[Fic] Saving Private Donna
Summary: Short thing that came to my mind when discussing the Doctor's companion(s) for the 2010 specials as someone mentioned he would like to see someone (anyone) with Ten regenerating. Spoilers up to The Next Doctor.
Rating: All Ages (light swearing)
Genres: General, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Donna Noble, Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor
Donna Noble had found a job, at least getting some positive answers from her mum. Somehow, a temp agency had finally decided to contact her with an offer to work for, of all possibilities, the government.
Someone had hinted that she might just be the person for the post. Someone had said that the archives of the Prime Minister's office had to be reorganised and completed.
"Someone, someone, someone" muttered Donna as she walked out of the temp agency into the darkness of a winter end of the afternoon. "Bloody oh-so-superior people. Why would she not say frankly who was behind it?" She went on to the station, going the opposite way from the woman who had dealt with her. "Great, she could have given me a lift with that big car of hers" added Donna as she saw the taillight going away.
The anger inside her was amplified by the dreams she could not remember and the missing months in her memory after the accident, leaving her feeling helpless and sad. She did not remember the accident itself, either, only had what her grand-dad had told her to go by.
* * *
The Doctor was running (again), having apparently successfully saved the world again by putting nitro-nine into a building in the City of London. He slowed down a bit as he thought he was far enough, only then noticing then that a window had been still alight in the building, and that a silhouette was slowly making its way from the main doors. "No, nonononono, that building was empty, apart from the kind of nest full of Makra-to-be in the second basement. No one was supposed to be here!"
Passing a hand into his always dishevelled hair, he began running back towards the building. "Hey, you, there, yes, the woman..." stopping mid-sentence and blanching, almost as white as the faux-marbre of the wall next to him. "No... nonononono." His voice was full of sadness and grief. He tried to step back, only to be caught by the lapels of his coat by a suddenly irate red-head.
"YOU!" Donna's shout was probably loud enough to be heard in the whole City. "Spaceman! You... you... took my memories away, and you got my family to agree with this whole accident business!" Donna was sputtering out of indignation.
The Doctor was infinitely sad as he answered. "I am so sorry. I had to, Donna, I had to, you were dying. I could not... you were the best companion ever, the super temp, the DoctorDonna, and ... I love you Donna, like the sister I never had. And now you are going to die because you saw me. Rassilon, what have I done?"
As the Doctor said those words, there was a sudden explosion, and shards of stone and glass began to fly in every direction, far too close from the two of them to get away unhurt. He threw himself on the ground, shielding Donna as best as possible with his body. His only words were "ho, Ace..."
* * *
As the dust subsided and her hears stopped ringing, Donna realised three things: she was beginning to feel the same headache as before the Doctor had erased her memory, said Doctor was on top of her and she could not move from the cold floor, and said Doctor had a large shard of glass embedded into the neck. "Aaargh, Spaceman! Don't you dare dying on me!" Donna had tears running on her face.
She reached for the shard, using the tip of her scarf to remove it without cutting her hand. As she did, she realised that neither of the Doctor's heart were beating. "No, don't you dare... huh? Not THAT again!" did she add as she saw the first wisps of golden light announcing the regeneration. They were soon both surrounded by the light, and Donna lost consciousness.
When she came back, she realised that her head was not throbbing anymore, hand that she was still lying, but on a warmer place in a whitish room with a better illumination than the street. "I suppose he had to take away my memories again" said Donna, sighing.
A young man with a cup of tea in the hands, leaning against the wall, answered in a voice with an accent from Chiswick. "Naaah, no need. You are the best, Donna Noble. Super Temp. Ex DoctorDonna. Being next to me during a regeneration was the only way I could remove my memories from your brain without risk, because it was done... ah... without thinking. And the bonus... my regeneration went well for the first time in more than 900 years!"
He pushed himself away from the wall. "So, usually, I do not ask twice, even less three times but... will you travel again with me, Donna?"