Fic: Real Life (1/1)
Title: Real Life
Author: Gillian Taylor
Character/Pairing: Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble
Rating: G
Spoilers: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Summary: Real life isn't a fantasy. Sometimes it's better.
Disclaimer: Don't own them. I just like playing with them...a lot.
A/N: Thanks, as always, to the brilliant wendymr & kae_nine for BRing.
"Real Life"
by Gillian Taylor
She holds the mug full of tea between her hands, staring at it like it is the answer to a question she didn’t even realise she had. There’s liquid and steam and warm comfort. But why does she feel so hollow inside?
This is real life. Her real life. It’s not some dream wrapped in pretty paper, complete with her perfect man and perfect children. This is her, Donna Noble, single, sitting in the TARDIS kitchen, drinking her tea, waiting for her next big adventure.
Look at her. Sitting here, mourning a man who doesn’t even exist. A life that was never even real.
The liquid ripples in the mug. Strange. She didn’t move her hand. So why-? It happens again and again and that’s when she realises she’s crying. Tears. Tears for her perfect man.
Tears for her perfect life.
Another tear falls and is caught in the mug. How many tears does she have to cry to fill one of these cups? How many lives, perfect lives, are lost every day?
She didn’t think that that was what she wanted for herself. A man, a wedding, children, a future of domestic bliss. She wants more than that. Wanted more than that.
Or does she?
All it takes is one instant, one moment, to change her perception of everything. She supposes that the real question she needs to ask herself is-
“Do you want to stay?”
She blinks, not realising that she wasn’t alone. “Oh! Sorry! Look, sit down, and I’ll make you a cuppa, yeah?”
“Donna-“ the Doctor starts, but she doesn’t listen, busying herself in the routine of making him tea. Five sugars. No milk.
“Here you go. Nice cup of tea, yeah?” she says, handing him the mug.
“Thanks,” he replies, taking the mug and staring at her with one of his too-knowing expressions.
“What?” she asks.
“Do you want to stay?”
She releases a huff of air and sits down at the kitchen table, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “Why do you keep asking me that? It’s like you want to get rid of me.”
“No! I mean, no. No, of course not. I just thought-“
“Well, don’t. Stop thinking. I’m staying, all right? It’s just…this was a difficult one.” She lowers her gaze to her mug, now gone cold, and sighs. “More for you than me, I think. I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
She offers him a small smile. “Spoilers.”
“Ah. Right.” He rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head. “That’s the problem with this life. It’s easy to meet someone who knows you but you don’t know them yet.”
“You liked her, though. I already know she liked you.”
He shrugs, non-committal. She already knows he doesn’t want to talk about it. “How about you? Losing a life like that.”
“It’s fine,” she says automatically. “No. Sorry. It’s not. I just…it makes no sense. Why am I crying over something I didn’t even want?”
“You sure about that?” he asks softly.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. Once upon a time that was the life I wanted. A man who loved me, kids, a domestic life. But that’s not what I want any more. There’s more to life than that. Some day, sure. But right now? No.”
“What do you want?” he asks.
There’s a part of her that wants to turn that question around. Ask him what he wants. What he wants to do. Where he wants to go. What comes next after something like this?
She meets his gaze and smiles. “I want a beach. But, in lieu of that, I want a proper adventure. Just you and me and running for our lives. Something where at the end of the day we can say we did some good and come back to the TARDIS believing we did something right and saved the day.”
“Think I can handle that,” he replies.
Maybe she should’ve been specific. “Which part?”
He grins. “Guess.”
It’s not perfect, this life. But it’s theirs. And, as she echoes his grin, she thinks she doesn’t want to change a thing. Heartache and all.
END
x-posted to: dark_aegis, i_love_donna & marriedonmars
Author: Gillian Taylor
Character/Pairing: Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble
Rating: G
Spoilers: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Summary: Real life isn't a fantasy. Sometimes it's better.
Disclaimer: Don't own them. I just like playing with them...a lot.
A/N: Thanks, as always, to the brilliant wendymr & kae_nine for BRing.
"Real Life"
by Gillian Taylor
She holds the mug full of tea between her hands, staring at it like it is the answer to a question she didn’t even realise she had. There’s liquid and steam and warm comfort. But why does she feel so hollow inside?
This is real life. Her real life. It’s not some dream wrapped in pretty paper, complete with her perfect man and perfect children. This is her, Donna Noble, single, sitting in the TARDIS kitchen, drinking her tea, waiting for her next big adventure.
Look at her. Sitting here, mourning a man who doesn’t even exist. A life that was never even real.
The liquid ripples in the mug. Strange. She didn’t move her hand. So why-? It happens again and again and that’s when she realises she’s crying. Tears. Tears for her perfect man.
Tears for her perfect life.
Another tear falls and is caught in the mug. How many tears does she have to cry to fill one of these cups? How many lives, perfect lives, are lost every day?
She didn’t think that that was what she wanted for herself. A man, a wedding, children, a future of domestic bliss. She wants more than that. Wanted more than that.
Or does she?
All it takes is one instant, one moment, to change her perception of everything. She supposes that the real question she needs to ask herself is-
“Do you want to stay?”
She blinks, not realising that she wasn’t alone. “Oh! Sorry! Look, sit down, and I’ll make you a cuppa, yeah?”
“Donna-“ the Doctor starts, but she doesn’t listen, busying herself in the routine of making him tea. Five sugars. No milk.
“Here you go. Nice cup of tea, yeah?” she says, handing him the mug.
“Thanks,” he replies, taking the mug and staring at her with one of his too-knowing expressions.
“What?” she asks.
“Do you want to stay?”
She releases a huff of air and sits down at the kitchen table, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “Why do you keep asking me that? It’s like you want to get rid of me.”
“No! I mean, no. No, of course not. I just thought-“
“Well, don’t. Stop thinking. I’m staying, all right? It’s just…this was a difficult one.” She lowers her gaze to her mug, now gone cold, and sighs. “More for you than me, I think. I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
She offers him a small smile. “Spoilers.”
“Ah. Right.” He rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head. “That’s the problem with this life. It’s easy to meet someone who knows you but you don’t know them yet.”
“You liked her, though. I already know she liked you.”
He shrugs, non-committal. She already knows he doesn’t want to talk about it. “How about you? Losing a life like that.”
“It’s fine,” she says automatically. “No. Sorry. It’s not. I just…it makes no sense. Why am I crying over something I didn’t even want?”
“You sure about that?” he asks softly.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. Once upon a time that was the life I wanted. A man who loved me, kids, a domestic life. But that’s not what I want any more. There’s more to life than that. Some day, sure. But right now? No.”
“What do you want?” he asks.
There’s a part of her that wants to turn that question around. Ask him what he wants. What he wants to do. Where he wants to go. What comes next after something like this?
She meets his gaze and smiles. “I want a beach. But, in lieu of that, I want a proper adventure. Just you and me and running for our lives. Something where at the end of the day we can say we did some good and come back to the TARDIS believing we did something right and saved the day.”
“Think I can handle that,” he replies.
Maybe she should’ve been specific. “Which part?”
He grins. “Guess.”
It’s not perfect, this life. But it’s theirs. And, as she echoes his grin, she thinks she doesn’t want to change a thing. Heartache and all.
END
x-posted to: dark_aegis, i_love_donna & marriedonmars