John entered his house and threw his keys on the table next to the door, while he dropped his bag on the floor. It felt really good to be home and surrounded by his own belongings. His flat in Cardiff was nice, but it wasn't decorated the way he liked. He wanted a home to feel like a home and not some posh palace where you were afraid to sit on the furniture. While he was in Cardiff he constantly felt like he was a guest in his own "home". He grabbed his bag and went upstairs to unpack and freshen up a bit after his trip. He walked into his room and immediately laid down on the bed. He really missed this bed. There was no feeling in the world like returning from a trip and sleeping on your own mattress. Just when he thought he was about to drift off he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was Donna.

"Hi Donna."

"Hey Doctor. Are you finally back in London?" She asked.

"I just walked in the door about 10 minutes ago." He replied while yawning.

"You sound tired. I won't keep you, I just wanted to see if you were back and were interested in coming over for a drink."

"I'm not tired. I was just laying down getting reacquainted with my bed. Let me freshen up and I'll be right over.

"OK. See you in a bit." Donna said as she hung up.

John walked into his en-suite bathroom leaving a trail of clothing behind him. He stood in his massive rain head shower enjoying the feel of the water running over his head and down his skin. He missed this too. He also missed sharing this shower with someone else. He had the bathroom designed after he started earning a steady income and didn't feel like a starving artist any more, mostly because it was something that River had always wanted and he was happy to finally be able to give it to her. He remembered how she thanked him numerous times in this very spot. But that was all in the past and now it was just a companion-less shower.

Ten minutes later, John got out, shaved, and toweled off. He moved into his walk in closet and decided to wear a pair of black jeans, a skull print t-shirt and black blazer. He finished the look off with a pair of glasses, as he didn't wear them often and people didn't always recognize him. He grabbed his wallet off his dresser and headed downstairs to call a cab. He could have driven over, but he knew that often when he and Donna started drinking, they had a habit of making a night of it.

A half an hour later, John was sitting in Donna's kitchen listening to her talk about her latest client who had let a recent role in a Hollywood movie go straight to her head. Donna was a no nonsense kind of agent who would not allow her clients egos to get in the way of furthering their careers, so she was faced with the issue of reigning her in before it got out of control. John always loved to hear these stories and was happy that he had never been one of these stars who thought the world owed him. He was very thankful for where he was in his career and would never take it for granted.

"So enough about my crazy job. How has shooting been going?" Donna asked.

"It's good. Never a dull day and always new adventures. I just wish Missy would stop flirting with me." John replied annoyed.

"I still don't see why you don't go on one date with her."

"You know why, Donna. Been there, done that. Missy is a nice enough woman, but I can tell she has visions of grandeur and I don't want to be apart of that world again." John answered irritably.

"Alright. What about dating someone not in the business? You need to have someone in your life, Doctor. I can tell that you're lonely and you're longing for a relationship. You're starting to get grumpy and I don't like it when you're grumpy." Donna said firmly.

John ran his hand through his hair and banged his head on her kitchen counter, "I know, but my schedule is so crazy right now that there isn't any time for dating let a lone a relationship."

Donna could see a hint of sadness in her friends face and decided that this night needed to take a different turn. "Let's go." She said.

John looked up, "Where are we going?"

"To the pub down the street. You have been cooped up too long and you need to get out." Donna told him while she grabbed her keys.

Luckily the pub was with in walking distance, so it didn't take long for the two to get there. When they walked in they spotted a booth in the back that looked out of the way from the rest of the bar. Donna knew John needed to get out, but she also knew that he didn't want to be bothered by fans. They grabbed some pints from the bar and sat down in the back.

"Cheers." John said as he raised his glass to Donna's.

"Cheers." She replied.

"Thanks for this. I really did need to get out and feel like I'm part of society. I can really get stuck in a bubble in Cardiff."

"It's what friends are for. Now come on and give me the scoop on the new season." Donna demanded.

John laughed and started talking about work, at least what he could tell her. Even though she was his agent a lot of the scripts were top secret, so he couldn't reveal too much about the stories. They spent the next hour or so talking and drinking, when John noticed a pretty young brunette walking their way. It looked like she was staring at him, which usually meant a star struck fan, so he braced himself for her to say hi. As she got closer, he really started to notice how beautiful she was. Once she reached their table he turned and smiled at her, expecting her to ask for a selfie or an autograph, but she just smiled and ducked into the loo.

"Well that was interesting." He said. "I thought for sure she was a fan."

"Not everyone in the city watches your show, Doctor." Donna teased.

"I know that smart arse. I just thought she was a fan by the way she was looking at me." He retorted.

"Maybe she just thought you're a handsome stud." Donna chuckled.

"Oh come on. A pretty young woman like that is not going to be interested in an old man like me."

"Well, you never know unless you try and that's a big part of your problem. You're too afraid to make the effort and scared of getting hurt. It's that fear that is going to make you die alone." Donna scolded him.

"Gah Donna," John replied annoyed. "How many times do I have to go over this with you. I devoted myself to River and she took my heart, split it in two, and stomped all over it. The day I walked in on her shagging that young wanker on my couch was the worst day of my life and it took me a long time to recover." John sighed calming himself down before he continued. "I never want to feel that way again," Donna was about to say something, but John stopped her. "And before you say it, I know. I want to be with someone, but it needs to be at my pace. For the first time in almost 5 years I feel like I'm ready, but I'm not about to make a fool of myself trying to hit on a pretty young lass at a pub. I'm not 20 any more."

"I'm sorry. You're right and I will stop pushing you." Donna reached across and took John's hand. "I just love you and want you to be happy. It's been a long time since I've seen you in that space." Donna said. Her eyes suddenly darted towards the loo where she saw the girl come out. John watched her walk past and sit down at a table across the way. He had a clear view of her and noticed that she was sitting with a young good looking man.

"Well there's no point in trying to hit on her anyway, she's with someone." He said, sounding a little let disappointed. He changed the subject and the two started talking about Donna's current relationship with a man named Lee. It was early stages, so she was still incredibly smitten. John was happy for her, but he longed to have the same thing. He glanced over towards the brunette's table and couldn't help but stare. She was so beautiful and had eyes that he could lose himself in. She must have felt someone watching her because she turned and looked right at him, so he quickly looked away. Smooth, he thought to himself. Real smooth. He turned his focus to Donna, instead of the beautiful mystery girl across the room.

A couple of pints later, he and Donna were starting to feel pretty good. He was laughing at a joke that she had just made, when he noticed the pretty woman get up from her table with the man. His heart jumped a bit when she looked his way and he couldn't help, but smile at her. She smiled back and walked out of the pub. That was it. This woman had just walked into his life and a couple of hours later she was gone. He would likely never see her again. He closed his eyes for a moment to sear her image into his mind, on the off chance that he might run into her again, he wanted to be sure to remember what she looked like. It may have only been a couple of smiles and glances, but he learned tonight that he may just be ready to find love again. Not likely with this impossible girl, but with someone.