Prompt: angst/fluff prompt 15. "Shouldn't you be with her?" Ten x Donna obviously
Disclaimer: I still own my wedding dress and not much else here. I could pretend to, if you want me to...
A/N: first posted on tumblr.
Call Forwards
.
Feeling very confident she'd get some reaction, whether it be positive or not, Martha waited patiently for her call to be answered. When it was, after three rings, she announced, "Doctor, it's my wedding day. You'd better be here, mister."
On the other end, the Doctor nodded in agreement. "Just tell me when and where, and we'll be there." Closing the phone, he cheerily shouted down the corridor, "Donna! We've been invited to Martha's wedding; today, so get your glad rags on!"
There was the sound of a happy shriek in reply. "You're changing out of that brown suit, by the way," she threatened him from afar, "or I'll come and tear it off for you." She then appeared in the doorway mere seconds later, looking a little flushed. "Well, when I say 'tear it off', I don't mean... you know. I just don't want you looking like a scarecrow in your usual getup."
"That's alright, Donna. I knew you meant that," he assured her with a mischievous grin.
"Sure you did," she muttered as she turned to walk away. "And knowing you it'll be your blue suit anyway because we're going back to the future." When he inevitably gawped at her - how did she know all that would happen? - she explained, "Ah yes. I've noticed the pattern. I'm not as daft as you look."
"Quite," he happily agreed, watching her walk away. It was only then that he realised she'd just insulted him, again. Oh well. It made for an interesting life full of teasing. And he loved it.
~o~
They stepped out of the TARDIS, dressed in their best bib and tucked, in similar tones of blue. A pure coincidence, they maintained. Anyway, they were parked on lush grass next to a gravel pathway that led up to a large manor set in acres of ground.
"Is this the right place?" Donna wondered as they both gazed up at the impressive country house. She adjusted her stance so that her heels didn't sink into the soft ground beneath them or wrench her ankle.
"Stockbank Manor, I was told," the Doctor defended, slightly put out that she was questioning his piloting skills. I dunno, you miss an important event the one time - okay, maybe two - and you're forever tarnished with the same brush.
"Stop pouting," she admonished him. "If it's wrong in any way, you're treating me to a slap-up cream tea instead. Now lead me to the good-looking lord that lives in this manor place."
"I can show you a devilishly handsome Time Lord instead," he offered.
"Not the same thing at all," she mocked as they walked towards the main entrance.
Inside the house they beheld the level of opulence you'd expect, and the place was indeed the venue for weddings and various other celebrations. Clearly marked was the room where an officiant would carry out the wedding ceremony, and judging by the number of people already seated, things were just about to begin.
For Donna, it was a sea of unfamiliar faces. "See anyone you know, Spaceman?" she anxiously whispered into his ear.
"It's okay, we're at the right wedding," he supplied in similar tones. "That's Martha's mother, Francine, up at the front. And her dad, Clyde beside her. No sign of Annalise though."
The bride's side was pretty full, so they slotted themselves into seats near the back of the groom's side.
"Funny," Donna remarked, "but I was expecting Tom's family to look a lot more Irish. Are you alright, Doctor?"
He had gone rather stiff, and his eyes were fixed on the groom at the front of the room. "That isn't Tom Milligan," he forced out through clenched lips.
Not knowing any different, she turned to the Doctor in shock. "Then who is it?!"
With some reluctance, he answered, "Mickey Smith. But how did he get here? The last time I saw him, he was in the alternate universe, Pete's World. The man Martha is marrying used to be the boyfriend of Rose Tyler."
"What! Your Mickey Smith? The one that travelled with you?" Horror-struck, Donna looked again at the man in question and then back at her pensive friend. He needed calming down before he ruined the whole ceremony. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she quietly spoke as calmingly as she could. "There's plenty of time later for you to ask how and why he is here, whether Rose made it across too, where she is now, and if she left a message for you. Until then it is just like Pandora's box, and she is here in this universe and she isn't here at the same time. But we enjoy this wedding for Martha's sake."
"It's Schrödinger's cat, not Pandora's box," he gently corrected, knowing she'd deliberately got it wrong to both amuse and refocus him. "I promise to contain myself until I can ask."
"Good," she replied in relief, and took his trembling hand in hers to offer support. "We've got a build up to the good stuff or we're putting off the bad news."
"Your poor husband. Mine gets like that at weddings too," a woman to the side of them suddenly commented in understanding.
