Storm: Storm is Brewing

The Runaway Bride 4

Now safely inside the Tardis and shielded from the Empress and her robots, the Doctor and Terry ran about the console, quickly taking off.

"That was brilliant." The Doctor told Terry, and she answered: "Just get us going."

"You're still cross." He observed, and Terry snapped: "Of course I'm still cross!"

She glanced at Donna, and the Doctor looked over as well.

He paused, but Terry told him: "Go, you need to see what's inside the Earth's core."

He nodded, going back to setting course for the beginning of the Earth's formation, while Terry walked up to Donna as the redhead remained still and staring in the middle of the room, her back to the Time Lords.

"Donna?" Terry asked softly, and Donna just sank down into the captain's chair, her hands crumpled tightly in her wedding dress while her shoulders started to shake.

"Oh, Donna." Terry sighed, coming up behind the woman. She didn't say a word of comfort, for there was none to give; nor did she provide any reassurances, for she knew it would do nothing to soothe the complete heartbreak Donna was currently feeling.

Instead, Terry wrapped her arms around the woman, holding her close and letting her know silently that there was someone who cared for her. Donna was unresponsive at first, simply letting the tears slide silently down her face as Terry held her.

But eventually, as Terry rubbed circles on Donna's back, something inside Donna gave way. The woman let out a strangled sob before breaking down at last, crying out all of the pain, hurt, and loss that permeated from every shattered piece of her heart.

The Doctor came over then, and he just watched over them in silence as Terry hugged Donna tighter, shielding the woman for just one moment from the cold reality that evil could exist in the world and in the cruelest form of all: humanity.

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Eventually, Donna's tears had to stop. Her cries slowly turned to sniffles, which turned to quiet as her whole body sagged from the weariness and emptiness that had taken over the heart-wrenching pain.

The trio stood for a moment in silence after Donna went quiet, before the Doctor finally broke it as he commented in a low voice: "We've arrived. Want to see?"

Donna looked up, sighing: "I suppose."

The Doctor nodded and moved back to the console. He glanced at the scanner monitor, before saying: "Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best."

He walked to the door, pausing on the ramp to look back at Donna.

"Come on." He encouraged, as Terry squeezed the redhead's shoulders.

Donna sighed before getting up at last, trudging over to the Doctor while Terry trailed behind.

"No human's ever seen this." The Doctor added as Donna finally came over. "You'll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed." Donna grumbled, but the Doctor pretended he hadn't heard her as he moved to stand by the doors.

"Donna Noble," the Doctor murmured firmly, "welcome to the creation of the Earth."

The Doctor opened the Tardis doors, keeping to the side so that Donna could have a full view of what was outside. Donna's mouth parted and her eyes widened despite herself as she stared out at the gaseous cloud surrounded by large lumps of rock, all floating around a dust-covered sun.

Terry leaned on the Tardis doorway, staring in quiet awe of the view, while the Doctor leaned on the other side of the doorway as he explained to Donna: "We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas."