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Title: Living Alone
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
katherine_b
Rating: Adult
Characters: Donna, the Doctor and Jack
Spoilers: Various bits and pieces up to and including The New Doctor.
Summary: Donna’s life after the TARDIS departs
A/N: This is a rather unexpected sequel of sorts for Better Off Without You. In that story, the TARDIS boosted Donna’s ability to heal herself and recover from illness or injury. This story examines the impact that had on Donna once the Doctor returned her to Earth.
Chapter IV
It took Jack a century to convince Donna to join him in the field.
“I’m a temp,” she argued. “I do office stuff. Paperwork. Numbers.” She eyed the firearm on her desk with loathing. “I don’t do guns.”
“Look, just quit channelling the Doctor for one minute and think about it,” Jack argued, his arms folded over his chest and an annoyed look on his face. “We’re three staff down thanks to that attack by the Halloden. Two others are off sick. Basically, Donna, it’s you and me.
“I don’t do guns,” she repeated slowly, as if he was an idiot.
Jack rolled his eyes. “Then you’ll be very dead, very qu… Um, never mind,” he finished, looking sheepish.
Donna raised her eyebrows at him. “Every gun in this place doesn’t seem to have stopped them killing you – how many times now?”
Jack shrugged. “I lost count centuries ago. Not worth trying to remember. After all, it’s not like I’ve got anyone to compare numbers with.” He frowned and leaned forward, placing his balled fists on the desk. “Donna, I need you with me. Nobody’s forcing you to use the gun – just carry the damned thing! That way I don’t have to worry about them injuring you. Okay?”
For a moment, Donna hesitated before reaching out a hand for the gun. Then she stopped and looked up at Jack.
“I’ll tell you one thing – if there’s Daleks out there, you won’t see me for dust!”
He grinned. “Hey, you’ve beaten them once, you can do it again.”
“What am I supposed to do – march up to them and say ‘Hey, fellas, remember me? I’m the DoctorDonna!’” She looked surprised. “I haven’t used that name in such a long time.”
“It still suits you – better than ever.” Jack picked up the gun and placed it in Donna’s outstretched hand. “I promise, Donna, we’d know if it was the Daleks. Thanks to the Subwave Network that Harriet Jones created, we have a much better way of identifying alien species before they arrive.” He tilted his head and looked at her questioningly. “Did you ever meet Harriet?”
“Well, I know who she was, but, no, I never had the chance to meet her.” Donna’s fingers closed around the gun and, with visible reluctance, she buckled the belt of the holster around her waist. She glanced in a nearby mirror and pulled a face. “This really doesn’t go with my black suit.”
“You can worry about co-ordinating your wardrobe later,” Jack replied, grabbing her arm. “Now let’s go!”
* * *
“Oh, dear Lord, Hoix!” Donna murmured as she and Jack peered over the edge of a building at a figure moving about only a couple of feet below them. She looked at the man beside her. “Got any meat on you?”
“It’s not something I carry in my pockets, on the off-chance I meet one,” he retorted, loading something that looked to Donna like a sedative capsule with a syringe on the tip into his gun. “But we’ve got a couple of those tucked away on ice in the vaults. This guy can join him.”
“And if there’s more than one?”
Jack looked at her out of the corner of his eye and offered her something that he had been concealing in his hand. “That’s why I brought you along.”
Donna looked at him with sudden loathing. “Bastard.”
He shot her a cheeky wink and she reluctantly took the capsule, retrieving her gun and loading the small glass-like object.
“Aim for the neck,” Jack told her. “Softest part. Now…”
Catching his breath, he pulled the trigger and the object inside flew out, puncturing the thick skin on the back of its neck. The Hoix gave a roar of fury and began twisting in circles, trying to extract the dart. However the sedative kicked in after only a few seconds and the creature slumped to the ground.
“And since no others came to its aid,” Jack said, vaulting over the edge and landing on the ground beside the comatose figure, “we assume it’s alone.” He looked up. “You coming?”
“I think I hate you right now,” she told him, returning the gun to the holster and dropping down next to him. He was leaning over the alien and she took the opportunity to slap him hard on the upper arm.
“Ow!” he yelped, straightening immediately. “What was that for?”
“Don’t you ever trick me like that again!” She glared at him. “No guns!”
“Donna, this is Torchwood,” said Jack in an exasperated voice. “We use guns. That’s the way it is. Just like UNIT.”
“There are other ways, Jack.”
“Fine!” He glared at her. “You sing this thing a lullaby, then, and I’ll go and get the car to take it back to the vaults.”
