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Rose looked over her shoulder, beaming as Danni waved from her from the very back of the gigantic crowd. She knew it was Danni, even though she couldn't see her, because everyone else was stood in silent, respectful awe and she would be the only person jumping up and down and waving happily at her. She couldn't wave back, not only would it be rude but she was gripping her small bouquet of pink flowers with both hands and wasn't about to let go.
It was reasons like this that made travelling with the Doctor so worthwhile. When she'd first been told that he and Danni had managed to get her the job of 'flower girl', she'd been pretty insulted. She was a few years younger than this Danni, who was roughly 25 if she had to take a guess, and rather younger than the Doctor, she was not a child. Flower girls were little children, a job given nieces and cousins of the bride and groom to make them feel like they had an actual part in the wedding, but otherwise did nothing. Turns out some things were indeed lost in translation and she was, in fact, a bridesmaid! One of many blonde bridesmaid, but a bridesmaid nonetheless. She was stood up on the stage in front of the entire city, next to the bride who was in a rather extravagant white meringue, wearing a rather lovely pink skinny dress. The groom, with his fake tanned skin and bright white teeth, looked rather stunning with his row of men in black suits. Rose loved suits on a man, especially Christian Bale in his dark blue pinstripes in American Psycho. She'd watched the movie at a friend's sleepover at secondary school. Yum.
~0~0~0~
Danni stopped her waving, settling back down onto her feet before turning to Jack. He had been watching her fondly, something she knew he'd do well into his future.
"I think she saw me." She muttered quietly and he nodded, chuckling lightly.
"I think everyone saw you." He replied, "I still can't believe you managed to get her in as a bridesmaid." Danni shrugged.
"It wasn't me, really." She told him, "The Doctor did most of it, didn't you sweetie?" She looked up expectantly at the tall Time Lord. Well, all three versions of the Doctor were taller than her. Jack was taller than her. Everyone was taller than her.
"Yes, well, I am fabulous." He agreed not-so-modestly and Danni giggled, nodding.
"That is very true." Someone in front of them turned and shushed them angrily, and with an apologetic smile from the trio they fell into silence. Danni watched the couple getting married, a small frown on her face. This was not her idea of a wedding at all. A small ceremony, Jack walking her down the isle, Amy her maid of honour and Rory his best man. River, Martha and Mickey would be there too, because for Eleven that's all who could be there. Maybe Wilf would come if she could corner him without Donna. She'd like Wilf to be there. There wasn't anyone else, though, who she could invite, who else was there? Well, there was Craig, Sophie and Alfie, but they were the Doctor's guests, not hers. Brian, Rory's dad, could come as well if he wanted to, but she knew how he felt about travelling. Ooo, Dorium's head, she loved that blue man!
Where at, though? A church didn't seem right, too big for such a small wedding. A hotel, perhaps? Or a beach, that would be nice. She might finally make it to Space Florida. Or, in fact, Earth Florida. A Disney wedding would be magnificent. Maybe the venue would be best left to the Doctor, who knew all the best places in the universe.
Under careful supervision, obviously.
There was a loud cheer and she blinked herself back into focus to see the bride and groom kiss passionately. She'd missed the whole ceremony daydreaming to herself over a wedding to a man who'd not even proposed to her yet. Well, that was a lie, he technically had proposed to her, but she'd said no. Well, actually, she had said yes later on, but for him it was earlier and...
"What now?" She asked the Doctor as the couple didn't seem to be stopping any time soon. Even the Official who had married them seemed to be feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
"After they've stopped kissing..." He pulled a face, his nose crinkling slightly, "Which should be any moment now, a band will replace them and a night-long street party begins." He frowned at the thought, obviously disliking the idea as the newly-weds on the stage finally stopped kissing.
"Don't you like street parties?" She asked at his expression and he shook his head.
"Too many people, music's too loud and the food's always cold." He rattled off, "You can't sit down and interact with anyone, because there's this constant need to talk to everyone, do everything." He shook his head, "Nah, not for me. Too domestic."
"Huh." Was her only reply as she looked over him, head tilted to one side.
"What?" He asked, intrigued by her contemplative look. She shot him a wide smile and shrugged.
"Sometimes I forget how different you all are." She replied before turning back to look out at the crowd, "Oh look, Rose is coming." She shot her hand in the air, "Rose!" She screamed, as if the blonde could hear her, "Over here!" She began gently make her way through the crowd, apologising in a very British way as she headed to meet Rose somewhere in the middle, leaving Jack to smirk at the temporarily stunned Doctor.
"I guess that you forget you're not the only Doctor she knows." Jack stated. The Doctor shook his head.
"I don't forget anything, Captain." He scoffed before following Danni into the mass of people. Jack couldn't help but laugh happily, joining them on their quest. Sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like without that two time travellers and the red-headed wonder that appeared to shake their lives up just a little bit. Then he'd realised he didn't want to know, because his life was pretty sweet as it was.
