While You're Sleeping (11/10/Emilie/Donna)

[Deleted]

They'd skimmed along the edge of the Universe. Really, The Doctor had just been showing off for the sake of showing off. He and Donna were on their way to the next adventure when he'd gotten a bit too daring. It was odd, as if they'd gotten stuck in the mud.

And, worse yet, The Doctor couldn't stop staring at the doors, now hanging open haphazardly. Something had caught his eye. He wasn't going anywhere right now.

Donna wasn't too far away, but The Doctor paid her no mind. Or was he The Doctor? He didn't feel like The Doctor. Well, he felt like The Doctor, plus one. The corner of his mouth curved into a wicked smirk.

"Sits inside your head, lives among the dead, sees you in your bed and eats you when you're sleeping."

[Deleted]

Donna was leaving the wardrobe, placing the loose pieces of hair behind her ear. Donna was off of bed rest and happy for the distraction and return to normal life. Yesterday the Doctor had woken her up from the dream world she had been trapped in after a nasty bug bite.

The dream world was.... awkward to say the least when he appeared in it. She had been married to him, a fact that she had not done on her own accord. But when he woke her up he had been kind to her and taking care of her. Like a good friend, the best friend.

Yesterday he had promised her that they would go see a movie in the 1920's. This morning she had woken up in the real world and felt refreshed. After eating breakfast she found sitting out from the Doctor, she would have to thank him and tease him for that later, she headed to the wardrobe.

Finding the dress she had worn when they met Agatha Christie Donna slipped it on and started towards the console room. Walking into the room she found the Doctor there murmuring something she didn't catch.

"Oi Spaceman!" she called out to him, walking up and smiling at him. "Why is the door open?" she asked him, her voice curious.

She didn't know the workings of the TARDIS or even what was bad and good but she was pretty sure that traveling with the door open was bad. "Doctor?" she asked again. He wasn't responding.

"Oi, spaceman!" she whispered urgently, placing her hand on his shoulder.

[Deleted]

There was something wrong. Something very wrong indeed, but Emilie was not sure what.

She had been having the same nightmare for almost a week now. The Doctor that was not-the-Doctor coming into her bedroom and sitting down right next to her. He would wait until her eyes uneasily closed and then...

Well, she woke up with the most unpleasant feeling he wanted to eat her.

There were other versions, of course. Walking out of the TARDIS to planets carpeted in skeletons that burned on and on and on. But in every version of her nightmare was one single name.

Zagreus.

"What if it means something?" she asked the Doctor suddenly, completely ignoring the fact her thoughts up until now had not been voiced. Indeed, Emilie had barely paid attention to her surroundings when she followed the Doctor into this room to begin with, she had been so focused inward.

[Deleted]

The Doctor could hardly hold his giggles at the moment. A book meant for children should surely not be this entertaining! He was sort of glad he 'borrowed' it from Craig and Stormy when they weren't looking.

"What if it means something?"

He looked up from his book, closing it and crossing his leg before saying, "It's a science book about a pig named Daisy in a red wagon Emilie. It doesn't mean much more than that." He narrowed his eyes, looking at Emilie and trying to figure out what she had been referring to.

"Or, were you referring to something else and I wasn't listening. I apologize, that has been known to happen now and then."

[Deleted]

"Oi Spaceman!" she called out to him, walking up and smiling at him. "Why is the door open?" she asked him, her voice curious.

Zagreus looked at Donna for a moment before letting an annoyed grunt out, "Another ape. I'm beginning to think this Doctor gets quite the kick inter-species relations. Who knew." He smirked a moment before looking out the door again.

"Doctor?"

"Err," Zagreus grunted at Donna, trying to let her know that he was not interested in speaking with her. The edge of the Universe was far more appealing than the loud ginger that seemed to so desperately want his attention right now.

"Oi, spaceman!" she whispered urgently, placing her hand on his shoulder.

He knocked her hand away hard, really it was more of a hard shove than anything else, "Get your paws off of me you filthy ape woman. I am not The Doctor. I AM ZAGREUS."

[Deleted]

Well something seemed to have gotten the Time Lord in a foul mood. He was grunting and growling and glaring up a storm. Pursing her lips Donna half wondered what was wrong and was half angry at him for sharing his foul mood.

Then she heard him.

"Ape?" she repeated, her mouth opening and the furry of Donna was starting to rise. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially Donna scorned.

"Ape? Oi! You may have been catering to my every whim when it wasn't needed and being the best mate ever yesterday, that is no reason to call me an ape got that space boy?" she shouted out as she poked him in the side, her eyes flashing.

"Now... Doctor what is going on. The door should not be open, right?" she asked, trying to control herself and forgive him.

But, something was wrong. He wasn't acting like himself. This wasn't just grumpy Doctor, this was something else. Something was wrong.

Before Donna could investigate more she placed her hand on the Doctor's shoulders and he shoved her. Yep something wasn't right here.

Donna stumbled back, not because it was a lot of force but because she wasn't expecting it. It caught her by surprise so much that stumbling back she threw some switch on the TARDIS console. Looking down at the console as it hummed to life Donna glared up at the Doctor.

