Author's Note: I want to thank all of you who are still here after this crazy long delay in updating. This chapter was very hard for me to write and this dinner has been looming over me almost since I first started this story. A lot had to happen at this dinner and as a result, I struggled with writers block for almost 4 weeks. Couple that with a vacation, selling my house, packing and preparing to move and it has been a crazy six weeks.
The creative juices are flowing again though so hopefully these last few chapters will be quicker in coming.
Many thanks to all who have messaged me and encouraged me throughout this odyssey, I can't believe that wonderful people that this fandom has helped me to meet!
The house was filled with the scent of fresh pine and Christmas dinner in a strange mish mash of aromas that evoked memories from happy days gone by.
Donna tried hard to school her features as she slipped directly into the kitchen to drop off the pie box and bag of desserts that the Doctor had baked, her eyes slid closed for a brief moment before she quickly emptied the bag of its containers.
The house was blessedly silent as Donna had made sure to build the barriers in her mind with extra care and focus. She had spent a while earlier in the day practicing building the barrier block by block until she knew she would be able to block out her family's emotions unless she deliberately let their thoughts intrude.
She looked up at the Doctor, her lips parted softly at the look of concern in his eyes. Sylvia was spoiling for a fight tonight and it looked like the ring on Donna's finger was going to be the catalyst for a truly epic row.
"There's my girl! Oh ho, you're just in time to help finish decorating the tree."
Donna turned towards her grandfather with a relieved smile, the tension around her eyes fading as she noticed he was sporting two sets of antlers this year. One was his favorite fuzzy red pair and the other set was a dazzling green with blinking lights that completely clashed with the oversized knitted sweater that he was wearing.
She reached out to pull him close in a tight hug, the soft sigh drifting from her mouth enough to let him know that she was already worried about how this night would turn out. "Hello, Gramps. We've brought tons of treats, but don't let Mum catch you sampling too many of them before dinner. You know how she gets when you spoil your dinner."
Wilf guffawed at her admonition, his attention focused completely on the pile of treats before he popped open the container with the macaroons and deftly slipped one into his mouth. His grin as he savored the treat was full of defiance and Donna couldn't help but laugh in response. "On your head be it then, Grandad!"
He finished off the treat with a dreamy sigh before he responded. "It's Christmas and I intend to enjoy it with you and the Doctor."
The Doctor just smiled in response to Wilf, the careful attention that he had been paying to Donna fading away as the infectious humor in her grandfather set his mind somewhat at ease. "I'm glad we were able to make it in time to help with the decorating, but I'm afraid I'll need your help. It's been a long time since I've decorated a Christmas tree."
Wilf noticed the large parcels still clutched in the Doctor's hands, his eyes widening before he quickly gestured back into the living room. "Come this way, Doctor! There's no need to stand there holding those boxes all night! Let's go put them under the tree. I need your help with the star anyways. My old bones don't quite stretch like they used to."
Donna just smiled as she watched her grandfather herd the Doctor out of the kitchen and into the living room, the steady stream of chatter was already flowing so fast she could barely keep track of their conversation.
The Doctor's mind brushed lightly against hers, mental fingertips twining tightly through her thoughts before he turned to focus his attention fully on her grandfather's decorating instructions.
"So you've taken up baking now?"
Donna turned around at her mother's words, her posture slightly defensive as she waited for the attack that was sure to come. She forced herself not to fiddle with the ring on her finger as she reached up and slipped the black coat from her shoulders. "Actually, no Mum, I didn't. The Doctor baked all those desserts. He made a terrible mess in the kitchen, but the treats themselves turned out great."
Sylvia arched a brow at Donna's response, her eyes rolling before she turned back towards the oven to check on the turkey. The wonderful scent rolled out of the oven, reminding Donna of all the past Christmases that she had spent in this kitchen helping her mother prepare for the big meal. She had never felt like an outsider before in her mother's house, but she could tell by the stiff set of her mother's shoulders that she was now considered to be one.
"So he's a baker? Doesn't he do anything normal?" Sylvia tossed over her shoulder as she basted the turkey, her head turned just slightly to gauge Donna's reaction to her biting remark.
Donna pursed her lips, biting back the retort that instantly sprang to mind. She turned and stepped back into the entryway, making sure to hang her coat in the small coat closet before making her way back into the kitchen. She needed the time to compose her thoughts, it wouldn't do to start arguing with her mother this early in the evening. She really wanted to try to make it through the night without a huge argument so that her grandfather could enjoy his Christmas. "What's wrong with him baking, Mum? There are plenty of male chefs out there and if you would just try one of his desserts you would see that he's not half bad at it."
Donna popped open another container and took out a chocolate chip cookie, her voice slightly muffled as she bit into the sweet treat. She was surprised by the explosion of flavor in her mouth, and Donna could barely stifle a gasp at the delectable morsel. Blimey, you really are a good cook.
There was a burst of laughter from the living room, the Doctor and Wilf were obviously having fun making a mess of the tree but she could also feel the warmth of his amusement teasing along her mind in response to her surprised declaration. I've had several centuries to practice, Donna. I was bound to pick up a trick or two.
Donna grinned softly into the last of her cookie, her eyes wandering to the doorway of the living room before coming back to land on Sylvia as she stood staring at her with a flinty gaze. "You eat too many of those and they'll go right to your hips. Can't be having that if you plan to have any chance of catching a man before I die."
Donna shook her head with a soft laugh, shushing the Doctor's suddenly angry mental retort before she casually licked the chocolate from her fingers. "Trust me Mum, that won't be a problem. Besides don't think I hadn't noticed the treats that you indulged in from time to time when I was living here. It's hard to judge me when you have the same failing."
Sylvia's mouth opened with an angry scowl, her eyes flashing as she retorted. "You watch your mouth in my house, Missy. I'm still your mother!"
Donna swiped the container of macaroons off the table, her eyes flashing as she stepped close to her mother and hissed. "Then start bloody well acting like it!"
She turned on her heel and beat a retreat from the kitchen before her temper got the better of her, her hands were twitching and her mind was already swirling as she fought against its natural instinct to reach out and try to gauge the true nature of Sylvia's animosity. She stood in the hallway for a moment collecting her thoughts, her eyes clenched tightly closed before she forced a smile on her lips and sailed into the living room.
The Doctor was carefully balancing on his tiptoes as Wilf was trying to get him to place the ridiculous tinsel star topper on the top of the tree, his gangly limbs spread carefully so that he wouldn't fall right through the tree if he lost his balance. He paused when Donna entered the room, his eyes falling instantly to hers with a question when he felt the turmoil in her thoughts.
The brave smile on her lips did not fool the Doctor, though her grandad thankfully seemed oblivious to the first salvos that had been fired in the battle tonight. The Doctor's eyes were swirling with the anger that she had come to associate with the Oncoming Storm, his lips pursed tightly when he had heard Sylvia's harsh words to Donna in the kitchen.