He returned with the SUV in moments and found Donna still bending over the Hoix, but there was a large bucket next to her. Yanking the key out of the ignition, he leaned over to unlock the rear door, looking up again to see that Donna had stood up and was turning in his direction.
“Come on, Donna,” he called. “Help me get the trolley and we can get this thing out of here before anyone see it.”
“Don’t bother about that, you won’t be needing it.” Donna grinned. “Because I found this,” and she picked up the bucket, swinging it so that the contents was splashed over the Hoix.
Jack’s mouth was open, ready to reply, but he stopped as there was a soft gurgling sound and the body of the Hoix twitched.
“Donna,” he demanded, running over to where they were standing and pulling her away, “what did you do?”
“Hyper-enhanced molecular decomposition.” She looked down at the prostrate form, which seemed to be dissolving in front of them. “Would have been quicker with a sonic screwdriver, but,” she shrugged, “have to make do.”
“Hyper what?”
She dragged her eyes away from the little that remained of the body in front of her and looked at him. “The chemicals in the bucket broke down the Hoix’s molecular structure. Every atom separated from every other atom. Simple and painless – and irreversible.” She shrugged a little. “That only seems to work on these, though. The Doctor thinks it’s because they’ve got such high metabolisms, thanks to the fact that they never stop eating.”
Jack stared at the ground again. There was no sign of the Hoix. All that remained was a damp stain on the footpath that, even as Jack watched, was drying in the hot afternoon sun.
“Uh, right,” he said slowly. “And if we’d needed it for study?”
“You said you had a couple ‘on ice’ if I recall correctly.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Why did you need this one?”
Jack stared at her in irritation for a moment and then huffed and finally grinned. “Fine, you win. Just – could you at least pretend to respect me, considering I am your boss?”
Donna chuckled, turning to the SUV. “I’ll think about it, Captain.”
“And none of that,” he added, catching up and digging her gently in the ribs with his elbow.
She laughed and pulled open the door of the car before stopping short.
“What is it?” Jack demanded, pulling out his gun and loading it in one smooth movement.
“There.” She pointed in the direction of a darkened warehouse, the doors of which stood opened. “I thought I saw something move.”
“What was it?”
“Don’t know.” Donna reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device that seemed to be made up of several tiny light globes, all of which were flashing furiously. “But whatever it is, it’s not native to this planet.”
“What’s that?” Jack asked, staring at the object in her hand.
“Detector,” she replied, sweeping her arm in a wide arc. The lights began to flash in a more regular pattern. “Mostly for timey-wimey stuff. I made it about five years ago. I was going to suggest you took it out into the field for a test, but…”
“What does it do? Detects life forms?”
“Only if they’re emitting certain levels of radiation and other auras that aren’t native to Earth.”
“The DoctorDonna,” Jack said with a grin. “Trust you to come up with something like that. I suppose it can’t tell us what it is?”
“No,” Donna admitted ruefully. “Although it can boil at egg at 30 paces.” She shook it. “When I first made it, it beeped and did all sorts of other silly things. Now it just flashes lights at me. Much more civilised.”
“God, you go on just like he does,” Jack complained. “Could we discuss this later, after we’ve dealt with whatever non-Earth thing is in that warehouse?”
“Oh, yes, of course!” Donna grinned and slipped the device back into her pocket. “Sorry, don’t know what came over me.”
“I can guess,” Jack muttered, leading the way.
* * *
Ten minutes later, and Donna’s cheerfulness had evaporated. The ‘non-Earth thing’ in the warehouse had turned out to be a Weevil. A very unhappy Weevil. With a gun.
“Oh, for God’s sake, when did you lot learn how to use one of those?” Donna demanded as she grabbed the sturdy arm that had just fired a single shot – into Jack’s chest.
It growled in her ear and Donna administered a swift uppercut that sent the creature reeling backwards. While it was dazed, Donna grabbed the gun and hurled it forcefully out of the window. Then the beast was on her again.
“Jack,” Donna bellowed, caught in a potentially deadly embrace with the weevil, “you’re dead. Now get up.”
As the words left her mouth, Jack’s eyes shot open and his mouth opened to gulp in air.
“Just wanted to be sure,” he told her with a broad grin, before leaping into the fray.
Fishing out his anti-Weevil spray, he directed it into the face of the creature whose gaping fangs were only inches from Donna’s neck. Feeling the beast’s grasp loosen, Donna shoved it away and rolled to the side to escape any renewed attack.
