Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to BBC. No infringement is intended.

Note: Again, I'm not sure if the TARDIS works like this. But I like to think she watches over her occupants.

Banana Bread

The first thing that broke through the Doctor's haze of unconsciousness was the throbbing in his head. It filled his entire awareness, setting his head ablaze and then dulling to candlelight before burning anew. He remained still, concentrating on his breathing and the steady beats of his hearts. Slowly, the pain subsided to where he could think outside of it; its intensity decreasing, but ever-present. A faint illumination materialized before his closed eyes, and he squeezed the lids tighter in protest.

After a few moments of eternity, the pounding was reduced to a manageable hum, and he carefully opened his eyes. His surroundings gradually came into focus, and he studied the walls and ceiling of his room. The familiar rhythm engulfing him was the engines of his beloved TARDIS. Warm in his bed, he gave himself a minute of respite, cocooned in her warm embrace.

Something new drifted into his mind. Beyond the engine noise and the dim glow so familiar to him, there was a foreign, but not at all unpleasant, element invading his senses. His eyes were stably open now as he tried to discern this new essence. It was an aroma, something sweet and warm, most likely some sort of sinfully rich food. It filled him with the deepest contentment.

He knew the kitchen was far away; the TARDIS was amplifying the fragrance to lure him out of his bed, and he had to admit the temptation to leave its haven was becoming irresistible. But something was off to him. Was this real or just generated by the TARDIS? She had many gifts, but she usually left the food preparation to him or to…

Donna.

The Doctor shot upwards, instantly regretting it. His vision swirled, and he swallowed against the sudden nausea. Around him, the medical alert sang urgently to him. He looked over and found a glass of water and some pills waiting for him.

"Thanks, girl," he murmured before gulping down the medicine. The effect was mercifully quick. All the discomfort melted away, leaving the Doctor alone as the pieces of the previous day fell into place.

They had been on some random planet. He had promised Donna a fun and sunlit place after their sobering experience at the Library. They had both needed something to cheer them up. And while it had been sunny, he had chosen the wrong century; they had arrived while the entire planet was ensnared in a brutal civil war. He had tried bringing her back to the TARDIS so he could fix their temporal destination, but Donna had taken one look at a distraught family and had demanded they help, even if it was just a few people. Unable to deny her, they'd spent hours offering whatever assistance they could.

He'd barely had time to register the small spheres falling from the sky for what they were until the first blast erupted, tossing everything from trees to people like toys into the air. He had searched frantically for Donna, just getting a glimpse of her vibrant hair before a second boom exploded behind him.

The Doctor closed his eyes, desperately trying to remember what had happened next, but it was all a blur of light, sound, and painful movement. The first clear memory he could formulate was waking up just a few moments ago.

Dread coursed through him, and he tossed the blankets aside. He looked down, seeing his tattered suit still clinging to him. How had he gotten to the TARDIS? What had happened? Where was Donna? He jumped up and looked around, seeing no glimpse of her. Around him, the medical alert still hummed above the low din of the engines.

"I'm all right, girl," he said aloud, but it kept buzzing.

Outside, the strange aroma became stronger, distracting him. Was that banana bread?! The random realization had the unexpected effect of settling his nerves, for the TARDIS didn't prepare food, and he had been unconscious for who knows how long. So that left one person who would have taken the time to bake something. A weight lifted from his chest at the revelation; he followed the beckoning fragrance to the kitchen.

Upon entering, the Doctor released a long breath, all his distress evaporating. There, seated and reading a book while sipping a cup of tea, was Donna. He stared at her for a moment, letting the warmth of the scene calm his racing hearts. She looked tired and pale, but completely safe and one hundred percent alive. Her hair softly draping her shoulders, she was the picture of reassuring peace.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning, Sunshine!"

"Morning?" he asked, a silly grin on his face.

"Well, whatever time is kept here," she answered.

He looked over at the source of that heavenly scent: a huge and decadent ring of the most perfect banana bread he'd ever seen. "Did you make that?" he asked, walking over to the counter to cut a generous piece.

"Yeah," she answered, picking up a small bite of her own slice. "I was bored and knew you'd be hungry when you woke up."

He paused and turned to her. "How long was I asleep?"

"About twelve hours."

"TWELVE HOURS!?"

Donna smirked. "And you say Time Lords don't need much sleep," she said. He felt her eyes on him as he sliced himself a piece and sat across from her. "You must have been walloped."

