Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. I thought you might need more than one chapter. Thanks, let me know what you think and happy reading!

The Doctor had left Gallifrey one man and returned another.

It was the sort of thing that was bound to happen as a Time Lord.

Time Lord funerals were hasty. They had to be. Too much was at stake. He took his wife's body home and the Time Lords gathered on the Fields of the Pythia. They listened to ancient prayers that had lost all meaning through the eons and finally he was the one to set her corpse alight.

They had been born in the same minute. Rare, beyond rare, almost impossible. He had been destined for her and they married, had children, survived the Time War and tried to rebuild Gallifrey.

He had failed her.

He looked up and realized his sister was in the cavernous library. She was staring at him curiously. In her fourth incarnation, the Doctor could swear all of his sister's features were perpetually pointed towards him, a harsh glare offsetting her delicate frame and features.

"What are you doing here?"

She didn't answer right away. "Never mind, Oswin! I've found him."

Malyon entered and sat across from him. She looked at the TARDIS in the corner. "Thinking of running off again?"

The Doctor didn't answer.

"Might I remind you that you were the one that brought us to orbit this planet and you said you would help us. There's a great deal of work to be done."

"I know."

"The humans are our destiny. You and the Oracle made us believe that."

He was silent.

"I read her will today. Do you care to know the contents?"

He looked at her.

Malyon rolled her eyes. "It was instructions, aimed entirely at you."

"At me?"

"Who else?," Malyon answered with exasperation.

"What instructions?"

"To remarry."

He scoffed. "Time Lords don't remarry."

"Most Time Lords haven't had to, but we are having a population crisis."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." He groaned. "So, who has the High Council selected for me?"

"Don't get any ideas," said Malyon. "Besides, the Oracle made the selection."

"And who did she select?"

Malyon stared at him intently.

"What?," asked the Doctor, growing concerned by her silence. "Who is it?"

"It's a most unusual choice."

"How so?"

"Well..."

"Malyon, I can't possibly comment on it if you don't tell me who it is."

"Donna Noble."

"I'm sorry, I think my ears regenerated wrong. I thought you just said Donna Noble."

"I did."

"What do you mean Donna Noble? How could she have chosen Donna Noble? Why would she handpick a woman who's been sitting five feet away for the past ten years? She's not even a Time Lady."

"So you think there's a Time Lady who would have you?"

"Do you think Donna Noble would even have me? She doesn't like me that much."

"This is the Oracle's request."

"It's a ludicrous request."

"It's a wish from beyond the veil of death and therefore you have no choice in the matter. So, whoever this Donna Noble is, you had better find a way to win her over and take her as your wife. Honestly, you would think you were the younger sibling the way you carry on."

"What she asked is impossible."

Malyon sighed. "In your whole life, was she ever wrong?"

"Just once," he said.

Malyon rolled her eyes. "Oh, I do hope this Donna Noble enjoys a man who wallows in self pity." She stood. "I'm going to see to your daughters."

Donna woke up to once again find Ella in bed next to her along with the dog, Esther. It had been like this every night since she had last been at work. Well, Esther usually slept there, but Ella couldn't bear to spend the night on her own. They had been talking about everything and the kids had even been to see a psychiatrist, but Ella just needed time. Of her two, Ella was always the one who was too frightened or loathe to try anything new. Josh was putting on a brave face, but Donna knew better. She roused her daughter and went after her son to get them going with their day.

Donna got started with breakfast. Her parents were already up.

"When are you going back to work?," asked Sylvia.

"Sylvia..." chided Geoffrey.

"It's just if she's not bringing money in..."

"I'm still getting paid," said Donna. "Which I thought was rather kind given the circumstances."

"Kind?!," spat Sylvia. "They nearly got you killed!"

Donna shook her head. "It wasn't their fault, it was those extremists. Besides, the Oracle was the only one who was fatally wounded."

"Strange she couldn't see that coming," muttered Sylvia.

"Mum!," exclaimed Donna. "The poor woman's dead. Don't mock her name."

"I liked the Oracle," Ella said softly. "She was nice."

Donna shot her mother a glare.

"Gran didn't mean anything by it, love," said Geoffrey.

From the other room, Esther started barking.

"What is that silly animal on about?," Sylvia tsked. "I've half a mind to get rid of her."

"We'll get rid of you first," said Donna.

Ella got up and went after Esther in the other room.

"You're not going back to working for them, are you?," asked Sylvia. "Nina knows this glazier who's looking for a secretary."

"A glazier?," asked Donna. "You think I can go from working for the High Council of the Time Lords to a glazier?"

"Look who's all high and mighty now," said Sylvia.

Ella came back in. "The Doctor's at the front door."

Donna frowned. "The Doctor?"

"The new one, with brown hair."

"What? A Time Lord? At our door?," exclaimed Sylvia.

"What's she mean the new one?," asked Geoffrey.

Donna started walking towards the front room.

"You're not going to let him in, are you?"

Donna looked out the window that Esther sat by. It was indeed the Doctor. He had changed clothes and was wearing a brown pinstripe suit and Chuck Taylor trainers. Donna opened the door.

"Doctor?"

"Uh, yes, hi, Donna. I was just passing by."

"You were just passing by?"

"Yeah, it was on my way."

"On your way where?," asked Donna.

"Uh, you know places," said the Doctor.

