The Doctor spun around the TARDIS console. "So, Ponds! Where do you want to go now, eh? Any preference? No? How about I set her on random, then? See where we turn up?"

Rory shrugged. Amy smiled and linked her arm through her husband's. "Sure, why not?"

Grinning crazily, the Doctor danced around the console, flipping levers and pushing buttons, ending with a flourish, his green trench coat flying out about his knees. He ran to the door and pulled it open, disappearing outside. Amy skipped after him, pulling her husband by the hand.

The Doctor turned sheepishly to the pair. "Erm… We're on Earth. In your time. Well, two thousand thirteen. Sorry."

Amy's face fell a bit. "Oh."

"We might as well explore a bit though, yes? What's the harm? It can't be that bad."

Amy pouted. "But it's boring! I mean, visiting your own planet? That's not an adventure!"

The Doctor scowled, thinking that he would give anything to visit his planet, but brightened for the sake of his friends. "Give it a try! Earth is a great planet, you just take it for granted!"

He pulled the couple out of the alley that the TARDIS was parked in and onto a busy London street, then stopped so abruptly that Amy ran into him. "Oh…" he said, looking at someone across the street.

Someone was looking at Donna. A young man, looking about in his twenties but wearing a green World-War-Two-era knee length trench coat and a bow tie. It was quite odd, actually. She tried to ignore him, but there was something about him that she couldn't ignore.

She stalked over to him, sticking her nose in his face. "Oi, mate! I'm married, so no staring!"

"I know," he said absently, still staring at her as though he couldn't believe she was there.

"What? You know? You know what?"

"You're married. I know that."

"Well eyes front, then," she blustered.

"They are," he said logically.

Donna spluttered, speechless. A young redheaded woman peeked out from the man's shoulder. "Doc-"

He whirled and put his hand over her mouth, then whispered something in her ear.

"What-"

"Later!" the strange man hissed. "Now, Donna Noble. Sorry, Temple-Noble, I-"

"Who are you?" Donna asked angrily. "Do I know you?"

He sighed. "No, not really. But that's not your fault, really." An older man came up behind Donna. "Wilf!" the man with the bow tie exclaimed. "Long time no see! Well, short time no see, for you, but for me it's been a long time." He clapped Donna's grandfather on the back. "Except you probably have no idea who I am, do you? Sorry, this is probably very awkward for you. Yes, erm, the Ponds and I really ought to be going now." He made no move to leave.

"Well, aren't you going?" Wilf asked after a pause.

The bow-tied man shifted uncomfortably. "Can't. Why don't you two be going, first?"

Snorting, Donna tried to push past him, but the man wouldn't budge. "S'cuse me, but I need to get past."

"Why?" the man asked uncomfortably.

"Just taking a shortcut home, as if it's any of your business. I need to get down that alley."

The man held up his hands. "Actually, that alley's closed at the moment! They're doing a bit of construction. Can't go down there, that would be very, very… bad."

"What rubbish!" Donna said. "I walked through there not ten minutes ago, and there was no sign whatsoever of any construction."

The bow-tied stranger turned pleading eyes to Wilf. "Please, Wilfred Mott. I know you don't have any idea who I am, but you need to get her out of here. It's terribly important."

"Why should I believe you, then? I don't even know your name."

"Oi! Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Donna scowled.

The young man leaned forward and whispered a word in Donna's grandfather's ear. Wilf pulled back, studying the other man anew, then wrapped his arm around Donna's shoulder. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go the other way round this time."

Donna shot a nasty look at the three people who had blocked her way, but allowed Wilf to lead her on another route home.

Once Donna and Wilf were safely out of sight, the Doctor buried his head in his hands and sighed. "Well, that was close."

He looked at his companions' quizzical faces and sighed again, knowing he would have to explain it. He gestured them into the TARDIS and set it to take off. The further away they got from Donna, the better.

A block and a half away, Donna lifted her head, thinking she had heard something familiar.

Wilf looked at her worriedly. "Donna, what is it?"

She shook her head. "I just thought I heard… never mind." They walked for a moment in silence, then: "That man, after he whispered something in your ear, you looked like you recognized him. Who was he?"

"Just someone who's… changed a lot since I last saw him. It's nothing."

"Because just for a second there, he seemed familiar. Like… Oh, I don't know. Now I've forgotten."