained gently: "See? That's what happened."

Donna stood still, a hand on her stomach in shock but still some confusion, and the Doctor glanced about for a better explanation.

"Say, that's the Tardis." The Doctor explained as he picked up a coffee mug and held it before Donna. "And that's you." He picked up a pencil.

"The particles inside you activated." The Doctor explained, waving the pencil as he held up the mug again. "The two sets of particles magnetised and whap."

He stuck the pencil into the coffee mug as he finished: "You were pulled inside the Tardis."

"Wait. Coffee mug." The Doctor noted through his telepathic link with Terry. "No... it can't be... can it? Angel, hint?"

"Six months." Terry explained softly, and the Doctor repeated his earlier sentiment: "Bit quick to get married."

"But long enough..." Terry replied quietly, and the Doctor's eyes steeled as he finally understood as well.

His eyes flickered over to the side, before looking back at Donna as the redhead deadpanned, still staring at the Doctor's impromptu props: "I'm a pencil inside a mug?"

"Yes, you are." The Doctor answered, twirling the pencil inside the mug. "4H. Sums you up. Lance?"

He called as he turned to try yet another computer. "What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

"I don't know," Lance admitted with a shrug, "I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager."

"Try sonicing it." Terry told the Doctor, who did as she said and soniced the computer as Lance cried: "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"