Danni just didn't want to let him go. She knew it was awkward, that she wasn't making it easy for any of them to walk through the club towards the exit by hugging his arm as close as she could to her, but she was slightly tipsy so she really didn't care. The Doctor didn't seem to mind too much either, jut gently manoeuvring her through the crowd, dipping his head down occasionally to tell her to mind her step, always leaving a little kiss on her hair as he straightened.
He remembered her. She didn't care about anything else, because her Theta remembered her, and even though it can't have been more than 24 hours of her life, she never wanted to go through that again. Her whole life, everything that she had come to love over the last decade and a half had just fallen into nothingness. It was all fine now, though, everything was as it should be as River, Clara and the Doctor led her out into the cold night air outside, only pausing slightly at the door for the Doctor to wave at someone. Who it was she didn't really care, because once they were outside she was hugging him once again, tightly and with her eyes closed as she just let herself be completely wrapped up in her husband.
The Doctor held her just as tightly, placing another kiss on her hair, "I'm sorry." He whispered into her, "I'm so sorry, Danielle. It's all my fault, I-" She pulled her head off his chest, shooting him the biggest grin, eyes shining in her happiness under the yellow street lights.
"I don't care." She told him, a laugh in her voice, "I don't care, you're here, you're really here!" She pushed up on her toes, kissing him quickly on the lips, "I thought I was never going to see you again. I thought you'd never remember me! I don't care why or how, you're here!" She was almost crying, those lovely happy tears that warmed his hearts so much. How could he have ever forgotten her, even for a moment?
He reached out, cupping her cheeks and wiping the tears away with his thumbs, causing her to giggle again. He'd tell her what actually happened, how he'd never meant to do that to her, but not yet. Not while she was this happy, it could wait until morning. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow and gave her an incredulous look, "'Carry on my Wayward Son'?" He asked her, "Really, Danni-Girl?"
"It's mine and River's song!" She protested, turning to look at the bushy haired woman, "We were going to do American Idiot as well, even though that's what me and Amy always sung!" He attention turned to the doorway of the club, she was quite the flighty drunk after all, "Maybe we should tell them we're not doing it anymore. They'll be- JACK!" She practically screamed the man's name as he joined them outside, shooting her that flirty grin as he quickly made his way over to them, letting her pull him into a hug.
"You had us worried, Danni-Girl!" He told her when he let her go to hold her at arm's length. She frowned, his words making very little sense to her.
"Why?" She asked, before it occurred to her that he shouldn't have been there. Clara would have been, because she travelled with the pair of them, but why did they have Jack? "What are you doing here?" He looked over her blonde hair at the Doctor.
"Do you want to answer that one, Doc?" He asked and she turned to look at the Doctor expectantly as River sighed in annoyance. They were about to make her the bad guy again, all because she'd just wanted to spend some quality time with her Danielle. And they had been having such a good time before the meddling Time Lord had turned up to spoil it all. She was going to take Danni back eventually, she'd just wanted some girly time.
"Well," The Doctor started, reaching out for his wife. She took his hand instantly, walking back to him and staring up through her glasses with those beautiful brown eyes. She was so happy, even with River, "when I went to go pick you up from Stormcage, neither of you were there. So I had to get the best people on the case to find you, didn't I?"
She giggled, nodding, "Like the army you built for Amy?" She asked and he couldn't help but smile at her. She was so adorable. She always seemed to worry less about looking childish after a drink and he liked to encourage her to be this cheerful whenever she could be.
"Even better." He promised and she hugged him hard. He looked at River, who was eyeing him suspiciously and he smirked slightly, "Why don't you head back in with River, and I'll pick you both up in a couple of hours?" He suggested, knowing what her answer would be.
"No." Danni protested instantly, eyes wide and terrified that he was about to leave, "No, I want to go home now." She looked around at River, the Doctor turning her in his grasp so she was pressed up against his chest but he didn't have to let her go, "You don't mind, do you River?" She asked, a mixture of guilty for cutting their night short but also hopeful she'd say it was fine. River took a glance at the small watch on her wrist.
"I was about to suggest the same thing." She replied with a smirk, locking eyes with the Doctor, "It's about to turn twelve after all." His eyes narrowed at the seemingly offhand remark and his grip tightened minutely on his Danni-Girl. She didn't notice him tensing up, or if she did she just enjoyed him holding her so close and so she sank into his embrace, closing her eyes.
Jack noticed, though. He saw the look of anger the Doctor was sending the mother of his daughter and the one of challenge the archaeologist was returning and knew something was about to come to a head, "Did you two lovely ladies have jackets?" He asked the pair and Danni's eyes shot open.
