Family
Title: Family
Characters: The Doctor (11), Donna, mentions of Wilf, Shaun, Sylvia, and others
Summary: Donna runs into an unexpected and unknown guest.
Rating/Warnings: Mention of recent character death. Angst. Read (or not) accordingly.
Word Count: ~1,200
Setting/Spoilers: Set about a year after the End of Time. Spoiler free from the Doctor’s perspective.
Prompt: Written for Travellers’ Tales Prompt #3 (dusk) at doctor_donna
Note: Standalone fic. Please, please, please don’t mistake this for being a part of my series that I’ve had going, because you’ll be rather confused and also probably hate me. This fic goes along with nothing else I’ve posted.
More Notes: I don’t own the canon characters, but the fake uncle is named after my own grandfather, who was almost more awesome than Wilf. I’m just sayin’. <3
Yet Another Note: I’ve been waiting to post this until I had posted something happier, but my happier, snazzier things haven’t been finished because of the giant time-eating thing called life that I’ve got going on. Hopefully I’ll get up to something else soon though. :)
It wasn’t quite dark yet. Somehow it felt wrong to be out here when it wasn’t dark.
Donna sighed, adjusting her coat as she carefully knelt to the ground. This was her granddad’s favorite spot, she thought fondly, running her fingers over the dips in the grass where his chair usually sat. He’d sit up here for hours, sometimes with her, staring at the stars and dreaming about getting up there one day, but he never had. All his dreaming and nothing to show for it.
There was a crunch of grass behind her and Donna turned, hurriedly wiping her eyes. She looked all around, but she couldn’t see anyone there. “Hello?” she called hesitantly.
“Cold night, isn’t it?” a man’s voice replied. “Sorry I was hiding. It’s warmer out of the wind.”
“It’s all right,” Donna said simply. “I’m used to it out here, I suppose.” She swallowed. “I don’t think....sorry, but I don’t recognize your voice.”
“You wouldn’t,” the voice offered softly.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. You should be inside, shouldn’t you?”
“Too many people,” Donna said simply. “I’d rather be up here, like Gramps would have.” She felt tears stinging at her eyes and blinked them away. “Did you know my gramps very well?”
“Oh, yes,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. He cleared his throat and stepped further into the ever-deepening shadows. “He was a brilliant man,” he offered. “I’m sorry he’s gone.”
“Yeah,” Donna breathed. They sat in silence for a few moments but then she gasped, leaning forward and curling her arms around herself. “God, that’s a pain,” she muttered.
“You all right?” he asked, hesitantly edging toward her. “Do you want me to get someone?”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Really, I’m all right. I’m just not used to it yet.” She slowly stood, buttoning up her coat again. “I guess I’m not the only one who wishes Gramps were still here,” she whispered, patting her stomach gently. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but Granddad Wilf’s gone.”
“I- You’re- Maybe I should be going....”
“So who are you?” she asked, trying for a polite smile though he probably couldn’t see it. “No offense, but you sound a bit young to have gone around with my granddad.”
“I’m....Samuel,” he said slowly. “My great uncle and your granddad used to go star tripping, and sometimes Wilfred would be in Uncle Wayne’s back yard for hours. I think he mentioned you a few times. Assuming you’re Donna, of course.”
“Guilty,” Donna replied, “but don’t believe any of what he told you. I’m not as bad as they say.”
“He said you were brilliant,” he corrected her, and he smiled as he saw Donna’s face brighten slightly. “Truth be told, I knew your name before I knew his, ‘cause I would overhear he and Uncle Wayne talking about you. Well, you and my cousin Marjorie, but those stories were awful, and don’t let anyone tell you different. The things that girl has done at the family Christmas parties....” He heard Donna chuckle at that and he relaxed against the side of the shed. “He was a very good man,” he repeated after a moment. “I know it seems a bit thick, but he was sort of like a dad, even though I didn’t see him often. He treated me like I was family.”
“He did that a lot,” Donna offered with a lopsided smile. “He was....he was great, my granddad.”
The Doctor nodded. “I’m sorry,” he began slowly, “but can I ask....Uncle Wayne didn’t say what happened to him. Was he ill?”
“Car accident,” Donna said flatly. “Of all the stupid things.” She swallowed again, brushing a stray bit of grass from her jeans. “Shaun, my husband, he was supposed to take Gramps to the doctor. Just a checkup, Granddad wasn’t sick or anything, but Mum was too busy and Shaun didn’t want him to miss it. It wasn’t icy, just a bit damp, but those big trucks don’t stop well....”