~0~0~0~
The sun had set, a celestial body in the sky making the fish in the dark blue water above them shine like stars as they floated by. It was a sight that everyone in the glass domes took for granted, but Danni had barely taken her eyes off it for the last half an hour or so. The stunning mix of golds, greys and greens that moved through the never-ending expanse of water above them was truly memorising, and she'd defy anyone who saw it to not understand why people like she and Rose would want to live this life with the Doctor. The childish part of her wanted to reach up and see if she could touch it, like an infant believing they might just be able to touch the sky. Instead she settled for sitting on the wooden table, her legs swinging gently in the air as she kept her neck tilted back as for as she could go.
"You'll get a crick in your neck if you do that much longer." The Doctor commented from next to her. She looked down, wincing slightly because he was wrong, she already had one, and smirked slightly at him. He was leaning against the table she was sat on, one leg crossed over the other and his arms crossed over his chest. He was trying hard not to stare out at Jack and Rose, who were dancing together in the middle of the crowd, both obviously having the time of their lives.
He was failing miserably, but it was adorable to see him try.
"Jealous, much?" She teased him and he shook his head, looking affronted.
"What, jealous, me?" He scoffed, "Of what?"
"Of the fact that Rose is dancing with Jack and not with you?" She replied before nudging him in the side, "Go ask her to dance. She said yes once, she'll do it again." He sighed, rubbing his hand across his face as he suddenly looked very old and weary.
"She's got Captain Handsome, and I'm just some long streak of Northern." He muttered, "Why, for once, can't I just get someone young and energetic?"
"Hey." She snapped, startling him slightly, "I'm not having that. You're absolutely stunning, I won't have you saying otherwise." She jumped off the table, "Now, a dance you want? A dance you shall get. Come on, Spaceman." She grabbed his hand, linking her fingers through his out of habit and dragged him through the gaggle of dancers and up to Rose and Jack, grinning at them, "Hey, mind if I cut in?" She asked Rose, "I've brought you another partner." She nodded to the Doctor, who opened his mouth to protest but Rose very swiftly dropped Jack's hand and stepped back.
"Of course you can." She replied before taking the Doctor's hand, "I've been waiting all evening for you to come here." She teased him lightly, walking slightly to the side of the other two, "No half-nelson's this time, okay?"
"I think I can manage that." He retorted, sounding annoyed but mainly embarrassed at the reminder. Rose pulled him closer, wrapped his arm around her waist then took his other hand.
"Let's try this again..." She started and Danni turned to Jack.
"Aren't they the cutest?" She asked him and he shook his head. Only she would try and set up the man she loved with her best friend and actually be happy about the outcome. He offered her his hand and she took it, the pair taking up a more intimate position than their friends, Danni leaning her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. They swayed to the steady tune from the band above them. It was strange leaning on someone's chest and only hearing a single heartbeat, Danni mused slightly to herself. What was stranger was the fact she came to expect two hearts rather than one. This wasn't the first time she and Jack had danced, or hugged, but the other two men she'd been even remotely close to both had been dual hearted. She found her bare wrist behind Jack's back, checking to make sure the black band was still there. The more she thought about him, the less she felt guilty about her time with Koschei. With the Doctor's forgiveness has come her own; she missed him.
"You know," Jack started, "This would make a great Father-Daughter dance."
"It would." She admitted, "But I already have that chosen, sorry." He moved back slightly, staring down at her in surprise.
"Already?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.
"Oh Jack." She sighed, "I did have a dad once, you know?"
"Sorry." He replied with a wince, "What is it?"
"What a Wonderful World by Eva Cassidy." She recited instantly, "Nice and slow, lovely lyrics, good tearjerker. Perfect." He continued to stare down at her as she leant back on his chest, so he could really only see the top of her head. What a Wonderful World? Yeah, he could see it.
"Sounds wonderful, Danni-Girl." He whispered as he held onto her a little tighter.
~0~0~0~
It wasn't the end of a night out if you didn't walk home with your shoes in your hand, according to Rose, so even though none of them had drunk anything and it wasn't that late, Rose and Danni walked side by side, sandals in hand.
"Did you see that groomsman, Kittos, though?" Rose was saying as the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door, "I swear he snuck off with three different bridesmaids, the sleazy bastard."
"You were going to be number 4." Danni replied, letting her in first before following her to the console, "I told him you were my girlfriend and if he went near you I'd rip his extensions out."
"Is that why you started hugging me?" Rose asked and Danni nodded.
"No one sleeps with my girlfriend but me." Danni defended before they both started laughing.
"I think it might be time for bed for you two." Jack decided and the Doctor nodded, typing a couple of things into the console.
"Separate rooms, if you don't mind girls." He added, "None of that in my TARDIS."