"Oh, oh we did!" She exclaimed, like she'd forgotten something incredibly important, "I'll go get them!" She spun on her too tall heels, stumbling slightly to place a kiss on the Doctor's lips. He didn't let her go, deepening the kiss for a moment, despite the sharp taste of alcohol that was mixed in with her. She let him, eagerly kissing him back until she remembered why she was moving in the first place.
She headed over to River, holding her hand out for the little stub that they'd been given so they could fetch their coats from the cloakroom. She was about to head back into the club when she paused, looking at the Doctor with a small amount of worry showing on her face, "You'll be here when I come out, won't you?" She asked and he nodded, crossing over his hearts. She giggled then went up to the bouncers at the door, showing them the stamp on the back of her hand before being let it.
The Doctor hadn't wanted to let her go in alone, but he knew that they all needed a moment without her, just so they didn't upset their Danni. Jack immediately turned to River, eyes blazing.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He raged, "No one knew where the hell you'd taken her."
"Oh, so now I have to check in every time I want a night out with my daughter?" River snapped in reply.
"You do when you're telling everyone she's with me!" He retorted, "She could have been in danger and no of us would have known!"
"She's a grown woman, she can do what she likes!" River said. It had always bothered her the way they'd always baby Danni, like she wasn't capable of looking after herself. It's like they didn't realise it just made her more dependent on the Doctor, something she knew Jack wasn't crazy about.
"Doesn't mean she still can't get in danger!" Jack snapped, "Look who she travels with-"
"Hey!" The Doctor cried out, stepping forward.
"She doesn't need more situations where she can get herself hurt."
"You just don't want me spending time with her." River exclaimed, "You've always been the same!"
"I don't want..." Clara rolled her eyes as Jack and River started shouting at each other like a recently divorced couple. Honestly, she was surrounded by children.
"Okay, that's enough!" She shouted, halting their argument, "Honestly, this is turning into a bloody soap opera. Who's keeping the daughter they didn't even raise," she eyed them, daring them to interrupt her, but while River just looked aggravated, Jack did seem to look like he knew to listen to her. This was why she'd make a great teacher, she'd be able to get the most stubborn of children to listen to her,
"From doing what is irrelevant." She continued, "She's going to be out here any moment now and she doesn't need to see you two arguing, she's had a hard enough day as it is." The Doctor clasped his hands on both of her shoulders, stepping back into the conversation.
"My esteemed companion is right," He declared as she shrugged him off, "She's happy, that's all the matters, right?" Jack nodded once, while River grumbled in annoyance.
"Plus, he's the one who forgot her." Clara continued, nodding at the Doctor, "It's him you should be angry at."
"Hey!" He protested again, "I didn't do it on purpose!"
"Did it ever cross your mind that letting her do the stuff you keep trying to protect her from then she wouldn't need protecting?" Clara asked in reply, "You're worse than anyone, is it any wonder she's scared of everything?"
"I just don't want her to get hurt again!" He argued, but their conversation came to a halt as Danni rushed out of the club with two coats and her heels in her hands.
"I got bored of the shoes!" She cried handing them to Jack before giving River her coat, "A guy saw me leaving and wanted me to get your number for him," she rambled at River, "I told him that the prison didn't let you out for dates, and he seemed to back off!" River chuckled, shrugging her jacket on.
"Wasn't good looking, was he?" She asked and Danni shook her head.
"I don't think so." She replied before looking over her shoulder, "I can go check again, if you like."
"And that's time to leave." Jack declared, grabbing her by the shoulders, starting to walk her away from the group and towards where the TARDIS was parked. He wasn't a massive fan of this particular regeneration, but he also wasn't overly fond of the idea of his daughter picking up guys in bars. He was that guy, he knew what they were like, "You want to spend time with your husband, don't you?" He reminded and she nodded eagerly.
"He remembered me, Jack!" She replied, looking up at him as they headed just up the street to where the Doctor had parked her, "Can you believe it? Everything's back the way it should be!" The Doctor smirked, straightening his bow tie before placing his arm around Clara's shoulders.
"Did you hear that?" He asked, walking her away from River, who rolled her eyes again as she followed them, "Everything is as it should be."
~0~0~0~
They dropped Clara off first, who gave Danni a giant hug and told her how happy she was that the Doctor was back, just like she said he would be. Danni had praised her, telling her that she needed to listen to Clara Oswald more often and Clara couldn't have agreed more.
Jack was dropped off with the promise that Danni would visit more often, and one from the Doctor that he'd take care of her better. Danni had told him that she could look after herself just fine, but the Doctor had just promised to try harder.