By the time she got to her feet, Jack had already sedated the Weevil and was fastening the shackles, ready for transporting it back to the Hub.
“Yeah, can you not do that again?” Donna demanded, mopping perspiration and blood off her face. “I mean, really, do you have to wait until someone notices you’re dead before you leap back to your feet and, usually, give them heart failure?” She poked him in the ribs. “An almighty show-off, aren’t you, Jack Harkness?”
He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Are you all right? You’re bleeding.”
“I’m aware of that,” she retorted, waving her blood-spattered handkerchief at him. “It’s nothing serious. Flesh wound. Probably from me being thrown against the window. I’ll have to check there’s no glass in the cut. Don’t want something like that under the skin.”
“I’ll take a look when we get this thing back to the Hub,” Jack replied, kicking the still form of the Weevil with his foot. “And then,” he went on, with a grin, “once we’re both all cleaned up, you and I are going out to dinner to celebrate your first day as an active member of Torchwood.”
“Well, Captain Harkness,” Donna grinned as she helped him haul a cage out of the back of the SUV, “what with destroying a Hoix, fighting a Weevil, and now dinner, you certainly know how to butter a girl up!”
* * *
“It’s been four hundred years, Doctor!” Jack’s voice reverberated down the hall, his tones edged in fury, as Donna returned to her desk after buying them both lunch. She stopped short at the final word of that sentence, but Jack's voice continued. “This is the twenty-fifth century! This world has been left to fend for itself for that long!”
“It seems to have coped very nicely, all things considered,” replied the familiar voice that made Donna’s heart miss a beat. “I suppose that’s thanks to you and your team, Captain.”
There was a pause as Donna approached her desk, removing her coat so that she could hang it inside the small cupboard behind her chair and fighting a desperate urge to run into the office and throw herself into the newcomer's arms. However the sound of Jack's voice made her reconsider.
“How long’s it been for you, Doctor?”
“Difficult to say, really.” Donna could hear as the Doctor got up from his chair and began to pace. “And you’re wrong, Jack. I have visited Earth – just not in this time period. Couple of visits to the Middle Ages, once to Early History and then in the thirty-ninth century – and you weren’t there then, I would like to point out!”
“Can’t explain that,” Jack retorted, although his voice sounded uncomfortable. She knew that he had trouble lying to people he loved and no one was dearer to him than the Doctor, although Donna was aware that she came close now. She watched as the Doctor moved out of sight again and, presumably, sat down.
For a moment she considered the situation taking place in the office, such a short distance away, before reaching over her desk to press the intercom button. She heard it buzz on Jack’s desk and then saw her boss rise to his feet and cross to the other side of the room, turning on the loudspeaker.
“What is it?” he asked abruptly.
“Excuse me, Captain,” she said in her sweetest voice, and watched as his head snapped up and he looked at her. She winked as she continued, “Might I have a word?”
“Er, not right now.” Jack nodded very slightly. “I’m in a meeting. But would you mind bringing us coffee?”
“Certainly, sir,” she trilled in her most professional voice, and ended the call with a flourish.
Five minutes later, she carried a small tray containing two cups, a coffee pot and several small jugs and jars to Jack’s office door, which was now closed, and knocked softly.
“Come in!”
She balanced the tray briefly on her knee and opened the door, before carrying the coffee over to the desk where Jack was standing. There was the softest sound from behind her, as if someone had made a sudden intake of breath.
“Thank you,” Jack said with a broad grin.
She smiled at him cheekily. “You’re welcome, Captain.”
As she was about to turn away – keeping her back to the Doctor, of course – Jack took hold of her wrist and pulled her closer to him. She could see the twinkle of laughter in his eye and knew that this was intended purely to annoy the Doctor, so she responded and drew in closer to him, lifting her head so that he could give her a passionate kiss.
“Oh, please!” snapped a scornful voice from the other side of the room.
“What?” Jack let go of Donna and turned around, his expression one of surprised hurt. “I was only saying hello!”
“Hah!”
Donna exhaled slowly and then composed her features into a relatively blank and enquiring expression as she turned to face the man on the other side of the room.
The Doctor was sitting in one of the armchairs that stood around a low coffee table on the far side of the room from Jack’s desk. There was probably fifteen feet between them. She eyed him up and down, once more fighting and conquering the almost overwhelming urge to run to him, hug him, ruffle his hair and demand to know why he still hadn’t changed his suit.
His brown eyes were fixed on her, too, widening as he looked at her, and his mouth had fallen slightly open.
“Donna,” he murmured almost inaudibly.
