The first time the Doctor had had to use the psychic paper after regenerating in a female form, she had been shocked to find out that she was no long called John Smith when need be. Instead, she had been referred to as Tegan Jovanka, and the sound of that name brought up a flood of memories that she had had a hard time dealing with while also focusing on the task at hand. It had been so easy to compartmentalize those emotions until she had been back on the TARDIS and could unpack her mixed feelings on how humans still insisted on associating certain names with one gender, and one gender only. Gallifrey had had no such hang-ups, and she could only hope that at some point, humanity would find the ability to move forward and evolve.

It had only taken two more times having names of her previous companions attached to her for her to understand what was happening, but that hadn't made the pain any less when she had been referred to as Sarah Jane Smith. The person addressing her hadn't quite known what to make of the quick tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes, and she had had to excuse herself to gather her composure once more.

But nothing could have prepared her for the shock of her newest name. After travelling a little, she had decided to settle down for a bit, to try and find some peace of mind that seemed to be greatly lacking lately, and somehow had ended up teaching primary school children. It was definitely a step down from teaching at the college level, in terms of difficulty, but there was something so sweet about being around children who had barely been touched by time, had not yet learned what it meant to lose, in every sense of that word.

"I'm certain that the children will love having you here, Ms Noble," the headmaster said as she shook her hand. Knowing that she couldn't cry there, in front of her, she bit the inside of her cheek, having learned that that trick usually staved off even the bitterest of tears. Nodding a little, she stood and followed after the man to the classroom where she would be a long term substitute teacher.

Looking over the sea of tiny faces that stared up at them as they entered, she had smile as she took notice of each face. It seemed like there were so many familiar faces there, but she chalked that up to having seen so many people over the course of her lifetime. And then, her gaze alighted upon one beautiful red-haired girl with deep grey eyes, feeling like she had seen a ghost.

"All right, children, this is Ms Noble, she'll be filling in for Miss Campbell until she's returned from maternity leave. Play nicely this time."

That didn't sound too auspicious, but the Doctor hoped that he had been joking with her, and them. Once he had left the room, she went to the desk and took a seat, giving what she hoped was a warm smile to every pupil. "I'm actually Doctor Noble, but that's neither here nor there. Now, I'm going to go over the class roster, and try to memorise names and faces so that I can have them all down by tomorrow."

There were a few giggles, as it appeared that her statement was a bit preposterous when faced with a classroom of twenty children. Still, it was nice to see that the girl who had caught her eye was not one of the gigglers, and she took courage from that childish, friendly, look. "Doctor Noble, if you need any help, I can tell you all the names, too. I have a very good memory, or so my mummy says."

A couple of the children gave the child a dirty look, and the Doctor felt a surge of anger, wondering how long she had been treated as an outsider. The girl shrank a little beneath her scrutiny, and the Doctor had to allow her face to relax back into a placid smile as she nodded. "I'm certain that I will welcome the help in the days to come."

As she read off the names, associating the face with each sound, and knowing that she would remember each one by the next day and yet still have to play dumb in some respects, she kept wanting to find out who the sweet child was. Finally, she reached a name that gave her pause, and the Doctor glanced up at the little red headed girl, knowing in her heart exactly whose child she was. "Rosalie Temple-Noble?" The girl gave her a quick nod, and the Doctor felt both her hearts clench with an unexpected pang of guilt and regret. Giving her a nod in return, she finished up the last three names before launching into the lesson for the hour.

By the end of the day, she felt a certain kinship with Rosalie, and she knew that was precisely because of who her mum was. After all her students had left, the Doctor sat at her desk and stared at the surface, trying to plan out what the next move should be. She knew that she couldn't go see Donna, that despite the gender change, there might still be that little spark of recognition that would destroy her, and she could not bear to have that burden on her mind. But a part of her physically yearned to check in and see how her former companion was doing.

Knowing that the next viable option available to her was visiting another member of the family, she sighed and decided to see if Wilf was still alive. It had been too long since she had thought to do that. Then again, it had been too long since she had done a number of things, including searching for Missy. Shaking her head a little, she rolled her chair over to the computer that was next to the teacher's desk and started it, quickly managing to navigate to a search engine other than the school approved Bing.

The Doctor's fingers trembled a little as she tapped at the keyboard, trying to calm the thumps of her hearts as she searched for the worst news on Wilfred Mott. When none was forthcoming, she let out a too loud sigh of relief before searching out the Mott's current address. It didn't really shock her to find out that they were still located in this town, and she wrote down the address before sticking it in her pocket and then shrugging into her oversized coat and heading out into the cold December air.

As she walked down the busy pavement, she realized that she had managed to arrive in England around Christmastime, and she winced as she made the connection between the fact that she had first met Wilf on a Christmas day many years ago. And almost as if the sky wanted to mock her, bright flakes of snow began to fall from the clouds, lending an even more sadly festive air to things. Her walk slowed as she turned down the street where Wilf lived with his Eileen.

