Donna's story was always one of the most heartbreaking for me - when it comes to the Doctor Who universe - and I always wanted to see how would the Doctor act if he ever got the chance to meet her again so I wrote this.
As per usual my major thanks goes to my beta for being amazeballs.
Hope you guys like this.
xx.
She noticed him across the room, sitting at one of the further away tables, face hidden behind a large cup of coffee clearly trying really hard to disguise the fact that he had been staring at her for the past twenty minutes. Donna had noticed him every day that week. She would enter the coffee shop at 8am sharp – as she always did – and find him already there, always at the same table and always covertly glancing at her. Usually Donna would've just ignore it and gone back to her tea but something that day made her get up and walk towards the stranger's table, as she approached the table the man's face turned into one of pure panic and she could have sworn he was about to stand up and run out the door faster than Roadrunner.
"Oi! How's the coffee?" she asked with her usual confidence and sure that he knew she had noticed his glances.
The stranger cleared his throat and fixed his red bow-tie before meeting her eyes with a nervous smile "Adequate I think but I must admit I'm not an expert on the matter".
It had been one of the things that had caught Donna's attention over the past week, that red bow-tie- never quite straight. She was positive that everyone had stopped wearing bow-ties two decades ago and yet there was something quite fascinating about it when you added a plaid pattern suit – and the most fashionable messy hair she had ever laid her eyes on – to the mix.
"So you're not a coffee fan then?" Donna took a seat at the stranger's table without being invited but he didn't seem to mind.
"Not particularly" but he took another sip anyway followed by what seemed to be an attempt to fix his hair – a very poor attempt.
"Yet you're still drinking it? You're an odd one aren't ya?" she didn't know the man, she could swear on her life that she had never seen him before but there was something familiar about him, an ease when it came to be in his presence, talking with him felt like talking with an old friend and once the thought crossed Donna's mind she was positive it had been the most idiotic thing she could've ever come up with.
"We're at a coffee shop, so I'm drinking coffee... seems about right?" his tone left Donna wondering if he was actually being a smart-ass towards her or if he really thought that by being at a coffee shop he was somehow obliged to have coffee.
The red-head decided to not comment on the subject moving to the one question that mattered,
"Why do you keep staring at me?" she asked bluntly, "Is it some weird crush or should I assume you're some kind of predator?" Donna watched amused how the color started to drain from the man's face, his mouth gaping in clear shock.
"I...what? No!"
"No it's not a weird crush or, no you're not a predator and I shouldn't just kick you in the groin?" once the words left Donna's mouth she saw the man's hands instinctively moving towards his lap in a protective gesture and the red-head laughed hard and soundly.
"I can assure you I'm no predator!" he sounded truly offended which made the whole situation – at least for Donna – twice as hilarious.
"Oh, so it is a crush!" she knew she should take some pity on him but she was far too amused to care and he was truly easy to embarrass.
"I do not have a crush on you Donna!" it was clear that the words had escaped his mouth without his consent and Donna watched his expression turn into one of pure mortification and was barely fast enough to catch his wrist when he jumped out of his chair and started heading towards the door.
"Oh no you don't mister. You're going to explain how the hell you know my name." her face was dead serious and the man let out a sigh before taking his seat again.
It took him a while to answer and she was almost certain that he was thinking way too much for someone who is about to answer honestly.
"I guess... Well, I guess you can say that I'm a fan" he finally conceded smiling at her.
"A fan?" if she had any doubts about the sanity of the man sitting in front of her, they would've all be gone at that moment.
"You're Professor Donna Noble, one of the heads of the astrophysics department of the University of Oxford" it was weird hearing someone talk about her with such pride in their voice, especially when it's someone who you know nothing about.
"Oh… that. You make it sound as if I'm some kind of rock star" Donna smiles at him this time a little embarrassed.
"But you are, you're brilliant!" watching him so excited made the red-head immediately regret having pestered him so much, she had never been one to be won over with compliments but there was something about his way of saying that particular word, that made Donna almost believe that she was indeed brilliant.
Donna pushed back that strange feeling of familiarity towards the stranger and smiled politely "thank you".
The stranger smiled back at her and for the first time since the beginning of their conversation she noticed how his eyes deeply contrasted with the rest of him, he looked awfully young but his eyes looked so tired they seemed to belong to someone much older.
"You sound like you don't quite believe it" he told her following with a sigh.
"I'm not sure someone who met me five minutes ago should be making assumptions over what I do or do not believe" the words came out harsher than what she had intended but his words – for some unknown reason – stung a little.
"You're right, I apologize." the red-head could have sworn that she saw guilt covering every inch of his face and that his eyes became even more tired if that was possible.
"I should go" the man got up with his coffee and smiled at her "It was very nice to meet you, Donna Noble" his words seemed sincere and she instantly regretted her harsh words.
"I wish I could say the same but I don't even know your name" her tone was meant to be playful but the words came out wrapped in a sadness she didn't understand.
"Yes, that's quite right. John Smith" he reached a hand towards her and she took it instinctively.
"It was very nice to meet you as well John Smith" and she meant it.
His hand was warm and once he took it away it was as if hers had gone cold, the man went around the table as if heading towards the door but stood beside her for a moment.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure" she wasn't sure if she had said yes because she was curious about his questions or because – for some unknown reason – she wanted him to stay around a little longer.
"Why astrophysics? Why going back to college in your thirties to study astrophysics?"
She paused looking at him, she had answer questions like that before, it shouldn't be a problem and yet it took her a little more than it should to get the words out.
"Because one day I realized I couldn't stop looking up" she felt embarrassed, that had been the most honest answer she had ever given someone and she wanted to stop but she didn't "every night, everyone else looking down and I just couldn't bring myself to stop looking up.".
The man stood silent beside her for a moment and then a smile broke on his face.
"Brilliant. You're bloody brilliant" his smile turned into a grin "goodbye Donna Noble".
Before she could reply he was out the door and she was standing in the middle of a coffee shop looking completely puzzled.
He felt a hand grabbing his shoulder and pulling him so hard he almost lost his balance, turning around he found Amy grinning at him.
"So how was it?! How was she?! What did you guys talk about?!".
Amy was always excited, it was part of who she was and the Doctor was sure that not even a spaceship full of Daleks could ever change that, after all she was Amelia Pond.
He resumed his walking and she walked beside him, expecting eyes glued on him.
"C'mon raggedy man, tell me! How was it?"
He stopped and looked at her with the largest smile she had ever seen him produce in all the time they had been traveling together.
"Brilliant. Oh Amelia, she's still brilliant".