Ending of the Hours (Book Four of the Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Planet of the Ood

The minute Jessie walked back into the console room, tying her hair in a ponytail, Donna was babbling away. "I'm sorry!" she cried, giving her a tight hug, stopping Jessie dead, her hands freezing where they were messing with her hair. "I had no idea, I really didn't!"

Jessie looked over her shoulder to the Doctor. "What did you do to Donna?"

"This is all her," he promised.

"I know now, about these fixed points, even if I don't like them," Donna kept rambling, and Jessie giggled a little, fixing her hair and hugging Donna back. "I'm sorry, and I won't do it again, and I really hope you don't kick me off - "

"Who said anything about kicking you off?" Jessie asked, looking back at the Doctor.

"I was a little overprotective the other night," he said sheepishly.

"A little?" Donna huffed, pulling away. "He was just like he was with that red spider lady thing, only worse."

"Racnoss," Jessie corrected, but smiled. "No one's kicking you off, Donna."

Donna beamed at that. "Thank you."

"Ready for the next trip?" the Doctor asked with a smile.

"Always."

"Hang on!" Jessie shrieked and quickly clung onto the railing as the TARDIS began jerking, the Doctor messing with the console. The TARDIS calmed after a moment, and he grinned at them. "Set the controls at random. Mystery tour!" He pointed. "Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, any when in the whole wide uni - " He cut off, seeing the look on Donna's face. "Are you all right?"

"Terrified," Donna replied with a grin. "I mean, history's one thing, but an alien planet?"

"We could always 'kick you off,'" Jessie joked, making air quotes.

"Oh, don't laugh at me," Donna groaned.

"We know what it's like," Jessie told her, slipping on her trench coat. "Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that."

"Seriously?" Donna asked, eyes wide. "After all this time?"

"Yeah," Jessie replied, grinning widely. "Why do you think I stayed all this time and married this idiot?"

"Oi!" the Doctor shouted.

"Oh, you know I love you," she told him with a wink.

"This is barmy," Donna said, grinning and practically bouncing with excitement. "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!"

She ran for the doors, and Jessie took off behind her, and she grinned, bursting out laughing when she realized they were in the middle of a snowstorm. "I've got a word for you, Donna," she joked. "How about freezing?"

"Snow!" the Doctor cheered, coming out behind them. "Oh, real snow! Proper snow at last! That's more like it! Lovely!" He grinned at Jessie. "After the Sycorax, the Racnoss, and the Titanic, we finally get real snow!" He turned to Donna. "What do you think?"

"Bit cold," Donna replied, looking down at her short sleeved shirt.

"Look at the view!" the Doctor added, gesturing to the winter-like wonderland.

"Yep," Donna agreed. "Beautiful, cold view."

Jessie chuckled, tugging Donna's arm as the Doctor began to ramble. "Come on," she told her, ducking back inside the TARDIS. "This coat's gonna get me nowhere." She tossed her trench coat up into a coral beam. "Can we get a few winter coats?" she mentally asked the TARDIS.