Reaction fic to "Journey's End" (7/9)
Still spoilery. Still un-beta'd, really, although double-checked by jetpack_monkey.
Nine Ways Donna Noble Had a Fantastic Life
by Christina K
copyright 2008
7.
"Are you sorry I came back?"
"Don't be daft."
Jenny looked up from her bed, upside down, watching Donna put on a new hat that they'd found on Zagros 7. It wasn't quite a toque, and it wasn't quite a beret; somewhere in between, and tangerine, to boot. "Only, there was that man, Lee, on the last planet..."
Donna met her eyes in the mirror, blue to blue, and shook her head, smiling as she put on turquoise earrings. "And he'll still be there the next time we go by. And there's going to be a next time, believe you me."
"But you couldn't stay with him." Jenny fidgeted around, and finally rolled over onto her stomach, resting her chin on her crossed arms. "Not yet. Maybe not ever."
Donna sighed, and finally turned away from the mirror, going to sit down next to Jenny on her princess bed. "Look. I'm not saying it's perfect, all right? But me, I thought Lee was imaginary until two days ago. You think I'd trade in being on Earth, or just staying in one place, for thinking he didn't exist?"
Frowning, Jenny chewed on her lips in a way that reminded Donna of her dad. "No, but... You could've met someone to stay with, on Earth. To get married and be together, like humans do." She dropped her eyes to the carpet, her voice lowering. "You wouldn't have to be here in my TARDIS. Your brain wouldn't have to be here to keep it from exploding. You'd be safe."
"Forget that! Or are you also forgetting how we met the first time around? And that I was traveling with your dad 'cause I wanted to?" Donna tweaked her hair over her shoulder, giving it a tug. "Jenny-the-Anomaly, Jenny-the-Genius, sometimes I can see you're very much a Time Lord. Always got to have the simple stuff explained to you. You grew me a TARDIS from scratch, almost, from that coral you got off Jack. Just to keep me sane. You think I'm leaving you for the first true love I find?"
Jenny's smile came back, then tilted sideways as she blinked up at Donna. "We could still find my dad, you know. I'm almost certain I could have my TARDIS track his."
Donna studied her a moment. "I figured out how to do that three months ago. And no."
"You what? But why?"
"Because..." Donna sighed and took her hat off, spinning it on one finger. "Because I asked him not to, and he still walled off all my memories. Took it all away. He knew I'd rather be dead, and he said 'screw it' and messed with my head anyway."
"He saved your life."
"Yeaaaah. He did." Donna raised her eyebrows, her voice going soft. "And I'm grateful for it. So grateful. The Doctor gave me adventures and then kept me safe. I'm glad he did it. Just haven't forgiven him yet."
Jenny blinked at her, then pouted. "I don't understand. You're contradicting yourself."
"I'm Donna Noble. I'm the DoctorDonna. I'm unique. I can do that." She grinned and stood up, holding out her hand to Jenny. "When the time's right, we'll run into him. Just don't push it, my girl. Right?"
"Right." Jenny grabbed her hand, and slid off the bed, twisting to land on her feet. "Where do we go next?"
"Second star to the right, straight on 'til morning."
Nine Ways Donna Noble Had a Fantastic Life
by Christina K
copyright 2008
7.
"Are you sorry I came back?"
"Don't be daft."
Jenny looked up from her bed, upside down, watching Donna put on a new hat that they'd found on Zagros 7. It wasn't quite a toque, and it wasn't quite a beret; somewhere in between, and tangerine, to boot. "Only, there was that man, Lee, on the last planet..."
Donna met her eyes in the mirror, blue to blue, and shook her head, smiling as she put on turquoise earrings. "And he'll still be there the next time we go by. And there's going to be a next time, believe you me."
"But you couldn't stay with him." Jenny fidgeted around, and finally rolled over onto her stomach, resting her chin on her crossed arms. "Not yet. Maybe not ever."
Donna sighed, and finally turned away from the mirror, going to sit down next to Jenny on her princess bed. "Look. I'm not saying it's perfect, all right? But me, I thought Lee was imaginary until two days ago. You think I'd trade in being on Earth, or just staying in one place, for thinking he didn't exist?"
Frowning, Jenny chewed on her lips in a way that reminded Donna of her dad. "No, but... You could've met someone to stay with, on Earth. To get married and be together, like humans do." She dropped her eyes to the carpet, her voice lowering. "You wouldn't have to be here in my TARDIS. Your brain wouldn't have to be here to keep it from exploding. You'd be safe."
"Forget that! Or are you also forgetting how we met the first time around? And that I was traveling with your dad 'cause I wanted to?" Donna tweaked her hair over her shoulder, giving it a tug. "Jenny-the-Anomaly, Jenny-the-Genius, sometimes I can see you're very much a Time Lord. Always got to have the simple stuff explained to you. You grew me a TARDIS from scratch, almost, from that coral you got off Jack. Just to keep me sane. You think I'm leaving you for the first true love I find?"
Jenny's smile came back, then tilted sideways as she blinked up at Donna. "We could still find my dad, you know. I'm almost certain I could have my TARDIS track his."
Donna studied her a moment. "I figured out how to do that three months ago. And no."
"You what? But why?"
"Because..." Donna sighed and took her hat off, spinning it on one finger. "Because I asked him not to, and he still walled off all my memories. Took it all away. He knew I'd rather be dead, and he said 'screw it' and messed with my head anyway."
"He saved your life."
"Yeaaaah. He did." Donna raised her eyebrows, her voice going soft. "And I'm grateful for it. So grateful. The Doctor gave me adventures and then kept me safe. I'm glad he did it. Just haven't forgiven him yet."
Jenny blinked at her, then pouted. "I don't understand. You're contradicting yourself."
"I'm Donna Noble. I'm the DoctorDonna. I'm unique. I can do that." She grinned and stood up, holding out her hand to Jenny. "When the time's right, we'll run into him. Just don't push it, my girl. Right?"
"Right." Jenny grabbed her hand, and slid off the bed, twisting to land on her feet. "Where do we go next?"
"Second star to the right, straight on 'til morning."