Title: Learn to Be Weak
Author: CosmicalMadison
Summary: The Doctor is upset after the events of "Midnight," and Donna tries to comfort him. 10Donna
Rating: K
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Doctor/Donna (I know it's not cannon, but please work with me, 'kay?)
Author's Note: This is my first Doctor Who fic, so please review nicely, thought I'd also love if you would point out any errors you see. Hop you enjoy it.

As soon as the Doctor returned to the palace, Donna wanted to accompany him back to their room.. He refused, asking her to stay in the sun room for a while while he spent some time alone. Reluctantly, she agreed.

The Doctor dragged himself up to the room and let himself in, then shrugged off his jacket and lay down on the bed. The man squeezed his eyes closed, trying to block out the memories of his most recent experience, but it didn't help. He couldn't deny the memories, the cold and paralysis, the feeling of being controlled by that thing. So he just lay there for what seemed like hours, reliving the horrible experience over and over again.

After a while, Donna returned. The Doctor lay perfectly still as she changed into her pajamas, pretending to be asleep. He thought he had fooled her until she lay down beside him and said, "I know you're awake, Doctor. Are you all right?"

"No." He turned to face her, saw the concern for him in her eyes, and a warm feeling, the first to touch him that day, started up somewhere deep inside himself.

She reached out to touch his face gently. "What's wrong?"

"I can't help thinking about what happened," the Doctor answered as an involuntary tremor ran through his body.

"Maybe I can help," his companion said, and it was true. It was helping to calm him already just hearing her voice and feeling her warmth beside him. "Tell me about it."

"It was horrible, Donna," he answered quietly, the scene in the transport instantly coming back as clear as when it had been happening. "The thing insdie Skye picked me - I don't know why. It kept repeating me until it someone took my voice and walk talking before. It gained control of me, started to make me repeat it. Draining me. I couldn't move or speak, and it was so cold. They - they almost killed me." A sob broke from him at the memory.

Donna moved forward and gently wrapped her arms around him. "It's all right," she said softly. "You're safe now."

The Doctor stayed there for a moment, letting her comfort him. Then his pride caught up and he pulled quickly away.

"Doctor?" Donna asked in concern. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he answered, trying to make himself sound normal, to force the tremor from his voice. "I'm being foolish." He turned away from her again.

Donna hesitantly reached out a hand to touch the Doctor's shoulder. "Why do you say that?" she asked gently.

He forced out a strangled laugh and answered, "I'm being stupid. I'm fine, but I'm…like this. After all the things I've done and all the things I've seen, something like this shouldn't upset me so much."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Donna said as she slid her body closer to him and wrapped her arms around him once more. "You've been through some truly horrible things, Doctor. They were bound to catch up with you sooner or later. It's not necessarily this experience alone, but the lot of them pressing on you all at once. Anyone who'd experienced all of the things you have would need some time eventually to let their feelings out. You don't get enough of that." She touched a gentle kiss to his shoulder, then added, "And it doesn't make you silly or weak."

"Donna?" he turned back toward her again, his face torn, and it hurt her to see him so vulnerable. "You really believe that? You don't think I'm being foolish?"

"Of course I believe it, Doctor. I meant every word." She touched her lips to his for a moment before adding, "You'll never be stupid to me."

He closed his eyes and just lay there for a few heartbeats, unsure of what to say next. Finally, he uttered, "Thank you, Donna…"

"Don't thank me," she answered. "It's no less than what I owe the man I love." She paused, took in the unshed tears still shining in his eyes. "Now, relax. Let your feelings out. No one will see you but me. Please let me help."

I took several minutes, but eventually he did. The Doctor broke down and through his tears told her of his fears for the future, the creatures of his nightmares, and the memories that still haunted him. Finally, he told her he loved her.

Donna held him and consoled him through out the night, and when the sun rose in the morning, he was better for it.