For my friend because she loves these two.
Not mine of course, I only borrow.
Enjoy!
The Doctor walked slowly down the familiar street, the dim light from the lamp silhouetting his figure against the worn blue box parked on the corner. His eyes – which once sparkled with life and mischief – were dull and empty on his sullen and pale face. At the end of the familiar street stood an old man waiting for him to approach. The Doctor thought he looked okay. He looked slightly content. But as he drew closer he could see the sadness in his features. A sadness that only they knew of. The Doctor came to a halt a few metres away from the old man.
"Wilf."
"How are you?" Wilf asked immediately, concern layering his question.
The Doctor sucked in a deep breath, breaking eye contact to cast his gaze around the dark road. "I'll be fine. Anyway, I'm not important. I should be asking how she is."
Wilf chuckled with disbelief. "Not important. You're the most important man in this world."
"I'm nothing compared to Donna. She's the saviour of the universes. She's utter brilliance."
"Yeah, you're right. You're the second most important then." Wilf said.
A ghost of a smile flickered across the Doctors lips.
Wilf sighed tiredly, "It's bad some days, Doctor. Sometimes she gets so upset, and she doesn't know why. Is there nothing you can do?"
The Doctor sniffed quietly, lowering his head to study his scuffed converse. "I can't, Wilf. I can't and I wish that I could." His voice broke at the end of his sentence which he tried unsuccessfully to cover with a cough.
"You've fought bigger things, Doctor, I know you have. You've saved planets. Broken rules… made sacrifices bigger than I could ever comprehend. Can't… is… Can't she remember a little? Just… Just for a bit? All those things she did Doctor. She can't remember what she did. She's just making do here and she doesn't even know she's making do because she can't remember what she lost!" Wilf babbled, tears filling his eyes.
"I can't."
"You haven't even tried!" Wilf raised his voice in frustration.
"What if I lost her? I'd rather she live without me than die because I'm selfish enough to want her back." The Doctor shouted.
"It's not selfish to want her back. She meant something to you."
"She meant everything to me."
"Then try."
"Wilf…"
"At least see her."
"If she remembers who I am her brain will fry and she'll…" The Doctor couldn't finish his sentence as the lump in his throat seemed to grow bigger with each word he spoke.
Wilf shook his head, "Be John Smith. Be someone else for a bit. Please, Doctor."
"It'll hurt. It'll hurt too much to see her and know that I'll never get to travel the stars with her again."
"You saw her before. You came in and saw her." Wilf said, reluctant to give up his fight.
"I didn't plan for her to wake up with me still there! You have no idea how much that…"
"Okay." Wilf held his hands up in defeat. "Have it your way." He said, his voice thick with emotion.
The Doctor didn't respond. He didn't think he could. A single tear ran down his cheek as he turned away, his hearts felt like they were going to fail any second. His feet dragged along the concrete, each step heavier than the last. Walking back to the TARDIS felt like walking up the Great Bridge of The Soriah. In clogs. Not that he'd actually walked that in clogs. But that's what walking away from Donna felt like.
"Doctor."
The Doctor stopped and turned his head slightly, still staring at the concrete.
"If you change your mind… just come back. Just come back, okay?" Wilf's voice echoed along the empty street. His question wasn't acknowledged. The Doctor just continued across to his ship, the blue doors closing behind him and the box slowly fading into the night.
"Just come back." Wilf whispered to the darkness.
-x-
Throwing his coat across the beams like he'd done a million times before, the Doctor jumped across to the console, in a hurry to get away from the cause of his heart-ache. The TARDIS rumbled around him as he directed her into space to orbit the Earth. He wasn't quite ready for an adventure yet.
You're brooding. An intruding thought popped into his head. The Doctor sighed.
"I'm not brooding. I'm grieving." He snapped at his ship.
I've never seen you like this. I don't like it.
"I'm not exactly a big fan either."
You didn't even feel like this with Rose.
"I don't want to talk, okay? I just want to curl up in a ball and cry till the end of time."
I don't think that's a good idea, Doctor. It would mess up timelines.
The Doctor didn't answer, concentrating on tapping in the settings of their flight.
We're staying for two years?
"Shh." The Doctor hissed, stalking away from the middle of the TARDIS to find the library. He could loose himself in the pages for a good few months.
The TARDIS sang to him softly, her voice echoing around the space he walked, soothing him slightly. She planned her ideas carefully; making sure the Doctor was unaware of them as she sang to him across their telepathic communication pathway. He wouldn't delve to deep into her mind by accident and find out what she was doing whilst she sang. She'd sort it. She would stop this. She would fix her Time Lords hearts.
-x-
The sudden lurch of the ship threw the Doctor from where he was sat reading the 'Ins and Outs of the Weevil' and almost caused him to fall into the swimming pool.
"What?"
Look outside, Time Lord.
"What have you done?" He growled suspiciously.
Just do it.
The Doctor leapt up from the floor, running towards the doors, his curiosity taking over from his previous grief. As he threw open the double doors, a burst of light erupted from the heart of the TARDIS, shining out into a human that was standing in the middle of the road on planet Earth.
"What?" The Doctor span round and shouted at his ship, confusion written across his face and his hands threaded into his hair.
All will be well, Doctor. A ship has to have its tricks. The TARDIS whispered softly.
Turning slowly, the Doctor faced the human that the TARDIS had dawned the light upon and his jaw went slack.
"What've you done?" He breathed.
There, standing in the road with a bewildered expression on her face, stood Donna Noble.
"Doctor?"
"Donna?"
"Doctor!"
"Donna!"
Their faces lit up with sheer happiness as an old man started whooping from one of the houses on the street.
"I told you he'd come back! I told you he'd fix it!" Wilf shouted to anyone who was listening.
"I remember. I remember what happened. I… I don't… what?" Donna questioned.
"I don't know… I think it could have been the TARDIS using the central Vortex in…"
"Oh, shut up, Spaceman!" Donna interrupted, launching herself across the space between them.
Their lips met for the second time but this kiss was filled with passion, hope and love. This kiss held everything their first kiss lacked. This kiss marked the first in a new beginning.
And it was going to be fantastic.
I did steal a few lines from the actual series' but there you go.
Nor do I know how or what the TARDIS did… but what's sci-fi for? Use your imagination and make up something that fits.
And I couldn't help but put in a little bit of Torchwood. I just couldn't help myself.
Hope you liked it!