Quenching the urge to speak to him, she turned to Jack, an enquiring look on her face.
“I’m sorry, should I…? Do I… know...?”
Jack’s expression suggested that he couldn’t believe she would torment the Doctor in that way, but he was quick to catch on.
“Oh, of course. Donna, this is the D – John Smith,” he corrected himself, but with a look in his eye that suggested it wasn’t a mistake at all.
Donna approached the Doctor, her hand outstretched to shake his, and he leapt to his feet, eagerness in his eyes, but just as he was about to take it, she drew away slightly.
“You know, I think we’ve met. Somewhere.” She paused for a moment and then deliberately invoked the Doctor’s own words, even his way of speaking. “Oh… such a long time ago.”
“Yes,” the Doctor replied after a moment, withdrawing his hand and taking a step back, the joy that had been on his face fading rapidly into concern and despair. “Yes, we did.”
Donna watched him for a few seconds before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, the details escape me. You see,” she added wickedly, although her expression was one of sadness, “I have problems with my memory sometimes.”
She turned back to Jack to see that the look on his face suggested she’d gone too far.
“Excuse me, Captain. I have work to do.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
She turned back to the other man and smiled. “It was nice to see you again, Doctor.”
And with that she turned and left the office, carefully closing the door behind her.
However she only got as far as the desk before the door crashed back against the wall and a pair of brown pinstripe-clad arms flung themselves around her from behind, pushing her against the piece of furniture and holding her in a crushing embrace.
“Ow! Hey!”
“Donna Noble,” the Doctor’s voice bellowed in her ear, “you horrible, rotten tease!”
She chuckled, resting her hands against his arms and leaning her head back against his shoulder. His grip loosened, but not much.
“I did it well, though, didn’t I?” she suggested.
“Much too well,” said Jack, and Donna glanced over her shoulder to see him standing in the doorway. He was grinning, his hands sunk deep in the pockets of his trousers. “And Doctor, Torchwood’s going to have to charge you for the damage you did to my door.”
“Donna Noble,” the Doctor murmured in her ear, and she doubted if he had even heard Jack’s words. “I can’t believe it.”
Donna looked up and found that she could see them both reflected in the mirror that was fastened inside the door of her cupboard. The Doctor’s face wore the same huge smile she had seen when he was reunited with Rose, but his eyes were closed in what she imagined was relief. She could feel his hearts beating against her back and he tightened his hold once more, as if to convince himself that she was really there.
“Believe it, Time Boy,” she said with a grin, and at the sound of her voice, he opened his eyes and looked at her in the mirror. She winked at him. “You’ve got me back now and you’ll never get rid of me again.”
Timestamp scene - Through Different Eyes (told from the Doctor's POV)
“Never, Donna?” the Doctor asked as they faced each other over the TARDIS console. “Did you really mean that? Never?”
She smiled. “Well, that whole thing with ‘forever’ didn’t work out so well. I thought I might try a different tack and see if I was more successful.”
His expression became rueful and he looked down at the console, pressing what Donna guessed were random buttons. She walked around to where he stood and lifted his hands off the mechanics, holding them in hers until he dragged his eyes up to meet her gaze.
“Doctor,” she said softly, “how many times do I have to say this? I don’t blame you for what happened. Do you think I don’t know there was no other option?”
She tapped her temple, still holding his hands firmly. That was the only way to keep his undivided attention, as otherwise he would jam them into his pockets and fiddle with whatever he might find there.
“Mind of a Time Lord,” she reminded him. “I know all the same things you did then, and we both know there was nothing else that could have been done.”
“But…”
“No!” She poked him gently in the chest. “I’m not going to have you beat yourself up over this mentally for ever. Honestly, I don’t think I could bear it, particularly now I know just how long ‘ever’ really is!”
The Doctor managed a wan smile. “I can’t promise – but all right, I’ll try.” With a sudden move, he wrenched his hands free of her hold and cupped her face in them. There was a stern look on his face, but his eyes twinkled. “Just as long as you promise never to tease me like that again. I’m still having nightmares!”
Donna chuckled. “Sounds like a deal.”
“A pact,” he agreed. “Sealed – with one of these.”
And he lightly touched his lips to hers.
She gasped a little as he drew away. If this was how he had felt after she kissed him, no wonder it had worked so well as a shock!
“All right then,” she said briskly, trying to disguise her feelings, and reached up to take his hand. With a gentle tug, she pulled him in the direction of the ramp down to the lower rooms. “Come on, let’s go and see if Jack’s managed to set the kitchen on fire again.”