Donna hadn't even tried to block him out of her thoughts, besides he wouldn't have needed their bond to hear Sylvia's words. His superior Time Lord hearing would have had no problem catching every word that passed between the two of them.
She just shook her head mutely, her hand holding up the macaroons as a peace offering so that the Doctor could turn his attention back towards the tree. She could tell by the ominous silence of their bond that he was not going to take much of Sylvia's vitriol this evening and if they had to leave early, then so be it.
"Bring those macaroons over here, my girl." Wilf was gesturing happily to her, the small snifter of sherry next to him was nearly three quarters empty and there was a glint in his eyes that she knew wasn't all caused by the liquor.
She sighed happily, forcing the anger that was churning in her stomach to the side so that she could enjoy the evening with him. "It's just like old times, isn't it, Gramps?"
Donna rested her head on her grandad's shoulder, her gaze staring up at the Doctor as he fussed with the topper for a few seconds more before stepping back to admire his handiwork. She had been surprised by the instant reaction to her mother's anger, the overwhelming desire to stretch her thoughts out to touch her mother's had shocked her and caused her to beat a hasty retreat from the kitchen.
She closed her eyes, the contented sigh from her grandad as he popped open the macaroons filled her mind with memories of Christmases past when her father and grandmother were still alive. She remembered that her mother had seemed to be happier in those days and that it was only after her grandmother had died that her sharp tongue had turned positively vicious.
"I've missed you both, Donna. What have the two of you been up to in the last few weeks? Tell me about your adventures to Bellatrix Prime! I watched Orion every night that you were away, imagining you walking beneath those alien skies. I felt like I could almost see the both of you!"
Donna reached out to take his hand into hers, her eyes opening to lock onto the Doctor's gaze as she let the precious memories of their time on that distant world distract her from her worries for a while.
The Doctor was eyeing the tree critically, though he looked back to her with a soft chuckle. His hands reached out to deftly pluck a paper angel that was tattered with age from a branch before settling it onto a new branch. "It's a magical world, Wilf! You would have absolutely loved it. The Bellatraxians were so welcoming to Donna, they welcomed her into their song and we were able to enjoy the first taste of their arctic twilight."
Wilf was staring up at the Doctor with rapt attention, his eyes shining as the Doctor's words painted a glorious picture of his granddaughter's adventures. "It sounds amazing, Doctor. I'm so happy the two of you are travelling together again." He turned to Donna, the smile on his face was blinding as he gave her a huge hug. "I'm so happy you're better, sweetheart. It was so hard to see you going through all that pain every day and not being able to do anything to help you without worrying that it would end up hurting you."
Donna blinked against the burn of tears in her eyes, her arms sliding around her grandfather's chest before she squeezed him tight. She jumped when she felt the Doctor kneel down beside her and Wilf, his hand rising to brush gently against Wilf's shoulder to catch his attention.
Wilf turned to look at the Doctor, his breath catching at the raw agony that he saw reflected from the Doctor's eyes. "We were both going insane, Wilf. I did the only thing that I could think of to save her and possibly gain more time to figure out how to heal her, but I couldn't think straight and the madness was fast winning control. We're both still working on overcoming it, but the danger is over now and I can only apologize for how I handled the whole situation."
"You nearly destroyed my daughter, Doctor." Sylvia spit the Doctor's name like it was the filthiest epithet, her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were shooting daggers at him as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
The Doctor sighed softly at Sylvia's words, his gaze turning sorrowful before he rose to his feet so that he could face Donna's mother on an equal footing. "I thought we had come to terms with this the last time we'd visited. You and I had begun to make our peace and I've even promised that I would do everything in my power to protect your daughter. What's happened to change your mind, Sylvia Noble?"
Sylvia just shook her head with an angry scowl, her eyes darting between Donna and the Doctor before she muttered. "I've had time to think, Doctor. I've had time to realize what you're really stealing away from Donna and what it will end up costing her in the end. What will you do when she is too old and feeble to keep up with your lifestyle? Will you drop her off here again without so much as a by your leave after dad and I are dead and gone?"
The Doctor shook his head angrily, his gaze snapping to Donna to still the retort he could hear already screaming through her mind before he stepped closer to her angry mother. He knew what she was driving at, he had felt the anger swirling through her mind when his hand had brushed against hers as he had entered the house. He knew that Sylvia thought that he was merely playing with Donna out of a sense of guilt and that he would all too quickly tire of her and be on his merry way while poor Donna was left behind to rot. He shook his head, wondering if the truce that he had thought they were forming had been nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Donna's mother was as angry with him as she had ever been and it seemed like their last visit had had no effect on her opinion of him.
"I've already told you that I will take care of Donna for the rest of her natural life if she so chooses. I've promised that I will do everything in my power to ensure her happiness and to make sure that I keep her safe to the best of my ability. At the end of the day though, it's up to Donna how she wishes to live her life. If she so chooses to spend it traveling through all of time and space with me, then that's her choice to make and it's not up to you to unmake that decision for her."
Donna surged to her feet, her eyes flashing sparks at the Doctor for speaking for her before she turned back to her mother. "Look, Mum, I get it. You're worried because of what happened before with the metacrisis. You're worried that I'm going to be brought back here, an amnesiac who was a ticking time bomb. I can't promise that our lives aren't dangerous, but we make a difference out there, Mum. You should have seen the gratitude that the Bellatraxians showed the Doctor for having saved their planet years ago. He makes a difference, and I'm just happy that I can share in that difference with him. You don't have to be happy with my life choices, but if you want to continue to be a part of my life in any way, you do have to accept them."
Sylvia's lips pursed when she saw the Doctor and her daughter standing against her in a united front, her gaze traveling to her dad as he was nodding in agreement with Donna's words. She knew that her father was a lost cause and that he would support Donna no matter how dangerous a proposition it may be. He was enthralled with the Doctor and all his tales of adventure and saving planets, but he never thought about the danger that accompanied those travels. Was she the only one who ever thought about the consequences of Donna's wild escapades?
"I don't know who the Bellatraxians are, but their opinion means nothing to me. You're still my daughter and I'm still going to worry about you no matter where you go."
With that last remark, she turned around and disappeared back into the kitchen thus effectively ending the conversation.
Donna let out the breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding, surprised that the first round of arguing hadn't been as bad as it could have been but that her mother was building up to more cutting remarks later. The digs about her weight had only been the beginning and now her barbs were extending to the Doctor as well.
The Doctor looked down at Donna, his gaze soft as he let his mind gently stroke hers. He desperately wanted to take her into his arms, but he was mindful of their audience and knew that Donna was wanting to tell them the news of their relationship at a more opportune time.
"How are you holding up?"
Donna snorted and shook her head with a sigh. "She's only going to get worse as the night wears on, Doctor. You do realize that."
