"I did tell you to visit that old man again when I was dead, and now I'm not dead we can do it together."
The Doctor stared at him incredulously, "I though you were just joking about that bit, you've never been a big fan of humans."
"A bloke can change his mind, can't he? And anyway, we'll be able to kill two birds with one stone and invite him to our new wedding."
"Fine, but you're driving."
As the blue box materialized, it crushed a rather unfortunate flowerbed. "My crocuses! He's only gone and landed the thing on my crocuses!"
And the two men who emerged from the box, they walked into the house and filled the old man in on what had happened since they'd last seen each other.
After their discussion the Master suddenly looked anxious, "I must admit, I had an ulterior motive to coming here." he saw the Doctor's horrified expression, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I think I know how to bring Donna back without her dying."
Wilf looked confused, "But he said…"
"If the universe was ending he'd fumble with his keys, which I know he has because I was there. He doesn't like to think about it, and so never thinks of a solution. If he'd thought of it he wouldn't have been able to carry it out anyway."
"Why not?"
"For this he would have needed me. And now he's got me, I can carry it out and I'm sure it'll work."
"What'll work?"
"Well, I actually have two different solutions in mind, both of which contain triggering the Time Lord consciousness to come out. The first consists of that, but then we hook her up to the chameleon arc and turn her into a Time Lady, she'll still have all her own memories and personality, but she'll be able to cope with another consciousness inside her head. The other solution consists of the same first step, but we now know that I can't regenerate anymore, so I figure that taking the consciousness into my head will trigger my body to connect with all its' Time Lord functions, including regeneration. Donna won't remember much of what happened after the consciousness entered her head, but she'll certainly remember all that she's done with the Doctor and she wont die from it. I completely understand if you'd go for the second solution, she'd still be your human granddaughter after all."
The Doctor was gawping at him now, "How long have you been thinking this up?"
The Master sighed, "I know you miss her, and I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."
"But you can't possibly know if this could work..."
"I know enough Theta, and you can't tell me you wouldn't want to bring her back if you could take my place. The fact is you can't; if we're going for the second option it has to be me, because since it's your consciousness she's got in her head it would just bounce off your mind because it already contains all that knowledge."
"Second option," it had been quite a while since Wilf had said anything, "go with that."
"We have to drag that consciousness and its' energy out of her, and I'm sorry but it's going to hurt."
Wilf and the Doctor hid themselves on The Hill, waiting in anticipation and fear.
Donna emerged from the door, "Donna? Donna Noble?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
The Master grimaced, but carried on, "It's your grandfather."
"Oh, what's he done this time? Froze himself up there I suppose, or maybe he's had too much tea and pasties?"
"Miss Noble, I'll hear none of that. This is serious."
"Why'd you call me 'Miss'? Do I look single to you?"
"Your relationship status is none of my concern, we have a serious matter to attend to."
Donna suddenly looked horrified, "Oh, he's really gone and done something stupid, hasn't he? Fine, I'm coming with you, but it better be nothing more than a scorching with hot tea or it'll be on both of your heads."
"Why are you crying, gramps?" she looked to the mystery man and glared daggers through him, "What's this bloke gone and done?"
"Oh, it's not him love… but I'm really sorry."
"Sorry? Why?"
"Because if this doesn't work, you'll die." and the Doctor emerged from the foliage.
Donna squinted, but she just couldn't place this new arrival, "Who're you, then?"
The Doctor frowned, "I'm the Doctor. Thought you'd remember just from seeing me, but I guess not."
"…Why am I going to die? What wont work?" Donna looked pale now, that was plain to see.
"Your brain seems to be protecting you from remembering me, I always knew you had a brilliant brain. But you always thought I was joking when I told you. Remember? Donna, you're brilliant."
Donna looked at him in confusion, "Look here skinny, I've no idea what you're going on about but it's starting to creep me out bigtime."
"Thought you'd have figured it out by now, seems I'm being thwarted by defences I created."
Donna decided to look behind her, "Where's he gone, and why won't anyone give me a straight answer?"
Then, there was a sudden noise in the air. Like supernovas and new planets being born and the universe and oh time, that wonderful noise that always sent chills of anticipation and wonder down your spine. As the vwoorp-vwoorp of the engines died away, a big blue 1960s police box was standing where the other man and her grandfather had been only moments before.
She hesitantly ventured a hand toward the offending object, and was surprised when it felt solid and wooden and there. She opened one of the blue doors, and was met with a pleasant glow and a faint humming. Standing inside were her grandfather and the two mystery men.
"Remember the TARDIS? C'mon, you gotta remember the old girl, she popped over here just to see you. Bigger on the inside…? Nothing? Not even a smidgen of memory?"
All from nowhere, tears sprung from Donna's eyes, "Why am I crying, and anyway what is all this? It looks like someone ate an antique shop and spat it out because the contents was so stale."
The Doctor forced a smile, "You've already said that once before."
"Really? You'd think I'd remember a place like this."
Tears now sprang up in the Doctor eyes, "You certainly should. Nobody ever forgets the TARDIS, even if they forget me."
The three men were giving up hope, thinking they must have left it too long.
"One last ditch effort, then."
Donna's eyes had the unfortunate disadvantage of being covered with a makeshift blindfold as they made their way from several corridors, "Why am I blindfolded? Where are you taking me? I better not be here to join some bloody daft cult…"
"Look, Donna can you just shut up 'til we get to where we're going? We're never going to get there at this rate."
"At the risk of sounding like a broken record, where are you taking me?"
"Your room."
"My...? Oh god, this is a mental asylum! You're putting me in the nuthouse!"
"No we're not, Donna. We're here." and the Doctor opened the green door.
"Excuse me, but some of us have no vision here, and I'd really like to have mine back."
The blindfold was removed so that she could see again. "What...?"
"Each companions' room is uniquely made to fit their personality and what they like, and no room is ever destroyed."
A look of realization passed over her face, "My room on the TARDIS… My room on the TARDIS! On the Doctor's TARDIS!" She turned to face said Doctor.
And slapped him upside the head.
"You pillock! Look what you've done now, I remember everything – and I'm going to die from it!"
"Not necessarily. My friend here can save you without you having to forget any of this."
Donna scrutinized the Master for a moment, and then slapped him upside the head too, "You! You're the one who everyone turned into!"
The Master rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "It wasn't all fun on my part; I ended up in an ill-fitting pink dress. And that is not how I'm going to introduce myself…" he continued nonetheless, "Donna, I can save you, but you need to open your mind to me before I can do it."
Donna looked between both Time Lords, "He's one of your lot isn't he? Well I have to applaud you on finding another beside yourself, and congratulate the two of you."
"For what?"
"For being together, of course."
The Doctor frowned, "Didn't think it was that obvious."
"Alright, go ahead, if it'll mean I can be back here again."
"Have you opened your mind?"
"You're starting to sound like my mum. If she were a mind-reading Martian."
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