“I’m so sorry,” he said gently. He stared at her for a moment then his eyes widened. “Hold on, did you say your husband....?”
Donna nodded. “We’ve been married almost a year,” she replied. “Next Tuesday, actually, not that he probably remembered it right. He’s useless, see,” she said with a choked laugh, “never could keep a job, a good enough husband but a bit of an idiot. But I love him,” she added softly, “and Granddad was so happy for us, especially with the baby. Shaun couldn’t wait to be a dad.”
“And is he....” He couldn’t even say it. “How is he?”
“Doctor’s not sure yet,” Donna admitted. “He’s not woken up since the accident.” She let out a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut against a sudden burst of wind. “He’ll be okay though,” she whispered, gently stroking her stomach. “He has to be, doesn’t he? We need him.”
The Doctor just studied her face, what little he could see in the quickly dimming light, and his hearts ached as he saw tears begin to slip down her cheeks. He thought he brought her back to a good life, a bit less than she was before but with the potential to be herself again, to be happy and safe and have a life he knew she wanted. But now she was alone, with no one to care for her but her baby, her granddad and her husband gone. He’d never seen her look so unhappy.
Donna sighed, turning to look at the shed where her unknown companion stood. The sun was almost down now and she tried to make out the man’s face but it was too dark. She hated dusk. It was the time where night and day weren’t quite sure which ruled the sky, the time her mum insisted was too late to be out when she was a child but too early to be out stargazing with her granddad when she was older. And her gramps would never see the dark again, the glittering stars and revolving planets he’d loved to stare at, the ones he’d always dreamed of visiting. But he never would, because it was all just a fantasy, a stupid thing she’d dreamed about once too, before she learned what life was really like.
“I’m going inside,” she said suddenly, walking around the man and toward the path down the hill. “It was nice to meet you, Samuel. Have a good night. And thanks,” she added softly, “for coming. I’m sure Gramps liked you very much. He would have appreciated it.”
“I owe him,” the Doctor replied simply. Donna stared at his shadow for a moment then turned and disappeared. As he watched her go he shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. It was the truth, especially now. He owed it to Wilf to keep an eye on his granddaughter, even if she didn’t know he was watching out for her. After all, they were family. He couldn’t leave her.
Characters: The Doctor (11), Donna, mentions of Wilf, Shaun, Sylvia, and others
Summary: Donna runs into an unexpected and unknown guest.
Rating/Warnings: Mention of recent character death. Angst. Read (or not) accordingly.
Word Count: ~1,200
Setting/Spoilers: Set about a year after the End of Time. Spoiler free from the Doctor’s perspective.
Prompt: Written for Travellers’ Tales Prompt #3 (dusk) at doctor_donna
Note: Standalone fic. Please, please, please don’t mistake this for being a part of my series that I’ve had going, because you’ll be rather confused and also probably hate me. This fic goes along with nothing else I’ve posted.
More Notes: I don’t own the canon characters, but the fake uncle is named after my own grandfather, who was almost more awesome than Wilf. I’m just sayin’. <3
Yet Another Note: I’ve been waiting to post this until I had posted something happier, but my happier, snazzier things haven’t been finished because of the giant time-eating thing called life that I’ve got going on. Hopefully I’ll get up to something else soon though. :)
It wasn’t quite dark yet. Somehow it felt wrong to be out here when it wasn’t dark.
Donna sighed, adjusting her coat as she carefully knelt to the ground. This was her granddad’s favorite spot, she thought fondly, running her fingers over the dips in the grass where his chair usually sat. He’d sit up here for hours, sometimes with her, staring at the stars and dreaming about getting up there one day, but he never had. All his dreaming and nothing to show for it.
There was a crunch of grass behind her and Donna turned, hurriedly wiping her eyes. She looked all around, but she couldn’t see anyone there. “Hello?” she called hesitantly.
“Cold night, isn’t it?” a man’s voice replied. “Sorry I was hiding. It’s warmer out of the wind.”
“It’s all right,” Donna said simply. “I’m used to it out here, I suppose.” She swallowed. “I don’t think....sorry, but I don’t recognize your voice.”
“You wouldn’t,” the voice offered softly.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. You should be inside, shouldn’t you?”
“Too many people,” Donna said simply. “I’d rather be up here, like Gramps would have.” She felt tears stinging at her eyes and blinked them away. “Did you know my gramps very well?”
“Oh, yes,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. He cleared his throat and stepped further into the ever-deepening shadows. “He was a brilliant man,” he offered. “I’m sorry he’s gone.”
