Disclaimer: I own nothing but these plot lines. I wish I owned Doctor Who. Souffez would be so cannon it would hurt...

"Donna, if you don't mind me asking, how did you meet David?" Clara asked out of the blue on day, while John was away. The three females, Donna, Clara and Amy had been left to watch the shop as the males went to a book convention in the next town over.

"Well Grandpa Wilf and Granddad go way back. They served in the army together and to be honest, they saw hell. Since returning they stayed friends and yes went separate ways after a while. But when John and David's parents died, he was the last family member. So he picked them up and moved here to re-open the store." Donna began, lying her hands in the counter. "The second day the Smiths were in town, Granddad brought over David, so that the two of us could meet. He was all quiet and broodish, even for a kid. It took me about a week to get him to smile. And really from there we grew up together and spent all our time with each other."

She stopped to stare out the window, as if she wanted to confess something else. "Then things started to change once Rose was in the picture. That daft boy has always been too blind to see but she is trouble. Rose and Mickey Smith, on again, off again boyfriend dated multiple times through our school years leaving David no time to romantically approach her. Which for the most part I was glad for. Rose was known to break a heart quickly."

"And know he and her are dating while I just have to sit by and wait for him to have his heart broken. I don't want to see it happen but I think he needs it. She is like his drug, just like John had River. But I can't say I take pleasure in his pain." Donna finished, but not with a follow up question. "Why do you ask Clara?"

"It just seemed like you and David were an item before I knew about Rose. I was just curious why." The brunette answered honestly.

At this point Amy couldn't help but snort and turned to Clara.

"I've been saying for years the two needed to hook up but this one has sounded like a broken record of 'We're just friends.' And 'I don't want to lose our friendship.' After a while the same comments get boring."

"Amelia, you are stepping on dangerous territory. We have talked about this before." Donna warned, developing a sudden anger in her stance.

"We have. You like David and when he tried to express his feeling to you, you destroyed him. You were his first heart break even though you wanted the same thing. And after four years of watching him pine after Rose, I can see you're fighting to hide that fact. Just listen here, and I am sure Clara will agree. Tell him how you feel. Or you. Will. Regret. IT." At this point both gingers were fired up and Clara felt like the tension could be cut with a knife.

"Amelia, you are correct in that I have feeling for the Martian Boy, but he finally got the girl he wanted. I can't take his moment of happiness from him. If anyone deserves it, he does. Just as John deserves you Clara. I am his best friend, and I will support him. But that's something you don't understand, do you Amelia?" Donna fired back, the spunk in her words appearing to slap Amy.

"How dare you. I made my mistakes but I fixed my problems with the Doctor. Things are even better know that Clara is a part of the gang. I dare you to make another one of those comments. You aren't my sister. We are barely related!" At that moment, Amelia stomped out of the store, tears in her eyes. Donna slumped down onto the counter, as though she had been defeated.

"Donna, I'm sorry for causing this." Clara began.

"Don't you worry. This wasn't your fault. The friendship between David and I has been strained recently and Amy just hates to see me miserable. The idiot of a man can't see how I am doing, since I'm not Rose but I'll survive."

"Again I don't mean to pry but why did you reject him the first time?" Clara questioned.

"Well it was our first year. Actually when I think about it, it was the about the time John asked you to be his girlfriend when David took me to the same place, four years ago and on this cloudy evening, sat me down to talk. We discussed our feeling and like the Hero he is gave me his coat and then asked me out. I wanted so bad to say yes, but I knew that at that time if we broke apart then our friendship might never survive. And I wasn't willing to lose it."

Donna finished her thought and Clara could see a wail a tears building in her eyes.

"When I told him that, I could see his heart shatter. No it was worse than that. It was one of the moments where it seemed he had not one but two hearts. The entire family is like that. I had to get up and leave or I would have broken down in front of him. I tried to return his coat but he wouldn't let me. That was the first night of rain and from what John told me, he spent half the night out just staring off, not felling from the water."

"Donna, I am so sorry. I can't imagine what you had to go through." Clara responded, moving to hug the older girl.

"It's okay. About a month later we made our peace with it and David began his dating experiences. There were a few girls: Astrid, Christina, Jeanne and finally Rose. The first three all were mutual things that didn't really hurt him but Rose will. I know it. And when it happens maybe things will be different, but for now, I'll wait and just be the best friend he will ever have." Donna gave a watery smile, before fleeing home, leaving Clara alone in the shop to wonder one thing.

'Who is River?'

Clara let out a deep sigh as she flipped the sign to sorry, closed. Not a single customer had been through since Amy and Donna had left, leaving Clara to have to occupy her time. She had restocked the shelves, set up a new display and organized the backroom and office. All the while, a thought had burrowed into her mind.

