The Doctor looked into the mirror and considered his appearance.

His eleventh incarnation looked remarkably young compared to all his previous appearances. Brown fluffy hair, a thin and lanky frame, a youthful face. Maybe those senators had a point when they called him 'pretty boy'.

It didn't seem so long ago that he was in his tenth form; a person who was closer to middle aged but still just a young man. Not that he mined how old his physical form depicted him. The only important thing about his appearance was who recognised him and why. For example, Donna. Like this, there was very little chance she might suddenly remember him if they were to meet. He'd sealed away the red haired woman's memories well and good the last time they met, so well that she didn't even notice him when he was in his previous shape. He'd made sure that there was no chance some small piece of overlooked evidence from their time together might awaken the DoctorDonna and lead to the death of his 'most faithful companion'. For the sake of Donna's life, the Doctor had made certain that awakening those memories would be a difficult thing to do.

And that was bad, because that's exactly what the Doctor wanted to do.

Leaving the mirror, the Time Lord left the bathroom and began his walk down the hallway. Even if he hadn't known where to find Donna, he would have been able to sense his way to her. Her mental signature was too distinctive to mistake.

As he walked, the Doctor pondered over what he'd learned about his old companion just so recently. He felt guilty at having lost touch with her so soon after he'd left her back home in Chiswick. Perhaps it was because he was afraid if he stayed too close there might be some sort of accident that led to the restoration of Donna's memories resulting in her mind burning up. Or, more likely, because it hurt too much to be constantly reminded of how everything they'd shared had vanished into insignificance. But now the time had come to end that.

The Doctor had been glad to hear that in spite of erasing her memories, Donna had still managed to retain a small amount of the more determined, mature and ambitious personality she'd developed while travelling in the TARDIS. In the time since her adventures across time and space, Donna had evolved from a narrow minded temp into competent and strong willed human being that filled the Doctor with a sense of pride. He'd been throwing caution to the wind when he'd sent his old friend a winning lottery ticket as a wedding present, but aside from the occasional luxury (such as an oversized house and first class world cruise) she'd been surprising responsible with her money, seeing to it that her mum and granddad could look forward to a very comfortable old age, while making sure to set aside some emergency cash for a rainy day. Maybe that was actually because of the influence of Donna's rather calm and passive husband, but the Doctor liked to think that he could share some of the credit.

More impressive than all that, however, was Donna's career path. Having become dissatisfied with brief appointments in dull offices, Donna had been able to be far more choosy in what job she wanted since her financial boom. It turned out that throughout the year prior to when she became employed as the Doctor's companion, Donna had amassed a long list of paranormal incidents and investigation groups from when she'd been trying to find the Time Lord who'd saved her life on her first attempted wedding day. Building on this, Donna had once again gone into investigating the unexplained. Fortunately, none of her studies had bought back any of her sealed memories, and she'd been fairly successful in following leads on alien activity and had managed to sell a few articles to magazines or private collectors. She'd even come close to tracking down the location of Torchwood Three once, but Captain Jack had made sure to draw her off with a false trail after the Doctor warned him of her condition (and of the fact that she was no longer single). The same warning had been given to Sarah-Jane Smith after Donna had contacted her to ask the 'alien expert' journalist, as she was known throughout certain circles, for help with an incident she was trying to find out about. And while Sarah-Jane never risked letting on the full extent of her alien knowledge to Donna, the pair ended up working a few very interesting cases together.

The Doctor couldn't help but smile. It seemed as though Donna was determined to be stubborn and fight against anything she disagreed with, even if she didn't remember the Doctor's memory wipe. The Doctor knew it was logically impossible, but also knew that if anyone was going to try rebelling against something they didn't even remember, then Donna would be the one to try it.

But now that was all going to change. The Doctor was going to restore Donna Noble's memories, and to the void with the consequences!

Coming to the right place, the Doctor turned to the left and entered the room, looking towards his dear friend.

His hearts clenched when he looked at the aged woman lying in the hospital bed, her flaming hair long since turned white, her face wrinkled and worn from the long years of her life, breathing heavily in an uncomfortable sleep.