Or Zagreus as he was now shouting.

"Look what you did now!" she shouted, trying to get her voice over his voice.

"Oi! Put a sock in it Zagreus! I don't care who you are just give the Doctor back, you got that?" Donna shouted. In the core of her stomach there was fear for her friend. It seemed that this Zagreus had possessed her friend and that was never a good thing.

But Donna managed her fear the best way she knew, shouting and getting angry.

Before Donna could yell anymore though, the TARDIS shook violently and she was thrown to the ground. Yelling out Donna grabbed on to the floor grate and dug her fingers in the small holes. They were thrown about as Donna glared at the possessed Doctor.

"You see what you did? Give the Doctor back and maybe we won't crash and die!"

[Deleted]

"It's a science book about a pig named Daisy in a red wagon Emilie. It doesn't mean much more than that."

Temporarily thrown, Emilie simply blinked at him in concern before realizing that not only had she not thought aloud before now, but the Doctor had been reading a children's book.

Hang on, where had that come from anyway? Given the circumstances, it probably wasn't too very important. This was the Doctor, after all, and if he always 100% of the time made sense, the universe would be a scary place indeed.

"Or, were you referring to something else and I wasn't listening. I apologize, that has been known to happen now and then."

"No apologies necessary, I was having a conversation in my head, I think. About Zagreus."

Emilie rubbed her hands, feeling rather awkward now. For some reason, she needed to go to the console room.

"I keep having nightmares about him."

She glared at the floor for a moment.

"You're busy though, and I need to do something...."

Backing out of the room, Emilie followed the urge to move.

"Zagreus sits at the end of the world, for Zagreus is the end of the world," she chanted, running to the console and immediately yanking the switch she needed to.

[Deleted]

"Or, were you referring to something else and I wasn't listening. I apologize, that has been known to happen now and then."

"No apologies necessary, I was having a conversation in my head, I think. About Zagreus."

"Ah," The Doctor started, "Wait, what? You're still worrying about Zagreus?" He raised a brow before waiting for Emilie's explanation, "I keep having nightmares about him. You're busy though, and I need to do something...."

Again, The Doctor was confused. He put the book down and then began following Emilie to the console room,
"Zagreus sits at the end of the world, for Zagreus is the end of the world."

Emilie flipped a switch.

"What are you doing-" It was too late, they were already hurling through time and space.

[Deleted]

The woman was still driveling on, Zagreus had long since stopped listening to her. Though, he had given her quite the shove when she put her hands on him.

"Look what you did now!"

"Silence! You primitive, nothing is more annoying than your shrill voice!" Zagreus grumbled, "I'd give half a soul to have some peace and quiet while I observe the edge."

"Oi! Put a sock in it Zagreus! I don't care who you are just give the Doctor back, you got that?"

"There is no more Doctor! There is only Zagreus! Zagreus sits at the end the world, for Zagreus is the end of the world!"

Before Donna could yell anymore though, the TARDIS shook violently and she was thrown to the ground. Yelling out Donna grabbed on to the floor grate and dug her fingers in the small holes. They were thrown about as Donna glared at the possessed Doctor.

"You see what you did? Give the Doctor back and maybe we won't crash and die!"

"The embrace of death does not bother me! At the very least! It shall get me away from you!"

That didn't seem to be the case though. If anything, the room around them shifted. While things went crazy, Zagreus saw an opportunity, and dashed down the hallway toward the library.

[Deleted]

Zagreus started telling Donna how annoying her shrill voice was and she glared at the man standing before her. "Yea, well you are not the best company right now." she shot back at him. The Doctor was gone right now and she needed him back.

Who was this Zagreus and why had he taken control of the Doctor? What did he want with the Doctor? Those questions couldn't be answered because the after she bumped into the console the TARDIS hummed and started shaking.

Donna heard him yell some more as she fell to the ground during the violent quakes. "Oi! If you don't give the Doctor back it will be the end of your world, you got that?" she snapped back glaring at her possessed friend.

As Donna held on Zagreus made his escape and darted out of there. Donna was momentarily impressed with him for getting out of there while the whole ship spun and trembled. But she couldn't dwell on that. "Get back here Zagreus!" she shouted after him.

She couldn't get up right now. Donna knew that. She would have to wait for the TARDIS to calm before she could even stand up and follow him.

Closing her eyes for a second, Donna let the TARDIS spin out of control with her inside. Oh she really hoped they didn't crash, the Doctor wouldn't like that when she got him back.

After what seemed like forever the shaking starting to calm down and in an instant Donna was on her feet racing out of there. As Donna sprinted down the hallways trying to find the Doctor she paid no attention to her surroundings. it didn't even register that the hallways were slightly different or that the layout was not the same.

She had lost him! True she never really had a trail to follow, but Donna was still angry that she had let him slip through her fingers. She had to find him! She had to find Zagreus and get the Doctor back.

It never hit Donna that her surroundings had changed until she skidded to a stop in another room.

This one felt like a console room with a two story area with a glass floor. Donna stared at the room with her mouth gaping open. Two people stood in the room and Donna realized that the Doctor or Zagreus was not one of them.