"So, you were just passing by on your way places?," Donna repeated.

"That's about the size of it, yes," said the Doctor.

Donna sighed. "Well, are you going to come in or not?"

He looked startled by the request. "Yes, yes, I can come in."

The Doctor entered the house and looked around.

"We're having breakfast," said Donna. "Do you want some?"

"You haven't got a banana, have you?," asked the Doctor.

"Hello, Doctor," said Ella.

The Doctor looked up to see the twins staring inquisitively at him.

"Uh, hello," said the Doctor.

"Did you bring Oswin?," asked Josh.

"Uh, no, sorry."

Josh moaned. "She's the fun one."

"Don't be rude, Josh," said Donna. "Get to the kitchen."

The Doctor followed as the children scampered to the kitchen. He found Geoffrey and Sylvia sitting there.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"Yes, we know very well who you are," snapped Sylvia.

"Oh, do you now?," the Doctor asked brightly, it having gone over his head.

"Donna's mentioned you," said Geoffrey.

"Oh?"

"Sorry to hear about your wife," said Geoffrey. "Donna said she was a lovely woman."

"Yes, she was," said the Doctor, the wind being slightly knocked out of his sails by the personal inquiry.

"Have a seat, Doctor," said Donna. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you," said the Doctor, sitting between Josh and Ella.

"Were you married long?," asked Geoffrey.

"Well, seven hundred years give or take a few," said the Doctor. "Who can keep track?"

"Seven hundred years?," asked Sylvia.

Josh eyed him suspiciously. "How old are you?"

"Nine hundred and four, last time I checked," the Doctor said. "Like I said, hard to keep track."

"Why would that be hard to keep track of?," asked Sylvia.

"Well, you know, going forwards, backwards, sideways in time. Time slips, aborted time lines, you forget."

"Maybe you could keep a calendar," said Ella.

"Sorry?," asked the Doctor.

"You could cross out each day," said Ella. "I do it to count down to my birthday. It's only twenty-one days away."

"Can Oswin come to our party?," asked Josh.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Joshua," Sylvia said in a hushed voice.

"Well, that would be up to Oswin," said Donna.

Josh turned to the Doctor. "Do you think she'd come?"

The Doctor joined Donna as she walked the children to the school down the road. He watched as she gave them kisses and sent them off to their day.

"I usually take Esther through the park before I head back home," said Donna, motioning with the dog's lead. "At least until my mum's off to work. Thirty-six I still have to avoid my parents."

"Did your husband like living with them?," he asked.

Donna scoffed. "What husband?"

"Josh and Ella's father."

"We were never married," Donna said quickly. "We talked about it, well, I talked about it and then he was killed when the Daleks came."

"I'm sorry," said the Doctor.

Donna shook her head. "Anyway, I thought about moving out, but Josh and Ella need family. Besides, not like I need my own house for my busy dating life."

"So there's not anyone-"

Donna laughed. "Right! Who'd be interested?"

The Doctor tried not to make any telltale expressions. Well, at least there were no competitors. That would make things less complicated.

That is, if he had made a decision about pursuing Donna.

Which he certainly hadn't.

"How are the girls?," asked Donna.

The Doctor shrugged. "Fine, I suppose."

Donna eyed him. "You suppose?"

"Well..." the Doctor stammered.

"Their mother just died. Do you think it might be worth seeing how they're doing?," Donna asked.

"That's not quite how these things work on Gallifrey-"

Donna cast a glare. "Lydia needs you. It's obvious to anyone with a brain. Well, almost anyone. Oswin tries not to let it show, but she does need you. Your other one, Jenny, well, she sounds as if she needed a guiding hand before all this."

The Doctor nodded. "It's not like that-"

"Okay, why don't you tell me what it's like, what things are like in Time Lord Land," said Donna, sitting on a bench. "Tell me why in Time Lord Land, it's alright to ignore your children."

"On Gallifrey," the Doctor said pointedly, "our concern isn't solely the next generation as it is here-"

"How stupid and ape-like of me to be care for my children."

"I'm not saying that," said the Doctor. "Yes, human beings, your instinct to protect your young has been what's guaranteed your survival and is responsible for your progress as a species. It's the most primitive and at the same time the best in you."

"Thanks," said Donna, distrusting the compliment. At least she was fairly certain it was a compliment.

"We have to be concerned with the whole of eternity. I'm not trying to ignore them," the Doctor stammered plaintively. "I... I just can't do it all again."

"Do what again?," asked Donna.

"I was a dad before," said the Doctor. He then wondered why he had let that slip out.

"Before?"

"Before the Time War," he said. "I had children and grandchildren and I lost them all."

"I'm sorry," said Donna.

The Doctor sat next to her. "Oswin, it's like she floated in on a leaf. Then Lydia. They were born in the darkest, dark days of the Time War and I thought I was just going to lose them as well."

"But they're still here," said Donna. "And you're an idiot if you don't start acting like their dad."

After a long walk with Donna, the Doctor returned to the TARDIS and went home. He wandered downstairs to the domain of Oswin and Lydia, where one of the Gallifreyan housemaids was just giving them a plate of snacks.

"Hi, Dad," said Lydia.

Oswin looked up and raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"Hi," said the Doctor, awkwardly wandering in with his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. "So... what's new with you two?"

Oswin and Lydia exchanged worried glances.