Old age- it took a terrible toll on humans. They deteriorated so badly as time went by, different parts of their bodies failing at different times, aggravating their condition. Donna was now ninety two, and the Doctor carried the terrible burden of knowing that today was her last day; her last few minutes even. Even now as she fought, just like she'd fought every day of her life for one reason or another, Donna Noble was dying. The Doctor had made his decision- if she had to die now, let her feel alive again in her last moments. Let her remember who she really was.

Donna was not alone. Sadly her husband had died when he was only in his sixties. Distraught but ever determined Donna had soldiered on, living solely for her son and daughter who she was devoted to, and had been rewarded as she'd barely spent a couple of hours over the last week without at least one of them by her side. Stella was currently asleep in a chair next to the bed, while Josh had staggered off in search of coffee to help them stay awake, both of them knowing their mother's time was nearly up.

The Doctor wasted no time in going to Donna's side and laying a hand gently on her wrist.

"Donna," he whispered. "Donna, it's me. Wake up."

Despite appearing so restless, Donna took a moment to regain consciousness, and even longer to come round from bleary eyed incomprehension to semi wakefulness.

Once fully awake, she turned to look at the one who'd woken her. The Time Lord felt a pain in his chest as he looked into the dull eyes which had been filled with so much life when he'd last seen them. He waited patiently as Donna's tired mind contemplated the man in front of her, before her face crumpled into a frown.

"What do you want?" the old lady rasped at the man who was a stranger in her eyes. "What d'you think you doing waking an old woman up? You better have a good excuse sonny."

The Doctor smiled. Still plenty of fight in her.

"It's alright. I'm an old friend."

"Not as old as me sunshine. Who are you then?"

"I'm-" the Time Lord faltered for a moment. "I'm the Doctor."

Donna paused for a moment and frowned. The Doctor's hands fumbled nervously with each other, wondering if the old memories were already returning.

"Look, in the last few months I've had more doctors examine me than Robert Pattinson's had film contracts. Anything more specific?"

The Doctor deflated as his old companion failed to recognise him. He supposed he should have given this situation more thought, but as always he'd gone blundering in with no plan or anything.

The same way he did whenever he was with his companions. He wouldn't want it any other way.

"We met a long time ago. I was with you on some of the paranormal cases you investigated."

Well, it was close enough to the truth. Donna gazed at him suspiciously as she tried to place him in memories that weren't there. The Doctor stayed quite as she thought, but was aware that he was running out of time before one of Donna's kids may join the conversation or, even worse, Donna might pass on before he got through to her.

"I don't remember you at all. And anyway, I gave up that work years ago. You'd only have been a kid back then."

"Well my looks have changed a bit since then. I'm a lot older than you think."

Donna snorted a dismissal and turned her head away.

"I just had to come and see you again," the Doctor went on. "The times we spent together were good times. I wanted to remind you of them again."

"Look, pal," the old woman turned back to him, her resolve clearly tiring as fatigue overtook her again. "I'd remember you if you ever worked with me when I was writing those alien articles. I know your lying, so why ever you're here, get out now."

"I'm telling the truth Donna; you've just forgotten. I came because I wanted to remind you of the things you forgot. I came to remind you of everything you did, and of how brilliant you were. I came to remind you of all the things we did together and to remind you of the person you used to be before-" the Doctor was forced to stop his almost frantic explanation as a lump formed in his throat. To see his friend so different; so... changed. What happened to the girl who'd spent a whole year searching for him? Who'd shared the burden of the destruction of Pompeii with him? Who'd gambled her sanity as she faced down the Ilk and had given King Leonidas the courage to lead his three hundred Spartans in their heroic last stand? She'd had so much life and strength. How had age managed to strip all that from her to the point that she was too tired and weak to put up a decent argument? He longed for her to jump up and slap his face just like old times and tell him to hit the road, insisting that he was an imposter, just so he could catch a glimpse of the rash, hot tempered Donna that he knew.

He fought to keep his emotions under control, knowing there was no time to dwell on his own feelings.

