I'm Not A Child Anymore | Tenth Doctor x OC

Chapter Sixteen ~ The Runaway Bride (part two)

DISCLAIMER: TRIGGER WARNING - Slight mention/indication of self harm, strong language and graphic injury.

...

"I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office, H C Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance, is it Lance? Can you give us a lift?" He asked, before darting off without waiting for an answer. I run after him. 

"So, go on then, what is it? Know anything else yet?" I asked. 

"Not yet, Malia, but I'm getting closer. We know it's Huon energy now, so we're closer." He replied.

"But Huon energy, you said it was ancient? How ancient?" I asked. 

At first he stopped, like he was picking his next words carefully. "Very." He answered. Well, that was useful. 

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked, playing with my fingers as we walked quickly side by side. 

"Yeah, don't mention anything to Donna."  

Lance and Donna quickly caught up with me, Chase and the Doctor. "So, Lance, I'm guessing you have a car?" The Doctor said.

"Yeah, this way." Lance replied. We ran for a while down the street, but then we arrived at a car. 

"This one," he said. 

Donna and Lance got in the front. Me, Chase and the Doctor squeezed in the back, of course with me in the middle. It was a little squished in the back seat, but I found myself leaning on the Doctor accidentally. 

I was nervous, thinking I was making him uncomfortable. But he adjusted his arm so I could sit without falling over through the drive. I looked up to see him smile down on me. That silly grin, without showing his teeth. That one that made my heart flutter slightly. 

The right side of my body felt numb, like I had butterflies flying up my entire arm. I looked down to my shoes. My black converse were worn with age, but in a way that made me feel safe. 

I tried to grip the bottom of the seat to try and get my blood to co-operate, but it seemed to have other plans. I didn't think anyone had saw, but apparently I was wrong. 

The Doctor placed his hand over mine, I think he thought it was nerves. Which it kind of was. He squeezed my hand. I looked up to my right, as he watched me with worried eyes. 

It didn't take long for us to reach H C Clements. We all rushed out of the car as soon as the car came to a stop. The five of us ran into the building, then up flights upstairs to Donna's office. 

The Doctor ran straight up to a computer. "This might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." the Doctor said. 

"Who are they?" Donna asked. 

"They were the ones behind the battle of Canary Wharf." I replied, rushing to the computer with the Doctor, guessing that Donna knew about that. 

But we were met by silence. 

"...Cyberman invasion." Chase said, unsure why she didn't know. 

She looked at him inquiringly. 

"Skies over London full of Daleks?" The Doctor asked. 

"Oh, I was in Spain." Donna replied. I looked at the Doctor with confusion. 

"They had Cybermen in Spain." The Doctor added. 

"Scuba diving." Donna answered. 

"That big picture, Donna, you keep on missing it." He said, before darting over to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over..." He whacked the monitor. "...the operation."