The first time he saw her was in the shopping center. Just a glimpse of ginger hair out of the corner of his eye; gone before he could get a good look. He stopped, frozen, searching the crowd to see if it was her. Rose took his hand gently, looking questioningly at him. "Doctor? What is it?"

He looked down at her. "Nothing, I just thought I saw someone. Never mind."

"Perhaps we should go home. You look a bit tired."

He forced a smile. "Home sounds good."

The second time was on the street. He was just coming out of a shop and he caught another flash of ginger hair, this time going into the coffee shop across the street. He sprinted across traffic, nearly getting hit twice and causing a cacophony of car horns. By the time he got into the shop, she was gone. He asked the employees, but none of them knew her name, and couldn't be sure what she looked like.

He dreamt of her that night. Dreams of spiders and webs and betrayal. He woke with tears on his face, but hid them from Rose.

The third time was at the theater. Another glimpse, but this time he saw her face as she and her friends exited onto the busy street. Heard her laughing, saw her smile. He called her name and tried to follow, but she was swallowed by the crowd. She didn't even turn to look at him.

Rose caught up to him on the street. "Was that Donna?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it."

She put her arm through his, leaned her head on his shoulder. "You miss her, don't you?"

He swallowed hard. "Yes." His chest burned.

She closed her eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I just...keep seeing her everywhere."

She pulled on his arm. "C'mon, let's go in. We'll think of something."

He looked her up in Torchwood's computer records. Donna Noble, single, temping for some agency. Her own flat, though, not living with her mother. Mum and Dad still alive, and her grandfather as well.

He waited for days, carrying the piece of paper with her information on it. Turning his head every time he saw someone with ginger hair. She wouldn't know him. Might even think he's crazy, mad, dangerous. What could he possibly say to her? How could he explain that he knew her. Well, her but not her. How he has some of her double's personality and memories. He'd just sound crazy, mad, dangerous.

Rose finally cornered him. "Just go see her. You'll figure out what to say."

"I'll sound crazy. Or worse. She doesn't know me. She might not even be the same."

"Of course she won't be. That doesn't mean she can't be your friend anyway."

"It might make it worse. Seeing her and not having it be her."

"I don't think so. Just go."

He walked into the office where the agency said she was working this week. It had taken some fast talk to get past security; he really missed the psychic paper. He saw her right away, at a desk in the corner, typing briskly and talking on the phone. He felt his hands shaking as he walked over to her desk. She looked up as he approached, flashing him a polite smile. He smiled back. As he reached her desk, she put the phone down. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Donna Noble," he said, still grinning.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" she asked warily.

"You don't know me. I'm the Doctor. I'd like to offer you a job."

"The Doctor? What kind of name is that? Anyway, I don't do medical temping." She gave him an appraising look, then recognition dawned. "I do know you - you're dating the Vitex heiress, Rose Tyler, aren't you? Your picture has been in the papers nearly every day."

He nodded ruefully. "Yes, I'm afraid that is me. But that's not why I'm here. I'd like you to come work for me. Well, not me, but for the people I work for. With. And it's not medical. At least not always. Come work for Torchwood."

She squinted at him. "Torchwood? Me?"

He looked around at the busy office. "Look, can we go somewhere to talk? The coffee shop or something?" He could see her thinking, deciding whether he was safe or not. Whether he was worth a risk.

"Sure, why not." She picked up her bag from under the desk. She called to the woman at the desk next to her. "Trina? Mind watching my phones for a bit? I'm just popping out for a coffee." She walked around the desk to stand by the Doctor. "Okay, Doctor, you have fifteen minutes."

He grinned. "If I know you, it won't take that long to convince you."

She raised her eyebrows. "We'll just see about that, sunshine. No funny business."

He laughed. "No funny business." He felt a weight lift from his chest as they stepped out into the sunlight.