Wilf just sighed softly, his aged hands reaching up to grasp theirs before he murmured. "She's worried about you, Donna. It's going to take time for her to come to terms with the Doctor being a part of your life again. She still has nightmares about when you were brought back and we all had to walk on eggshells around you to keep you from burning. Just continue to give her time, she'll come around eventually. Keep visiting like you have, keep your promise to her that way and she will eventually come to accept the decisions you've made, Donna."
Donna's head fell with a soft whimper, her eyes sliding closed for a brief moment before she raised them back up to Wilf's far too knowing gaze. "I don't know if she ever will, Grandad."
The Doctor tugged on her hand to bring her gaze to his, his eyes promising far more than his words could at that moment. "Then we will continue as we have, Donna. You're reaching out to her, that's all that you can do in the end. It's up to her to meet you halfway."
Donna sighed, her hands squeezing both of their hands before she pulled away to sit down on the couch. "I suppose you're right, Doctor. It doesn't make this any easier to deal with though."
The Doctor flopped down next to her while Wilf sat on her other side, his hand clutching the container of macaroons which he offered to the both of them. "It wasn't meant to make it easier, Donna. But Wilf is happy for you, that's something to celebrate isn't it?"
"Hear hear, Doctor!" Wilf answered with a little cheer, his fingers deftly plucking another treat before popping it into his mouth with a contented sigh.
Donna laughed softly at her grandad's exclamation, her head falling to rest on his shoulder where she just let her whole body melt into the comfort of his embrace. "I love you, Grandad."
Wilf maneuvered an arm around her shoulder, squeezing her tightly before murmuring. "I love you too, sweetheart and I'm so very, very proud of you."
He met the Doctor's eyes over Donna's head, the look in the alien's eyes filling Wilf with a feeling of contentment. No matter what happened, he knew that this strange alien man who had seen far too much would take care of Donna and that she would finally be able to live up to her true potential, free of her mother's unrealistic expectations.
The Doctor had called Donna the most important woman in the universe, and for the first time ever, Wilf could see the truth of those words reflected in his gaze.
A brittle silence had settled over the house after Sylvia's outburst, the three of them had remained huddle together on the couch for a little while longer before Wilf had gone into the kitchen to check on his pudding.
The Doctor and Donna sat on the couch staring at the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, their fingers resting tantalizing close together while they let the energy of the house begin to settle. Donna was already feeling frazzled at the ire that had been pouring off of Sylvia and her mental barriers were already beginning to fray under the strain.
The Doctor had tried to help her strengthen the barriers but she had looked at him with such a look of determination that he had withdrawn from her mind more quickly than he had intended. Donna had every intention of letting those barriers fall tonight, it seemed like she was going to need every advantage that she could take once the truth about their relationship was revealed.
"Donna, could you please start to set the table? Dinner is going to be ready in about an hour."
Donna jerked at her granddad's voice, her eyes flying to where he stood in the doorway to the kitchen before she numbly nodded. "Alright Gramps, we'll get it ready for everyone."
"Where that's friend of yours anyways?'"
Donna rose to her feet, her eyes flicking to the Doctor's before she responded. "He's on his way, he said he was stuck in some traffic coming from Cardiff."
Wilf nodded at her reply before he turned back into the kitchen, his shoulders were hunched slightly in preparation for the battle that was looming.
The Doctor led the way over to the table, his fingers caressing the inside of her wrist for a brief moment before he pulled them away and the two of them fell into the easy domestic chore of setting the table.
Donna pulled the plates down from the china cabinet and set them on the table while the Doctor began to set out the silverware. She couldn't help the small grin at the light teasing as the Doctor repeatedly brushed against her, his hand would brush against hers lightly when he took a plate or a glass and his eyes made sure that she knew exactly what he was thinking. She was thankful that her mother and grandfather were not in the room because he was being a total idiot, but she couldn't bring herself to stop him.
Donna reached into a drawer where the poppers were usually kept when she felt a strange sensation prickle along the back of her neck. She looked up with a gasp when that sensation only intensified, feeling almost like something sharp was grating along hyper sensitive nerves before settling into a dull throb in her temples.
The Doctor looked at Donna when he felt the strange sensation echo through Donna's mind, a soft sigh was the only reaction he gave before the doorbell rang. "That'll be Jack."
Donna pulled herself out of her thoughts, her confused eyes rising to the Doctor before she called out. "I'll get it, Mum!"
She grabbed hold of the Doctor's hand to make him stop before they went to answer the door. "You know what that was, don't you?"
The sadness in the Doctor's eyes was overwhelming and his hand rose to brush across her cheek before he nodded. "I do, Donna. That unfortunately is one of the side effects of what Rose did to Jack." He shook his head when it looked like she was going to speak. "I'll explain it to you later, Donna. Jack already knows what his nearness does to me, so it won't be too much of a surprise to him when he discovers you are affected as well."
Donna paused while she tried to take that information in, her mind was whirling in a million different directions as she followed the Doctor to the door. Why hadn't she felt it before? Why was she suddenly able to feel that strange sensation and what was the reason for it? She had so many questions, but she knew that now wasn't the time to talk about it. The Doctor looked back to make sure she had composed herself, waiting for her soft nod before he pulled the door open.
Jack stood in the doorway dressed in his usual long coat, his only concession to the occasion was a long red and green scarf that clashed horrifically with the air force coat. "Doc! You wouldn't believe the mess on the way over here, I swear half the people on the world are already drunk!"
The Doctor stepped back to let Jack into the house, surprised that his smile of greeting was completely genuine and that he was actually glad to see the immortal. "You could've use the manipulator to get here, Jack. It would've been much easier."
Jack shook his head with a laugh, his gaze already turning to Donna as he whistled low in appreciation. "Merry Christmas, Donna. You look absolutely stunning."
Donna blushed slightly at the compliment, her gaze flitting to the Doctor before she reached out to give Jack a big hug. "It's good to see you too, Jack. Thanks for coming."
"You know me. I never miss a party!"
"Let me take your coat."
Jack slipped the coat from his shoulders, setting the large bag in his hand on the ground before he looked back to the Doctor. "What have you been up to, Doc? You mentioned Bellatrix."
The Doctor as Donna led the way back into the house, his gaze turning thoughtful as he remembered the prophecy that had marred their last few days on the planet. "Something's coming, Jack and I'm going to need your help I think. I've been told a prophecy and though I don't usually put much stock in the ramblings of seers, I'm inclined to believe this one has some validity."
Jack frowned thoughtfully, somewhat surprised that the Doctor was being so open with him. Whatever the prophecy said, it must have given the Doctor a good scare and Jack knew that whenever the Doctor was scared of something, world ending calamities were usually close behind. "You know I'm always ready to help in any way I can, Doc."
The Doctor just grunted in reply, his eyes rising to settle on Wilf as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen with Sylvia standing just behind him. Donna was already making her way towards them, motioning for Jack to follow behind.
