Characters: Donna/Alec Hardy, Sylvia, Wilf, OCs

Summary: In a sequel to The Fifth Cut Is Cautious, Donna decides to help her new friend gain something precious back.
Disclaimer: when they shared out the ownership honours I didn't get a look in.
A/N: sorry for the delay, but it's been a bad couple of days again; and it grew a bit. While I'm apologising - sorry about the lack of smut in this chapter.

The Sixth Cut Brings Joy

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"Alec, I have a small confession to make," Donna cautiously began when they next sat together drinking tea.

His face fell immediately as his cup halted halfway on its journey to his lips. She'd used his first name and she hadn't done that since the first day they'd had full sex. "Confession?" he queried. "What sort of confession?"

"It's to do with Bethany and your… erm… wife," she said nervously.

"What have you done?!" he demanded as calmly as he could whilst putting his cup hastily down.

"I did it for the best, honest I did." Donna did her most innocent looking face. "The thing is, I had a phone call from Bethany the other night. You know, the one when she asked if she could meet you…? Well, what I didn't tell you was that her mum seems to think I am grooming her."

Anger initially hit him, quickly followed by a smirk flickered across his face as he tried to remain stern. "Sounds typical," he agreed. And then waited to hear the rest of the tale.

"I couldn't let that happen, otherwise she might have stopped Bethany having any contact with you; so…" She took a deep breath. "I phoned her up and spoke to her," she quickly spat out.

"You did what?! Donna! What did you tell her about us? Do you realise the harm she can do to me?" he roared.

"I rather got the impression she already has," Donna quietly commented. She reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "It all has to be above board and out in the open, this contacting Bethany, otherwise we could lose out. No secrets; do you agree?"

Hardy sighed. "I agree," he assured her after some moments. "So what was said?"

Should she divulge everything that his ex-wife had spouted about him? That would be unfair and cruel to a certain extent. "After I explained who I am, with the charity and that, I then offered to meet her in person if she was still dubious. As for us, I told her we were friends who had met when I had to go down to Broadchurch for some promotional work, and she thawed a bit. I even got her to agree that it would be beneficial for Bethany to see you in person after the bombshell… I mean…the near death thing."

He rubbed the brow of his nose anxiously, and then looked up to reconsider her concerned face. "So you've revealed all to Bethany, spoke to my wife and made her allow me to see my daughter despite hating me," he said slowly stated.

"Just the bare basics. I told Bethany that she needed to speak to you; that's what pushed all this further," Donna nervously admitted.

He got up and went round to where she sat; and instantly wrapped her up in a tight hug. She melted into his embrace. "I wish I could make love to you right this second," he whispered, and kissed her sweetly. "No-one has ever tried so hard for me."

"Get used to it, Thomas," she replied. "You're a member of Team Donna now, and you'll get more than a t shirt."

Chuckling with delight, he held her to him. "The next member of Team Donna will arrive hopefully in the next month, so in light of that, don't you think I ought to meet your family?"

"And there was me thinking you didn't have a death wish," she remarked with some resignation.

A day or so later, Hardy accompanied Donna on a trip to her mother's house. Using her key, she led him into the quiet house, and sought out someone. Fortunately Sylvia arrived on the scene as soon as Donna had told Hardy to sit himself down in the living room.

"Hello! I didn't know you were coming today," Sylvia greeted the sight of Donna when she walked in. "Who's this?"

"Mum, it's about time you met Thomas, I mean, Alec," Donna cautiously began.

"Is this him?" Sylvia asked as she rounded the settee and gazed directly at Hardy. Her eyes narrowed as she squinted at him. A few hasty intakes of breath then followed as recognition of his features raced through her mind. "Oh my gawd!" she gasped out and sank like a stone to the carpet, in a faint.

"Mum!" Donna screamed as she rushed forward.

"It's okay, Donna. I know what to do," Hardy insisted as he eased Sylvia into the recovery position and checked her pulse. "Go get her a glass of water and any medication she is on."

Donna hastily ran off leaving him alone with her mum.

Sylvia began to rouse herself, and mumbled to Hardy, "You're him. I hardly recognised you for a second. You've changed and look really rough like that. Get out quick!"

"What him?" Hardy inevitably asked in his confusion.

"The Doctor," she whispered; sending a chill through his heart.

"Who is this Doctor?" he anxiously asked her as he helped her get up and sit on the nearest soft chair. "Please, I need to know."

"Later!" Sylvia hissed.

"Here you go, Mum," Donna announced as she placed a glass of water in Sylvia's hand. "Aren't those blood pressure tablets working anymore?"