Danni was actually rather sad to see River go, they had been getting on so well and their night out had been going brilliantly, if you ignored the fact that Danni was running away from the fact that her husband didn't know who she was. River really appreciated the hug from her, but didn't try and make it last longer the Danni was expecting. She knew this Danni was still on the borderline of whether to accept her back into her life or not, so she had to play it properly.
"We'll do this again." River told her as she headed straight for the door, leaving no room for argument, "This time with no boys interrupting us." Danni laughed, crossing over both her hearts.
"Be good, River." She told the woman, who paused in the door, hand on the frame as she and gave her a cheeky grin.
"Not if I can help it, sweetie." And she was gone. Danni looked up at the Doctor expectantly, waiting for him to move and fly them away but instead he placed a kiss on her hair.
"I'll just go make sure she doesn't get told off for looking after you." He told her and she nodded, that was a good idea. She held his hand as long as she could, him almost walking backwards to keep a hold of her.
"You'll be back soon, won't you?" She asked anxiously and he placed a kiss on her palm.
"Try and keep me away, Danni-Girl." He replied and she smiled, reassured as he headed outside. River was already entering her cell when he walked over, leaning against the bars.
"Don't lie to me about her again, River." He told her warningly.
"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" River asked in reply, hand on her hip as she stared at him. She wasn't scared of him, she didn't understand why people were. She wasn't sure why he hadn't ratted her in and it unnerved her slightly that he was being so nice.
"What, about you purposefully keeping her in the dark and sending me on a wild goose chase?" He asked, like he wasn't sure and she just stared at him, "Because she was having a good time with you, and it didn't want to ruin that. When I die, I want her to have family around her, people who care and that includes you." River relaxed slightly, slightly surprised by his consideration. It didn't go with anything she knew about the man. He wasn't considerate, even with Danni he was selfish.
"No, you didn't." She countered, "You did it so you can hold it over my head. If I do as you say, you won't tell her."
"I don't know what you mean." He retorted, pushing off the bars.
"Yes you do." She snapped, "You want me to be grateful, don't you? Want me to thank you for not grassing me in." He opened his mouth to reply, probably to deny anything but she wasn't stupid. It was manipulative of him, just like she had always been taught he would be. She didn't always remember her time being brainwashed, but she remembered bits. Danni had showed her that the stories she knew weren't always how they had seemed, but he had yet to show that he was the good man he was supposed to be.
"I just want my wife to be happy," He replied calmly, not rising to her accusations which just angered her even more, "even when I'm not there. Tell her if you want, I'm sure she'll take it brilliantly."
"If I tell her, she'll know you lied to." She replied, "She'll be angry at both of us."
"You're probably right," he agreed, "I'm sure she'll love to hear it from you."
"You don't deserve her." River told him firmly, glowering at him and he shrugged.
"Neither do you." He replied, "Goodbye, River." He turned, heading back into the TARDIS. Danni was waiting by the console, feet together and hands clasped in front of her. He just stared at her for a moment, drinking her in. His hearts had broken when he realised that he'd forgotten her, that she was out there, alone and upset because of his carelessness. That for a while, no one loved her like he loved her. He slowly walked towards the console, not saying a word as he went to set them off into the Vortex. Danni grabbed him, though, before he could, chucking her arms around him and pulling him into a kiss.
"Danni," He murmured, placing a hand on each of her hips, pulling her close and falling into the kiss for just a moment before pulling away just slightly, "Let me just take us away." She shook her head just slightly, pressing up against him.
"I thought you'd forgotten me." She mumbled in reply, her lips brushing against his, "You're not forgetting me again." The Doctor nodded, more than happy to find out how she intended that to happen. He deepened the kiss, groaning against her as he backed her up into the cold metal of the console. He reached out, flipping what he hoped was the right switched before he let her go. She frowned, wanting to kiss him, wanting to feel him, there and solid in front of her when he bent slightly, hooking her knees with his legs. She squealed, laughing in delight as he picked her up.
"Theta!" She laughed as he headed out of the console room, "Put me down! This is ridiculous!"
"That's not my name." He whispered into her ear, "But don't worry, we can work on that."
~0~0~0~
Danni groaned as she rolled over, pulling the cover up and over her head. It had been years since she'd had a hangover, not really since she had stayed at Clara's for a week and she instantly decided that she was too old for another one. No one should have to live through their brain screaming at them for having a good night.