“Yeah,” Donna breathed. They sat in silence for a few moments but then she gasped, leaning forward and curling her arms around herself. “God, that’s a pain,” she muttered.
“You all right?” he asked, hesitantly edging toward her. “Do you want me to get someone?”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Really, I’m all right. I’m just not used to it yet.” She slowly stood, buttoning up her coat again. “I guess I’m not the only one who wishes Gramps were still here,” she whispered, patting her stomach gently. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but Granddad Wilf’s gone.”
“I- You’re- Maybe I should be going....”
“So who are you?” she asked, trying for a polite smile though he probably couldn’t see it. “No offense, but you sound a bit young to have gone around with my granddad.”
“I’m....Samuel,” he said slowly. “My great uncle and your granddad used to go star tripping, and sometimes Wilfred would be in Uncle Wayne’s back yard for hours. I think he mentioned you a few times. Assuming you’re Donna, of course.”
“Guilty,” Donna replied, “but don’t believe any of what he told you. I’m not as bad as they say.”
“He said you were brilliant,” he corrected her, and he smiled as he saw Donna’s face brighten slightly. “Truth be told, I knew your name before I knew his, ‘cause I would overhear he and Uncle Wayne talking about you. Well, you and my cousin Marjorie, but those stories were awful, and don’t let anyone tell you different. The things that girl has done at the family Christmas parties....” He heard Donna chuckle at that and he relaxed against the side of the shed. “He was a very good man,” he repeated after a moment. “I know it seems a bit thick, but he was sort of like a dad, even though I didn’t see him often. He treated me like I was family.”
“He did that a lot,” Donna offered with a lopsided smile. “He was....he was great, my granddad.”
The Doctor nodded. “I’m sorry,” he began slowly, “but can I ask....Uncle Wayne didn’t say what happened to him. Was he ill?”
“Car accident,” Donna said flatly. “Of all the stupid things.” She swallowed again, brushing a stray bit of grass from her jeans. “Shaun, my husband, he was supposed to take Gramps to the doctor. Just a checkup, Granddad wasn’t sick or anything, but Mum was too busy and Shaun didn’t want him to miss it. It wasn’t icy, just a bit damp, but those big trucks don’t stop well....”
“I’m so sorry,” he said gently. He stared at her for a moment then his eyes widened. “Hold on, did you say your husband....?”
Donna nodded. “We’ve been married almost a year,” she replied. “Next Tuesday, actually, not that he probably remembered it right. He’s useless, see,” she said with a choked laugh, “never could keep a job, a good enough husband but a bit of an idiot. But I love him,” she added softly, “and Granddad was so happy for us, especially with the baby. Shaun couldn’t wait to be a dad.”
“And is he....” He couldn’t even say it. “How is he?”
“Doctor’s not sure yet,” Donna admitted. “He’s not woken up since the accident.” She let out a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut against a sudden burst of wind. “He’ll be okay though,” she whispered, gently stroking her stomach. “He has to be, doesn’t he? We need him.”
The Doctor just studied her face, what little he could see in the quickly dimming light, and his hearts ached as he saw tears begin to slip down her cheeks. He thought he brought her back to a good life, a bit less than she was before but with the potential to be herself again, to be happy and safe and have a life he knew she wanted. But now she was alone, with no one to care for her but her baby, her granddad and her husband gone. He’d never seen her look so unhappy.
Donna sighed, turning to look at the shed where her unknown companion stood. The sun was almost down now and she tried to make out the man’s face but it was too dark. She hated dusk. It was the time where night and day weren’t quite sure which ruled the sky, the time her mum insisted was too late to be out when she was a child but too early to be out stargazing with her granddad when she was older. And her gramps would never see the dark again, the glittering stars and revolving planets he’d loved to stare at, the ones he’d always dreamed of visiting. But he never would, because it was all just a fantasy, a stupid thing she’d dreamed about once too, before she learned what life was really like.
“I’m going inside,” she said suddenly, walking around the man and toward the path down the hill. “It was nice to meet you, Samuel. Have a good night. And thanks,” she added softly, “for coming. I’m sure Gramps liked you very much. He would have appreciated it.”
“I owe him,” the Doctor replied simply. Donna stared at his shadow for a moment then turned and disappeared. As he watched her go he shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. It was the truth, especially now. He owed it to Wilf to keep an eye on his granddaughter, even if she didn’t know he was watching out for her. After all, they were family. He couldn’t leave her.