Ficlet: Forever (1/1)
Title: Forever
Author: Angel1605
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing/characters: Ten(/Donna)
Genre: Drama
Rating: G
Word count: c. 1300
Disclaimer: If I'd own them, Donna wouldn't have ended up the way she did.
Summary: When she is gone, the Doctor finds some pictures of Donna.
Author's note: Standalone sequel to Always.
The Doctor finds them by accident, absentmindedly toying with the piece of technology during another one of his increasingly lonely and pensive moods. There are ten of them, neatly stored on the memory card of the mobile phone that once was Martha's. Ten pictures of the people that were with him on the day that the earth disappeared, ten images of the people who helped him save the planet - and all of creation.
For quite a while he has no idea who took the pictures, let alone why this person did so in the first place. But he is grateful for whoever made the slightly blurry photographs, whatever reason this person had for doing so.
Even in situations as overwhelming and stressful as the ones on the day that the earth was stolen en he was confronted with Davros and the Daleks again, his memory really is rather excellent. He doesn't need photographs to remember even the smallest detail of any moment. But still, staring at those mysterious pictures reminds him that memories alone just aren't good enough sometimes.
Looking at the ten pictures on the small and slightly damaged screen of the phone, he can't help but smile, no matter how miserable he is now that he is alone once more. There's a picture of each of them, grinning widely as they work together in the console room to bring the earth back to its proper place, flying the TARDIS like it's meant to.
There's a picture of Sarah Jane, Jack, Martha, Mickey, Jackie and one particularly radiating one of Rose. The person who took the shots had managed to get all of them in separate pictures, one image never featuring more than one of his friends and the golden haze of the TARDIS' walls on the background. None of them look into the camera, none of them even aware that their pictures were taken. And still, each and every single image has somehow managed to capture the very essence of his dearest friends in mere pixels. Whoever had taken the pictures must've been good. And, most of all, he or she must've blended in somehow; surely, at least the Doctor himself should've noticed someone else being on his ship.
However, the question of the identity of the photographer isn't the one that bothers him most. Which puzzles him more is the subject of the last four pictures. There were seven companions with him that day, but there are ten pictures. The last four of them all feature his ginger best friend in all her fiery brilliance.
Even as he tries to force them back, tears well in his eyes while he looks at the pictures of Donna. There's one of her talking to someone outside the frame, a huge smile on her face, eyes bright with excitement. Another one shows her bent slightly over the console, adjusting a few buttons, her expression suggesting that she's thinking of at least half a dozen improvements for the TARDIS with her new and even more magnificent mind, probably simultaneously.
The next picture is the only one that features two persons, himself being one of them. On this one however it's not the way in which Donna pilots the TARDIS with absolute confidence that captures his attention - it's the look of complete adoration on his own face when he watches her from the background.
But no matter how much he likes those pictures, how much he loves the moments that they were taken, his favorite is the last one. It's a shot of her in the same style as those of his other friends and companions, almost like a portrait. It shows Donna, staring off into the distance with a pensive look on her face but with a small smile grazing her lips, obviously in awe of all the new knowledge in her head - and very eager to use it. In spite of the limitations of the small screen, it feels for a moment like she's actually there with him, that he only has to reach out to touch her, to find her at his side once more.
When he ponders the photographer's fascination for the wonderful woman and realizes that his or her admiration for Donna equals his own, he consciously recalls at last that there was someone else with them. There was, except for himself and his companions, another person aboard the TARDIS at the end of that day. Although, except for himself... he still isn't sure what to think of the man who was created out of his spare hand, being identical to him in both looks and memories.
The Time Lord tenses, horrified that he forgot for a moment about the other Doctor, his other self. Of course he was there as well, and it makes perfect sense to him that the blue suited man had taken those pictures. The other Doctor shares his feelings, his love for Donna Noble being an important one of them. But although the Doctor hasn't really thought about it until now, his former companion was more than a best friend to the other man. Whereas the other Doctor is created out of his own hand, it was Donna's touch that started the process, caused it to take place to begin with. The other Doctor and Donna might as well be siblings, a bond going even deeper than the complete friendship that he and Donna shared.