"Oi! Who are you and how did you get here?" she demanded.

[Deleted]

The Doctor had followed her in, and under normal circumstances, Emilie would have stopped and tried to explain herself. But the compulsion had been too strong for her to stop.

What are you doing-

Gripping the console, Emilie turned a puzzled expression towards the Doctor, much like a bewildered child as the TARDIS shook about them. Rather uncharacteristic for a flight she had initiated, but then, Emilie had not been planning on setting any coordinates.

An upset red headed woman ran in as Emilie was still searching for words. Grateful for the distraction, Emilie finally put words together to answer both of their questions.

“I’m sorry, Doctor. I had to activate the wobbly lever.”

[Deleted]

“I’m sorry, Doctor. I had to activate the wobbly lever.”

"Had to can be a very strong word, don't you think Emilie?" The Doctor teased a bit. He couldn't stay mad at her, besides, they were in the presence of company. Ginger company at that.

The woman turned around and The Doctor's jaw nearly dropped, "Donna."

"Oi! Who are you and how did you get here?" she demanded.

He beamed, it was Donna! He couldn't believe it, Donna was hear, alright, well, not the DoctorDonna yet, but she was alright! He wanted to hug her, but she'd just smack him. "Emilie Gunnar, I want you to meet someone very special." The Doctor approached Donna, what the hell!

He wrapped his arms around her before she could protest, "Donna Noble! I'm so glad to see you again!" Well, he would still visit Donna Temple-Noble now and then, but she had her own life to live these days. He wouldn't spoil it for her. No doubt, she'd be asking who he was soon, so he beat her to the punch.

"Ehm, yes. I'm The Doctor. Well, not your Doctor, well, yes, your Doctor, but a future version of him. Where is he by the way? This is his TARDIS, sort of, it's my TARDIS too. Everything is all sort of, fused together."

[Deleted]

Meanwhile, in the Library.

"Ship!" Zagreus bellowed from the center of the library, "I seek information on piloting you. Ship! Bring me the books I require."

No answer, even if she could, the TARDIS wouldn't help the Anti-Time creature who sought to end the universe. Zagreus growled again, "I can see that you will not behave this time either, will you? You are still a very petulant ship!"

"I AM ZAGREUS!" He roared again, and that's when The Doctor's resistance began to kick in, "Or, am I The Doctor? Why? Why must I be cursed so?" He flipped one of the tables, "And what kind of fool keeps a swimming pool in a library!?"

The raving lunatic made his way to one of the book shelves, yanking books out, checking the titles and tossing them aside, "You waste my time ship! Make it easier on yourself! Or I shall burn this room to ash!"

[The Doctor]

"You waste my time ship! Make it easier on yourself! Or I shall burn this room to ash!"

"You will, hmmm? And tell me: what purpose would that serve?"

The Doctor smiled as the Doctor spun to face him. He was smallish, dressed in Edwardian clothing, one hand gripping the lapel of his jacket and the other holding the book Zagreus had tossed aside with such contempt. It was a first edition of Friedrich Nietzsche's Jenseits von Gut und Böse.

Shaking his head sadly, he opened the book. "Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein," he read, glancing up at the Doctor as he did. Then he closed the book with a snap.

"Friedrich always had such a way with words," he said, carefully laying the book back on a shelf. Then he turned his attention back to the Doctor. "And look at you. Do try to have a little more concern for my property."

[Deleted]

Donna stood there, breathing slightly fast as she stared at the man and woman who managed to find their way onto the TARDIS. She had run into a lot of weird things while on board, but she had never come across people before. Could they be here because of Zagreus?

Before she could demand an answer again the man burst out a wide grin and shouted her name. He knew here but who was this skinny man, even skinnier than the Doctor if that was possible.

Just then he ran up to her and hugged her. Donna let out a squeak of surprise and glared at the man before slapping his arms. "Hands!" she shouted. Who was this crazy man? And how did he know her?

As if reading her mind he answered her unasked question. He was the Doctor? "No...." she gasped out. No, he couldn't be. Could he? Donna wiggled her way out of their hug and took in this skinny man who claimed to be her Doctor.

"Is this another freaky Time Lord thing?" she suddenly demanded, crossing her arms. "You get possessed, scare me half to death spaceman, and then go and change bodies?" If this was some kind of joke in the end, he would never hear the end of it. Looking past the Doctor she lifted her hand to the woman. "Hello." she called briefly before turning back to him.

But it didn't seem to fit. He said future Doctor as in the Doctor from the future. He looked so different. Time Lords were bonkers.

Wait. If this wasn't her Doctor that meant...

"He's still here somewhere!" Donna gasped out and turned around to face the way she entered. "Oi! Spaceman! I need to find the Doctor, er you I guess. You seem to be possessed by someone named Zagreus. He can't seem to shout his name enough times." she huffed once again covering her fear and worry with snappy remarks.

Only someone who truly knew her could see that she was very worried for the Doctor. Maybe this Doctor would be able to tell and help her find him. She had to get the Doctor back, she had to get her best friend back.