The aged human looked like she wanted to argue for a moment, but exhaustion supplanted anger in a matter of seconds.

"Either you've got the wrong person or you're just mad. I was never any good as a reporter. I'm just a boring, unimportant, average old woman who's soon going to die and vanish off the face of the earth, so stop bothering me."

"That's not true," the Doctor insisted as he moved forward so he was perching on the edge of the chair. "I know you Donna. Your life was bright and golden, and full of things to be proud of. You, Donna, are one of the most important people in the universe."

Donna gave a weak laugh and mumbled "Don't lie. I know I'm nothing special, so-"

"No!" the Doctor suddenly felt full of anger. Anger at Donna's doubt; at her uncertainty. At the fact that he, the Doctor, hadn't been back to her for so long. Anger that she could no longer remember how special she was. He grabbed hold of Donna's hands, only just stopping himself from squeezing them hard enough to cause injury.

"Don't talk about yourself like that. You're better than that and you know it. Deep down inside, there's a part of you that knows everything you done. A part- another person whose eyes where opened for one shining moment to see who you really were. Because there is so much to you, Donna Noble. So much that it nearly killed you when you tried to take it all in. You are without a doubt one of the greatest human beings who ever lived. The only true failure in your life is that you've never seen just how great. And that's not even your fault; it's mine. I had to hide it from you Donna. The truth would have killed you so I had to make you forget, because the truth is, quite simply, you're brilliant!"

Donna was completely confounded. She stared at the Doctor as though he were mad. Her emotions were unclear, shifting between masks of fear, confusion, anger and... was that hopefulness?

"What are you on about you nutcase!" she demanded. She sounded mad, but she gazed at the man before her with a new light in her eyes as if her entire existence depended on his reply, and she gripped his hands with equal strength.

The Doctor let out a breath and said "Oh Donna. My most faithful companion. This is the day when your song ends. Just for this moment, remember. Just one last time remember-"

The Doctor suddenly moved forward and before Donna could move back he whispered in her ear.

"The DoctorDonna."

Donna gasped and her hands fell away from the Doctor's grip, her head turning so it looked straight up at the ceiling. For a horrible moment the Doctor thought the shock had killed her instantly. He stood up and looked down into her eyes.

And then he saw it.

The golden light of a Time Lord regeneration- his regeneration to be precise. The source of the genetic link between them. That turned lippy, self doubting Donna Noble into the all powerful DoctorDonna. He saw her eyes recovering their previous strength. Donna simply lay helplessly as unlocked memories bombarded her. Not just her memories, but the Doctor's memories too; all the powerful knowledge in the Doctor's mind poured into hers. The Doctor could feel her mind transforming, warping under the pressure of such power. In no time at all, the DoctorDonna was back.

Donna took one look at the Doctor's smiling face, before she sat bolt upright, and slapped him in the face.

Hard...

The Doctor reeled back, while Stella stirred in her sleep on the opposite side of the bed.

'Bit too hasty when I wished she'd get up and slap me.' The Doctor thought.

Next thing, Donna had pulled him into a huge hug, the revelation in her mind somehow restoring her strength.

"You idiot!" she hissed. "What did you think you were doing, taking away my memories? All these years and I've only just remembered it all now. Where were you, stuck in traffic!"

"I missed you too Donna." The Doctor tried to speak drily but couldn't stop the note of glee in his voice. They pulled apart and looked at each other.

"You look," the Doctor fumbled for the right words "really well."

"Shut up, spaceman! How is it that you can look younger after fifty years while I end up looking like the bride of Frankenstein?"

"It's actually the bride of Frankenstein's monster you should be thinking of, and since you've got my mind you should know I've been through another regeneration. What ya think?"

"I think that not even all the intelligence in the universe will tell me why you're wearing a bowtie. What's it for?"

"Bowties are cool."

Donna looked at him despairingly and said "No, they're not."

Suddenly another shocked expression passed over her features. She'd pulled the Doctor into her embraced again.

"You saved Granddad's with that regeneration! I can remember it!"