"Jack, this is my grandfather Wilf and my mother Sylvia."
Jack reached out to shake Wilf's hand, his brightest smile in place as his gaze flicked back to acknowledge Sylvia as well. "Jack Harkness, Sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Wilfred Mott, but you can call me Wilf. This is my daughter, Sylvia Noble."
Sylvia nodded in response, her gaze was thoughtful before she responded. "We saw you on the computer that day. The day that the planets appeared in the sky."
Jack nodded, his gaze darting back to Donna and the Doctor before he replied. "Yes, I was on the subwave network when we were trying to reach the Doctor. I didn't realize that you were also on that call, why didn't we see you?"
Wilf laughed at that question, his gaze was fond as he recalled. "Sylv didn't believe in webcams, she thought that people used them to get up to no good. That blonde girl showed up and asked to use our computer, otherwise we never would have even known about that call."
The Doctor jerked in surprise when he heard Wilf's comment, his eyes flying to Donna when he heard her startled gasp. "Rose was here that day?"
Wilf nodded at the Doctor's question, his gaze drifting from the Doctor to Donna in confusion. "Yes she was, she came in and asked if she could use our computer. She didn't seem too happy though when we didn't have a webcam and that she couldn't speak to any of you on that call."
"That's the understatement of the year, Dad. She seemed very lippy to me, and I didn't like that big gun that she was carrying around either. She seemed intent on being the one to find you, Doctor. Who was she?" Sylvia's tone was light, but the Doctor could tell by her expression that he had to tread very carefully in response to that question.
"She was a former companion of mine, she had crossed from an alternate reality to find me because time in her universe moves faster than it does here and she had already seen the stars dying in that universe."
"She acted like she was more than a companion, Doctor."
Jack laughed softly at that comment. "She would have liked to be."
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Not helping, Jack."
Jack grinned impishly in response, his eyes dancing with mirth as he quipped. "Sorry, I'm sure you'll do just fine digging your own grave."
"And on that note let's get out of the kitchen so my mother can finish cooking. You can help me set the table, Jack." Donna's voice brooked no argument, her gaze was flinty as she motioned both Jack and the Doctor out of the room.
She looked back at her mother as she shooed the men out of the kitchen, sighing softly when she saw the speculative look in her mother's eyes. Jack had unwittingly just given Sylvia something else to hate the Doctor over and she didn't doubt that Rose's name would come up sooner or later when it was least expected. The Doctor had many former companions, the bulk of which had been women but she knew a little thing like the Doctor's longevity would have no bearing to Sylvia Noble. She probably already thought that he just wandered through life picking up people on a whim and then dumping them when they no longer suited him, much as she felt he did with her. Nothing would change the reality of their past, and even though he had come for her and had ended up saving her from the Master, to Sylvia Noble she was just waiting for the day when Donna's dream came crashing to an end.
Donna was the first to break, turning away to join Jack and the Doctor in the dining room rather than remain locked in that silent battle of wills. As her grandfather had said, only time would change Sylvia Noble's opinion of the Doctor.
Wilf had followed Jack and the Doctor into the dining room, and between the three of them had made short work on finishing with the table. She could tell already that Jack and her grandfather would be fast friends, and she hoped that Jack at least would be able to visit with him from time to time.
"What do you do in Cardiff, Jack?"
Jack had carried the bag that he had arrived with into the dining room and was currently unloading its contents onto the table. He had brought several bottles of wine, a bottle of sherry and a bottle of port with him just in case someone didn't care for sherry.
"I'm the Director of the Torchwood Institute in Cardiff. We study alien technology and monitor a temporal rift that runs through the city."
"There's aliens in Cardiff?"
Jack laughed softly, his eyes cutting to the Doctor with a grin before he responded. "You mean other than him?"
The Doctor rolled his eyes at Jack's antics, his laughter though was infectious and the Doctor couldn't help but join in. "There are actually several species living on earth in this time period though they tend to keep to themselves."
Wilf's eyes widened at that revelation, his gaze shifting from the Doctor to Jack with barely concealed enthusiasm. "I knew there were aliens on earth! Are there any here in London?"
"Of course there are, Gramps. You see them every week at football matches."
Jack burst out laughing at Donna's comment. "I'm sure some of them like football, but only a few of them actually resemble humans enough to be able to mingle with the general population."
"Most of them just want to be left alone to live their lives as best as they can. They usually settled on earth out of necessity, because some calamity or another forced them from their home planet."
"Several were also pulled here through the rift in Cardiff and through other rifts around the world, and the limited technology of earth didn't allow them to return home. That's part of the reason why we monitor the rift as closely as we do, we want to make sure that we get to them before anyone accidentally stumbles across them."
"Torchwood is better now than it was on the treatment of aliens, that's for sure."
Jack nodded softly in acknowledgement of the Doctor's comment, his own gaze was hooded as he remembered his own rather brutal recruitment by that agency. "I'm rather proud of that difference, Doc. I didn't always get along with London when the higher ups came calling, but in the end I knew that their brutal treatment of aliens wouldn't be overlooked by the rest of the universe forever."
"How come I've never heard of Torchwood, Doctor?"
"Secret government agency outside the normal channels of operation, it was funded separately from the general budget so it had a shocking amount of power. Some of the heads of the institute went mad with power really, they even confiscated the Tardis on one occasion. The agency is dead now though, Jack and his team are all that remains really."
"And I've made sure that the mandate we follow now is something that the Doctor would be proud of."
"How did you meet the Doctor, Jack?"
Jack hesitated for a moment, uncertain just how much to reveal to the man, before Donna piped up. "You can trust him, Jack."
Jack nodded softly, his eyes focusing on the Doctor for a moment before he took a deep breath and admitted. "I was actually trying to con him. I didn't know what he was at the time, but it was an old scam that I had pulled many times in the past. Something went wrong this time though and it was affecting people with a strange illness that I had never seen before, the Doctor figured out what had happened and was able to save everyone."
The Doctor smiled softly at the memory, one of the rare times that he had been able to save everybody. He held each of those times close to his heart because it was indeed so rare, he remembered the euphoria that had followed that day and how Jack had travelled with him afterwards while he was still mortal.
Donna noticed how Jack had carefully edited out any mention of being from the future or when exactly this adventure had happened, though with the Doctor anything really was possible. He would reveal more when and if it ever became necessary. For now, Jack and her grandfather were getting to know each other and she couldn't be happier about it.
"You've gone straight now though?"
Jack grinned in response. "The Doctor scared me straight. I'm not too proud to admit that the road I was going down would've ended in an early grave, he saved me from that fate for sure. I try to do my best now, protecting the earth from non-terrestrial threats is definitely a full time job."
"Donna, I need your help to bring out the food." Sylvia called from the kitchen.
"Looks like it's time to eat, have a seat and we'll bring everything out."
