Hello once again, darling readers, and may I just apologise for the complete lack of updates for SEVEN WHOLE DAYS! I know, and I truly am so, so sorry but I've had coursework galore all week. T'is half term now though (yay!) so it should be a bit more frequent. I didn't realise how much people liked this, but since, like, two days after I last updated I've had about a thousand PMs (Beth! PMs!) asking where I was. So to all my loyal fans,Heeeeere we go!

You know what's mad? I watched Fear Her yesterday and realised that Chloe Webber's mum also plays Bellino in Casanova! Small, small world these actors live in. I love Casanova, David Tennant just acts so Doctor-ish. Anywho, chapterfour for you all, please be reviewin'!

Donna xxx

Chapter Four - Something In Common

"Upstairs." Jack said softly, looking directly into Rose's brimming eyes, "Out through the information centre. Go. Now."

For a second, for one tiny moment, the smallest of smiles appeared on her face. And then she was gone, just like that. Jack could hear her footsteps pounding up the stairs, and was shocked that anyone could travel so fast. He felt so, so happy for his friends - he had seen how torn up the Doctor had been when she was lost, and could imagine she'd taken it a thousand times worse.

As soon as Rose had gone, he, Gwen and Ianto dashed over to a computer, and after Ianto had furiously typed something in they were looking at live CCTV footage of the square. They watched as Rose and the Doctor ran to each other, embracing tightly as if they'd never let each other go.

"Bless her." Gwen muttered with a sniff, "Lovely girl, I couldn't believe that story when she told us."

Martha stood up then from where she'd been sitting, idly flicking through a magazine whilst shooting venomous glances over at the computer. But, she thought, no one was paying her the slightest bit of attention, couldn't even imagine that she'd be something so cruel as jealous. She stood next to Gwen, staring coolly at the monitor but her heart beating angrily away at twice it's normal speed.

"I know." Ianto agreed, "Always wondered why the Doctor acted so strangely whenever anyone said the word Rose."

"Oh, it's like somethin' out of a film..." Gwen said dreamily as the pair finally pulled back out of their hug and spoke desperately to each other, both beaming. She subconsciously stepped just a little closer to Ianto, without even noticing.

"Yeah,"Martha heard a whisper in her ear, and turned to see that Mickey had sidled up behind her and was regarding the screen as if he had a bad taste in his mouth, "One of those awful cheesy romcoms people only watch when they can't be arsed to look for the remote to change the channel."

Jack smiled as he watched them, but, despite himself, he felt his eyes flicking over to the right hand side of the screen, where a redhead was standing next to the TARDIS, looking a little uncomfortable but pleased as she watched the Doctor and Rose. Apparently, Gwen was thinking the same.

"I do feel a bit sorry for Donna, though." she said, "She must be so confused! Doesn't know what to do with herself."

"Gwen," Jack supplied with a perfected eye-roll, "That woman is so mind-numbingly thick that she doesn't ever know what to do with herself. I pretty sure she's capable of sleeping, and she's most definitely good at annoying the hell out of me... but that's about all."

This last statement was met by a half-hearted slap on the arm from Gwen, but she was too busy staring at the screen to really put much effort into it. The Doctor and Rose had finished their conversation, and after another brief embrace they were motioning to the other woman to come over.

"See." Gwen said stubbornly, "She's absolutely fine; I knew they wouldn't just leave her out."

"Oh God." Jack said faintly, as after a brief introduction Rose and Donna hugged like old friends despite the fact that they'd never met, "I feel so bad for that girl. She's got it."

"What?"

"I'm afraid it's incurable." Jack said gravely, pretending to wipe his eyes, "Rose has caught the Donna. I swear, that woman hangs over anyone she meets like a disease."

"Charming, Jack," Ianto commented as the trio on the screen chatted happily, "I really never knew you cou- Hey!"

The screen had suddenly gone black, and all of the lights on the computer had suddenly gone out.

Gwen tapped fruitlessly at the keyboard, "What is it, a power cut?"

"Erm..."

They heard a cough from the other side of the wall, and all turned to see Mickey looking sheepish, "No. I just, er, accidentally tripped over the plug and it came out."