"He's not...," Donna began to deny automatically, but reconsidered. When would she be able to parade a husband in the future; real or imaginary? "It's a spot of PTSD."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow to silently ask 'why the lack of a marriage denial?', so Donna facially answered that 'there was no harm in going along with it this time'. Huffing his resignation, he let her get on with it.
"Have you travelled far to get here?" the woman pleasantly asked.
"Not too far," Donna offhand replied, thinking that 320,000 million light years away needn't be, and swivelled a finger between her and the Doctor. "We're from Chiswick. What about you? Have you come far?"
"Richmond," the woman proclaimed. "My husband couldn't make it. Had some important surgery only he could carry out at the hospital, apparently, but I've told him he's got to be here later."
"Men, eh," Donna sympathised.
Although the squeeze she gave the Doctor's hand contradicted that sentiment where he was concerned, he was pleased to note; and let them chatter on uninterrupted until the ceremony began. His mind was fixed on Mickey and working out how he had breached the dimensions boundaries.
~o~
The bride glowed with happiness as she made her way down the central aisle to where her future husband stood waiting to greet her. For Martha, nobody else existed in that moment.
"What a beautiful couple," the woman beside Donna remarked, and the TARDIS duo had to agree with her.
Although the Doctor was a little bit miffed that Martha hadn't noticed him yet. His miffedness level went up a notch when Donna whispered directly into his ear, "See! She's definitely moved on from you. You'll have to find a new fan club now."
The cheeky minx! He tried scowling at her, but he couldn't stay mad for long; and was soon grinning back in amusement.
"Doctor!" Martha squealed in happiness as soon as she spotted him later.
"Hello Boss," Mickey greeted him in kind.
The Doctor shook hands with Mickey and hugged Martha. "Congratulations, the pair of you."
"Who did you bring with you?" Martha wondered, looking for his latest companion.
"Donna, of course," he answered, and turned to grab her arm and her attention away from the woman she'd made instant friends with beside them in the ceremony.
To his consternation, Martha and Mickey seemed to be struck numb for some seconds before exploding into a greeting. "Donna! We never thought we would see you here," Martha exclaimed in joy, and deeply hugged her friend. "It's so good to see you well."
Mickey clasped her arm in a welcoming but comforting gesture, seemingly overcome by the sight. "It's really is good to see you again."
Confused by the attention, Donna admitted, "But I've never met you before."
"Timey wimey," the Doctor merely commented for her benefit. "Life as a time traveller can get extremely complicated."
"That's just your posh way of saying you don't get things in the right order," she teased.
"Well," he drawled, giving his neck a rub.
At least Martha and Mickey were suitably amused by his predicament. But he let the happy couple move on to greet other guests before the meal commenced.
~o~
The celebration was in full swing, with people fully fed and awash with drink. Sat to one side, the Doctor calculated how long it would take him to die of boredom, and could he get away with sneaking out to return home.
"Stop it!" Donna hissed at him. "Can't you pretend for one whole evening that you are enjoying this, for Martha's sake? You are such a child at times. Go and ask Mickey your pressing question. You know you've been dying to."
Now given permission, he stood. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
She smiled fondly at him in return. "Of course I don't. And there'll be no living with you until you get your answer."
"Donna Noble, don't ever say you aren't special."
But she waved the compliment off. "We'll see. Now go and find out. I shall want to know all the details later, but not in spaceman talk. I'll go and chat with Martha's family while you do. Never know, I might find out some important background information that way."
He grasped her hands in gratitude. "What would I do without you?"
Forget all about me while you enjoy yourself with Rose, she thought; but she merely smiled instead. Best to leave such things unsaid, just in case.
~o~
Mickey easily saw the Doctor approach him, had anticipated it, but its inevitability didn't make his coming questions any less welcome. He nudged Martha and she instantly turned to offer her full support, whatever happened.
"What can I do for you, Doctor?" he greeted him.
The Doctor shuffled a little bit on the spot before voicing his query. "The last time I saw you, before today, we were in an alternate dimension. How did you get here?" Not getting an instant answer, he added, "I need to know."
Having shared a knowing look with Martha, Mickey launched into his explanation. "There are some things you can't know yet. It was you who insisted, by the way. But I can tell you that the dimension jumpers suddenly started working again, thanks to or despite what Rose was doing at Torchwood, so I seized my chance to escape Pete's World to come home to this one. Rose is back there, with her family, just as you wanted her to be, safe and sound."