Donna turned and made her way back to the kitchen while the Doctor, Jack and her grandfather settled at the table. Jack was popping open a bottle of wine and Wilf was handing him glasses to pour, she knew that her mother at least didn't like to partake too much but it was Christmas and she usually did indulge a little bit. She also wouldn't want to offend their guest if at all possible, so maybe the barbs would be at a minimum.
The look on her mother's face as she handed her the first platter to carry out quickly dispelled any thought of a peaceful dinner. "He's a bit of a Casanova, isn't he?"
"Don't start, Mum, please. He's a good friend and has done a lot for both the Doctor and I."
"Well, excuse me! It's not like I care what type of people my daughter is friends with."
Donna just sighed and carried the platter out to the dining room table, forcing a smile on her face so that at last Jack and her grandfather would be none the wiser to the true nature of her mood. She could feel the Doctor gently moving through her mind, his thoughts tangling through hers to help calm the anger that was boiling just beneath the surface.
The two of them were on eggshells with Sylvia right now after her earlier outburst, neither of them were sure where or when the next attack would come. Sylvia seemed to be biding her time for the moment though, content to gather as much information as possible before the next round began.
Sylvia followed closely on Donna's heels with the turkey platter, and sent Donna back into the kitchen for the last of the vegetables and stuffing. She set the platter at the end of the table and took a seat next to her father and Jack while the Doctor sat across the table from them.
"The meal looks absolutely delicious, Sylvia. Thank you for allowing me to come tonight."
Sylvia smiled at the compliment, recognizing the ploy for the ice breaker that it was and responded in kind. "You're welcome, Jack. Donna mentioned that you don't really have anyone to celebrate with in Cardiff, and we always have more food than we know to do with so we're happy to have you."
"It's a quiet time of year for me as I don't really have any family left."
"That's terrible, Jack. Your parents are gone then?"
The Doctor shifted when he saw the look that flashed across Jack's face briefly, he knew that Jack was thinking about the attack on his colony when he had lost both his brother and his mother, but how could he ever explain that to anyone? His parents weren't even born yet and wouldn't be for thousands of years, but for Jack they were long dead and gone.
"My parents and my brother are both gone yes, they've been gone a very long time."
Donna came back into the room with the last platter her eyes shifting to Jack at his last comment as she took her seat beside the Doctor. She was happy that the attention was off of her and the Doctor for the time being and had specifically wanted Jack to come so that he could hopefully help deflect some of the attention of the two of them for a little while. She knew though how painful it was for Jack to talk about his family for any length of time though and the Doctor had said that he usually avoided that subject if at all possible so she was happy when her grandad broke in to say grace.
Jack met Donna's eyes with a soft smile, nodding his head briefly to let her know that he was alright before he turned his attention to her grandfather.
For a brief moment, an image flickered into being around Jack startling her with its intensity before it faded away. She cocked her head as she studied the afterimage, the swirling lines of force were similar to what she had seen around the Doctor back on Bellatrix Prime.
What in the world was that, Doctor?
She felt him stir within her mind, his touch was feather light as he studied her memory of what she had seen before he responded. You got a glimpse of his timelines. He's a fixed point in time and space so they can be rather chaotic. I'm surprised you saw that though, something must have shifted for him.
The Doctor sounded thoughtful as he looked at Jack, his own vision wanted to keep skittering away from looking too hard at Jack's timelines as they were such a violent jumble. He could barely make sense of them at the best of times, and now they were their usual confused mess that he knew would give him a headache if he looked for too long. He had gotten used to how he felt when he was near Jack, the screaming sense of wrongness had long since faded away and now he just associated it with Jack. The fact that Donna was now able to feel those sensations as well was a testament to her growing abilities.
Wilf said a simple grace, his gaze was fond as it rested on each of their faces before he motioned for everyone to dig in. He was happy that Donna had come home for Christmas and it showed in the smile that was dancing in his eyes. He was not happy that Sylvia and Donna argued even in the best of times, but he knew that was just the way they were with each other. The Doctor was a touchy subject with them, Sylvia tried not to talk much about the Doctor when Donna wasn't at home. He knew though that Sylvia looked up at the stars at night and worried despite his assurances that she was out there living her dream. He sometimes wondered if there wasn't some small part of jealousy in Sylvia's reactions to the tales of Donna's adventures. She had always wanted to travel but being a wife and a mother meant that she had never really had much of a chance to travel very far.
"So, Jack. I heard you say that you worked for a government agency of some kind?" Jack paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, his gaze darting to Donna's mother in surprise to which she laughed. "I overheard some of your conversation from the kitchen."
"Yes I do, ma'am. I work for the Torchwood Institute. We're tasked with protecting the earth from alien threats."
"Does your Torchwood know about him?"
She nodded pointedly in the Doctor's direction, her gaze lingering on him for a moment before she returned her attention to Jack.
Jack nodded at her question, taking a moment to take a bite of food before he carefully responded. "Torchwood actually exists because of the Doctor."
The Doctor chose that moment to pipe up before Jack could blurt out any incriminating information in regards to some of his past escapades. The last thing he needed was Sylvia Noble to have any more reason to hate him. "I had met Queen Victoria a few years back and let's just say she was very concerned about the possibility of aliens invading the planet. She established the Torchwood Institute for that very purpose."
Jack just grinned softly at the Doctor's words before he continued. "She actually established it to capture you should we ever get the chance to do so, though that would have been awkward with some of your previous selves as they wouldn't have even known who or what Torchwood was."
"Why would the Queen want to capture you? Did you break the law?"
Donna just groaned softly at that question, all her hopes of making it through this dinner in relatively one piece were quickly going up in smoke. She could feel how uncomfortable the Doctor was over this line of questioning because it reminded him how reckless and stupid he had been when he had first regenerated into this body. Rose had always brought out the childishness in him and his behavior with Queen Victoria was one his biggest regrets.
"I didn't break the law, I actually saved her life on several occasions. She even knighted me and my companion in honor of my actions."
"Then she promptly banished you from England never to return."
The Doctor groaned as Jack dropped that bombshell, his sibilant hiss of warning going unheeded as Sylvia pounced. "So you've repeatedly disobeyed the Queen of England by returning?"
He shook his head with a sigh, his fork clattering to the plate as his appetite fled with this line of questioning. "What? It's not like she's my Queen! Besides, she's not exactly alive to enforce her edict now is she? And besides, Elizabeth and I are on perfectly splendid terms. Something to do with saving the world a few dozen times on her watch."
Wilf leaned forward at that comment, his gaze slicing to his daughter to silence her line of interrogation before he asked. "You've actually met Queen Elizabeth? Blimey, what's she really like?"