"I guess," he answered. In the brief moment of silence, he heard the TARDIS's continued alert. He looked at the walls. "I'm fine now!" Donna followed his gaze around. He shook his head before tearing a piece of bread. "I'll have to see why that's not turning off."

His eyes closed when he plopped the bread into his mouth. "Oh my… Donna… this is perfection."

She grinned. "Glad you like it. It was my Gran's recipe. And by some miracle, all the supplies I needed were right here, just waiting for me. The bananas were even at the perfect stage of ripeness."

The Doctor opened his eyes and winked at her. He savored another bite, taking his time. Donna sipped her tea, and he studied her. "What did happen?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Oh, you know, the usual: new planet, some conflict, a few battles, we get caught in it all."

"No, I mean when the bombs went off."

She placed her cup down gently and met his gaze. "You were knocked out cold. It took me a few minutes to get to you. Thank God I managed to get you somewhat conscious. I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't. You're a string bean, but there was no way I was going to carry you all the way back to the TARDIS."

"You got me back?"

She blinked, affronted. "Who else was gonna do it?"

"There was no one else to help you?"

Donna sighed and looked down. "We were the only ones."

The Doctor stared at her, completely sobered. "You were alone?"

Looking up, she offered a half-hearted smile. "Well, I would have been if I didn't get you back home," she said. "And your TARDIS is a gem. As soon as we got in, your room was right next to the entrance. I got you onto the bed, took off your shoes, tucked you in, and let you be. I figured if it was serious, she would have taken us to the med bay." She cast a grateful glance to the ceiling.

He grinned and jumped up. Running around the table, he leaned over and hugged her fiercely. "You are brilliant, you are," he said into her hair.

"Oi, Spaceman," she said, but he could hear the laughter in her voice. He withdrew and kissed the top of her head. "You still owe me a sunny, fun trip, by the way," she said.

"Oh yes!" the Doctor agreed, racing back to his plate and wolfing down the remainder of his breakfast. Barely swallowed, he walked over to cut himself another slice, his excitement building. "And I know just the spot, too! The Fourth Half Moon of Perristoria. Oh you should see it! The One Hundred and Seventy-Second Century was its heyday. Nothing but miles of beaches with orange sand and the sharpest azure water in the universe. We can stay there for a month if you want."

She pushed back and rose slowly to her feet. The Doctor's elation immediately changed to horror as she limped to the sink. Her jeans were singed and torn, riddled with bloodstains. "Donna!"

She stopped. "Doctor…" How could he not have noticed how tired she was?

His mouth dropped and he dashed over to her. The TARDIS medical alert was now piercing in his ears. "Donna!" he exclaimed again. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and scanned her.

"You don't need to bleep –"

"Donna, you're hurt!"

"It's not that bad," she insisted, leaning on the counter.

"Your left leg has second degree burns, lacerations, and your hip badly bruised," he rambled, frantically looking at her. He ran the screwdriver further up her body. Thankfully, those were her most severe injuries. Her left side had more bruises and burns, but her leg had taken the brunt.

"See? No broken bones. I'm all right, Doctor."

He stepped back. "Why didn't you say anything?"

She looked away. "You were worse off, and people were dead. A couple of burns and scratches were nothing."

The picture formed more clearly. "You dragged me back to the TARDIS, put me in bed, and managed to make banana bread? You did all that on that leg?"

She stared hard at the opposite wall. "People were dead," she repeated, her voice thin. "I can't stop seeing them. If I keep going, I don't see them."

"Donna," he whispered and this time, hugged her with the gentlest of reverence. He felt her shudder a little, and he dared squeeze just a little tighter. "Oh, my brilliant Donna." She shook her head against his shoulder.

"You must be exhausted."

"Can't sleep," she answered.

"Come on," he insisted. "It's your turn to rest."

She gave him a wary look. "No drugs."

"No, just let me get that leg patched up."

He slowly put his arm around her back, and started to guide her out of the kitchen, half-expecting her to soundly protest. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or scared that she didn't offer any resistance.

The TARDIS hummed its soothing song as they carefully walked to the med bay. She leaned heavily into his embrace. When she stumbled, he grasped her tighter.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Nonsense," he said. "We're almost there. She moved it closer, the clever girl."

"She's a nice mother hen," Donna said with a light laugh. It was music to his troubled hearts.

"I want to spend more than a month on that orange beach after this," she said.

He grinned and kissed her temple. "We can spend a year there," he answered. "Anything for my Earthgirl."