"I'll have to go back to the doctors," Sylvia replied as she gratefully accepted the glass and plainly ignored Hardy. "I haven't come over funny like that in ages."

"Oh!" Donna gasped. "I haven't introduced you…"

"What about some tea, love? I'm sure your mum could do with a cup," Hardy quickly suggested, staying sat near Sylvia with a concerned expression on his face.

Donna frowned. What was he up to? This all seemed fishy. "Okay; I'll make us some tea" she reluctantly agreed. "Won't be long."

Hardy waited for her to be out of earshot before he asked his next pressing question. "Were the Doctor and Spaceman the same man? Did Donna go out with this man called the Doctor?"

"You can't keep asking these questions here," Sylvia almost pleaded with him.

"What's all this?" demanded a frail old man standing in the doorway. He stood staring at Hardy for several seconds.

"Hello, I'm Detective Inspector Hardy," he automatically introduced himself. At least he didn't pull out his identity badge this time. "Do I assume you are Wilfred Mott?"

"That I am, sir," Wilf stiffly replied and moved a bit nearer to ask about Sylvia. But instead he too gasped. "It's his lordship! If you don't mind me saying, you're look like you're in a fair old state. Is this a disguise, or have you still got all that radiation?"

Hardy stood, angry now that more possible questions were being thrown up. "I am not in disguise; I am here with Donna," he stated.

"You'd better come with me," Wilf insisted with a wave of his hand, ignoring Hardy's words. "You can't stand around here talking like this."

"Hello Gramps!" Donna appeared and rushed forward to greet him with a deep hug. "Gramps, this is Alec," she brightly said when she released her hold. "My special friend." She tried to keep the smile on her face when her grandfather and her mother failed to look pleased to see Hardy. "Don't let the fact he is a policeman put you off," she added.

Wilf was the first to regain his manners. "Lovely to meet you, Alec." He held out a hand for Hardy to shake. "Do you mind if I take your friend and have a little man to man with him, Donna?"

Donna shared a puzzled glance with Hardy. "I suppose that's okay," she cagily answered. "Just don't scare him off."

Deeply intrigued, Hardy followed Wilf out into the garden, and into the small shed that sat in a corner, well away from the house. "Well?" he demanded once they were inside and the shed door was shut.

Wilf immediately launched into his speech. "Doctor, you have got to get out of here, right now. I know you mean well by coming back and keeping an eye on her but…"

Hardy held up his hand in order to halt Wilf's words. "I have already stated that I am DI Alec Hardy. Who is this Doctor both you and your daughter keep going on about?"

"Don't be daft; you're the Doctor. Of course you're… You mean you ain't him? But you're the spit… if you take away the fuzz." Wilf almost whispered. "You ain't come back to fix our Donna?"

"No," Hardy wearily replied. "Why would she need the help of a doctor? She seems fine to me."

There was a nervous gulp as Wilf simply said, "Her head."

"Do you mean the headaches?" Hardy tried to clarify. "She's already told me about them. This doctor… did Donna call him Spaceman?"

"Yes, she did."

"Why?" Hardy asked.

Wilf made an educated guess. "Cos he lived for the stars."

Why couldn't he get more of a proper answer? Hardy tried again. "How close were they?"

"Well… they travelled about together for a good year, perhaps more. I dunno," Wilf reluctantly explained.

"They travelled?!" Hardy had not expected that one. "How many people were in their group?"

"Just the two of them, going about in his T… special transport," Wilf blustered.

"Let me see if I've got this right," Hardy began. "Donna went out with this man for over a year, travelling with him, and sharing his bed?"

"Oh I don't know if they actually… you know… slept together; but I wouldn't be surprised if they had," Wilf admitted. "They were very good friends, and he was absolutely heartbroken when he brought her home. I'll never forget how he cried."

"That would have been…?"

Wilf's eyes turned even sadder. "That night with all the planets. She had a bad accident and lost a chunk of her memory. Last time I saw him, he was fatally injured. I really thought you were him for a second… Sorry."

Taking a deep breath, Hardy tried to make sense of all this in his mind. "They probably loved each, Donna has head trauma, he dies, and her mind blocks it all out to protect her."

"That's sort of it," Wilf agreed. "Except they did love each other; you could see it with the way they acted. When she came home for a visit, Donna said she was going to spend her whole life with him."

That hurt. But Hardy had to press on with this enquiry. "You said I look like him. Sylvia seemed very upset at the sight of me."

