A/N: Just had to quickly repost this as I realised I'd done something incredibly stupid. All is fine now though. Enjoy!

I don't own Doctor Who.

When Burnham Wood Comes Up To Dunsinane

Chapter Three

Donna Johnson was one of those people who seemed to have everything going for her. She had two bright personable young children, Gracie and Abigail, and a dependable, if slightly stolid, husband, Lee, who earned enough money to mean she didn't have to work. Now the kids were old enough to spend most of their waking hours at school, however, Donna did get a job. Only because she wanted too and, anyway, she didn't get paid for it.

Donna was a volunteer for Support Us, registered charity No. 4022. At first she'd been content with meeting new people and having something to do, something that resulted it that warm glow that came from helping people. Recently however, someone she visited caught her interest and she began to work overtime until Donna Johnson was visiting Ella Marlowe every day of the week.

Donna's job description was ambiguous, basically amounting to visiting those who needed it, generally if they had experienced trauma or grief, and chatting to them, maybe having a cup of tea. For some people, this made all the difference.

Oakside Retreat, where Ella was staying, initially contacted the charity in the hopes they could find something out about the mysterious woman, who seemed to belong to no one having just appeared one day. When Ella took a shine to Mrs Johnson the staff were grateful that she would talk openly with anyone and encouraged Donna to come as often as possible. There was no one else to claim Ella Marlowe and visit her, talk with her.

On the day in question, Donna chose to visit in the afternoon. She found Ella in the garden, an empty mug dangling from her fingers.

"Hi, Ella." Donna walked forward and stood beside the younger woman.

"Hi."

From the first there had been a connection between the two women, one that neither of them understood but that they both welcomed to fill the dark spaces in their memories. Donna was a classic example of someone who had the flawless facade of a perfect life but underneath was slowly breaking. But that was where conventionality ended, Donna didn't feel she was insignificant and she wasn't disappointed in her marriage and pining after someone else.

Well, not exactly. She often felt there was someone missing, someone she cared about and who needed her help. The gaps in her memories were unbearable and she had strange reactions to everyday words, as if they meant something more to her or had a completely different definition. And the dreams she tried not to think about. Lying awake in the dark she had a sickening suspicion that she belonged at Oakside just as much as Ella did.

"What are you looking at?"

Ella was staring, unblinking, at the sky before them, where dark grey clouds were scudding swiftly across the pale background as if running from something.

"The Oncoming Storm." Ella spoke slowly and calmly but when she had said the words she frowned, as if they had come from someone else.

They were silent, watching the sky darken. With the first drops of rain they turned back to the house, reaching the door as the deluge began in earnest.

The room they sat in, the one they always used, belonged to the idyll of an old English country house. A fire burned brightly in the grate, the walls were painted deep red and thrown into shadow and rain splattered against the windows that showed the dark of a winter afternoon. They talked of small inconsequential things - Ella asking after Donna's children and Donna wanting to know about the books Ella had been reading. The plots of which Ella could remember perfectly.

There was a lull in the conversation as Donna drained the dregs from her cup of tea and Ella stared into the crackling fire. She suddenly spoke, not taking her eyes from the flames.

"They took me to see the Doctor today."

"The Doctor?"

The emphasis was slight but Ella appeared to understand it. She regarded Donna solemnly for a moment before answering.

"No."

Silence fell again and not long after Donna left, promising to return the next day.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Please please please review it would make me very happy! Also let me know if anything doesn't make sense etc - I'd like to know.