The Doctor smiled at the obvious distraction from Wilf, his gaze shifted from Sylvia's cold gaze to Wilf's much warmer one. "She's just splendid company, though she is a bit taken with propriety. I guess most monarchs are to some degree or other. I usually try to stay away from royalty as much as possible, it's much more exciting meeting the normal people on a planet. You get a better feel for the species as a whole when you mingle with the so called commoners."
Donna sighed softly as her grandfather was off and running with the Doctor's tales, his eyes were dancing with each tall tale and even Jack's interjections only added to the flavor of the story. She noticed her mother had quieted down and seemed to be focusing on her meal more than listening to the men talk, but she wasn't fooled. Her mother was listening intently to every story, most likely trying to find a something in them that would give her even more reason to hate the Doctor.
She felt the weight of the ring on her finger keenly as she watched her mother, her thumb was lightly playing with the circle of gold in an absent minded gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Sylvia.
"So you've managed to snag yourself a man while you were out there gallivanting around the universe with that man?"
The question came completely out of left field and effectively ended all conversation at the table as all eyes swung to Sylvia with varying degrees of shock. No one was more surprised by the venom in Sylvia's tone than Jack was but Donna wasn't about to let the scorn that was dripping from Sylvia's comment go unanswered. "Yes, Mum, I have. You don't have to sound so surprised that some man would actually have me, I do have some redeeming qualities."
Sylvia scoffed in response to that comment, her hand reaching for her glass of wine so she could use it as a foil to keep from grabbing her daughter and shaking some sense into her silly head. "I've yet to see them. You go running off at the drop of a hat whenever he comes calling without so much as a by your leave, I'm surprised you actually had the time to find someone with him hanging around all the time."
The Doctor shifted ever so slightly next to Donna, the flare of anger in his thoughts was sudden and blindingly intense before he whispered in a deathly quiet voice. "I already warned you about speaking that way to your daughter, Sylvia. She and I don't need to stay here to take your venom."
"What do you care? She's my daughter, I can speak to her anyway I so choose."
The Doctor shook his head in response to Sylvia's retort, his eyes suddenly dark, fathomless pools of anger that took Sylvia aback before he murmured. "I care because I'm the one who's going to be marrying your daughter, Sylvia. We'd hoped to tell you in a different fashion, but since you seem so determined to hate me, I realize now that there would never be a good time to tell you our news."
Wilf was ecstatic at the Doctor's words. "That's wonderful news, Doctor! I'm so happy for the both of you."
Sylvia however was having none of it as she glared at her father, her gaze was full of accusation when it shot to Donna before she blurted out. "You told me that it wasn't like that between you two. That you two were just best mates and all that hogwash, how long has this been going on?"
Donna sighed softly as she felt the Doctor's hand reach under the table and grab tightly to hers, his thoughts wrapped around hers so completely that she was momentarily lost in the comfort from that embrace before she was able to respond to her mother's question. "It's been going on for a few months now, Mum, but I knew you weren't ready to hear the news when we visited last time. I don't think you'll ever be ready really. Now do you see why I know he will never just dump me back home at some later date?"
Sylvia would not be dissuaded; her gaze was shooting daggers at the both of them while her mouth was silently working in an attempt to find words to describe what she was feeling. She could see all her hopes of her daughter coming back to earth and settling down properly were all for naught now, and that the Doctor had well and truly bewitched her daughter. She shook her head as one thought above all others kept echoing through her mind. Geoffrey must be spinning in his grave.
"Actually he's not spinning in his grave, Mum. He gave the Doctor and I his blessing."
Everyone at the table froze at Donna's comment, the Doctor's gaze shot to Donna with a gasp when he realized what she had just done. But no one was more surprised by that comment than Sylvia. She leaned forward with narrowed eyes, her gaze darting back and forth between the doctor before she bit out. "What did you just say, Donna?"
"Dad is not spinning in his grave, Mum. We went to visit him before we came here today and he gave the both of us his blessing."
"How in the world did you do that? Is this some kind of trick, Doctor? Are you reading my mind because I won't have it! I won't have you messing around with my thoughts with any of your alien tricks."
The Doctor took a deep breath, his eyes darting to Jack as he sat back watching the fireworks shoot between them, one eyebrow was cocked as he was waiting to see how the Doctor would talk his way out of this one.
"It isn't a trick, Mum. You can ask me that question thank you very much. I heard you loud and clear as did half the neighborhood I'm sure."
The Doctor was shaking his head at Donna, but she was too angry to notice the warning glance as she sat staring down her mother. "I didn't say anything, Donna. Not a single word."
Donna's eyes widened by ever increasing degrees as she realized what she had just done, her expression was filled with utter panic when she replayed the last few moments in her mind. She had clearly heard her mother's comment as loud as day, but now she realized that she had heard it in much the same way she heard the Doctor's voice in her mind and that even now she was getting brief flashes from both her mother and her grandfather. At some point during the evening she had let her guard completely down and was hearing snippets from the both of them without even realizing it. "Um. Well, this is rather awkward."
"That's one way of putting it," the Doctor piped up, his mind was racing as he tried to think of some way to deflect the conversation from Donna's slip up. He could tell however that Donna's family was not going to be easily diverted from the topic.
"Does this have to do with that metacrisis, Doctor?"
The Doctor could have kissed Wilfred for offering up that explanation, his head was bobbing in agreement even before he started babbling. "Yes that's exactly it, Wilf! Some of my abilities actually left an imprint on Donna that remained even after I was able to remove my memories from Donna's mind. One of those abilities was actually telepathy, though that was Donna's own ability that had been turned on."
Donna sighed softly, her hands were clenched underneath the table to hide their shaking and even the Doctor's gentle stroking against her thoughts was doing nothing to soothe the jangle of nerves that was screaming through her body. "The Doctor says I'm actually a very powerful telepath, but it's been a struggle to try to learn to control this ability. That's part of the reason why the Doctor took me to Bellatrix Prime, so that I could learn how to better control my mind and let in only what I want to hear."
There were tears standing in Sylvia's eyes, her gaze was darting around the table as she tried to absorb the news that Donna had been affected even more intensely by what had happened to her than any of them had realized. "How can you stand it? You've been changed so much by traveling with that man, how can you still want to continue?"
Donna looked to the Doctor, her gaze was soft as she whispered. "Because I need him, Mum and he needs me. This is a small price to pay for all the wonder that is out there, I could never give it up and thankfully now I don't have to."
She could tell that the Doctor had been holding his breath while he waited for Donna's response, the burst of warm affection that she felt from him was all the reassurance that she needed.
"What did you mean when you said that Geoff gave the both of you his blessing?"
The Doctor reached into his pocket, pulling out the letter from Geoffrey and reaching across the table to hand it to Sylvia. "He wrote this letter for us to give to you actually, he said that it might help."
Sylvia's hand flew to her mouth as she reached out to take the letter from the Doctor's hands, her mind was already swimming with denials before she opened the letter with shaking hands.
