Petals

It's just another silly little human tradition. Yes, that is all.

But as he looks to the blossoming flower in his hand, it means more than he ever imagined it would.

Donna had asked to travel back to Earth to visit her family, and who was he to deny her that? Anyway, he rather enjoyed his trips to the familiar, brilliant planet and he wouldn't complain to being able to talk to Wilfred again.

He hadn't thought that the TARDIS would have taken them now, out of all the dates in her grasp. He'd never even really thought too deeply about the fourteenth of February, but now it was too hard not to.

Everything just screamed of love; of her. He almost laughed at the ridiculousness of a shared tin of Cadbury's Roses, a bottle of Rosé being poured into sparkling glasses, and the significant plant associated with the day. He had never noticed before, but the whole day seemed to resolve around her. But then again, since that fateful day, everything seemed to resolve around her.

He would never want to forget her face, and he never could, but now it was perpetually at the forefront of his mind. A scarring memory of seeing his pain reflected in her eyes at the understanding that this was goodbye.

Observing the declarations of love around him just cut the knowledge deeper that he never got to tell her. That he realised too late.

"Doctor, are you alright?"

Glancing away from the soft pink petals in his fingers, he studied the concerned features of his red-headed companion.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? It's just, Doctor...I know how hard this must be for you."

"Donna, really. I'm fine. I...I just want to be alone."

Ha. If there was anything he wanted, it was not to be alone. He could feel the cold aching in his hearts, the persistent earning for a hand to hold.

But the hand he longed for wasn't there. It never would be again. The universe had decided that he was meant to be a solitary figure, so it was about time he accepted it.

Donna noted the worry lines etched into his face, the trembling of the weak smile he had put on to hide his inner suffering, and decided to take a seat beside him on the sofa.

"I understand, Doctor. I may not have known her, but I can see just how much she means to you. She must have really been something."

His lips hinted into a real smile, as he fondly looked back to the rose in his hands.

"Yeah. She was."

"I don't know how you came to lose her, Doctor, and I don't expect you to tell me either. Just remember that I'm here for you whenever you need me."

Donna went to lift herself to her feet, but when she felt his hand on her shoulder, she settled back into her seat.

"Thank you, Donna. Really. I...It's hard sometimes, but it's easier with you around."

"Of course, spaceman. You'd be lost without me."

He grinned back at Donna as her voice changed to the teasing tone he knew so well, and he decided then that he should tell her.

"I never have told you about her, have I?"

"Oh, only about once every five minutes."

Did he really talk about her that much?

"Never properly. How we met, how she left. You deserve to know."

"Doctor, it's okay. Don't feel that you have to-"

"No, Donna. I need to do this. I want to do this."

Excitement began to bubbled off him as he fully turned to face his partner in crime, and she was relieved to see his past agony replaced by a contentment she had rarely seen from him before.

"So, Donna. Let me tell you about Rose Tyler."

A/N: Not my best work, but due to a mixture of today's, in my case, depressing (ha) date and overwhelming 10/Rose feels I had to put some of my thoughts down.

I have so many Sweedy ideas, but I haven't posted anything for ages! I'm sorry. I also hope to return to the 10/Rose ship later with my great love for the pairing.

Thank you.