Now You're Just Somebody That I Used To Know
Its Christmas 2010, Chiswick. There's a weird looking man walking around the streets as if he had lost something. He's dressed in a brown suit and has a red bowtie that he is constantly touching. He suddenly stops in front of a house and starts turning around everywhere like he is trying to gain the power to go in, he goes up the steps and when he is about to knock the door he puts his hand back down and makes a pained sound inside his throat, he goes down the steps again and leaves the street running.
A few hours later the same man is going inside an industries building, he walks towards a desk that is in the middle of the main hall where a loud voiced, 30-something year old ginger woman is sitting and writing things on the computer. He is some steps away of the desk and before moving his legs again; he starts running the other way to get out of the building.
"I'm so sorry sir, but how many times have I told you, there is no way he can have an appointment, he is really busy at the moment" says the woman that is sitting on the desk, now with a phone in her hand. "Incoming call, I will put you on the waitlist". She hangs up and returns her attention to the computer, she sighs and talks again. "Oh this place is driving me crazy".
The red-headed woman stands up and walks through the corridors of the building with a binder in her hands, she stands in front of a door and opens it, going inside the room. "Here is everything you asked me for. The whole company has sent its monthly report," she says while leaving the binder on a desk where a man with an important look is sitting. "If there's anything else you need I'll be sitting where I am sitting every day, won't get lost, I promise" She starts walking to the door, determined to leave the room.
"Donna?" asks the man behind the desk.
"Yes?" she replies as she turns and walks back to where she was.
"I want you to do something for me, ok?" He speaks seriously.
"What do you want?" She crosses her arms and rolls her eyes; clearly Donna Noble hates her job.
"Donna, please" he smiles at her clear hate. "I want you to go out, come back in January, go and celebrate Christmas, go buy a nice dress and go see some of your friends"
Donna's eyes shine and she opens her mouth widely to start talking. "Oh thank you so much" she walks out of the room but then opens the door again and with her head popping out to the side she says smiling "Bye!" Donna Noble closes the office door and immediately whispers a short, glorious "Yes!" While making a conqueror expression and moving her arms with her fists closed triumphantly.
She walks out of the building and gets into the car. She decides to go to a restaurant to eat and then go back home; she turns left on the main avenue and finally parks her car. Inside the restaurant she seats and asks for a piece of cake, she stays staring at a strange looking man with a brown suit and a red bowtie who is walking around the table next to her.
"Excuse me, Can I help you?" She stops the man and looks in his eyes. The man stares at her for a moment and suddenly his eyes fill up with tears, he sits next to Donna and covers his eyes with his hands. "That's all right mate" she says and puts a hand on his back "It's Christmas Eve, why are you like that?" The man looks up "You should be out there with your friends, having a drink, celebrating"
"I am with a friend" He smiles.
"Did he go to the toilet?" Donna asks, she doesn't understand a thing.
"I... was, with a friend" replies the man. "What year is this?"
"2010? I suppose..." Now that is weird, thinks Donna, he must be drunk. "Look you're alone and a bit wasted and I have no one to spend Christmas with, so, do you want to go have tea with me?" The man starts tearing up again so Donna grabs his hand and stands up from the table to go home, it's weird, she doesn't know who he is, yet he seems so familiar and she feels she would give her life for him.
When Donna sits back in her car with the man by her side the waiter arrives to the table where she was sitting before with a cake in his hands, she laughs and starts driving home. The car stops in front of the same house where the man had been previously in this day, but of course Donna doesn't know this. They both get out the car and into the house.
"Please make your-self comfortable, I'll go make the tea" says Donna and leaves the room. The man sits down and hides his face between his hands. "Mum, Gramps, I'm home!" she shouts.
An old looking man and a short haired blond woman get to the living room where they see the man sitting with his face down. "Huh, Donna?" asks the old man, slightly confused at finding a stranger in the living room.
"What?" she replies from the kitchen.
"Who-Who is this man?" he asks again while pointing to the man sitting on the couch.
Donna comes out of the kitchen with the tea ready and leaves it on the table. "I... have no idea" she replies with a surprised voice. "I just, brought him home, don't know, seemed right" she sits beside him. "Hey, what's your name?" Donna asks him.
The man looks up and replies as clearly as he can. "J-John, John Smith" John looks at the old man and whispers something sadly. "Wilf..."
"John Smith?" asks Donna. "Oi, Isn't that wizard?" John smiles sadly at her words. "There was a man with the same name a few Christmases ago that came here, right gramps?" Wilf looks like he had lost his breath and turns his eyes to see the man, astonished. "There must be lots of 'John Smiths' running around there in this world" she stands up. "I'll be right back"
Wilf and the blond woman look at John speechless and they sit beside him, where Donna was sitting before. "Doctor?" Wilf asks John in a whisper.
"Who else?" Replies the Doctor with his eyes full of tears again. "It's good to see you Mrs Noble" He smiles at the blond woman.
"What the hell are you doing here?" asks Mrs Noble whispering too "You know what happens if she remembers, you better than any of us"
"I couldn't bear the pain anymore, I had to see her, I'm so, so sorry. I promise I won't say anything that can make her remember," says the Doctor in a pain-filled voice.
Wilf points at the Doctor's face and then at his own with a strange expression. "What happened to you?"
"Regeneration, if Timelords are about to die their body reacts and changes its form to a new one, same man, different face" replies the Doctor quickly.
"So! Mr. Smith" Donna comes back into the room and speaks happily and loudly. "You said you were with a friend, what happened to him?"
"Her" Replies the Doctor "She is, gone, she won't ever see me again" His eyes once again fill with tears, he can't bear the pain anymore, talking to his best friend about herself, without her knowing who he is.
"Oh come on! I know she will, go look for her! What was she like?" asks Donna encouraging him.
"Well, she was, is." He smiles sadly and with a vague look, his eyes lost. "She is so very brave, she has the most amazing personality, the best, she can make you smile or laugh even in your saddest moments, she is such a kind hearted person, she's brilliant, she's fantastic, she's unique, and she is so intelligent." A tear slides down his cheek and he speaks sadly. "Too intelligent."
At these two last words Wilf and Mrs Noble make a painful face, he really misses Donna. The Doctor wipes away the tear and smiles again.
"She sounds like great person, I hope you find her. What does she look like? If I ever see her I will be sure to tell you" Donna coments.
"Oh she is weird looking, she's kind of pretty, but of course never to my eyes, she has amazing long red hair and a great smile" The Doctor replies and then stands up and moves towards the door. "I'd better be going; you'll want to start making the Christmas dinner"
Donna, Wilf and Mrs Noble stand too and follow him to the door, Donna stays at the door looking at the Doctor leave, smiling. "Good bye John Smith, I hope to see you around, it was nice meeting you, I hope you find your friend and I will look for her, it's a promise, I'll find her and tell her you need her"
The Doctor starts crying silent tears and waves to the smiling Donna. "Oh I'm sure you will find her, Donna Noble, in fact I think you will see her quite often" He turns around and leaves the street.
Behind Donna her mother and grandfather are crying too, they can't believe he came to see their Donna, they miss him too, and they are sure that very deep inside, she does too.
THE END