"My rúnsearc,
By the time you get this letter, I will be dead and long gone. Donna tells me that you're doing well though a day doesn't go by that you don't think of me. I want you to know that I will always love you and that in these final days, I'll try to let you know just how much.
Donna and the Doctor have told me a little bit of what it is going to happen in the next few years and though I can't speak to you about any of it now, just know that I'm very happy that she has him to help her through the hard times ahead. She truly does shine when she's with him, and I know that the two of them will be very happy together.
I'm sad that I can't stand with her to give her away to the Doctor, but I'll be able to be there in spirit. I only wish that I could live to see the day that she finally does manage to make it down the aisle.
She also tells me that you don't particularly like the Doctor, that you keep blaming him for ruining her wedding to Lance. From what they've told me about that man, I'm just glad it was the Doctor that ruined the wedding and not me, because I wouldn't have been as kind to him if I knew what I know now. He got what he deserved in the end, and so did our Donna.
Try to go easy on her, Sylv. Any fool can see that they love each other and that she's better with him than without him, I just wish I could tell you how amazing she'll become but I guess you'll be lucky enough to see the woman that she blossoms into.
They've told me that I can't let you know that I've seen the both of them, something to do with destroying timelines or some such that I honestly can't understand. Knowing that, I'll spend every moment of the last days of my life memorizing your face and holding each and every memory we've made together close to my heart.
I love you more than I can ever say, I just wish I had more time with you to share it.
The pain has really become too much to bear and I'm too tired to keep fighting it. Please forgive me for not being strong enough to fight this stupid disease off, I'm sorry that I'm giving up.
Take care of our Donna, let her know every now and then that you love her. It would mean the world to her.
They're going to be leaving soon, this wonderful and precious glimpse into my daughter's magnificent future is almost over and I, for one, couldn't be more proud of her.
I love you with all my heart, Sylvia.
Your husband,
Geoffrey"
Sylvia's hands were shaking and tears were streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks as she finished reading the letter, her first irrational thought was that the Doctor and Donna had faked the letter to get her to think more favorably on their relationship. She quickly set the letter aside and with anger clouding her judgement, she spat out. "How dare you make something like this up. How could you be so cruel?"
Donna's jaw hit the floor at the vitriol in her mother's words, she had been positive that her father would have made sure that Sylvia couldn't deny that the letter had indeed come from him but the Doctor was unfortunately not at all surprised. "You know that I have a time machine, Sylvia. We visited Geoffrey before we came here tonight. He wrote that letter specifically for you."
Sylvia was shaking in anger, her mind was made up that the letter was a fake and nothing the Doctor could say would change that opinion. She couldn't believe that her daughter would be a party to such a thing and with that thought foremost in her mind she turned to the both of them. "Get out of my house, Doctor. I never want to see you again."
"Wait a minute, Sylvia, aren't you even listening to him? What reason would he have for making that letter up?" Wilf demanded, trying to get his daughter to see reason before she pushed the Doctor and Donna away for good.
"Be very careful kicking your daughter out of your house, Sylvia. You may well regret doing so if she never returns." Jack spoke very quietly into the charged air, each word was clipped short but the warning was unmistakable.
Jack had remained silent for the entire time that they had been arguing, his feeling that this was a family affair had kept him from interjecting too much into their conversations but he couldn't keep quiet when he heard that last bit. He had too many regrets with regards to his own family and he didn't want to see Sylvia make the same mistake that he had made in the past.
"Oh what would you know about children? You're too young to have much experience with any. Wait until you get to be my age before trying to give me advice on raising my child."
Jack sighed softly, his gaze traveling to the Doctor who was looking back at him with a stoic expression. He could tell that it was taking everything in the Doctor's power to not stand up and leave, his own anger and sorrow were painfully obvious to Jack. Donna sat resignedly by the Doctor's side though her eyes were red with the tears that she was fighting back, she obviously was expecting to walk out the door and never return and it had to be tearing her apart.
"I know more than you might think, Mrs. Noble. I've buried a wife and am estranged from my daughter and grandson. There are many things that I wish I had done differently with them and not a day goes by that I don't wish I could go back in my own timeline to fix those things."
Sylvia and Wilf both looked at Jack like he had gone mad when he mentioned having a child and a grandchild, it was Wilf who asked the question. "Just how old are you, Jack?"
Jack smiled a tired smile at Wilf's question, the dimples in his cheeks flashed into being before he murmured. "I'm a lot older than I look that's for sure. I'm also not originally from earth."
Sylvia looked at Donna with an accusation in her eyes, her gaze was pure thunderclouds before she bit out. "You brought another alien into the house?"
"I never said I was an alien, just that I wasn't from earth. I'm very much a human being, ma'am. I just happen to be from the future. The 51st century to be exact."
Sylvia swayed in her seat, her head was spinning with Jack's revelation and she didn't know which way was up anymore. Her entire world had just been stood on its head and she still hadn't come to terms with the contents of the letter that Donna claimed was from Geoffrey, though deep downshe knew that Donna really had no reason to lie about such a thing.
"Jack is actually older than I am, Wilf. He's also kind of… immortal."
"Now you're pulling my leg, Doctor. No one's immortal!" Wilf guffawed.
"That's actually not true where Time Lords and our technology are concerned. There was an accident in the future and Jack was resurrected after he had been killed, only he'd been resurrected forever. He can die, but he doesn't stay dead."
If the subject hadn't been so serious, the Doctor would have laughed at the look on Wilf's face as his words were slowly digested. As it was, both Sylvia and Wilf were making strange noises that sounded suspiciously like choking as Jack volunteered. "I'm actually over two thousand years old, Wilf. I've lived on earth for the nearly all those two thousand years in one form or another, and it was because of my association with the Doctor that Torchwood actually recruited me in the late 1800's."
Jack's words made Sylvia shake her head, her gaze cutting to the Doctor before she murmured. "So you understand a little bit about children then."
Jack nodded sadly, leaning close to Sylvia in the hopes of helping her come to terms with the changes in her daughter's life and what having the Doctor be a part of that life would mean. "I know more than I would like and not nearly enough. My daughter and grandson are still alive though my grandson thinks I'm his uncle, it's better that way. Being too near to me can be dangerous for people, so I keep my distance and send help to them when I am able to. I wish that I could go to them every day though, I wish that I could have a better relationship with them then I do and I wish that I could somehow make things better. But nothing will change the fact that I'm immortal and that I will live long after the both of them are dead. Don't push your only daughter away out of fear, Sylvia. Trust the Doctor just a little bit, he has no reason to lie to you about anything that he has just told you. You know that he can travel through time, for that matter so can I, why is it so hard to believe that they visited your husband before his death?"
Sylvia's lips were trembling once more as Jack's words broke through the barriers she had built up, her eyes dropped as she whispered. "Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could see him one more time. I just didn't want to believe that she had had a chance to say a proper goodbye when I didn't. I remembered the day he had died and Donna and I had had yet another row in his room, we went out into the hallway for a few moments and it was the scream of the monitor that snapped us both out of our argument as he flat lined. I didn't even get to tell him I loved him before he was dead."
