Disclaimer- I don't own Doctor Who.
Donna Noble was a normal woman. She had a normal job, a normal family, and a normal, boring life.
She'd never been traveling, even though she'd been meaning to for a long time. Whenever she brought that up to her grandfather, Wilfred, he'd take on a hurt look as if he were remembering something painful.
Donna hated those conversations. They always made her feel guilty, somehow, as if she'd made her grandfather sad. It also gave her the feeling of scratching at a wall, like she had forgotten something important.
She got that feeling often, at the strangest times. Once, a couple had walked past her on the street. The woman had leaned into the man, giggling and speaking in French.
Donna had been hit with a sudden pang of nostalgia. A dim memory poked at the surface of her mind, a quiet whisper she struggled to make out. It almost sounded like allons-y.
Don't be daft, Donna had thought. You don't know French.
She'd gone back to work, stacking papers at the office.
"Hey, Kate," A coworker called. "It's your turn to get coffee!"
"No way, James! I did it yesterday," Kate replied. "It's Donna's turn."
The eager workers turned to Donna, ready for the next round of coffee in the break room. Every day, they'd take turns making enough coffee for everyone when the end of the day came. Why anyone would want to drink coffee at 5, Donna didn't know, but the habit had started to grow on her.
"Fine, fine," She muttered, and started the long journey down two flights of stairs and through the entrance hall.
As she reached the bottom of the last set of stairs, she promptly crashed into a man in a bow tie and tweed suit jacket.
"Oi!" She exclaimed. "Watch where you're going, Bow Tie!"
The man jumped backwards, a look of shock on his face. "Bow Tie? Is that the best you could come up with?" He asked indignantly.
Donna frowned. "I didn't exactly have a lot of time to think before you ran into me!"
"I ran into you?" He grumbled, looking like a pouting puppy. "Fine. But that's not how that happened."
"Yeah, yeah. What's your name then, Floppy Hair?"
"'Floppy Hair'? Really? That's even worse!" He paused, and held his hand out. "John Smith."
She shook his hand. "Donna Noble. Funny, I think I used to have a friend who went by that name..." She frowned, trying to call up a picture, but a wall in her mind prevented that from happening.
Donna shook her head, cutting off the thoughts. "Anyways, you need to look where you run! The next person won't be so nice!"
It was about a week later when Sylvia Noble made them go shopping.
"I just need some milk!"
"Then why don't you go get some?" Donna exclaimed.
"I'm busy, you're not," Sylvia Noble replied. "Besides, your grandad needs to get out and about. You two both do. Go together."
After a long argument that Wilfred watched, Donna stalked off get in the car, Wilfred following. When they walked into the uncrowded store, past the checkout booths, Wilfred stopped abruptly.
"Go on, Donna. I just need to talk to that cashier over there, we're old friends."
"You've never mentioned any cashiers before," Donna said, but moved on nonetheless.
As soon as she was out of sight, Wilfred called out a greeting to the cashier sitting idly, waiting for some kind of action, with the nametag that read "The Doctor".
The cashier jumped up, seeing the man calling to him, and ran over. "Wilfred!"
"Doctor! I didn't think I'd ever see you again," Wilfred replied happily.
"But how'd you recognize me? I've regenerated," The Doctor asked.
Wilfred pointed to the nametag. "It says your name right there."
"Oh, right. It's good to see you again!" The Doctor pulled Wilfred into a quick hug, drawing the stares of passersby, but neither seemed to mind.
"How's Donna been?" The Doctor asked quietly after a moment.
Wilfred responded, "She's good. Doesn't remember anything she shouldn't." He knew how guilty the Doctor must feel.
"Good, good. I'm so sorry for doing this to you both-"
"Stop right there, Doctor. You saved the planet! And even if she doesn't remember it, you made Donna's life better. You want to apologize for that?"
"I suppose not." The Doctor then smiled. "Thank you, Wilfred."
Wilfred saw Donna approaching from the next aisle. "Donna's going to be here any second," He said.
"Then I should get to work."
"Oi, Bow Tie!" Donna called when she saw the Doctor, then turned to Wilfred. "You know this nutter?"
Wilfred chuckled softly. "I suppose I do."