Author:
katherine_b Rating: Adult
Characters: Donna, the Doctor and Jack
Spoilers: Various bits and pieces up to and including The New Doctor.
Summary: Donna’s life after the TARDIS departs
A/N: This is a rather unexpected sequel of sorts for Better Off Without You. In that story, the TARDIS boosted Donna’s ability to heal herself and recover from illness or injury. This story examines the impact that had on Donna once the Doctor returned her to Earth.
Chapter IV
It took Jack a century to convince Donna to join him in the field.
“I’m a temp,” she argued. “I do office stuff. Paperwork. Numbers.” She eyed the firearm on her desk with loathing. “I don’t do guns.”
“Look, just quit channelling the Doctor for one minute and think about it,” Jack argued, his arms folded over his chest and an annoyed look on his face. “We’re three staff down thanks to that attack by the Halloden. Two others are off sick. Basically, Donna, it’s you and me.
“I don’t do guns,” she repeated slowly, as if he was an idiot.
Jack rolled his eyes. “Then you’ll be very dead, very qu… Um, never mind,” he finished, looking sheepish.
Donna raised her eyebrows at him. “Every gun in this place doesn’t seem to have stopped them killing you – how many times now?”
Jack shrugged. “I lost count centuries ago. Not worth trying to remember. After all, it’s not like I’ve got anyone to compare numbers with.” He frowned and leaned forward, placing his balled fists on the desk. “Donna, I need you with me. Nobody’s forcing you to use the gun – just carry the damned thing! That way I don’t have to worry about them injuring you. Okay?”
For a moment, Donna hesitated before reaching out a hand for the gun. Then she stopped and looked up at Jack.
“I’ll tell you one thing – if there’s Daleks out there, you won’t see me for dust!”
He grinned. “Hey, you’ve beaten them once, you can do it again.”
“What am I supposed to do – march up to them and say ‘Hey, fellas, remember me? I’m the DoctorDonna!’” She looked surprised. “I haven’t used that name in such a long time.”
“It still suits you – better than ever.” Jack picked up the gun and placed it in Donna’s outstretched hand. “I promise, Donna, we’d know if it was the Daleks. Thanks to the Subwave Network that Harriet Jones created, we have a much better way of identifying alien species before they arrive.” He tilted his head and looked at her questioningly. “Did you ever meet Harriet?”
“Well, I know who she was, but, no, I never had the chance to meet her.” Donna’s fingers closed around the gun and, with visible reluctance, she buckled the belt of the holster around her waist. She glanced in a nearby mirror and pulled a face. “This really doesn’t go with my black suit.”
“You can worry about co-ordinating your wardrobe later,” Jack replied, grabbing her arm. “Now let’s go!”
“Oh, dear Lord, Hoix!” Donna murmured as she and Jack peered over the edge of a building at a figure moving about only a couple of feet below them. She looked at the man beside her. “Got any meat on you?”
“It’s not something I carry in my pockets, on the off-chance I meet one,” he retorted, loading something that looked to Donna like a sedative capsule with a syringe on the tip into his gun. “But we’ve got a couple of those tucked away on ice in the vaults. This guy can join him.”
“And if there’s more than one?”
Jack looked at her out of the corner of his eye and offered her something that he had been concealing in his hand. “That’s why I brought you along.”
Donna looked at him with sudden loathing. “Bastard.”
He shot her a cheeky wink and she reluctantly took the capsule, retrieving her gun and loading the small glass-like object.
“Aim for the neck,” Jack told her. “Softest part. Now…”
Catching his breath, he pulled the trigger and the object inside flew out, puncturing the thick skin on the back of its neck. The Hoix gave a roar of fury and began twisting in circles, trying to extract the dart. However the sedative kicked in after only a few seconds and the creature slumped to the ground.
“And since no others came to its aid,” Jack said, vaulting over the edge and landing on the ground beside the comatose figure, “we assume it’s alone.” He looked up. “You coming?”
“I think I hate you right now,” she told him, returning the gun to the holster and dropping down next to him. He was leaning over the alien and she took the opportunity to slap him hard on the upper arm.
“Ow!” he yelped, straightening immediately. “What was that for?”
“Don’t you ever trick me like that again!” She glared at him. “No guns!”
“Donna, this is Torchwood,” said Jack in an exasperated voice. “We use guns. That’s the way it is. Just like UNIT.”
“There are other ways, Jack.”
“Fine!” He glared at her. “You sing this thing a lullaby, then, and I’ll go and get the car to take it back to the vaults.”