The other Doctor could've taken the phone with him, could've kept the almost tangible memories of that beautiful moment that all of them had been together, celebrating their victory. No one had noticed after all that he even had the phone and, being mostly a clone of the original Doctor, it had dawned on the blue suited man at some point that he wasn't going to see most of them ever again.
And still, his other half had taken and left the pictures for him. The Doctor closes his eyes briefly, inwardly thanking the other man. Although the other Doctor had lost his best friend as well, he still has Rose and the knowledge that the original Doctor would end up all alone once again, in a ship filled with personalized and no longer occupied rooms of his lost friends.
Staring at the last picture of Donna and holding the phone carefully, afraid to somehow damage the digital images, the Doctor knows exactly what he'll do as soon as he can take his eyes off the woman on the screen, once he'll be able to look away from the captured moment of sheer happiness. He'll pilot the TARDIS to a shop that can get him a perfect quality print of that very picture. He already thinks of the right seize for it; big enough for him to be able to see the gold in her eyes, but small enough to fit into his quite endless pockets without getting in the way.
Having a picture of Donna Noble in his pocket is nothing compared to actually having her with him, but it is the only possibility to still be with her. It's the best he can get now, no matter how insufficient it is.
The Doctor vows to carry the picture with him until even the last of his regenerations will exhale his last breath. This way, she is at least somewhat with him, both a memory of their wonderful time together and a reminder that he shouldn't be without her.
Finally, he realizes why his other self had taken those pictures. Having that bit of human realism that he himself tends to lack, the other Doctor had felt the pain of missing his companions before he did himself, taking his chance to create a tangible memory - for him - when he still had the chance.
But most of all the blue suited Doctor, part him and part Donna, had known before they did themselves that having a picture of her in his pocket is the only kind of forever that he and Donna will ever have.
Author: Angel1605
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing/characters: Ten(/Donna)
Genre: Drama
Rating: G
Word count: c. 1300
Disclaimer: If I'd own them, Donna wouldn't have ended up the way she did.
Summary: When she is gone, the Doctor finds some pictures of Donna.
Author's note: Standalone sequel to Always.
The Doctor finds them by accident, absentmindedly toying with the piece of technology during another one of his increasingly lonely and pensive moods. There are ten of them, neatly stored on the memory card of the mobile phone that once was Martha's. Ten pictures of the people that were with him on the day that the earth disappeared, ten images of the people who helped him save the planet - and all of creation.
For quite a while he has no idea who took the pictures, let alone why this person did so in the first place. But he is grateful for whoever made the slightly blurry photographs, whatever reason this person had for doing so.
Even in situations as overwhelming and stressful as the ones on the day that the earth was stolen en he was confronted with Davros and the Daleks again, his memory really is rather excellent. He doesn't need photographs to remember even the smallest detail of any moment. But still, staring at those mysterious pictures reminds him that memories alone just aren't good enough sometimes.
Looking at the ten pictures on the small and slightly damaged screen of the phone, he can't help but smile, no matter how miserable he is now that he is alone once more. There's a picture of each of them, grinning widely as they work together in the console room to bring the earth back to its proper place, flying the TARDIS like it's meant to.
There's a picture of Sarah Jane, Jack, Martha, Mickey, Jackie and one particularly radiating one of Rose. The person who took the shots had managed to get all of them in separate pictures, one image never featuring more than one of his friends and the golden haze of the TARDIS' walls on the background. None of them look into the camera, none of them even aware that their pictures were taken. And still, each and every single image has somehow managed to capture the very essence of his dearest friends in mere pixels. Whoever had taken the pictures must've been good. And, most of all, he or she must've blended in somehow; surely, at least the Doctor himself should've noticed someone else being on his ship.
