Riiight, off we go! This fic is basically my take on what we know must happen in the christmas episodes - i.e. the return of both Donna Noble and the Master, played again by John Simm (yay!). How can they return, we all ask, how can this be? Well. Reead on my dears, reead on, this is my idea of what could happen. Characters include the Doctor (pretty obviously), the Lady Christina (I liked her, even if no-one else seemed to) and Wilfred, but the major pairing is Donna/Master - odd, I know, but give it a chance, I beg you.

Please do drop a quick review ta let me know if you liked it/hated it, there's nothing like feedback to keep my writing and improving! Cheers m'dears, do enjoy.

Donna xxx

The Golden Couple

Chapter One - You Know Me

"So you don't think it looks too tarty? You're sure?"

"No, Donna." Wilfred sighed, walking around his granddaughter who had stopped in the middle of the path yet again to examine her nails.

"'Cos I didn't want to go for the bright red, I always thought it was a bit - you know, common, but Nerys was insistent. Mind you, lookin' back on the things she's done to me over the years I wouldn't put it past her... What is it?"

He had somewhat tuned her out, but Wilfred was now all too aware of the fact that when she had mentioned Nerys, his breath had caught in his throat. Ever since the fiasco with the Doctor, he had been beyond cautious, it worried him sick that at any point something could cause her to remember, and then... Still, she seemed none the wiser, despite the fact that whenever anyone mentioned anything that could possibly bring back memories he panicked... She probably just thought he was going crazy in his old age.

"No no, it's nothing darlin'." He said hastily, looking for a way to change the subject, "Could we maybe's hurry up a bit? 'Cos it's almost completely dark already and we want to get to the top while the sky's still clear..." The end of his sentence faded as he continued walking up the hill, his telescope tucked under one arm.

He heard a sigh from behind him as Donna quickened her pace, "Remind me again why we're going all the way up some hill just to see one star?"

"Because it's not often you get a night as clear as this, and because it's nice to be out and about." Was his quick reply, but in his head all he could think of were the real reasons:

Because being in the middle of nowhere is better than being back in the city where anything might trigger your memories. Because out here, I don't have to protect you as much. And more importantly, because since the Doctor left I don't feel like I know you anymore. Because I need to know that there's still some of the old Donna in there, somewhere.

"You might call it nice, I call it bloody freezing!" She grinned, pulling her thick cardigan tighter around her, "Still, I s'pose it's part of the adventure." And with that, Donna darted off up the hill and out of sight, leaving Wilfred to smile fondly after her. She was still in there, his baby girl who longed for freedom and adventure... Somewhere.

Donna breathed in the crisp air around her, revelling in the feel of being outdoors and active. This was where things seemed okay, she thought as she walked along, this was where none of the nonsense of being at home could get to her. Her mother's fussing, her grandpa's worrying, her new job's restrictions and her friends' ramblings. It wasn't as though these things didn't matter to her - they were just part of her everyday life, but at the moment she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something bigger she could be doing, something infinitely more important and enjoyable - but she just couldn't see it.

"Oh!" She shrieked, being pulled from her thoughts as her foot caught on a log and she almost tumbled to the ground. Donna straightened herself up, looking around her to see that there were several logs laying about where she stood, and all of them blackened, charred and half burned. Someone's bonfire from months a go, she assumed, and was about to carry on walking... but then she saw it. Just a glint, a flash of something metal shining among the pile of ash, and when she bent down to look closer she saw that it was an ornate ring.

Under normal circumstances, she most likely would have just ignored it... but something about this was different. Something kept her gaze fixated on this ring, told her that no matter what, she had to keep it safe.

And so, slowly, deliberately, she picked it up, now not caring in the slightest about the dirt getting under her newly polished red nails. It seemed just trivial now, ridiculous even... Nothing else mattered, now that she had the ring.

"You alright, Donna?" Came her grandfather's voice from behind her, and as she turned around, just for a second, she didn't register, stayed totally focused on the precious thing in her hand. But then, in an instant, she blinked, snapping immediately out of whatever trance she'd been in.

"Yep." She said casually, with a smile, and stood up to show him, "Just found this ring, look, it's quite pretty. Anyway, shall we get off?"

And she slipped the ring into her pocket, thinking no more about it as she and Wilfred walked on, to the very top of the hill.

He awoke with a start, gasping for air as though his life depended on it... which, he supposed, it did. He was struggling to remember any kind of details, just two words kept sticking out in his head, all he could focus on - two words.