As she came to a stop outside his walk, she could see a light on in the living room, the tree shining brightly in the corner. It seemed fitting that he would go all out for Christmas, still, and a sad smile curved her lips upwards as she wrestled with whether or not to knock on the door.

"If you stand out here much longer, you'll freeze."

The gruff voice was exactly as she remembered, and she turned slowly to look into the older face of a dear friend. "I was looking for something," she started, only for the front door of the home to open, revealing sweet little Rosalie. The girl's face lit up with delight and she waved excitedly to them, beckoning them over.

"How did you know where my grandfather lives?" she asked as the Doctor finally reached the landing, before grabbing hold of her hand and dragging her inside. "And you have to see the Christmas tree we've been decorating! Mum and Dad are away on holiday, so we've been here."

"And not with your grandmother?"

The question was out before she could recall it, and the Doctor could feel Wilf staring a hole into her back as she shrugged out of her coat and hung it on the coat tree that was still in the front hall. Again, it was a stupid move to make, since it pegged her as being too familiar with a place she should have no spatial relation to. Wilf cleared his throat, and she turned her head back to look at him, seeing the calculating look in his eyes. Shrugging a little, she followed Rosalie into the living room and took a seat where the girl indicated, watching her skip from the room.

"She won't be gone long, most likely she went to get us mince pies, since it's the season for that, you know. Or do you?"

She swallowed thickly as she shrugged once more, looking anywhere but at him. "Well, if you can think of a way to get us alone, perhaps I could tell you what I do know."

He gave her a tight nod, and then a heavy silence fell upon the room as they waited for Rosalie to return. And she was carrying a small tray as she reentered the room, and the Doctor had to smile a little to see the plate of biscuits there. "Mum helped me with these before she left on holiday today. You came at the wrong time."

"Or perhaps at just the right time," Wilf muttered, shooting her another dark look. She gave him a tight smile before picking up a decorated gingerbread biscuit that looked suspiciously like an Ood, and she wondered just how much Donna's mind could really still recall. The subconscious was a powerful thing, after all, and she had no idea if that would lead to something more destructive in the end. "Rosalie, I think that you need to go up and do your homework now."

"But Grandpa!"

"No, it's important. You want to impress your teacher after all, don't you?"

The girl nodded a little as she stood up. "Thanks for visiting us, Doctor Noble!" she said excitedly before hugging her and running from the room. Again, the heavy, oppressive, silence returned to the room, and she found herself struggling for something to say to Wilf, to let him know who she was, even though she looked so different.

"Doctor Noble, is it? Let's see your credentials."

The Doctor nodded and pulled out her wallet that contained the psychic paper, handing it over to him, knowing that this was a horrible way to make an introduction. "Look, I can explain," she started after another long stretch of silence, only for him to cut her off with a quick swipe of his hand.

"Save it! How dare you come into this house, with this name, trying to cosy up to my granddaughter? This is the lowest sort of trick that anyone could pull on a person, and to do it to a little girl? Who the hell are you, and why should I not call the police?"

She had never heard that tone of voice from him, but it made sense. In a way, she could be perceived as stalking Donna's family, since her face was so different from what he had seen before. Looking down into her lap, she drew in a deep breath and reached into her coat pocket for her sonic screwdriver, only to be stopped by Wilf's hand closing tightly around her wrist, squeezing none too gently as he shook his head once more. "I was going to show you something that might help you understand, Wilf."

"I never told you my name."

"I know. But I know it from long ago. I was wearing a different face then." Some of the distrust started to bleed from his expression, and he released her wrist, allowing her to grab out her sonic and hand it over. "I can't remember if I ever showed this to you, but this is probably the only tangible item you can hold onto which might lend some credence to my story. I'm the Doctor."

"The Doctor is a bloke."

She shook her head a little before shrugging. "I was, for a long time. I decided I needed a change. Change is good, right?"

It still seemed like Wilf wasn't quite believing her tale, and she sighed as she bit her lip a little. "Change is growing your hair out, or gaining two stone. Not losing five inches in height and gaining a new face!"

The anger was back, but it wasn't the rage she had been expecting. Rather, it was a sad anger, as if he thought she was still trying to have one over on him. "What happened to Donna, should never have happened. I destroyed something amazing in her, and my hubris led me down a dark path, one that took me a long time to come back from, though I'm not certain I have completely come back to the light."

A few tears dripped down her cheeks, and she went to brush them away, almost ashamed to be breaking down, when Wilf handed over a handkerchief, giving her a small smile. "He never liked to show emotion around us, either."

"With all the years I've lived, you would think that I could have learned to control my emotions, but it seems that I always fail. The TARDIS wanted me here, now, for some reason, and after meeting Rosalie, I can't help but feel it was to check in on Donna."