He returned with the SUV in moments and found Donna still bending over the Hoix, but there was a large bucket next to her. Yanking the key out of the ignition, he leaned over to unlock the rear door, looking up again to see that Donna had stood up and was turning in his direction.
“Come on, Donna,” he called. “Help me get the trolley and we can get this thing out of here before anyone see it.”
“Don’t bother about that, you won’t be needing it.” Donna grinned. “Because I found this,” and she picked up the bucket, swinging it so that the contents was splashed over the Hoix.
Jack’s mouth was open, ready to reply, but he stopped as there was a soft gurgling sound and the body of the Hoix twitched.
“Donna,” he demanded, running over to where they were standing and pulling her away, “what did you do?”
“Hyper-enhanced molecular decomposition.” She looked down at the prostrate form, which seemed to be dissolving in front of them. “Would have been quicker with a sonic screwdriver, but,” she shrugged, “have to make do.”
“Hyper what?”
She dragged her eyes away from the little that remained of the body in front of her and looked at him. “The chemicals in the bucket broke down the Hoix’s molecular structure. Every atom separated from every other atom. Simple and painless – and irreversible.” She shrugged a little. “That only seems to work on these, though. The Doctor thinks it’s because they’ve got such high metabolisms, thanks to the fact that they never stop eating.”
Jack stared at the ground again. There was no sign of the Hoix. All that remained was a damp stain on the footpath that, even as Jack watched, was drying in the hot afternoon sun.
“Uh, right,” he said slowly. “And if we’d needed it for study?”
“You said you had a couple ‘on ice’ if I recall correctly.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Why did you need this one?”
Jack stared at her in irritation for a moment and then huffed and finally grinned. “Fine, you win. Just – could you at least pretend to respect me, considering I am your boss?”
Donna chuckled, turning to the SUV. “I’ll think about it, Captain.”
“And none of that,” he added, catching up and digging her gently in the ribs with his elbow.
She laughed and pulled open the door of the car before stopping short.
“What is it?” Jack demanded, pulling out his gun and loading it in one smooth movement.
“There.” She pointed in the direction of a darkened warehouse, the doors of which stood opened. “I thought I saw something move.”
“What was it?”
“Don’t know.” Donna reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device that seemed to be made up of several tiny light globes, all of which were flashing furiously. “But whatever it is, it’s not native to this planet.”
“What’s that?” Jack asked, staring at the object in her hand.
“Detector,” she replied, sweeping her arm in a wide arc. The lights began to flash in a more regular pattern. “Mostly for timey-wimey stuff. I made it about five years ago. I was going to suggest you took it out into the field for a test, but…”
“What does it do? Detects life forms?”
“Only if they’re emitting certain levels of radiation and other auras that aren’t native to Earth.”
“The DoctorDonna,” Jack said with a grin. “Trust you to come up with something like that. I suppose it can’t tell us what it is?”
“No,” Donna admitted ruefully. “Although it can boil at egg at 30 paces.” She shook it. “When I first made it, it beeped and did all sorts of other silly things. Now it just flashes lights at me. Much more civilised.”
“God, you go on just like he does,” Jack complained. “Could we discuss this later, after we’ve dealt with whatever non-Earth thing is in that warehouse?”
“Oh, yes, of course!” Donna grinned and slipped the device back into her pocket. “Sorry, don’t know what came over me.”
“I can guess,” Jack muttered, leading the way.
Ten minutes later, and Donna’s cheerfulness had evaporated. The ‘non-Earth thing’ in the warehouse had turned out to be a Weevil. A very unhappy Weevil. With a gun.
“Oh, for God’s sake, when did you lot learn how to use one of those?” Donna demanded as she grabbed the sturdy arm that had just fired a single shot – into Jack’s chest.
It growled in her ear and Donna administered a swift uppercut that sent the creature reeling backwards. While it was dazed, Donna grabbed the gun and hurled it forcefully out of the window. Then the beast was on her again.
“Jack,” Donna bellowed, caught in a potentially deadly embrace with the weevil, “you’re dead. Now get up.”
As the words left her mouth, Jack’s eyes shot open and his mouth opened to gulp in air.
“Just wanted to be sure,” he told her with a broad grin, before leaping into the fray.
Fishing out his anti-Weevil spray, he directed it into the face of the creature whose gaping fangs were only inches from Donna’s neck. Feeling the beast’s grasp loosen, Donna shoved it away and rolled to the side to escape any renewed attack.