"Ah." The Doctor nodded, sort of satisfied with the news. It was hard to tell exactly.
Seeing this, Martha commented, "Enough about all that." She then pointed towards Donna. "Shouldn't you be with her?"
"Hmm?" Clearly puzzled, the Doctor swivelled on the spot and towards where his companion stood, holding Francine's latest grandchild and chatting avidly with Tish and Leo. He could tell they were comparing survivors notes even at that distance, but he decided he would only mention it later to her via a pretend brag about Time Lord superiority; that way she would admit what was being said. "You mean Donna?"
"Yes, of course I mean Donna," Martha testily replied. "Who else would I not only recommend but insist you travel with?"
Her misunderstanding of his motives and strong loyalty to her friend both touched and amused him, so he pushed the question, "Why?"
She couldn't believe she was hearing this from him. "Why? Why?! Don't you realise how good you have got it with her? She is amazing. You hold onto Donna, and you hold on tight," Martha warned him. "Make the most of her while you can."
That sounded ominous to his ears. "What makes you say that?" he sniffily wondered. "Are you saying something happens to her?"
"The bit I saw happen was magnificent. I can't tell you any more than that," she reluctantly admitted. "You didn't give us many details."
"Us?" he queried, wondering who else was involved.
Coyly, Martha gave a micro shrug. "Jack and me."
Seemed fair, to his mind. "Where IS Jack, now that you've mentioned him? Not like him to miss something like this."
Martha did her best to look blank as Mickey admitted, "We don't know. He left the planet."
"Left Earth?!" Now the Doctor really was confused. There was no reason for Jack to abandon his adopted home.
"As you often say, it's complicated," Martha quoted back at him. "Now, are you going to enjoy the rest of our wedding or not?"
He nodded. "I think I can do that, Dr Martha Jones. Or would you prefer to be called Mrs Martha Smith?"
After giving Mickey a glance, Martha allowed, "Either will do. Now let's get you a drink before I return you to Donna."
"I'll go and get you one," Mickey offered.
"Knowing Donna, she'll want a drink too," the Doctor amiably decided.
A bittersweet smile crossed Martha's face as she clasped hold of his arm. "She really is good for you, you know. More than I ever was."
"Don't put yourself down, Martha," he admonished. "You are brilliant."
"Yes," she agreed, "I am rather too."
Her sweet smile of contentment said it, so he glanced towards Donna and noted she was looking at him with a quizzical expression. He answered with his own comforting smile to reassure her before gradually sauntering over to join her midway.
~o~
"Everything alright between you and Martha?" Donna softly queried when they met.
"All fine," the Doctor insisted. "Just been getting the usual pep talk. You know how it goes."
"What, eat your greens, clean your teeth, make your bed?" she teased.
"Something like that," he admitted with a grin. Then he slightly sobered to mumble, "I was told to look after you."
She seemed instantly annoyed. "Again?! This is quickly becoming a theme when friends and family meet us. Sorry." She comforted him by bring up her hands to rest over his hearts. "There's no need to worry about me."
"A bit greedy of you to keep all the being worried and concerned to yourself," he noted, resting his hands lightly at her waist as some sensual music started to play. "Can't I be concerned about you for a while, even a little bit?"
She tilted her head in thought, and conceded, "Alright, I'll let you have that one this time; but no overdoing it."
"As if I would." He then noticed the people moving around them. "Sorry but I seem to have placed us in a tricky situation. It looks as though we might have to dance together."
According that, she replied, "All part of being my husband for the day, I suppose. If it's all too domestic for you, we can easily stop."
Giving the thought a sniff, he reasoned, "Why not dance for a while? After all, I did promise you I would appear to be enjoying this wedding."
It was exactly what she wanted to hear in that moment. So she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let him guide their steps as he held her tight.
Off to the side of them, an astonished Martha asked Mickey, "How serious do you think they are about each other. It must mean something if he later sends Rose away when he has the chance to keep her. Do you reckon him and Donna are… doing it yet?"
Mickey gave a low chuckle. "I'd say not at the moment, but it won't be long, judging by the way they behave around each other. If I didn't know any different, I'd have assumed they are married too."
"Then let's show them how married people get it together," she suggested, and grabbed him close to dance the beginning of their own special dance.
~o0o~