Doctor Who: He Was Wrong

by: domina tempore

Polish translation by: colirya

Disclaimer: Doctor Who and all of its characters and locations etc. belong to their respective owners (if I owned it, Donna would still have her memories and be flying around with him in that little blue box). I own only my original storylines. No copyright infringement intended!

Author's Note: I love this episode. I absolutely adore Donna's character (Catherine Tate is just plain brilliant in this role), and I identify very deeply with her (I see myself like she sees herself before the Doctor told her she was brilliant). This little fic takes place during their TARDIS journey to the beginning of the world, and I always want to slap Lance silly for all of the things he says to her right before they escape. So…this is about that? Yeah. I hope you enjoy! (:

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"Gosh, she's thick!"

"The woman who can't even point to Germany on a map!"

"The never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia!"

"I deserve a medal!"

"What are you, her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her!"

"But I love you."

"That's what made it easy."

Donna allowed herself to fall into one of the seats on the TARDIS, her head still spinning from what she'd just heard. The tears she had held back while in the Racnoss's lair were fighting through now, and she kept her back to the Doctor. He already thought she was a proper idiot, she was sure; no need to make him think any less of her. She was absolutely daft, though, Lance was right; to have gone on believe in him – that he actually loved her – for so long, when that was what he really thought of her.

It was all true, of course, every word. She knew she was dull and shallow and frustrating; her mother had always made sure that she was very aware of that. But for just one moment walking down the aisle, she had felt special, and wanted… For once she'd thought she had actually done something right.

And it wasn't even as if he'd purposefully singled her out and chosen her in the first place! She'd just been a random girl who looked daft and alone enough to dope into drinking that particle stuff. It could have been anyone in that office; he'd just happened to see her looking lost and dull. She was nothing.

The Doctor had been talking a mile a minute behind her, but he seemed to realize that she wasn't paying attention. He called her name softly. "Donna? We're going further back than I've ever been before." She tried to nod, though she was shaking so much that she wasn't sure he'd be able to tell the difference. But he was quiet after that, so she supposed he knew enough to leave her alone. "He was wrong about you, you know."

Or not.

Don't you know when to shut up? she thought, far too upset to speak. She heard him step closer.

"Do you want to know how I know that?" he asked softly. He misread her silence as a yes. "Because after everything that I've put you through today, and everything that he put you through, you tried to stop them from shooting me. The mad Martian Doctor, the crazy old man with a blue box who ruined your life, and you tried to save mine. Now that doesn't sound like someone so terribly shallow, does it?"

Donna sighed. "Stop it," she begged, wiping at her tears. "Just leave me alone."

For a long moment, he was silent. "Sorry," he said finally, turning back to the controls.

Within a few moments, they had reached their destination, whatever that was. Donna hadn't cared when he had explained it. But by the time they got there, she had composed herself, and she sat there numbly until the Doctor called for her. She sighed. There couldn't possibly be anything worth seeing out there. All she wanted to do was rest; to fall so deeply asleep that she couldn't even dream, so that she forgot all of this. She didn't want to feel this pain anymore.

She said as much – though not in so many words – but the Doctor merely smiled a funny little grin and invited her over to the doors, their conversation from the trip seeming quite forgotten. He opened the door.

"Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth…"

fin.

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A/N: Soo…I like this one. It's not quite what I was hoping for when I started, but I like it. Thoughts? (: