Apples

Follow Me Down

Disclaimer: Still isn't. Still want it.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Ears: On with the motley!

Donna turned the little red apple over in her hands, feeling the man's eyes on her. Her own eyes jumped from it to his. "Who are you?"

He chuckled. "I'm the one with the answers. I'm the one who can give you back what you've lost. But only-" He stepped back, away from her. "-if you follow me. Now!" And he was gone, out the door.

And Donna, a second later ran out after him, clutching the apple to her like a lifeline. "Wait!" And he was, standing half inside and half outside her house, leaning on the door frame.

"Your last chance, Ms. Noble. One you step outside, once you agree, there will be no climbing back up the rabbit hole." His brown eyes held hers, seeming to look through them, through her. "Are you ready?"

A sudden rush of indignation made her glare at him. "I've followed you this far! If you're tryin' to talk me out of this, it's not gonna happen!"

He smiled at her. "Very well, right this way." This time, he let her keep up.

They stopped at a van. It wasn't much, all white with no windows, but then again Donna wasn't sure what it was she was expecting, so... He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the back of the van, glancing back at her before tugging it open.

Donna felt her eyes go wide. "But- How? It's...bigger on the-"

"-Inside? Yes." He watched her awe with something close to glee. "Now then, come along! There's quite a lot to do, and...well, actually, we have all the time in the universe!" He hopped into the van and looked back at Donna, offering her a hand up. "No use turning back now."

Donna felt the last bit of nervousness fade away as she took his hand. "Wouldn't dream of it."

She was still holding the apple.

"What happens now?" She asked as he flicked a few switches on the big sort of table in the centre of the room, which was all a rather bleak shade of...white.

He looked over at her. "You will learn, but not yet. It's far too soon, but the stars are waiting for us." He grinned. "We can't keep them waiting, can we?"

Donna watched as he hit a button and, all at once, the room was full of sound. The collumn in the middle of the table rose and fell, and the sound might have been engines, though not any she'd ever heard before. The - well, it obviously wasn't a van, but she couldn't think of anything else to call it - van jolted just once, and she felt something akin to motion sickness. Then, as abruptly as it began, it ended, and he was staring at her.

"What...just happened?" Donna felt a thread of earlier nerves creeping back.

The man pointed to the back of the...van. "See for yourself."

Slowly, cautiously, she moved to the doors, pausing as soon as she touched the handle to push it open. Then, a little voice scolding her for acting silly, she opened the doors with a shove...

And had to actively try not to gape.

"Welcome, Donna Noble, to Valia, 1921." He muttered from far too close behind her and she shivered slightly. "Care to look around?"

Donna turned to face him, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at his. Quietly, she asked once more, "Who are you?"

He chuckled and took the apple from the grasp; she hadn't noticed she was still holding it. Setting it down, he abruptly stopped laughing and looked her dead in the eyes, the edges of his mouth quirked up slightly. "I am the Master."

She managed to regain her footing enough to raise an eyebrow at him. "The Master? That's a name? And master of what, exactly?"

He chuckled again and stepped closer to her. "Of the Universe. Now then!" He stepped back suddenly, and waved rather dramatically out the door. "Shall we?"

Donna nodded silently and wondered what on earth she'd gotten herself into.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Ears: Oh, Donna, you have noooooo idea.... -evil grin- Anywho, review! :)