A version of Human Nature taking place in the 2000s featuring Donna & Wilf. Imagine the tenth doctor as John Noble, a primary school teacher living with his cousin and grandfather because renting is a nightmare in this economy.
(Sylvia mysteriously won a round the world cruise so she’s not around.)
Imagine John going stargazing with Wilf, laughing when Wilf tells him ‘you’ll be up there one day my boy!’
‘Sure Granddad, on a schoolteachers salary!’
Imagine John and Donna going out for drinks, John getting in a slagging match with someone who mentioned Donna’s failed wedding.
(As far as anyone knows Lance ran off with another woman)
‘Excuse you,’ he yells, ‘my cousin is amazing. You only wish you were as awesome as Donna!’
Donna drags him away before someone can throw a punch.
Imagine John fitting into the Noble family as if he was always there.
Imagine family movie night with John, Wilf and Donna.
Imagine them cooking dinner together, bustling around the kitchen and singing along to the songs on the radio.
John decides to try baking because a school fundraiser is coming up. The kitchen will never look the same, but the cupcakes were amazing.
Donna’s temping again and she’s had the worst day. Imagine her shuffling in the front door, exhausted, having been delayed by traffic for ages. She’s greeted by John. There’s a cup of hot tea for her in his hands and dinner is going to be ready in fifteen minutes.
Donna hugs him tight. ‘You’re the best John Noble. The very best.’
Imagine the Family of Blood turning up. John’s heartbreak when Donna and Wilf explain things to him. He’s not a real person. He doesn’t exist and Donna, (his cousin, his best friend) wants her real friend back. Wilf, the grandfather he loves, is looking at him with guilt & sadness in his eyes.
“You don’t want me,” he chokes out. “You want him. Why can’t I be enough?”
Donna & Wilf, tearing up, assuring John that they do love him. That whether he’s the Doctor or John Noble he’ll always be family. Always.
There’s an explosion, the Family are getting closer. They’ll be found any minute.
‘Alright,’ Donna says firmly, wiping away tears. ‘Where’s that laser gun? Gramps, you and John run for it. I’ll cause a distraction-’
Wilf starts to protest, he’ll cause the distraction, thank you very much. He’s not running out on his grandchildren.
Both Donna and Wilf stop suddenly, cut off by small clicking sound.
John has opened the watch. As a golden glow rises from it, John Noble says his last words: ‘Grandad, Donna, thank you for loving me.’
‘Oh my boy,’ Wilf says, choking up again. ‘That was the easiest thing in the world to do.’
(Later, when the Doctor is talking to the Family of Blood, pulling off a bit of nasal misdirection, so they don’t realise he’s the Doctor until too late, he makes sure to tell them: you could have avoided this. But you chose to threaten my family.)
Years later, one of the Doctor's friends, temporarily lost in the maze of corridors in the Tardis, comes across the Doctor's incredibly seldomly used bedroom. There eye is caught by a very old photograph propped on a bookshelf. It's of three smiling people eating ice-cream. The writing on the back of the photo says ‘John, Donna & Grandad. Easter holidays 09’
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