Not the Last

Characters: Donna Noble, Tenth Doctor
~Pairings: Nothing specified
Word Count: 1,144
Note: An AU that starts right after the Doctor drops off Rose and TenToo in The Journey's End

For BurgundyHope who wanted an extension of Chapter 33 from my 100 Worded Stories collection

The Doctor watches Donna sadly as she begins to make her way into the TARDIS, he knows what's going to came next, he knows what he has to do and he hates himself for it.

He's just about to open up his mouth and talk to her, explain to her why this won't work, when she collapses to the ground, he stares in horror.

"No, no, no. NO!" He exclaims rapidly, falling to the ground beside her. She's burning! Dying!

He should have dealt with her first, but he couldn't, he just couldn't. Not while everyone else was watching, he couldn't have taken their looks of disgust and now because of that Donna is dying, all because he was selfish and cared about how the others would view him.

It's his fault, all his fault, always his fault.

But maybe, just maybe it's not too late! Maybe he could still—she stops moving suddenly and he freezes, tears forming in his eyes.

Please not her, not another one, he can't take it, he'll go mad, he can't be too late.

But he is too late, he's always too late.

She's gone, burnt out like a candle. Donna Noble, fantastic, brilliant Donna Noble, is just gone, until all at once she isn't.

Because as if the world had listened to his begging for once she's suddenly sitting bolt upright, her eyes swimming in gold.

"Well come on Doctor!" She jumps to her feet and launches herself at the TARDIS controls. "We've got planets to see, people to save and lots of running to do!"

"How?" He splutters. "I don't understand, how you could do—"He waves at her vaguely. "Well do that."

"That's because you're slow, and it never occurred to you that I could hyphen off regeneration energy? Big Time Lord brain packed into my skull, I thought of everything, besides if he could live then why can't I? "

The Doctor stands there gaping like a goldfish and briefly wonders if this was what it was like for his companions when he regenerated without warning, when they all expected him to die.

Confused, disgruntled, shocked, annoyed and slightly panicked.

"Well come on Doctor get a move on we're—" All at once she freezes, eyes widening in horror.

"Donna?" He asks worriedly, his hearts clenching. Was something going wrong? Was this miracle only going to be short-term?

Slowly, hesitantly she moves her hand from one side of her chest to the other, then horrified she exclaims, "I've got two hearts!"

"What?! Are you sure?!" He reaches for his stethoscope, but she swats it away.

"Yes I'm sure, I do know how to count!"

"Right, yes of course," he doesn't pocket the stethoscope though, because he does plan on using it later, because he needs to know for certain.

"Blimey…two hearts," her lip curls up disgust. "Oh, that's disgusting."

"HEY!" The Doctor claims, she ignores him.

"I mean how do you live like this? It's like my chest is beating up a freaking samba!"

"You get used to it," he tells her. "Well I say you'll get used to it, honestly I have no idea. I've had two hearts all my life…or would it be lives?"

"Some Doctor you are."

"Hey, would you know how to explain to somebody with no heart what having a heat feels like?" She says nothing and he smirks, "thought so."

She snorts, "Oi! Don't get smart!"

He laughs, "I can't help it, I'm just that clever." Then hesitantly he once again presents the stethoscope. "Can I?"

Donna sighs dramatically, "Oh I suppose, no use putting off the inevitable."

Slipping the stethoscope into his ears he places it over one heart, listening to it beat gently, but there was something else. Something in the background and the Doctor dares to hope.

Moving over the medical device he listens intently and then smiles wildly, there it was and for a moment he just listens.

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

She was alive, alive and Time Lord, well, Lady, but that wasn't important, the alive part was what was really important.

Tucking away the stethoscope he steps back.

"Satisfied?" Donna asks in annoyance.

He nods, "but before we go anywhere I want to have the TARDIS's medically equipment scan you and make sure everything's okay and then we should probably stop my your house and tell your Mum and good old Wilf that you're okay. Blimey, that's going to be a conversation. Hey there I may or may not have turned your daughter into an alien."

Donna snorts, "Granddad's going to be thrilled, Mum though that might be a problem." As one they wince and Donna looks at him, "are you sure we can't just you know…not tell them, or at least not my Mum."

"Donna sooner or later they're going to notice, you might as well just tell them."

She groans, "Why did you have to become responsible now? I mean we could be halfway to Felspoon if it wasn't for your new found responsibility."

"And where would we be if something happens to go wrong halfway to Felspoon?" He shoots back.

"Still halfway to Felspoon," she grumbles, but he ignores her.

"Come on, medical bay now," he grabs her hand and she allows herself to be lead away into the TARDIS.

It's during this walk that her knees begin to shake and she collapses to the ground, despite the Doctor's best efforts to keep her upright.

Coughing wildly she watches with wide eyes as golden dust flies from her mouth and floats away.

"Ah there it is," The Doctor mutters, staring. "I was wondering if perhaps you had just gotten lucky."

"What was that?" Donna finally asks, staring in horror.

"Left over regeneration energy that you're body is trying to expel," he supplies. "Or at least that's what it is put simply."

"You mean I'm barfing up alien dust?" Donna asks in disgust. "What is wrong with Time Lord biology?"

"Hey! You should count yourself as lucky, last time I regenerated I was sick for hours, but don't worry this time I'm awake to take care of it." Pulling her up, he begins to march her down the hall. "So now Miss. Donna Noble, to the medical bay! Then we're off to the kitchen, because you Miss. Noble need to drink, lots and lots and lots of tea."

"Tea?" Donna questions. "Why would I need tea?"

"It's very good for regeneration sickness, trust me," he winks at her, and she shoves him.

"And then Felspoon?" She asks excitedly.

"Then your house, we gotta let your family know your okay."

She rolls her eyes, "and then Felspoon?"

"And then Felspoon," the Doctor agrees, his eyes dancing with excitement, because suddenly he isn't the last Time Lord anymore and it feels just as amazing as he always imagined it would.

And there it is! A happy, wonderful AU :D

I really love the idea of Donna gaining an extra heart and becoming a Time Lord (I use the same idea in my one-shot Awoken) it just seems right to me somehow and I love the idea :D

Anyways it's just a one-shot for now, but I think I'm going to post a chapter where Donna and the Doctor explain what happened to Wilfred and Sylvia (Donna's Mum) so stay tune for that :D

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