A/N: What would make a more fitting tribute to the Tenth Doctor than something suitably Timey-Wimey? The Tenth Doctor and Donna noble are, in my opinion, the greatest Doctor-companion team in the show's long history. I hope I've done them both justice.

[In the life of the Doctor there are good days, and there are bad days. Sometimes, when he's feeling down, the TARDIS (who has a very long memory), takes over the viewscreen and reminds him of the good days.]

Despite the dim lighting and textured, dark walls, the man in the brown suit seemed perfectly comfortable. He danced around the haphazard mess of controls, pulling levers with dramatic flourishes, and occasionally simply whacking them with a rubber mallet. Nothing was remotely labelled, except for a small green light with "Temporal Orbit" written in block text below it.

This dance was interrupted unexpectedly by a loud knocking coming from the exterior door. "Who on earth could that be?" he wondered aloud. Adjusting the angle of his straw stetson, he strode confidently to the doors and flung them open.

"Oh my gosh, it's really you!" the red haired woman said excitedly, wrapping the shocked man in an enthusiastic hug. "I'm so glad I've finally found you, Doctor!"

"D-donna?" the Doctor managed, his rib cage apparently being crushed by the woman. "What on earth are you doing here? How-"

"Looking for you, of course, you prawn," Donna replied, releasing him. "I've been trying to find you ever since you up and disappeared after that business with the spider-lady. All that research and tracking and then I just happen to bump into you by accident! it's a funny old world, innit?"

"It certainly is," the Doctor agreed gravely.

"well, aren't you glad to see me, Spaceman?" Donna asked, looking slightly worried.

The Doctor took a deep breath and arranged his face into a bright smile. "of course I am! Just rather surprised. The Doctor moved to the console and rummaged underneath it, producing a kettle. "tea?" he asked, holding it up.

"Oh, yes, please, I'm parched," Donna smiled, adjusting the artificial lei inexplicably around her neck. "Oh! I'm just so excited, I can't believe it's really you!"

The Doctor placed the kettle on a circular pad on the console, which immediately lit up red hot. He then began rummaging under the console again. "I'm sure I have some cups down here somewhere."

Donna stopped moving around and watched the Doctor Carefully. "Um, Doctor," she ventured, "Tell me what's wrong."

"What? No, nothing's wrong," he replied, not looking away from the console.

"Oh, don't give me that, spaceman," the woman glared at him. "You don't want me here."

The Doctor turned around quickly, looked her straight in the eye and said, "I absolutely want you here. You're my best friend, you know that? And I'd love you to stay, but you can't."

"Why?" Donna sounded hurt.

"You just can't."

"Doctor…" She said warningly.

The Doctor sighed. "you can't come with because...in your future, you're going to run across me in my past. You can't travel with me now because you've already been travelling with me. I'm really sorry, Donna, but you're going to have to keep looking for me." so saying, he turned back to the rummaging. "Where are those teacups? I didn't leave them in Madrid, did I?"

A moment's silence, then "But I do find you?"

"Oh yes."

"where?"

"I can't tell you that. Spoilers."

"Spoilers? Okay, but," she shook her head, trying to focus. "If I find you in my future, where am I? Why isn't future me with you? Did...do I…"

With his back still to his friend, the Doctor's expression was momentarily one of complete despondance. then he transfigured it into a bright smile as he turned towards her. "Nah! of course not!" he said energetically, fingers crossed behind his back. "You just decided to take a weekend off with-" the Doctor cut himself off abruptly, as though he'd caught himself about to give away too much. "well, least said, soonest mended." he spun on the spot, thrust his hand into the console and withdrew it triumphantly holding two cups just as the kettle began to whistle. "HA!"

The tea was brewed and served, and soon the Doctor and Donna sat together on the bench, sipping tea.

"There's something else, isn't there, Doctor? Please don't lie to me." Donna said, not looking at the Doctor. The latter carefully set his teacup down and stood up, taking a few steps away and considering.

"You told me I shouldn't travel alone, Donna," he said, voice trembling slightly, "And you were right. And-Rassilon!" he swore. "I think- I've done something very bad. I'm-I'm-" He took a deep breath. "I'm not sure I deserve to be the Doctor anymore."

Donna nodded. "Yeah, no offence, but I don't find that particularly surprising."

"What?" the Doctor said, somewhat thrown off by this.

"For all your talk about being this superior alien being, Doctor, you really are stupid sometimes." Donna observed casually. "All that pain and anger inside you, all that loss. I watched you nearly drown a hive of children and you thought, what, that I'd be surprised that you've got a dark side?"

"yes, well…" The Doctor shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Maybe I'm just getting too old for this. I've lost so much, and been responsible for so much more… Perhaps it's time.

Donna actually laughed. "You think you're so important, so much bigger than the rest of us, don't you?" she said. "News flash, Spaceman: Other people make big mistakes, too. That's no excuse to just give up!"

"Then what am I supposed to do?" the Doctor shot back.

"What everyone else in the universe does!" her tone softened. "Do what we all do when we realize we've been wasting our lives doing temp work in Chiswick. You learn from your mistakes and change who you are."

"Perhaps it is time, then, after all…" the Doctor murmured. He smiled at Donna, and hugged her. "You're amazing. Never forget that, Earth Girl. Now" he stood up suddenly, back to his old self as though nothing had happened. "It's time for you to go. You'll find me soon enough. in the meantime, there's a big world full of adventure out there, and you know just where you'll find me."

"Right in the middle of it, I expect," she retorted. "Goodbye, Doctor. Say hello to future me for me." and placing the empty cup on the console, she left.

The Doctor waited until she was gone, then carefully, deliberately, retrieved the tea cup. once it was safely stored, he returned to the controls and set a course for the planet of the Ood. "The song is ending," he mused. "Time to try a new tune."