Slowly, his hand came to rest on her knee, and she looked up at him without lifting her face, wanting the opportunity to hide again if she saw something she didn't like there. "It's Rosalie that I worry about. She's too bright by half, and a part of me wonders if that comes from your influence on Donna's life. Shaun seems to think that her intelligence comes from his side of the family, but we both know that that's a joke." She let out a soft, tender, laugh as she nodded, thinking back to the little she'd seen of the man on Donna's wedding day.

"Anything is possible, I suppose." Lifting her head up, she gave him a better smile as she wiped her eyes free from the lingering tears on her lashes. "Rosalie does seem to be picked on by the children in her class. I'll try to put a stop to that as best I can."

"And are you going to take her with you?"

Again, a jagged, angry, tone had crept back into his voice, and she shook her head as her expression turned sad once more. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't. The chance that she might mention something to her mother and set off a cascade reaction is too great."

Wilf nodded before leaning back against the sofa and staring up at the ceiling. "I knew that you weren't coming back, you were too sad to just be going on another of your adventures. But if you truly look different every so often, why didn't you return sooner? She could have used a good friend, someone who could remind her of the potential she has inside."

She shrugged a little as she carefully reached out and rested her hand on his knee. "This is the third face I've worn since I left Donna's wedding. I wandered for years, more years than you would believe possible. And I never found the answer that I sought – how to make things right with her. Perhaps I never will. But I can do whatever I can to help Rosalie see her full potential, for the short time that I'm here."

"That's better than nothing." Their eyes met, and the Doctor found that it was hard to keep it together once she saw that he was quietly, openly, crying. "So, why are you here?"

"I don't quite know yet." He nodded and she smiled a little before letting out a deep breath. "I know that it will eventually become clear to me. It always seems to, in my experience." The silence that faced them now was gentler, softer, and she welcomed this shift in the atmosphere.

"We seem to have the very bad habit of meeting at Christmas time." She laughed as she nodded. "It's like this time of year is just a beacon to you."

"There's some truth to that, I suppose. Though humans are quite good at finding patterns in things, even under the most tenuous of circumstances."

"We have to be good at something other than running, I suppose."

Another heavy laugh spilled from her lips as the peace of the season settled over her body. It was strange, somewhat, that a decidedly human tradition could mean so much to her, but given the amount of time that she had spent around humans, it made sense. "I do have something I can give you."

Wilf cocked his head to one side as he looked closely at her. "What other gifts could you possibly give us? And is it one that we can keep?"

She deserved that small jab, and she nodded without hesitation. "This is something you can keep and pass on to Rosalie's children, and their children, until the end of Earth. Do you have a blank CD?"

He nodded as he got to his feet and went over to the desk in the corner of the room, pulling open a drawer and taking out what she had requested. Taking out her sonic once more, she pointed it at the disc and recorded the song of the Ood onto it. "What is that?"

"It's the song of the Ood, Donna is in it, though you'll never be able to recognize it, since no one on Earth speaks their language. To all of you, it will sound like beautiful, beautiful, nonsense. There was a night all heaven rang with the sound of her name, and I think it's only fitting that she have this, even if she doesn't know the meaning behind it." Tears were starting to gather in her eyes once more, and she shook her head as Wilf took the disc and slipped it into a player.

The music that started to pour out was hauntingly beautiful, even if it was familiar to the Doctor, having listened to it many times since she had recorded it. Wilf bowed his head as he listened, and as she continued to watch, his shoulders began to shake a little. Before she could stop herself, the Doctor got off the sofa and approached him, resting her hand on his shoulder as she let herself cry, as well.

"This song is about her?" he whispered, as if he didn't want to cover up a single note of the song. The Doctor nodded, and Wilf reached up to cover her hand with his. Together, they wept for what had been, and what could never be again, and the Doctor couldn't help but think back to the image of the Ood, their arms linked and raised up high, as they first sang this song, which made her cry all the more, even if her tears were silent, stoic. "Will it, would it, can she…?"

"She should be able to listen to it, without having any side effects. Just tell her that it's New Age music."

This pulled a deep laugh out of Wilf, and they pulled away from each other so that she could look at him, her head tilted to one side. "Sometimes, it feels like you are deliberately out of step with the evolution of human culture. New Age music hasn't really been talked about in twenty years or more."

She nodded and smiled, glad to have made him smile even a little bit. "I'm certain that you'll be able to come up with an acceptable cover story. You're clever enough to do so." She glanced at the clock over the mantle, seeing how late it had gotten, and sighed lightly. "I should go. It seems time has gotten away from me yet again."

"That always seems to be a problem with you," he said almost teasingly, and she nodded. "Take care of Rosalie. I know that she's having a rough time of it, and I know that you can help her." Wilf reached out and closed his hand around her forearm, looking deeply into her eyes. "Christmas is a time of miracles, so I'm not expecting anything less than that."

Though he had tried to sound flippant, there was an undercurrent of longing in his voice that spoke to things she had just barely seen in Rosalie's countenance. And she knew that she would do everything in her power to work that miracle for him, before she was called to go adventuring once more. She owed that much to Donna and her family.