"You do. And don't mind Sylvia; she was angry that the Doctor took Donna away for so long, made her happy, and did all the things Sylvia could have never done. Jealousy does that to a person; it's destructive."

'Don't I know it,' thought Hardy. "Thank you for being so honest, Mr Mott."

"Call me 'Wilf'," he insisted. "And remember, whatever you do, do not bring up the Doctor with Donna. Her head can't take it."

"I promise," Hardy readily said, having already made that decision.

"In that case, I think we deserve some tea," Wilf changed the subject; and lead the way back into the house as Hardy contemplated this development with his and Donna's relationship.

Hardy stood in the shopping centre feeling more than a little out of place. He hadn't seen Donna much since their visit to her mother's and he felt that certain things between them needed resolving. Too many nights his thoughts had whirled around about this late boyfriend of hers that he evidently had more than a passing resemblance to. Thoughts like: was he merely second best in her heart? Had she chosen him unconsciously because he looked like this Spaceman, although Wilf had said his name was also 'the doctor' and John Smith? Not that knowing this had been helpful when he had investigated the death of anyone called Dr John Smith in a similar age range to himself. In fact it had been predominantly futile. The only person he knew that would have been able to dig up information was Donna, and she was out of this particular loop. How on earth did you compete with a ghost? No doubt this Doctor was now firmly lodged in her psyche as some sort of ideal man; and everybody knows that ideals can only remain as that and never become concrete. Should he even bother to try? At least he now knew what things to avoid doing or saying in order to save her from those blasted debilitating headaches. They'd totally ruined their last time together; and his exasperation hadn't been down to the fact they had not made love; not completely because of that, anyway. It was just that he couldn't stand seeing her in so much pain; it broke his heart to see her so out of sorts.

All of that was beside the point as he stood regarding the place Donna had pitched a small information booth. She'd arranged all this for his benefit, as their cover to catch a glimpse of his daughter, Bethany; and for that he could easily love her. But did it really have to be a shopping centre? He was constantly aware of eyes looking at them, and half expected someone he knew, or one of his wife's friends, to stroll up and demand what he was doing there; and that made him uneasy.

"Why did you choose here, precisely?" he whispered irritably.

Donna huffed a sigh as she sorted through her paperwork. "We've been through this. I can do some charity awareness work, be in a place that Bethany feels comfortable in, drag you along legitimately as part of your job description; and generally bring world peace! Does that answer your question?!"

"No need to climb out of your pram," he griped, and turned to hand out a leaflet to a passer-by. "It just seems convoluted."

"That's because it is," she emphasised. "It's taken a lot of planning to get you this far; so stop moaning! She'll be here soon with her mates, and I don't want to show her up."

True to her word, Bethany turned up, trailing her friend behind her; so Donna stood discretely back and made pleasant small talk with her whilst Hardy spent five minutes speaking to his daughter and gaining a much needed hug.

"That looked as though it went quite well," Donna remarked as Bethany walked away with her friend. "Did she say she would be coming back to talk to us?"

Hardy watched his daughter go with great reluctance, wanting to race after her and grab some more time in her presence. "She didn't say," he admitted forlornly.

"Oh Thomas," Donna crooned compassionately and threw her arms around him. "I'll get her back for you; I promise," she whispered into his ear.

He hugged her tight for a few moments, and released his clasp. "I think we've earned ourselves a tea break. What do you say?"

"Sounds like a winner to me," she answered as brightly as she could. "Now where do we go?"

They both looked around for any sign that directed them towards a food court, and made their way towards the nearest refreshments. High above where they had been handing out leaflets was the food court. They bickered for a bit about which take away they should get, and then settled on a filled jacket potato once Donna had pouted about going for a healthier option and Hardy had declined his original choice.

"It's not so bad here," she commented as she took in the general atmosphere of the place. Generally she wasn't keen on visiting these huge structures; it felt too exposed. But luckily nobody had recognised her so far beyond a couple of pensioners who had been entertaining to chat to.

Hardy had been sitting waiting patiently for her to finish eating. Why she took so long to finish something so simple was beyond him at times. "You've got a touch of…" He pointed at her face.

"What? What have I got?" she badgered him.

"Come here," he chided her, and picked up a paper serviette to dab at her mouth. "I don't know. I can't take you anywhere posh to eat," he pretended to gripe as he cleaned the offending coleslaw from her lip.

"Did you get it all?" she fretted. After all, it wouldn't do to stand in a public place looking like an idiot with food on her face.

"Let me make sure," he mischievously suggested, and flicked out his tongue to lick the spot where the coleslaw had been.