By the time she got to her feet, Jack had already sedated the Weevil and was fastening the shackles, ready for transporting it back to the Hub.
“Yeah, can you not do that again?” Donna demanded, mopping perspiration and blood off her face. “I mean, really, do you have to wait until someone notices you’re dead before you leap back to your feet and, usually, give them heart failure?” She poked him in the ribs. “An almighty show-off, aren’t you, Jack Harkness?”
He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Are you all right? You’re bleeding.”
“I’m aware of that,” she retorted, waving her blood-spattered handkerchief at him. “It’s nothing serious. Flesh wound. Probably from me being thrown against the window. I’ll have to check there’s no glass in the cut. Don’t want something like that under the skin.”
“I’ll take a look when we get this thing back to the Hub,” Jack replied, kicking the still form of the Weevil with his foot. “And then,” he went on, with a grin, “once we’re both all cleaned up, you and I are going out to dinner to celebrate your first day as an active member of Torchwood.”
“Well, Captain Harkness,” Donna grinned as she helped him haul a cage out of the back of the SUV, “what with destroying a Hoix, fighting a Weevil, and now dinner, you certainly know how to butter a girl up!”
“It’s been four hundred years, Doctor!” Jack’s voice reverberated down the hall, his tones edged in fury, as Donna returned to her desk after buying them both lunch. She stopped short at the final word of that sentence, but Jack's voice continued. “This is the twenty-fifth century! This world has been left to fend for itself for that long!”
“It seems to have coped very nicely, all things considered,” replied the familiar voice that made Donna’s heart miss a beat. “I suppose that’s thanks to you and your team, Captain.”
There was a pause as Donna approached her desk, removing her coat so that she could hang it inside the small cupboard behind her chair and fighting a desperate urge to run into the office and throw herself into the newcomer's arms. However the sound of Jack's voice made her reconsider.
“How long’s it been for you, Doctor?”
“Difficult to say, really.” Donna could hear as the Doctor got up from his chair and began to pace. “And you’re wrong, Jack. I have visited Earth – just not in this time period. Couple of visits to the Middle Ages, once to Early History and then in the thirty-ninth century – and you weren’t there then, I would like to point out!”
“Can’t explain that,” Jack retorted, although his voice sounded uncomfortable. She knew that he had trouble lying to people he loved and no one was dearer to him than the Doctor, although Donna was aware that she came close now. She watched as the Doctor moved out of sight again and, presumably, sat down.
For a moment she considered the situation taking place in the office, such a short distance away, before reaching over her desk to press the intercom button. She heard it buzz on Jack’s desk and then saw her boss rise to his feet and cross to the other side of the room, turning on the loudspeaker.
“What is it?” he asked abruptly.
“Excuse me, Captain,” she said in her sweetest voice, and watched as his head snapped up and he looked at her. She winked as she continued, “Might I have a word?”
“Er, not right now.” Jack nodded very slightly. “I’m in a meeting. But would you mind bringing us coffee?”
“Certainly, sir,” she trilled in her most professional voice, and ended the call with a flourish.
Five minutes later, she carried a small tray containing two cups, a coffee pot and several small jugs and jars to Jack’s office door, which was now closed, and knocked softly.
“Come in!”
She balanced the tray briefly on her knee and opened the door, before carrying the coffee over to the desk where Jack was standing. There was the softest sound from behind her, as if someone had made a sudden intake of breath.
“Thank you,” Jack said with a broad grin.
She smiled at him cheekily. “You’re welcome, Captain.”
As she was about to turn away – keeping her back to the Doctor, of course – Jack took hold of her wrist and pulled her closer to him. She could see the twinkle of laughter in his eye and knew that this was intended purely to annoy the Doctor, so she responded and drew in closer to him, lifting her head so that he could give her a passionate kiss.
“Oh, please!” snapped a scornful voice from the other side of the room.
“What?” Jack let go of Donna and turned around, his expression one of surprised hurt. “I was only saying hello!”
“Hah!”
Donna exhaled slowly and then composed her features into a relatively blank and enquiring expression as she turned to face the man on the other side of the room.
The Doctor was sitting in one of the armchairs that stood around a low coffee table on the far side of the room from Jack’s desk. There was probably fifteen feet between them. She eyed him up and down, once more fighting and conquering the almost overwhelming urge to run to him, hug him, ruffle his hair and demand to know why he still hadn’t changed his suit.
His brown eyes were fixed on her, too, widening as he looked at her, and his mouth had fallen slightly open.
“Donna,” he murmured almost inaudibly.
