The Doctor shifted his way through the bustle of the happy coffee shop on a Tuesday afternoon. He'd never really thought much of coffee, but she had loved it. Donna loved it. The Doctor had just seen it across the road and without even meaning to he had drifted over to it and gone inside. She was here now, just across the shop, laughing with her new friends. A waitress approached him, flirting but he was oblivious and told her he was fine without even looking at her. He wished so much that he was amongst them, Donna and her friends, laughing at her jokes. Watching her smile as it lit up the room. But he couldn't, she could never remember. Never. The Doctor had been told that he was going to die and that was why he was there, to see Donna one last time through these eyes wearing this suit, feeling this way. It was hard to believe that under a year ago, Donna was this beautiful, clever, magnificent woman that flew through space and time with her best friend in a small wooden blue box .Saving the world. Now she was a nobody, it made the Doctor scream inside, she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe and only he knew how amazing she truly was.
Unable to resist the temptation any longer the Doctor sat on a table behind her, facing away. Just listening.
"What did he say?"
"He was like, Hey you! What do you think your doing, going to leave?" The Doctor smiled as he welled in sadness at the familiar sound of Donna.
"I'm telling you ladies, I am the BEST, temp around he just did not want to loose me!"
Unable to contain himself, the doctor laughed. And regrettably, Donna turned around.
"Oi, mate, what do y' think y' doing listening to other people's conversations!"
The doctor rose to his feet at exactly the same time as Donna did. Turning round to face her, he didn't dare look up, in case she remembered.
"I'm sorry… I, should probably go…" The doctor's voice wavered, he missed Donna so much and she just thought he was a rude bastard. He looked up, his eyes watery, but he had to see her face. Just one last time.
"Don't I know you?" The doctor froze.
"No, absolutely not." Donna's face relaxed.
"Woah, man! You just look really familiar…But hey! We've probably never even met! I'm Donna!" She put out a hand to shake his but let it drop when he did nothing. Donna smiled and the Doctor's face grew sadder.
"Look, I err better go…"
The doctor walked away from Donna and her friends, trying to put her behind him. It was impossible really but it made the pain ever so slightly easier to manage. To pretend that he wasn't missing her.
As the Doctor turned one last time to look at Donna, she looked back and for one moment, one tiny moment. There was a flicker of recognition in Donna's eyes. She lifted her hand not taking her eyes off of him. Smiled and waved. The moment gone. The Doctor turned. And left his best friend behind. Glad, that she didn't have to suffer the way he did.