While the rest of the team all rolled their eyes and found other things to do (seeing as the computer took ten minutes to start up again), Martha glanced slyly in Mickey's direction, and received the tiniest of winks in return. He had been as sickened by the Doctor and Rose's reunion as she had.

Gwen and Ianto sighed, and sat down on opposite sides of a desk, while Jack perched on the end. Gwen tapped a pen on the tabletop. Ianto incessantly shuffled a pile of papers. Jacks eyes roamed meaninglessly around the Hub, the slow ticking of Gwen's watch seeming scarily loud. What was taking them so long?

But then, just as Jack finally had enough and stood up to suggest they all go up to meet them, they finally heard footsteps, voices on the stairs. Louder and louder they got, muffled laughing and joking, before, finally, the Doctor and Rose walked into the hub, hand in hand, with enormous smiles on their faces.

Immediately there was a lot of noise as everyone greeted the pair, and Martha watched from the corner of the room with a steely glare on her face as the Doctor hugged Gwen and Jack and Ianto. He hadn't even noticed that she was in the room.

"So, Jack." the Doctor said cheerily with a glint in his eye, "Fancy seeing you here. This hub is the last place I'd expect to find you. In fact, I can't even remember the last time you were here!"

"You wouldn't," Jack was quick with a comeback, "I doubt you'll be able to remember the last time you visited, It's been so long."

"Oi! We do so visit, all the time!" He glanced at Rose, whose hand he was still clutching after all this time. He just couldn't bear to let her go, because a small part of him feared that if he did she might just disappear. He couldn't believe that she was really here, that the thing he had wished for most over the past three years had finally come true, "We do, you know." he added.

"'Course." she agreed with a smirk, entirely unconvincingly, "I'm sure you do."

"Well, in my defence," the Doctor said, "I only avoided coming back for while because last time things really turned nasty."

He raised his eyebrows at the Captain, "Between you and a certain good friend of mine."

Jack's face immediately turned to one of disgust mixed with scorn, an expression he only adopted when Donna was mentioned.

"Can you blame me, really?" he said, "She is so difficult, in fact I'm incredibly surprised that-"

"That you're still talking?" Donna interrupted, sweeping suddenly through the cog door into the room. She gave Jack a scowl, then turned to Ianto and Gwen, her expression transforming immediately into a broad smile.

"It's so lovely to see you two." she emphasised as she hugged both of them in turn, before leaning in towards Gwen conspiratorially.

"How long d'you reckon before Jack realizes no-one's actually listening to him?"

"Ah, Donna!" Jack cried, pretending to be thrilled to see her, before his expression turned stony. "I see you're still alive."

"Yes." she agreed solemnly, "And that's by pure skill. You see, I don't cheat, like some people I could mention. You are looking…" she pointed directly at herself, "…at a woman who can take care of herself."

"Woman?" an actual snort escaped Jack at this point, "Don't flatter yourself, honey. I don't think you can possibly be a real woman, for every other woman I've ever met has fallen desperately in love with me."

"Yeah. You keep tellin' yourself that, Jack."

"It's true. Although I myself find the whole thing rather ridiculous. Love? I don't think it exists."

"Then, Captain, I never thought I'd say this, but we have something in common. The concept is ludicrous. I'd rather listen to 'im-" she jerked a thumb at the amused Doctor, "-ramblin' on about science all day than hear a man tell me he loves me."

"Ooh, we have ourselves a right little parrot! Donna, dear, there's no need to pretend to agree with me just to impress me."

"Oh, Jack." she looked suddenly sympathetic, "I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but your opinion really doesn't count for enough for me to want to steal it."

"Oh, well..."

The Doctor hid a smile as Jack and Donna continued to bicker. It really was quite funny how much they infuriated each other, when in fact they were just such similar characters. He was used to their sniping - but he had forgotten that Rose really wasn't. He glanced in her direction to see her sitting with her mouth open, staring in utter disbelief.

"You... you really weren't jokin' about them." she said, shocked. He shook his head with a small laugh. Rose looked startled. Her eyes darted backwards and forwards as if she was working something out, and then she looked at him with a deadly serious expression on her face. He was slightly worried as she leaned in closer, sure she was bout to deliver some awful news. But then she spoke.

"And we really have to put up with this for a week?"