Quenching the urge to speak to him, she turned to Jack, an enquiring look on her face.
“I’m sorry, should I…? Do I… know...?”
Jack’s expression suggested that he couldn’t believe she would torment the Doctor in that way, but he was quick to catch on.
“Oh, of course. Donna, this is the D – John Smith,” he corrected himself, but with a look in his eye that suggested it wasn’t a mistake at all.
Donna approached the Doctor, her hand outstretched to shake his, and he leapt to his feet, eagerness in his eyes, but just as he was about to take it, she drew away slightly.
“You know, I think we’ve met. Somewhere.” She paused for a moment and then deliberately invoked the Doctor’s own words, even his way of speaking. “Oh… such a long time ago.”
“Yes,” the Doctor replied after a moment, withdrawing his hand and taking a step back, the joy that had been on his face fading rapidly into concern and despair. “Yes, we did.”
Donna watched him for a few seconds before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, the details escape me. You see,” she added wickedly, although her expression was one of sadness, “I have problems with my memory sometimes.”
She turned back to Jack to see that the look on his face suggested she’d gone too far.
“Excuse me, Captain. I have work to do.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
She turned back to the other man and smiled. “It was nice to see you again, Doctor.”
And with that she turned and left the office, carefully closing the door behind her.
However she only got as far as the desk before the door crashed back against the wall and a pair of brown pinstripe-clad arms flung themselves around her from behind, pushing her against the piece of furniture and holding her in a crushing embrace.
“Ow! Hey!”
“Donna Noble,” the Doctor’s voice bellowed in her ear, “you horrible, rotten tease!”
She chuckled, resting her hands against his arms and leaning her head back against his shoulder. His grip loosened, but not much.
“I did it well, though, didn’t I?” she suggested.
“Much too well,” said Jack, and Donna glanced over her shoulder to see him standing in the doorway. He was grinning, his hands sunk deep in the pockets of his trousers. “And Doctor, Torchwood’s going to have to charge you for the damage you did to my door.”
“Donna Noble,” the Doctor murmured in her ear, and she doubted if he had even heard Jack’s words. “I can’t believe it.”
Donna looked up and found that she could see them both reflected in the mirror that was fastened inside the door of her cupboard. The Doctor’s face wore the same huge smile she had seen when he was reunited with Rose, but his eyes were closed in what she imagined was relief. She could feel his hearts beating against her back and he tightened his hold once more, as if to convince himself that she was really there.
“Believe it, Time Boy,” she said with a grin, and at the sound of her voice, he opened his eyes and looked at her in the mirror. She winked at him. “You’ve got me back now and you’ll never get rid of me again.”
Timestamp scene - Through Different Eyes (told from the Doctor's POV)
“Never, Donna?” the Doctor asked as they faced each other over the TARDIS console. “Did you really mean that? Never?”
She smiled. “Well, that whole thing with ‘forever’ didn’t work out so well. I thought I might try a different tack and see if I was more successful.”
His expression became rueful and he looked down at the console, pressing what Donna guessed were random buttons. She walked around to where he stood and lifted his hands off the mechanics, holding them in hers until he dragged his eyes up to meet her gaze.
“Doctor,” she said softly, “how many times do I have to say this? I don’t blame you for what happened. Do you think I don’t know there was no other option?”
She tapped her temple, still holding his hands firmly. That was the only way to keep his undivided attention, as otherwise he would jam them into his pockets and fiddle with whatever he might find there.
“Mind of a Time Lord,” she reminded him. “I know all the same things you did then, and we both know there was nothing else that could have been done.”
“But…”
“No!” She poked him gently in the chest. “I’m not going to have you beat yourself up over this mentally for ever. Honestly, I don’t think I could bear it, particularly now I know just how long ‘ever’ really is!”
The Doctor managed a wan smile. “I can’t promise – but all right, I’ll try.” With a sudden move, he wrenched his hands free of her hold and cupped her face in them. There was a stern look on his face, but his eyes twinkled. “Just as long as you promise never to tease me like that again. I’m still having nightmares!”
Donna chuckled. “Sounds like a deal.”
“A pact,” he agreed. “Sealed – with one of these.”
And he lightly touched his lips to hers.
She gasped a little as he drew away. If this was how he had felt after she kissed him, no wonder it had worked so well as a shock!
“All right then,” she said briskly, trying to disguise her feelings, and reached up to take his hand. With a gentle tug, she pulled him in the direction of the ramp down to the lower rooms. “Come on, let’s go and see if Jack’s managed to set the kitchen on fire again.”
tired