"Oh, you always say that." Danni moaned as he flicked a lever and Danni screamed in pain once again, disappearing in an angry golden light and leaving the other three staring, stunned.
~0~0~0~
Danni landed still mid-scream, startling Ten who was stood staring at his readouts, making sure he was in the right place. He was, and it wasn't long now before the star would supernova, expelling enough power for him to contact Rose and say... say goodbye.
"Danni?" He croaked and she shot over, the searing burn of her manipulator on her arm forgotten at the purely devastated look on his face.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" She asked. He opened his mouth, wanting to scream at her. Open the door and chuck her out, like he'd done so many times before. How dare she not be there to save her? How dare she let Rose fall through the universes, trapped from him forever? This was all her fault. She should have been there!
Then, as he opened his mouth, his face contorted in a fury that was so different from the tears that had just been then, he remembered the gut-wrenching terror at the fact he thought she had fallen into the Void. How she might still have, because he didn't know if this was the right Danni or not.
"I thought you'd fallen into the Void." He told her and her eyes widened slightly.
"Is... Is this after Torchwood?" She asked quietly and his lack of response confirmed it for her. Her breath hitched, tears that matched his own appeared in her eyes and her hand covered her mouth, "Oh, oh Rose."
"She said you told her to not go to Torchwood." He had to ask, because Rose had only mentioned it in passing and now it was all he could think about. An ominous warning that only made sense after it was too late. She nodded slowly, "And you had Lisa stay with Jackie, because you knew, didn't you? You knew this was going to happen?"
"I did." She whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She held her hands in front of her, about to plead her case and the Doctor shook his head, stepping back.
"You told me she must never let go." He continued, "You tried to help." She blinked in surprise and then nodded slowly.
"I did." She repeated, "I never wanted her to leave your side." He laughed, a wet, tear-filled laugh because he couldn't believe his luck. Because she never had wanted to get rid of Rose. She had always made sure that he was with the blonde, in one way or another. She had let her look into the heart of the TARDIS so she would come back in his hour of need. He'd regenerated because of it, but had become the young, pretty body that he wanted to have for Rose. She'd lost her face so Rose would be okay. When Sarah Jane had turned up, good old Sarah Jane, she'd been so happy when Rose hadn't been. She'd spent time with his old companion, asking questions, whilst also reassuring Rose that he wasn't the same with her as he had been with the rest, and to have faith in the new him. He smiled sadly, she'd even forced him to dance with Rose, even when he was too shy to ask himself.
"No, you never did, did you?" He muttered, "And when I'm left on my own with her, I let her down. I failed her. She's gone forever and it's all my fault. I should have left her behind long ago." Danni's eyes hardened and the slap she gave him echoed in the hollow room.
"Don't you dare." She snarled, "Don't you dare, for one minute, believe that. Because there is not one moment she would change with you, and I won't have you wish her away. She deserves better than that." The TARDIS jolted and Danni reached out, grabbing onto him for support so she didn't fall down. He didn't push her away, he just took the brunt of the force until the TARDIS settled down again, "What was that?"
"Energy from a supernova." He replied hollowly, "I can use the energy to create a connection to the other universe. Say... Say something to her." Danni let him work, feeding the TARDIS the energy to make the link.
"Doctor." He paused at the sound of his voice, "Tell her you love her." His brows furrowed, "Tell her you love her." She repeated, crying again as she grabbed his hands, "Please, tell her." She begged, "Keep telling her. Don't waffle, don't ramble. Tell her over and over again that you love her over all things. Please, I can't watch you regret that again." He was dumbstruck by the impassioned plea. Had this really how she had been all along? Not fighting her way in, but fighting for the love story she had always known would end like this? His chest tightened as he thought back on everything she had done, how none of it had been as bad as he had first remembered it. How he'd snapped back, throwing it back in her face. How she had trusted him always, and yet he had left her to die on more than one occasion. It felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, the shame of what he'd done knocking all the air out of him.
"I'm so sorry..." He sobbed as the console beeped twice. Danni motioned over to it with a nod of her head.
"What does that mean?" She asked him and he glanced at the countdown now on the screen, making it's why down from 30 seconds.
"The connection." Was all he could reply. She grabbed both his hands, pulling them up and kissing his knuckles.
"Tell her." She commanded, "For you, please tell her." She moved out of the way of the projection just as Rose appeared, transparent and not knowing she was even there. The Doctor stared through his blonde compan- former companion at the red head and found, when it came down to it, he just couldn't say it.
Rose disappeared, then Danni shortly afterwards, landing in the arms of Eleven who held her as she sobbed her heart out.
Ten was surprised out of his grief by the Runaway Bride, an angry Donna Noble who had a larger part to play in his life than either of them realised. And when Danni appeared on his floor, confused, disorientated and completely new, he decided there and then he'd make it up to her. He'd protect her from the universe so no one could treat her like he had once done. His best friend, his only friend, and that's the way it was supposed to be.