Chapter Twelve - To the police!

(I've got about 3 more freshly baked chapters on my netbook... they were written on the 22nd along with this chapter so they're getting a bit stale. I'll try to get them all up when I can, but for now here's a very serious chapter twelve. Enjoy!)



"How was your trip then?" Donna asked.


"Oh, fine. Yours?"


"Oh, ours was fine too, despite being kicked out of the dress place."


The Doctor looked appalled, "Donna, did you mouth off?"


"No, I swear, I was as good as gold," she said, holding up her hands in her defence, "It was the shop's fault. The woman at the counter is – as Amelia said – a homophobe. As soon as she found out the details – like the couple being two men – she was the one mouthing off."


"Oh."


"Yeah, oh. Jack said we should tell the police, she can't do that."


"Yes, you should inform the police. Y'know what, I'll be there too – for support, and I am one half of the couple you're talking about."


"I'm not so sure about this."


"Why?"


"I just keep imagining we'll end up being arrested for wasting police time."


"Donna, it was blatant discrimination based on the sexuality of two people she's never even met. I'm sure the police will be on our side."


"I hope you're right… There are much more important things than sexuality discrimination being reported on a day-to-day basis, we'll probably be waiting for hours."


"Donna, I'm sure Jack can get us seen in no time. And if that fails us, I've always got my psychic paper on me."

---

There'd been no need to use the psychic paper. Jack had even called ahead to explain the gist of what the complaint was about, and to get them seen by someone proper.


"Miss Noble, Doctor Smith, please sit down." The police counsellor motioned to the two empty seats on the other side of his desk. "I understand the issue you've been confronted with is of a discriminatory nature, Miss Noble."


"It's Donna, and yes, that's pretty much what it is."


"Ah, Doctor Smith, I believe the discrimination is aimed at you and your fiancée. Could you please elaborate further?"


The Doctor was rubbing his hands together nervously, "Yes… We weren't there specifically, but I was told what happened. My sisters and daughters went into a dress shop to get a fitting for their outfits for the wedding…"


"The woman at the counter was all smiles until we told her that the couple of the wedding we're going to is two men."


"I and a friend of mine thought it was best that we deal with this with the proper authorities. She had no right to do that. No matter what her views are, she can't just deny the business of the pretence of who's sharing a bed with who."


Now that the police knew about it, it seemed like Donna was finally realizing it, and it was affecting her deeply.


"Donna, could you please tell us something? We'll need to know where the shop is located."

---

(The morning after)


"See? Wasn't that bad, was it?"


"It was like telling your mum who really broke the good china."


"You have nothing to be ashamed of."


"Yes, I do." and a newspaper was dropped on the kitchen table.


The headline read:


DRESSMAKER TURNS AWAY HOMOSEXUAL BUSINESS.


The text went on to say:


Donna Noble, 33, Sarah-Jane Smith, 59, walked into a dressmaker's with their nieces and were turned away brutally by a counter-girl. The girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, was taken in by the police for questioning, but had this to say:


"I didn't turn them away because they were going to the wedding of two men…!"


When asked why she did turn them away if it wasn't because of that, she was unable to make comment. There will be further enquiries, and the victim couple of this along with the aunts may be pulled in for further questioning.


"You see that? We may be pulled in again. See, this is why I didn't want to go to the police! The tabloids always find out these things somehow. And if this carries on, they'll be asking us for interviews! We're supposed to remain inconspicuous round here, and now we're on the front page!"


"Don't worry Donna, we can easily handle this."


"You can maybe, but I don't think I can."


"Doctor…?" The Master had come in looking very pale, and holding an identical newspaper.


The Doctor went up to him. "We'll get through this. When the time comes, we'll just have to face the masses."


"The time has already come,"


"…?"


"We're out of cereal and Amelia's getting cranky."