She groped outwards, looking for her husband and finding nothing but empty bed. She squinted, trying to focus on the covers as she felt again to see if the bed was warm or if he'd been gone a while. Something small rolled into her hand, startling her slightly as the cold hit her skin. She grabbed it, smiling as she felt the test tube. Oh, the purple stuff. The glorious, glorious purple stuff.
She quickly drank it, closing her eyes once again as she felt it take an almost immediate effect. What would she do without the purple stuff? Suffer, that's what.
She sat up, put her glasses on before looking around the room. Now that she could open her eyes without being blinded by the light the TARDIS generously provided she just took in the bedroom slowly, taking her time to enjoy it. She'd come so close to losing her husband, to losing this room and she'd felt that relief of still being here in her sleep as she'd dreamt of him dancing her around their blue box. She'd fallen asleep in his arms, she'd been too scared to let him go and he seemed more than happy to hold her close, whispering how much he loved her, his chin resting gently on her head. She'd attempted to say in back in his language, but she'd just been a bit too tipsy and he'd chuckled at her. She loved that noise, he should laugh more.
In the mirror that sat in their bedroom corner she could see the blown-up photo of them in front of that giant mushroom that sat on the wall above the bed. She turned her head awkwardly, tilting upwards to look at the wonderful picture. Her Theta looked so happy, and she- well, she looked terrified, but it was a beautiful photo, it showed them both off perfectly. The Doctor holding onto her like he would never let go, Danni scared but feeling safe in his arms. She straightened back up again, catching herself in the mirror. She was grinning from ear to ear, she looked like a fool.
She scrambled out of the bed, her eyes searching for something to wear in the clothes that were scattered on the floor. She'd loved her dress the night before, but it wasn't comfortable morning after attire so that was quickly discarded. She spotted her pyjamas and headed for them, only to see the Doctor's shirt from the night before. She smirked a tiny smirk, oh he would like that wouldn't he?
So, dressed in very little else, she headed into the hallway. She remembered a time she would have been terrified to walk through the TARDIS like this, for fear of someone she hadn't been expecting stumbling on her. Now, though, she knew that the Doctor would tell her if he'd picked someone up without her knowledge.
She found him the console room, where else would he have been? He was on the opposite side to the door to the hallway, one of the control panels on the top open like the bonnet of a car as he fiddled away.
"You weren't there when I woke up." She declared, letting him know she was there. She obviously surprised him, his head shooting up and banging against the metal. He cried out in surprise and pain, ducking away from the panel.
"Oh, oh, oh!" He repeated, eyes squeezed closed and she rushed over, alarmed as he held both hands on his forehead.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" She cried, "Here, let me have a look." She reached up, gently placing her hands on his and moved them away. He was still grimacing in pain but luckily all that was there was a small, red mark. She gently pulled his head down as she pushed up on her tiptoes, placing a kiss over it. She let him go again and he slowly opened his eyes, blinking as his brain settled, "I didn't mean to startle you so much."
He shrugged, trying to brush off his own clumsiness, "It's okay, I just wasn't expecting you up so soon!" He explained, "I was supposed to be coming back, I don't like you waking up on your own with a hangover. I know I was a little while, but I can't have been more than half an hour-" He checked the watch that forever sat on his wrist, "3 hours! Oh, well," he ran his hand through his hair as he finally looked up at her. His eyes caught what she was wearing - or rather, how little she was wearing and he squeaked as his eyes widened, "Danni!"
"What?" She laughed, "Do you not like it?" He stepped forward, hands in front of him as he flailed, trying to do... well, something.
"What if someone sees you?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.
"There's only us here." She reminded, "Oh, your memory is really going in your old age." His mouth fell into an 'o' of realisation, and he ignored the swipe at his age. Instead, he pulled her up close, a smirk appearing on his face.
"I very much like it." He murmured and soon enough they were kissing in the middle of the console room. He adored how she felt, how she tasted, the way she pushed herself just that little closer to him as she fell into the kiss.
He leant his forehead against hers when he finally let her go, staring through her glasses into her beautiful eyes. How could he have ever forgotten her? She'd forgiven him so completely and so quickly, her hearts always seemed to have just that little bit more to give, "I'm sorry." He told her again and she shook her head.
"You don't have to be." She promised, "I'm just happy you're back. My Spaceman." He smiled sadly. He needed to tell her what had happened, she deserved to know what he'd done, but she was going to be so angry. Hopefully she won't be to angry that he hadn't told her the night before, he'd just been so relieved that she had welcomed him back into her arms. She'd never really launched herself at him like she had off that stage, clinging to him so tightly she was holding herself off the ground.
