Sylvia and Wilfred had both gone back to the house and the TARDIS had moved somewhere else, not too far away though, knowing the Doctor would want some privacy for the inevitable flood of questions coming in his direction. As soon as he walked back in to the control room, he could tell that at some point in this conversation he was going to get a slap. He swallowed hard, gathering his courage and tried to start out the conversation as normally as possible.
"Donna! How are you doing?" She nodded platonically and looked up at him. "What's wrong Donna? Wait...you do still want to travel with me don't you? I never even thought to ask, I just assumed...well you know. I can take you home if that's what you want though." She got up from the chair in which she was sat and walked over to him, he braced himself for a smack for his stupidity but instead found himself enveloped in the warm and familiar embrace of his best friend.
"Of course I want to stay, you aren't half stupid for a martian are you! It's just...well are you sure you still want me around? It's been months for you and you've been fine on your own, are you sure you want me back?" She pulled away and held him at arms length to see his reaction, he looked confused in that 'oh dear, humany-wumany stuff' sort of way.
"Are you mad? I haven't been 'fine' while you've been gone, I've barely been coping at all. You don't know how much you mean to me Donna Noble, you are the only thing that has kept me going, and without you I was lost. I was terrified that I'd never be able to see you again, I was so selfish, I came close to coming back for you every day and it took everything in me not to." Donna rewarded him with his favourite smile, the endearing one that he'd only ever seen her do for him and her 'Gramps'. "I just hope you can forgive me for all of that Donna."
"Come here you silly martian boy!" She ordered opening her arms to him, and he happily obliged. She wrapped her arms around him and held him closely like he might disappear if she let go, then began to speak soothing words. "There's nothing to forgive Doctor, you came back for me and that's all that matters now. And if you that's you being selfish I don't care how selfish you are anymore. Just promise me that if I ever do have to leave, for good I mean, then you won't spend all your time moping around, be happy and like I told you the first time I met you, 'find someone'. "
The Doctor held her at arms length, and looked deep in to her eyes like he was trying to say something with his eyes, but Donna couldn't quite understand what and she frowned, a little confusedly, at him.
"I'm sorry but I can't. If you ever leave then I don't know what I'll do, you mean too much to me Donna, more than anyone in this world." The Doctor saw a flicker of doubt in Donna's eyes at the word 'anyone'. "Even Rose. She's moved on and so have I, we've been through so much more. We are so much more than that. I promise that I will never let you leave unless it's what you want." He looked down as he spoke those last few words, hoping it would never come to that.
She pulled him back in a loving embrace, understanding the look she had seen on his face, telling him that she would always be there, until the day she died.
"I suppose we're stuck with each other then spaceboy. I don't know how we'd explain the neighbours me, well, not aging very fast." The Doctor sniggered at this, seeing the difficulty in a life on Earth now. "Thank you, for everything Doctor, I know I joke about how you're nothing, nothing to me, but really you're my everything. You are my life now, have been since the first day I met you really, you're the best friend in the universe and I'm the luckiest woman this side of Clom that you picked me, out of every other person in existence." She looked up and gave him a smile, and for the first times in months, it was sincere.
"I'm just grateful that I chose you, I couldn't have chosen anyone more brilliant. And I need to apologize for something, the first time we met I said some things that weren't true." Donna's eyes widened in curiosity, wondering what the man could be referring to. "I said you weren't special, or powerful, or connected, or clever or important. And Donna, I was wrong, oh so wrong, you are the most amazing woman ever."
Donna knew he was wrong, he always said that she was special and important and brilliant, but he was just trying to make her feel better about herself, she really was nothing to anyone. She just didn't have the energy to disagree with him now, so she simply smiled and leant in to his chest, his skinny structure had become comforting and welcoming over the months of hugging reunions. She was just happy, so happy, to be back, with her Doctor.