She hugged the Doctor even tighter, and then punched his back.

"Why did you put him in danger? The Master could have eaten him or something. And you- all these memories I have. Are you seriously telling me that I can't turn my back for fifty years without you nearly burning the universe to a crisp?"

"Donna, you know me better than that. Of course I can't." he let go of her and moved back. "Besides, I'm here now so what's the problem?"

"None I guess. You're better looking too," Donna smile coyly. "So, oh great and ancient Doctor. Am I old enough to be your type?"

The Doctor laughed, and Donna joined in, but her laughing turned into weak coughs after a moment.

"Take it easy," advised the Doctor while Donna lay back down. "You had a big wakeup call; no need to rush things."

"I know why you're here," the old woman gave a weak smile. "This is where my song ends, isn't it? That's why you made me remember."

The Doctor didn't answer. He just looked into those eyes that had once again become so familiar to him. The body was weak and the mind was degrading, but the spirit of Donna was burning brightly. They went on gazing into each other's eyes until Donna's closed as she put a hand to her forehead and groaned.

"It's started," said the Doctor quietly. "The process can't be stopped now. I'm sorry Donna. I just wanted you to remember one more time."

"Don't be sorry," Donna took hold of one of the Doctor's hands. "Back then, when I was dying, I thought that was it; that I'd lose everything we had, forever. This way, I get to have it all back"

Donna gave a smile laugh, while the Doctor tried to look happy for his friend.

"All these thoughts. They're all so amazing, but they hurt at the same time. "

"You know what's going to happen. You mind can't cope with all that knowledge. You're burning up."

Donna smiled and said "Well, isn't that wizard?"

"Mum?"

Both of them looked towards the doorway as Josh took in what was going on. Putting the coffee aside, Donna's son quickly came over to the bed and woke his sister with a sharp nudge.

"Who are you?" he asked uncertainly as he looked between the stranger and his mother.

"Just an old friend. Call me the Doctor."

"Mum, you look bad. What's wrong?" Stella got up as she noticed the change in Donna's condition- wide awake but growing physically weaker by the second.

"This is it kids," Donna sighed with a slight smile. "I'm on my way out."

"What? No, no yet," Josh moved forward with a desperate look in his eyes. The Time Lord, now forgotten, got up from his chair and began to move away.

"I'll call the nurse," said Stella.

"Don't," Donna waved vaguely at her children. "It's alright. I feel wonderful. I have everything I want out of life. I don't mind going now."

"Don't talk like that Mum! Just hold on!"

Josh gestured at the Doctor to go get help, the words tumbling into each other in panic. The Doctor didn't move. Nothing could keep Donna alive now. He wanted to be there for her final moments.

"This is it," Donna said, nearly delirious as her mind began to burn. "I can remember my whole life right now. It's all, just so... brilliant."

Donna's voice trailed off. Her head shifted so she could see the Doctor. They shared one last smile, before the light in Donna's eyes faded forever.

The Doctor hadn't attended the funeral in person. There was too much risk of complicated questions and smart people putting two and two together. Plus, the Doctor was almost as bad at funerals as he was at weddings.

He stood before the pair of graves, Donna having been buried next to her husband. Not much thought went through the Doctor's mind at that moment. All his efforts were directed to the grave where the DoctorDonna now lay.

There was no reason to stay any longer. Donna had been unable to come back before and she was unable to come back now. It was time to move on again.

The Doctor took a step forward and crouched in front of the grave.

"Time to go, Donna. Wish we could have had one more adventure together."

The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and metal. He placed the object carefully on top of the marble headstone and left, making his way back to the TARDIS.

On top of the gravestone sat what was once a bio-damper ring, but the micro electronics on the inside of the band had been pulled out, making it an ordinary gold ring. In the place where the nodes and microchips had been a tiny sliver of gold had been precision welded in place and had a word inscribed on it. The word was in Gallifreyan- no one would ever be able to read what it said. The ring was far too small to have engraved any long message upon its surface, but what was written there carried all the meaning of the universe to those with the knowledge to understand.

The word was simply 'Brilliant'.