'Who was this River referenced by Donna.' The questioned burned into her mind and made her worry. Was this person someone she'd have to compete with for John? That didn't sit well with her.

"Ten, can I ask you a question?" The Doctor asked as sat beside his brother at the little café.

"What?" The older brother responded irritated. J.K Rowling was supposed to be at the book conference but had to cancel last minute. She just happened to be David's favorite author. It also happens that he had been taking a few classes based on her works and since he was little, he had been working on a stage production of the novels.

When Paul and Cass Smith died, the three brothers had each thrown themselves into something. For Chris, the oldest, it was his traveling. He spanned the global visiting the places his parents had travelled to feel connected with them. David hid in books and plays, specifically Shakespeare and Harry Potter. He was always making Donna re-enact scenes. In high school, those two, along with their group made it through the first book and filmed it. Since then, David has been trying to meet Rowling through book conferences to show the video and hope to be allowed to produce the entire series.

John withdrew to music. It however, took him a few years to develop that talent further. For a brief amount of time, Clara was the only thing that made him happy. And then after that Amy and Rory filled the void. As time passed on and the three split, music once again filled the gap in his heart. The only other thing that brought him peace was sitting on his 'cloud' and reading or thinking.

Things, however, were different than those days. The Doctor referred to those days as "The Dark Times". Then the amazing, impossible, Clara Oswald slammed back into his life, literally. He had found his Soufflé Girl and he would never give her up.

"David, you meet her next time." The Doctor tried to reassure his brother. He knew that only Donna would be able to get him out of this funk.

"I have another question Ten."

He didn't respond, he just grunted.

"Why are you dating Rose and not Donna?" John almost whispered.

"What's gotten into you? You've never asked about Donna and I before."

"You're deflecting." John shot back.

"Fine you twat. The two of us would never work. I figured out a long time ago, that it's better for the two of us to be friends and support each other than to date then split apart." David had a few tears in his eyes. "I've never told you this John, but I did ask Donna to be my girlfriend once. It was when I was your age. I had the whole evening planned out. I was so sure of myself and sure that she would say yes. But that no broke my heart and I have never been the same. The reason I started dating Rose is simple. I can't keep pining for Donna. I needed to move on. And contrary to everyone's belief, I know Rose is going to break my heat one day but I don't mind. All I care about is I am happy now."

"Wow David. I never knew. How do you live with the feelings for Donna?"

"How did you live with the memories of Clara during the situation with River?" Ten smirked at the name.

There was a rage in The Doctor's eyes when Ten spoke that name.

"I though you agreed to never say that name again! This has to be the last time. I don't want Clara finding out about that girl." The Doctor was seething at this point, his Hazel eyes hard and blazing.

"I know and I promise. Just calm down." Ten spoke but that smirk persisted on his face. "Also little brother, I have always wondered if you ever had a crush on the Pond?"

"Actually, we both had one on each other for a little while when we first met. But that was over once Rory moved to town. I am okay with that and I am one-hundred percent certain we are just platonic friends."

"I see. You know if Rory and Clara had never moved here, we might have been brothers two times over in a sense." Ten gave a chuckle and The Doctor joined in.

He was glad Ten was cheerful again, but he could tell that Ten was just the slightest bit guarded. It was obvious that David was affected by the question on Donna. John felt sorry for asking but in the long run it was good for David to air out his problems.

It was after nine in the evening when the Smith boys returned to the store. Clara was upstairs in John's room when she heard the bell above the door ring. Placing the bookmark in her copy of famous literature quotes, she straightened her dress and fixed her hair.

Right as she opened the door, she bumped into a figure, dragging them both to the ground. Under her was none other than her floppy haired boyfriend. She smirked and kissed his cheek.

"I don't say this enough. Down boy." Clara gave another kiss to John and they stood up.

While Clara had to straighten her dress again, John adjusted his bowtie. He was wearing the one with books all over it. She would never admit it but it was one of her favorites.

John reached and pulled her into a tight hug like he did when the spent more than a few hours apart. He ended the hug with a light kiss on the top of her head. This was when she felt the safest and the most content. It was almost being whole, when the two of them had this moments.

"John, I don't want to ruin this moment but Donna and Amy brought something up today. Who's River Song?" Clara asked quiet and doe-eyed.

Authors Note: OKay guys I feel so bad for taking this long to update. But school is now out and I have an idea where I am going with this story. But I might take a break to write a series of one-shots. Again I am sorry and as always, please read and review. They make me much more inspired to write.