The road less travelled...

Title: When Wishes Come True – Always There For You
Author: katherine_b
Rating: G
Summary: Donna promised the Doctor ‘forever.’ Is it time for her to deliver on that promise?
Word Count: approx 950 words
Characters: Ten, Donna and the Genie
A/N: Written for sykira, who asked “Okay for SURE I want to see [Donna] "get used to the changes in this body" [in When Wishes Come True] preferably with the Doctor doing what he can to be there for her easing the transition :D But I also really want to see her wake up in his arms and him taking care of her afterward because I am huge sucker for that kind of H/C more than anything.”

Note: sonicgirl2005 has made me a pretty graphic for my story! Whee!



The Genie stops chanting and the infirmary is suddenly and terrifyingly silent. The Doctor isn’t even daring to breathe in case it somehow upsets the delicate balance he can feel in the room.

And then a soft whimper breaks the silence and his eyes fly open as he looks down to see Donna’s face contorted in pain, although her eyes remain closed.

“Genie?” he questions desperately.

“She’s growing a new heart,” the Genie points out. “Not to mention that respiratory bypass system you’ve got. Did you expect that to be painless?”

“I didn’t expect her to feel it!” he snaps back, trying to get a grasp on her temples to rid her of the pain, but she twists out of his grasp as a particularly bad convulsion hits.

“She won’t remember it, if that’s any comfort,” comes the reply. “She’s still unconscious from what you did to her.”

“She’ll be in pain from all that thrashing around when she does wake up,” he exclaims in horror.

“At least she will wake up,” the Genie retorts coolly. “How much success were you having?”

That uncomfortable truth silences him, and all he can do is hold on to Donna as she twitches and moans. Still, his grasp on her means that he can feel the changes that are taking place inside her body and which will allow her to survive having a Time Lord’s consciousness in her head.

Beads of perspiration are standing out on his forehead and his hearts are racing with fear by the time Donna finally lies still again, her face once more as lax as it was when she collapsed unconscious into his arms. He lifts her gently into his hold, her head resting against his shoulder. After what just happened, he can’t bear not to have her as close to him as possible.

The Genie is hovering in the far corner, only just visible out of the corner of the Doctor’s eye, but the Doctor has no time for him now. His focus is on Donna, willing her to wake up, desperate for it to have worked.

When she finally stirs, her breath soft in his ear, he reaches down to cover her hands, which he has carefully placed on her stomach, with the fingers of his free hand.

He can gradually feel her regaining consciousness, but more importantly, he can feel her mind slowly opening inside his, the Time Lord parts of her linking with the same parts in him. It’s an astonishing sensation. He hasn’t felt anything like it since the loss of Gallifrey.

And then Donna’s fingers creep between his so that their hands are linked and he looks down to find her watching him.

“I don’t know how two hearts and that bloody heartbeat doesn’t drive you crazy,” she murmurs, and he grins, relief flooding through him.

She’s all right.

“You’ll get used to it,” he assures her, smoothing his thumb over her fingers. “I’ll show you how.”

“Yeah, that and everything else,” she tells him. “Especially how to block the flow of thoughts I can feel coming from you as clearly as if you were yelling at me.”

“Sorry.” He silences his own thoughts and sees her give a sight of relief before she smiles at him.

“Don’t feel so guilty, you prawn,” she says, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “You did what you had to do, didn’t you? I’m still alive – and you’re not about to dump me back in Chiswick!”

“Not a chance.” He gently helps her into a sitting position and then she fixes him with a look, lifting a hand to rest it on her chest between her original and new hearts.

“You didn’t do this on your own,” she says in a definite tone. “I mean, you’re good, but you’re not that good!”

He turns and gestures to the Genie, who is still sitting in the corner, twirling his empty lamp on one finger.

“He did it,” he says simply.

He expects Donna to acknowledge the Genie, but instead she turns back to stare at him, a look of utter astonishment on her face.

“Your third wish?” she says feebly. “You used it on me? Just to save me?”

“Not just anything,” he assures her, placing his hands on her shoulders so that she’s looking directly at him. “Everything. The most important thing. The most important woman in the Universe. You, Donna Noble.”

She stares at him, her eyes wide, and he can’t be surprised when they suddenly fill with tears. Crying might not be something a Time Lord typically does, but considering what she’s gone through today, knowing how close she's come to death, a few tears are definitely excusable.

He pulls her gently into his arms, feeling as she clings to him, her hands clawing at his back as she sobs. He rocks her, murmuring soothing words and the occasional term of endearment that he can’t hold in, until finally she pulls away and wipes her nose. He hands her a tissue from a box on a nearby table and then stands up.

“Just going to get you a drink,” he says when she looks at him plaintively, as if asking him not to leave. He sends her a reassuring thought as he adds, “Won’t be a sec.”

The kitchen is next-door to the infirmary and he gets out a glass, filling it from a bottle in the fridge, since he knows Donna prefers chilled water. He’s out of the room for all of a minute, but it’s long enough.

“So,” Donna says in would-be careless tones as he re-enters the room with her water, “exactly how long have you loved me then?”

The glass ends up on the floor.

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