Fanfic for New Who: Need

[rose_cat]

Title: Need
Author: Rose Cat
Rating: G
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble
Spoilers: New Who episodes 4.1 “Partners in Crime,” 4.2 “Fires of Pompeii”
Word Count: 995
Summary: Donna’s back. How does he feel about it?
Disclaimer: Shows and characters are not mine, I’m just playing with them.
Author’s Notes: Quotes are dialogue from episodes 4.1 and 4.2, no copyright infringement intended.


Donna wants to come with me.

I want to tell her no. I don’t want anyone. I don’t need anyone. Not after everything. (not after her)  I travel alone. (now) I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. She’s grabbed my hand now, she’s pulling me along and I’m stumbling after her. That’s what I’m supposed to do! (what I used to do, with her)

Well, she’s full of surprises, I’ll give her that.

She opens the boot of her car. Bloody thing must be bigger on the inside. Suddenly I’m holding all her luggage. Blimey, but she’s pushy, isn’t she? I’d forgotten that. “Planet of the Hats, I’m ready!” Oh, but she’s hilarious. I’d forgotten that too.

“You wanna mate?!”  Ooops … not quite what I meant. Oh, but the look on her face! Well, at least she doesn’t fancy me. (Why do all my companions fall in love with me now? That never used to happen.) That I definitely don’t need.   

For a moment, I think she’s going to bolt right out of the TARDIS. I don’t want her to.

“Veni, vidi, vici.” I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, yes. That’s Donna in a nutshell. Why are we in Pompeii, anyway? On volcano day, no less! What the hell does the TARDIS think she’s playing at? And now she’s translating Latin into Welsh!  Oh, she thinks she’s a right laugh.  She hasn’t been this playful since, oh, I don’t know. (since her)

Now Donna wants to evacuate the city. Try and save everyone. (I used to think like that, a long time ago)  It just isn’t meant to be. I have to preserve the timeline. It’s my responsibility. (my curse)  “… that’s the burden of the Time Lord … I’m the only one left.” She doesn’t understand. How could she?

My hands are on the lever. It’s all down to me now, literally in my hands, the lives of twenty thousand humans, or all of Earth, and the choice is clear, but the heat is like an oven and suddenly I’m back there, Gallifrey burning all around me. Two races unique in the universe, one of them my own, or all of creation. One flip of a switch and I commit genocide. My people are dying and I feel each and every one. After that, this should almost be easy, but the screams are still echoing in my head and I can’t bear it, I can’t do it again. I’m paralyzed. Then Donna’s eyes meet mine, and, by Rassilon, she understands. I don’t have to do it alone, not this time. She places her warm hands on mine and together we push the lever down.

She’s crying, and I can’t look at her. It’s over and done with and I can’t go back. I can never go back. Why can’t she see that? “Just someone … please?” I look at her, finally. I see her tears falling. Something inside me softens and melts. We go back.

“You were right. Sometimes I need someone.” Sometimes I need to see the universe through someone else’s eyes. To feel it through someone else’s heart. I’d forgotten that.

Welcome aboard, Donna.

Comments

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks :) (That was quick!) I'm kinda proud of it, actually. *blushes*

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

Why do all my companions fall in love with me now? That never used to happen.

I just love that line. Very nice.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) The line is one of my favorites as well. It just popped into my head while I was thinking up the story. (I think the Doctor whispered it in my ear.)

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

(I think the Doctor whispered it in my ear.)

Lucky you. ;P

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Well, in my dreams. (Don't I wish!)

[mareeana.livejournal.com]

Awww, I love this so much. "Then Donna’s eyes meet mine, and, by Rassilon, she understands." That's definitely my favorite line.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the love :) I saw that in her eyes when I watched the episode. All I had to do was put it into words.

I teared up so many times during "Fires of Pompeii." The situations, and Donna's reactions to them, really open old wounds for him, but she not only sees his pain(and without needing to know all the details), but responds in just the way he needs her to.

[cassandraterra.livejournal.com]

Perfect. You really got his voice. I could hear him in my head as I read. <3 Brilliant.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thank you Cass!

I could hear him in my head as I read.

For a story like this I think that's the ultimate compliment :)

... is that "brilliant" in the British sense(super), or brilliant? (I'll take either one. Or both ;) )

[cassandraterra.livejournal.com]

...both/same thing, isn't it?

[gloriatraveler.livejournal.com]

Beautifully done.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks, I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside :)

[ziggychaos.livejournal.com]

Very nice!

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

And thank you :)

[liquorishflame.livejournal.com]

Welcome aboard indeed! :D
I'm a bit easy in that I love all the companions since the DW reboot :), but Donna is my fave so far (her and Martha, I have a Martha Jones jacket an all!) :) Thanks for writing such a great story about her :)

Gotta love that her boot is 'bigger on the inside' LOL ;)

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks to you!

I've enjoyed all the "New Who" companions as well, but I love Donna, and her relationship with the Doctor promises to be, well, different. (not like that :) )

Gotta love that her boot is 'bigger on the inside'

Doctor: Stop it! :D

[canuck-kat.livejournal.com]

Beautiful!

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Awww, thank you :) *blushing again*

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Hi, Sasha! Thanks so much!

Seems to me that, with the intense nature of the relationship he's developing with Donna, that it would be impossible for the Doctor not to think of Rose. (And is the TARDIS doing the same? Hmmmm ...) In any case, Rose has to be in the back of his mind all the time. (probably dancing around, it's a big mind :) )

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Love and cookies to all who've commented. I feel like I'm flying without a TARDIS! *wheeeeeee*

It's wonderful being part of this "writers' community."

You've made me feel so, well, brilliant, that I'm going to attack my darkishfic with new vigor! Plus I'm plagued with plotbunnies, most incredibly silly, so I'll get some of those out as well.

But first I need to catch up on some of your stories.

[tkurogrym.livejournal.com]

Lovely. Lots of ground covered here, with lots of insights into the Doctor's character. I love that the TARDIS herself becomes more playful with Donna on board, as playful as she was when Rose was part of their everyday lives. All the side-references to Rose are so very poignant, but Ten rings quite true in each of them.

Even though I've even written about the Doctor's telepathic connection with the other Time Lords, I confess I never thought about the fact that this means he might feel "each and every one" as they die. At his hands. *shudder*

Welcome aboard, Donna, indeed. She's just what he needs.

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

Very sweet. Good sense of Ten's reaction to the force of nature that is Donna. Reminds me of how much I loved most of Series 4 just because of the Donna/Doctor Non-ship.

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you finally read this one. I was going to say it's my favorite, but I realized that now it's in a tie with "Mistake." So it's my favorite that doesn't scare the pants off me every time I read it :)

"Pompeii" blew me away. For an episode that never mentions the Time War, it said a hell of a lot about what the Doctor had had to do -- a viewer who didn't know might have gotten it anyway -- and about what it did to him. And Donna...maybe she didn't figure out the details (although she could have), but she saw what she needed to. When she looked into his eyes and put her hands on the lever with his, I fell in love with her. Maybe he did too. (Shipwise or not. I don't care.)

Anyway, the story wrote most of itself in my head the next day, then dragged me to the computer and put my fingers on the keys. First time that ever happened!

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

It's a great feeling when the muse hits that strongly.