Donna Noble.

Why that name, who was this woman? How could he know her - there was no picture of her in his head, no recollection of ever meeting her, just a name. that name. Donna Noble. And for some unknown reason, he knew that this woman was the most important person to him on the planet.

At first, he couldn't recall exactly what planet it was he was on, but slowly, the memories were all coming trickling back. The end of the universe, hijacking the TARDIS. Utopia, and the paradox. That one glorious year, when for once he had been in control, been respected, and the Doctor had been helpless. The awful day when it all came tumbling down around him, and that awful human child Martha Jones had taken everything away. Even pathetic little Lucy had turned on him in the end, firing a bullet into his stomach that everyone had been sure would kill him. How wrong they were.

None of them had known, not even the legendary Doctor had worked out quite how clever he had been, trapping his entire self, all of his energy and soul into that ring right at the last minute and escaping like this.

The Master smirked. Yet again, he had won.

The most important thing, he knew, was to find out who exactly this woman was. Well, he knew who she was, but no details about her. He had worked out pretty quickly, being as clever as he was, that this Donna Noble must be the woman who had found his ring and effectively brought him back to life. However, he still had no clue about what she was like, and more importantly, where he could find her.

Which was precisely why, upon sitting down for the first time with a brand new (and stolen, obviously) laptop, the first thing he did was hack into Torchwood's system and look the name up. It was ridiculous how full of themselves they were about their 'advanced' technology, he thought, when he had so easily got around their passwords and firewalls and into their database. The Master prayed they would have some information on her at least, and that there wouldn't be more than one person listed with that name...

But no. The page loaded quickly, and he was filled with delight as he saw how much info there was on this woman. A photograph on the left hand side showed a pretty redhead in her mid thirties, with the profile on the right telling him everything he needed to know.

Location: Flat 42a, Robson Street, Chiswick, London. That was close by.

Job: Temp, currently in Public Relations at R. J. Chester. Nothing special, she wouldn't be missed.

Marital status: Single. Always a bonus.

All of these facts came as good news to him, but it wasn't until he looked at the bottom of the page, at the section headed "any other details" that a grin spread over the Master's face. This was just too perfect.

Any Other Details: Was a close friend of the Doctor's, travelled with him in the TARDIS for a time during 2007. All memories of this erased for her own safety, now living normal life.

He couldn't believe it. This woman had known the Doctor, had travelled with him after ghastly Martha. Not only that, but she now had no idea who he was, what had happened to her, her mind a complete blank slate that was his to manipulate in any way he saw fit. there were so many possibilities, so many ways to use her as revenge... A plan quickly started to form in his head, a way to use someone the Doctor cared about to get back at him. Fantastic.

The Master had everything he needed: details of Donna's family, her past, everything there was to know about her. Plus, he thought, raising his eyebrows as he glanced once again at her photograph, she was quite a looker indeed. That always helped.

Donna wasn't quite sure how she'd made it through this week, so tedious was her job and the people she worked with. Still, at least it was over now, she thought as she walked through the lobby of her office building at 5:30 on a Friday, at least she had two glorious days ahead of her with nothing she needed to that needed doing.

She stifled a yawn as she walked out onto the street, her mind focused entirely on getting back to her flat and her sofa as soon as humanly possible - but then she saw him. A man just across the road, staring directly at her with a look of utmost emotion on his face. She watched as he hurriedly walked towards her, noting his appearance. Not bad, she thought - Short dark blond hair, clean shaven, crisp black suit, nice eyes... Yes, the guy was officially cute. And strangely familiar...

Still, that still didn't explain the look on his face as he reached her, the way he pulled her straight into his arms as soon as he was close enough. She was quite bewildered, and not really sure what to say as at last the stranger pulled back, looking as though he were about to cry as he whispered her name.

"Donna?" he said amazedly, and by now she was beyond confused.

"Er... yeah." She admitted, trying frantically to place him in her mind, "But... I'm sorry, do I know you?"

He blinked at her, sighing miserably, "It would seem not. Oh, I can't believe he's done this to you."

"Wh-?" She at first was speechless, but it soon turned to annoyance, "Who's done what to me?" Donna demanded, "Who are you?"

"Someone has made you forget me." he said quietly, sadly, "But you know me, Donna, very well in fact." He paused dramatically here,and she struggled to take in what he had said.

"I'm Harry. Harry Saxon."