Donna rose to her feet and made her way around the table to her mother's side, her eyes were swimming with tears as she reached out and pulled her mother into her arms. She was surprised when Sylvia hugged her back just as fiercely, the worst of her sobs finally breaking free as she buried her face in her daughter's shoulder. Donna was looking at the Doctor as she struggled with her own tears, her heart was still far too tender where her last visit with her father was concerned and she could barely stifle the sobs that burned for release.
He was nodding quietly, his mind helping her to once more build her mental barriers so that she wouldn't be completely overwhelmed with her mother's grief when she was struggling enough with her own. He looked gratefully to Jack, surprised that the immortal had been the one to get Donna's mother to see reason but he was thankful nonetheless that Jack had been able to calm her down.
He knew that Sylvia would have regretted sending them away almost immediately and he wouldn't have stayed away forever, but just long enough for her to cool down before trying to bring Donna back for a reconciliation. It seemed like they had managed to avoid that fate today.
"What did he look like? When did you see him?" Sylvia asked as she pushed away from Donna, her hand reaching for her napkin that was lying on the table so that she could wipe at her eyes before she turned her attention back to Donna.
"We saw him about two weeks before he died. Remember when his attitude changed so completely right before his death? I now realize it was because we'd visited him on that night and given him the peace he needed. He had a chance to say his goodbye's properly and he was finally able to make peace with his pending death."
Sylvia sniffled softly when she thought back on those last few terrible weeks, her mind remembering the few quiet times they had shared when she had simply sat at his bedside and held his hand. She hadn't realized at the time that he had been saying his goodbye to her in his own way, and that he hadn't wanted to burden her unnecessarily. He had known that he was dying, she hadn't been willing to see the truth until it was too late.
"Was he sad?"
The Doctor shook his head; his eyes were shining with the memory of Geoffrey's happiness at seeing the woman Donna had become. "He was happy, Sylvia. He was happy that he got the chance to say goodbye to Donna properly and that he was able to see that she wasn't drifting any longer. He seemed to think that traveling with me was good for her."
Sylvia's lips pursed at that comment, her gaze was hooded as she indicated the letter which lay on the table between them. "He said as much in his letter, though I can't imagine why. I really do wish that you'd found someone a little closer to home, Donna."
Donna leaned back, surprised at her mother's tone and the tentative olive branch that had just been extended. She looked back to the Doctor for a brief moment before she responded. "I didn't have a choice, Mum. I've been tied to him since his ship kidnapped me from my first wedding, the universe was leading me to the metacrisis and the rest just sort of happened along the way."
Sylvia took a deep breath before she turned to look at the Doctor, her opinions of him and his actions in the past hadn't changed but she knew now that she had no choice but to accept that he was going to be a permanent part of Donna's life. "I guess nothing I can say will change your mind, but don't think that I won't still hold you to your promise to continue to visit Doctor. I want to make sure for myself that you're taking proper care of my daughter."
The Doctor took a deep breath, his gaze shifting irritably to Jack when he started laughing softly at Sylvia's admonition, before he looked back to Sylvia. "I've already promised that, Sylvia but I'll promise it again. Donna and I will continue to visit regularly so that you don't worry about her too much."
Sylvia took a deep breath, letting the last of her anger fade away at the Doctor's words before she nodded in acceptance of them. "Thank you for this gift from my husband and thank you for taking Donna back to see him, I now understand a little more clearly why he was suddenly so at peace towards the end of his life."
Donna was eyeing the letter from her father, her gaze darting up to her mother when she thought she wasn't looking before she got up the courage to ask. "Can I read the letter, Mum? We wanted to hand it directly to you so we have no clue what he said in it."
Sylvia jumped in surprise at Donna's request, surprisingly touched that Donna hadn't spoiled the surprise of the letter by reading it ahead of time before they delivered it to her. "I'm pretty sure you have an idea of what he said, but yes you can read it. He sounded like he was very proud of you."
Donna smiled sadly when she picked up the piece of paper, her eyes misting as she recognized her father's handwriting instantly. The words were a little shaky as it was obvious that his hand was no longer too steady, but the sentiment in the words was unmistakable. "What's this word that he called you, Mum?"
Sylvia smiled softly as she remembered the time he had whispered that endearment to her when they had first begun dating, it was a word that he had never used around anyone else and had been the first clue that this letter might not be the fraud that she had first thought it was. "He was studying Gaelic in university and liked to show off sometimes after lessons. Rúnsearc is Gaelic for beloved and became something of a pet name for me for a while, he hasn't called me that in many years though so I was surprised to read it."
The Doctor just smiled when he heard Sylvia's statement, his gaze shifting to Donna as she continued to read the last letter from her father. "That's how he let you know that it was really from him?"
She nodded in response, her eyes tightening for a moment as a fresh wave of tears threatened before she murmured. "No one would have known that name except him. He didn't even use it around my parents at all, it was something just between the two of us. I just didn't want to believe that the both of you had gotten a chance to see him again when I first read the letter, maybe that was a little foolish of me."
The Doctor nodded softly at her admission, though he knew how much it must have cost her to give. He chose not to make a scene about her earlier outburst as it had been from a place of deep seated pain. He unfortunately understood about such pain all too well.
Donna leaned back when she finished reading the letter, her mind reached out to wrap the Doctor's thoughts tightly in her own in a gesture of gratitude that let him feel the strength of her emotions at that moment. She was overwhelmed with her father's words to her mother, but more importantly she was humbled by the sentiment that she felt in those simple lines. She held in her hand, irrefutable proof that her father was proud of her and that he gave his blessing to the both of them in no uncertain terms.
"Thank you for this, Doctor. It's truly a miracle to have one final letter from him, it feels like he is still with me even now."
The Doctor inclined his head in acknowledgement of Sylvia's words, his own discomfort with thanks kept him from responding though the smile on his lips was answer enough. It seemed that they had managed to navigate the treacherous waters of Christmas dinner and had come out the other side relatively unscathed.
Donna carefully folded the letter back up and handed it back to her mother before she rose to her feet and returned to her seat. The meal resumed with a much lighter heart as both the Doctor and Jack shared stories of their travels with everyone, Wilf especially was keen to get Jack alone so that he could talk about his time during World War II with him. It wasn't every day that he met another soldier from that time and he was eager to swap stories with the older man.
Donna and Sylvia remained mostly quiet while the three men talked, their gazes shifted from person to person as they finished their meal in good company. It was with a strange sense of unreality that Donna realized that her mother finally knew almost everything that was going on in her life and though she didn't completely agree with everything, she was actually stepping back enough to let her live that life as she chose. It seemed like miracles really did happen at Christmas Time.