However, the question of the identity of the photographer isn't the one that bothers him most. Which puzzles him more is the subject of the last four pictures. There were seven companions with him that day, but there are ten pictures. The last four of them all feature his ginger best friend in all her fiery brilliance.
Even as he tries to force them back, tears well in his eyes while he looks at the pictures of Donna. There's one of her talking to someone outside the frame, a huge smile on her face, eyes bright with excitement. Another one shows her bent slightly over the console, adjusting a few buttons, her expression suggesting that she's thinking of at least half a dozen improvements for the TARDIS with her new and even more magnificent mind, probably simultaneously.
The next picture is the only one that features two persons, himself being one of them. On this one however it's not the way in which Donna pilots the TARDIS with absolute confidence that captures his attention - it's the look of complete adoration on his own face when he watches her from the background.
But no matter how much he likes those pictures, how much he loves the moments that they were taken, his favorite is the last one. It's a shot of her in the same style as those of his other friends and companions, almost like a portrait. It shows Donna, staring off into the distance with a pensive look on her face but with a small smile grazing her lips, obviously in awe of all the new knowledge in her head - and very eager to use it. In spite of the limitations of the small screen, it feels for a moment like she's actually there with him, that he only has to reach out to touch her, to find her at his side once more.
When he ponders the photographer's fascination for the wonderful woman and realizes that his or her admiration for Donna equals his own, he consciously recalls at last that there was someone else with them. There was, except for himself and his companions, another person aboard the TARDIS at the end of that day. Although, except for himself... he still isn't sure what to think of the man who was created out of his spare hand, being identical to him in both looks and memories.
The Time Lord tenses, horrified that he forgot for a moment about the other Doctor, his other self. Of course he was there as well, and it makes perfect sense to him that the blue suited man had taken those pictures. The other Doctor shares his feelings, his love for Donna Noble being an important one of them. But although the Doctor hasn't really thought about it until now, his former companion was more than a best friend to the other man. Whereas the other Doctor is created out of his own hand, it was Donna's touch that started the process, caused it to take place to begin with. The other Doctor and Donna might as well be siblings, a bond going even deeper than the complete friendship that he and Donna shared.
The other Doctor could've taken the phone with him, could've kept the almost tangible memories of that beautiful moment that all of them had been together, celebrating their victory. No one had noticed after all that he even had the phone and, being mostly a clone of the original Doctor, it had dawned on the blue suited man at some point that he wasn't going to see most of them ever again.
And still, his other half had taken and left the pictures for him. The Doctor closes his eyes briefly, inwardly thanking the other man. Although the other Doctor had lost his best friend as well, he still has Rose and the knowledge that the original Doctor would end up all alone once again, in a ship filled with personalized and no longer occupied rooms of his lost friends.
Staring at the last picture of Donna and holding the phone carefully, afraid to somehow damage the digital images, the Doctor knows exactly what he'll do as soon as he can take his eyes off the woman on the screen, once he'll be able to look away from the captured moment of sheer happiness. He'll pilot the TARDIS to a shop that can get him a perfect quality print of that very picture. He already thinks of the right seize for it; big enough for him to be able to see the gold in her eyes, but small enough to fit into his quite endless pockets without getting in the way.
Having a picture of Donna Noble in his pocket is nothing compared to actually having her with him, but it is the only possibility to still be with her. It's the best he can get now, no matter how insufficient it is.
The Doctor vows to carry the picture with him until even the last of his regenerations will exhale his last breath. This way, she is at least somewhat with him, both a memory of their wonderful time together and a reminder that he shouldn't be without her.
Finally, he realizes why his other self had taken those pictures. Having that bit of human realism that he himself tends to lack, the other Doctor had felt the pain of missing his companions before he did himself, taking his chance to create a tangible memory - for him - when he still had the chance.
But most of all the blue suited Doctor, part him and part Donna, had known before they did themselves that having a picture of her in his pocket is the only kind of forever that he and Donna will ever have.