"Prawn!" she fondly chastised him. "You just used that as an excuse to kiss me."

"And what if I did?" he argued. "Can you blame me, when you wear lipstick that clearly demands 'kiss me'?"

"I suppose not," she agreed as she let him enter her personal space once more to press his lips onto hers, using a sultry look that should not have such an effect on her sensibilities.

Thank goodness it was a non-smudgeable lipstick too! Because the way he was kissing her would have had it smeared all over his face; and she was powerless to resist him. Well, she did, until she remembered they were sitting in such a public space; so she drew back. "We'd better go and do our final hour, then we can go somewhere else."

"Can't we go now?" he petulantly suggested.

"I booked you for the whole afternoon, DI Hardy, so I expect to get my full money's worth," she teased.

"What makes you think you paid? This is all a goodwill gesture; some lame arse interdepartmental initiative," he argued. "This could be classed as poor usage of public funded resources."

"You can always bugger off home, you know. I set all this up for your benefit," Donna huffed as she sat back and away from him.

"How about we go and have ourselves a little 'us' time on the back seat of the car?" He gazed hopefully at her. "We could drive to an excluded spot; I would remove your underwear and you'd tear off mine," he proposed in an ever deepening voice.

"We could, could we?" Donna wondered as he leaned nearer.

"Yes. You know how you love to show me exactly the things you like done to your body," Hardy continued in a low whisper, reaching out to trail a fingertip suggestively across the back of her hand. "How you like to be rubbed just so when I place my lips on your gorgeous soft skin. Think of it, Donna. I could be making you all juicy and wet, and I'd be hard and ever so long…"

"Have you finished with that tray?" a brash female voice interrupted his seductive flow, and brought Donna out of her trance.

She looked up to see a cleaner edging closer to stand pointing at the tray of items siting on the table in front of them both.

Hardy was the first to recover. "We have, thank you," he told the woman; flashing her a grateful smile whilst feeling rather peeved his opportunity was slipping away. Pushing back his chair in order to stand up, he remarked to Donna, "Are you ready to go?"

She quickly agreed and grabbed her handbag to stand and join him, instantly taking his outstretched hand. "I'm not following you to the car, in case you think that's where we're going," she pointed out once they were out of earshot.

He grinned smugly back at her as they walked towards the escalator. "You haven't denied wanting to go and have each other on the back seat, I've noticed."

She deliberately narrowed her eyes at him, but pursed her lips to remain silent. The smug bastard! The smug, sexy bastard, she quickly mentally amended when his grin melted her resolve to stay angry. "Just do your job, Inspector Hardy. You're supposed to be liaising with the public."

"Is that what we're calling it now?" he cheekily pondered. "Then I'd liaise with you any day of the week."

Inevitably she swatted his arm, and then tried to resist the urge to giggle at his expression.

A short hour later their allotted time was up, and they started to consider heading for home.

"We didn't do too badly today," Hardy reasoned as he considered the few leaflets they had left in their possession; all the rest having been given out to passers-by.

"No, I think we did very well, and gained a lot of interest," Donna agreed as she turned to start dismantling their display. They had four panels mounted on stilts in a U shape to take down and put in the car.

Hardy loosely wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her into the corner of the enclosed display. "I think we might have earned ourselves a meal out somewhere on the way home. What do you say?" he asked as he briefly kissed her lips.

"I think that'd be a 'yes'," she eagerly replied as she threaded her arms around his neck, and just as briefly kissed him back.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" hissed an extremely angry voice.

They both turned to see Bethany glaring with abject horror at the scene in front of her. Her friend merely looked confused and disgusted.

It was with some haste and reluctance that they released their hold on each other and faced this latest development. "Sweetheart, I can explain…," Hardy started to say.

"How could you?!" Bethany spat out. She then turned her glare onto Donna. "You said you were just friends!"

Donna wanted to complain loudly that they'd just been practically sucking each other's face off an hour earlier, but one little kiss by their display board and Bethany was criticising them! Instead she insisted, "We are friends; special friends who have come to mean more in the time we've known each other."

The contents of their phone call earlier in the week raced through Bethany's mind. "But you made it sound…"

Donna nodded. "I did, for your sake."

"Bethany, darling, we wanted to tell you after today. This thing between us is quite new, and you're old enough to understand this now. I just didn't want your mum spoiling our chance to talk," Hardy added.

Bethany looked even more confused. "Why would Mum spoil it?"

Hardy took control of the situation. "Let's take this conversation somewhere a little more private."