Donna lowered her hands as the commotion calmed down and the soldier lowered his gun. As she turned around, she saw a light coming from down the street. She knew who it was. Well, she didn't know exactly who. She just knew it was her…
Despite her mother's protests, Donna walked down the street and turned to see the young, yellow-haired woman standing there, waiting.
"Hello," Donna said.
"Hi," the woman replied.
And a beautiful woman she was.
Donna walked with the woman for a bit when they got to a bench and sat down. While they sat there, the golden-haired girl spoke of ATMOS and the poison sky all over Europe, China, and South Africa. Donna was only partly there. Another part of her was somewhere else, trying to remember who this woman was. She was very familiar, and for some reason, Donna knew that she would trust this woman with her life.
"They're getting choked by gas."
Donna's heart hurt a bit for the poor souls around the world, slowly losing their ability to breathe. "Can't anyone stop it?"
"Yeah, they're trying right now. This little band of fighters on board the Sontaran ship. Any second now." The woman was gazing up at the sky, so Donna decided to do the same.
The sky lit on fire and bright reds, oranges, and yellows blinded Donna for just a moment as the flames quickly ran across the sky.
Donna sat there for a moment in awe, then said, "And that was?"
"That was the Torchwood team," the woman answered. "Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones, they gave their lives. Captain Jack Harkness has transported the Sontaran home. There's no one left."
Donna turned to look at the woman and said, "You're always wearing the same clothes. Why won't you tell me your name?"
The woman sighed. It was a sad sigh, an apologetic sigh. "Donna," she began. "In just a short time, you will face something that no one has ever had to face before. It will be very difficult, and…"
She stopped and looked at Donna's back. The golden-haired woman lifted her hand and gently placed it on Donna's shoulder blade. "…I'm so sorry."
The woman looked into Donna's eyes, and Donna could see sympathy, sadness, and even…love. Donna wasn't sure what to say. All she could do was sit there and look this woman in the eyes, tears forming in her own…and she didn't even know why.
The woman looked at her own hand resting on Donna's back, and Donna felt her hand move slowly down. She felt that she should move so the woman wasn't touching her anymore, but…she didn't want to. The woman's eyes followed her hand, and her hand rested at Donna's waist. The woman looked back into Donna's eyes, a couple of tears falling down her cheeks, and that's when she felt the woman's lips against her own.
They were soft, and it felt…nice. Donna's eyes were wide for a moment, not knowing what to do. Then, for some reason, she just fell into this stranger's kiss. She trusted this woman completely, and she didn't know why. She didn't even know her name. But she knew that she should. Before Donna could think anymore about what the woman's name was, the woman got extremely close to Donna and, her arm around Donna's waist, pulled her to her. Donna, eyes closed put her arm around the woman's waist and boldly deepened the kiss. The woman held her tightly then tangled her free hand in Donna's beautiful, red hair.
The woman stopped, only for a moment, to catch her breath and whisper, "Donna."
Donna then took her hand and moved the woman's golden hair away from her neck. She kissed the woman on the lips again, then her jawline, her neck, her shoulder, then the woman did the same to Donna.
Donna couldn't help herself. The words slipped out, and the tears started to fall, no matter how hard she tried to prevent them from doing so. "I don't even know your name."
The woman stopped and, her hand still in Donna's hair, her arm still around Donna's waist, looked into Donna's sad eyes reflecting her own and failed to keep her own tears from falling down her cheeks. "Oh, Donna," she said quietly. "Donna, I am so sorry." Her words were sincere, her words were sad, her words were caring. The woman pulled Donna into a tight embrace.
Donna wrapped both her arms around this wonderful, strange woman and shook and sobbed.
"Donna, I'm so so sorry. I'm so very sorry."
They sat there for a while longer, holding each other, both crying.
Finally, the woman pulled away and took Donna by the shoulders. "I have to go now, alright? I'm sorry, Donna, but…if you come with me, and you will, you'll die."
Donna stared at the woman, not knowing what to say.
The woman stood up and took Donna's hands as she stood up as well. The woman stroked Donna's face gently, then kissed her one last time. "I know you don't think you'll come with me…but you will. Three weeks' time. You will, Donna Noble…The most important woman in all of creation." The woman smiled a sad smile, stepped back a few steps, and began to disappear.
"No! No, wait! Don't! Please don't leave me!" Donna cried, reaching out to the strange, golden-haired woman, tears still streaming down her face. "Please."