"It was my fault." He explained apologetically, "I didn't want the Cyberplanner to get any information on you, so I tried to block you off from him. I guess I was just a bit... other enthusiastic. I never meant to cut you off completely, but I did." He watched her smile falter, getting ready to try and make it up to her, to keep apologising and promising that he never would do something so stupid again. He would mean it as well, there was no way he was ever going to that again.
Instead, he was amazed as the smile spread back onto her face, lightening up her eyes once again, "I don't care." She told him bluntly.
"Wh-What?" He asked, bewildered and she laughed at how confused he looked.
"I don't care." She repeated, "Theta, I-" She paused for a moment, working out the best way to word what she wanted to say, "I thought I was scared of Cybermen, and the Master and... well, actually I'm still terrified of them. But I can face them, if I have to. I know I can now, and I'll be okay doing it on my own. I'd survive. But the thought of having to do that on my own. The thought of not having you there to hold my hand?" She took her arms from around his neck, sliding her hand down his arm and linking their fingers, "Everything will be fine as long as you're there to hold my hand." He looked down at her, completely amazed by how wonderful she was. She really had forgiven him, hadn't she?
"You are amazing." He breathed and she bit her lip as she tried to stop herself smiling, flushing that beautiful pink and he used his free hand to tilt her head, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"So, Spaceman, what were you working on?" She asked, nodding towards the console, bringing them out of their serious conversation. She watched him grin as he remembered, like he was so excited for what he'd been doing and he pulled her around so she could see the console as he pulled the panel down.
"This," he started, motioning to a small green button that apparently hadn't been there before, "is for you. When you need to fly the TARDIS anywhere and I'm not here anymore-"
"Theta..." She started in warning, because more than ever, she really didn't want to think about him not being there.
"I know, but for whatever reason you need to take the TARDIS anywhere, press this button. I was having a bit of trouble getting it up and running, but I think I have fixed it." He stared expectantly at her and her brows furrowed in her confusion until he nodded towards it, "Go on, press it!" He almost demanded in his excitement. She shook her head fondly at his eagerness but did as he asked.
"Ah, Danni-Girl!" A familiar yet old voice asked and she turned to see the Voice Interface stood there in his wonderful Ten form, "Need to go somewhere?" The Doctor groaned next to her, pulling out his screwdriver and making the image disappear.
"Every time I try and get the right image she just brings up that instead." He moaned, "There must be something wrong in her database."
"I don't know." Danni mused, staring at the spot where Ten had been stood, "Seemed like the right image to me."
"Oh, you-" He started, looking at the cheeky grin on her face, "you- Come here, you." He went to pull her close, but she giggled and dove out of his grasp.
"Catch me, Old Man!" She challenged, running out of the room. He watched her go, wondering if it had really been that long since he'd seen her this happy, he hadn't even realised she wasn't happy at all, but watching her rush out like she was playing tag showed it up immensely. He'd get to the bottom of that soon enough.
For now, though, he settled on chasing his barely-dressed wife through the halls of the TARDIS, vowing to keep her this happy forever.
~0~0~0~
"How do I look?" Danni asked as she walked into the console room once again. When he had finally let her go get dressed, and when she had allowed him to leave her alone long enough to get dressed, she had taken a little while looking for the perfect outfit. She didn't want to make a bad impression, and they'd left it incredibly too long but she wasn't sure if she was going to tell them that. No, best not. Just drop him, apologise for not coming to see them sooner - although, not alluding to just how much sooner they should have been - have some tea and fly away. They'd appreciate seeing her alive and well, she was sure of it. And if anyone was going to believe the twisting, turning mess that was her story, it was going to be them.
The Doctor stared at her again, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, "Beautiful." He promised as she spun, showing off the simple white dress with black dots on it that looked hand drawn. There was a little flower on the collar and it had just called to her when she'd finally found it.
She grinned, dashing over to him once against, launching herself up for him to catch. They both laughed as she wrapped her legs around him and he spun her around. He loved Clara, she had become such a good friend to the pair of them and had helped Danni find herself more than she probably realised, but there was nothing better than the two of them together in the TARDIS, just being with each other.
He placed her on the console top, standing in between her legs, "So, really want to go see them?" He asked and she nodded, playing absentmindedly with the lapels of his jacket.
"The Cybermen reminded me that we'd never told them I was okay. Sophie was really upset, plus I know Alfie would love to see you." She replied, "He was so cute, all he wanted to do was hear stories about you."
"Well, who wouldn't?" He boasted, looking smug, "I'm pretty amazing." She giggled.
"Very impressive." She agreed suggestively, using her hold on his jacket to pull him down closer. He kissed her at the same time he set them into flight, heading to an unsuspecting house in the south of England.