Characters: Donna/Alec Hardy, Eleven, OCs

Summary: the Doctor gains a sighting of Donna and the new man in her life.

Disclaimer: Amazon was out of stock with this item, so I suppose I still don't own them.

A/N: I was asked about the Doctor finding out, so here is that bit, at long last. I hope you enjoyed this saga.

The Last Cut Ends Everything

- The Broadchurch Epilogue

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The Doctor was feeling quite satisfied with himself. He had just dealt with the tricky business of reinstating the Ormshard Laws on Betamix III, had made a pretty good job of it too, if he didn't say so himself; and thought he would treat himself to a little walk in the sunshine on his favourite planet. He might even pop in and see the Ponds while he was at it if the mood took him in that sort of direction.

Stepping out of the TARDIS, he adjusted his bow tie and found that he was somewhere completely different to the road where the Pond house resided. There were similarities in appearance, but there was no doubt he was in a salubrious part of London as he peered at the Georgian buildings and the car number plates. That was before you took into account the possible year, the types of the vehicles and their probable worth.

He strolled along the edge of a fenced green area of Caldecott Square with prettily adorned railings. The Doctor hadn't been taking in the scene before him for more than three minutes when something ahead caught his attention.

A London black cab swung into a clear space in front of him and a woman gracefully stepped out. It was an extremely familiar head of ginger hair that appeared as she paid the taxi driver without even looking in his direction where he stood observing her with interest. As she finally stood up to consider her surroundings all his assumptions were confirmed. Standing mere feet away was his former best friend Donna Noble, dressed up to the nines; not that anyone had been awarded that title properly since.

As her gaze swept around the Square, obviously looking for something or someone in particular, she caught sight of him and smiled politely. Then her expression changed to one of puzzlement and then possible recognition. She took two steps forward and then halted hesitantly before she opened her mouth to speak. "Excuse me, but don't I know you from somewhere?"

The man standing attentively before her did indeed have a familiar quality about him. He was easily fifteen years younger than her, with floppy hair that half covered gentle, sensitive eyes within an intelligent face. His sense of style was unusual, if not slightly eccentric; but it was not unattractive. But it had been the longing quality of his expression that had caught her attention; as if she would provide the answers to all the questions he was looking for.

The gentle breeze picked up and he was showered by her scent. It brought with it numerous memories of their friendship, of times they had shared together, and it also brought an added ingredient of him. Somewhere within her was still that tiny element that he had left behind.

"I don't think so, but you do look familiar," he allowed himself to admit.

"Perhaps we worked together for a while," she suggested as she pondered the tantalising aura around him.

He smiled in remembrance. "Yes, I think we possibly did." There was a moment when he wanted to add more, but he managed to stop himself from doing so. He diverted himself into asking, "So what are you doing these days? Do you live around here?"

She scoffed. "No, we're visiting family. My daughter… well, stepdaughter, actually… lives in student digs across the road, just over there." She pointed towards a building that blended in with all the other four storey ones. "She wanted us to come approve her latest housemates, I think," she said with a chuckle. "That, and come spoil her rotten."

"A student, eh?" he pondered with interest. "What is she studying?"

"Criminology," she stated proudly. "Ooh, there they are!" she exclaimed as an expensive black car pulled up and was manoeuvred to park. "It was lovely to see you again. Give my love to…," she threw over her shoulder as she rushed over to greet the car. "Hello, my darlings! That was good timing! I've not been waiting long," she told the driver of the car as she opened the rear passenger door and leaned in.

"I told you we'd make it on time. I don't know why you fuss so," came the muffled voice of the driver.

Hearing him, the Doctor couldn't help but deny that this could be so. No, it was impossible.

By this point, Donna was bending down to retrieve something from the backseat of the car. It was one of those large and shiny new German made things, he noted idly as he pretended he wasn't deliberately creeping nearer to get a better look.

"No, you are to do as you are told!" she was scolding someone. When she stood up, she added, "Don't run off exploring."

As she spoke the words a small boy climbed out of the car and stood obediently on the pavement. He was dressed immaculately in a navy suit with a matching tie. His hair colouring wasn't ginger but the nearest brown hair could get to it, the Doctor observed and he found himself drawn in by this tableau.

Then to his surprise, they were joined by a second child appearing; no more than a toddler, dressed in identical colours and bouncing with energy. She looked adorable in her frilly party frock, white ankle socks and patent shoes as she tried to gracefully clamber out of the car; rejecting all attempts to help.

"Mummy, I promise to be good!" the boy eagerly declared; gaining a fond smile from Donna.

"I know you will." She told of a hand from each child and told them, "If you don't, Daddy will be very cross; and you won't like that!"

'Daddy?' the Doctor wondered. Who had she found to be a father to these children? They obviously were not the offspring of Shaun Temple.

The driver's door on the other side of the car slammed shut; and there stood a man that took the Doctor's breath away for a second. It was him! But it couldn't be him; he'd have remembered this. He would have definitely remembered if such a thing had happened with Donna Noble!

And then the differences in this other, former but not quite him started to appear in his mind. This new man didn't seem to like shaving very much or he had followed some fashion for designer stubble; much to the Doctor's disgust. He smelt differently too. But the most telling difference was when he opened his mouth.

"Do we have everything?" the man asked Donna in a clear Scottish accent, albeit an accent that was heavily influenced by probably living in England for far too long.

"I shall need the gift bag from the boot. We can come back later for the changing stuff," she replied; and the man immediately opened it and brought out a large, colourful receptacle with a matching balloon and ribbon tied to it.

"Can I hold it, Daddy?" the boy pleaded as the man closed the boot and turned to meet his family on the pavement.

"Be careful with it; it might be heavy," he warned as he handed it over, and the small boy glowed with pride.

To the Doctor's consternation, the family then headed straight for him and would have to pass him on the narrow footpath. He politely stood aside to let them pass.

"Thank you," Donna automatically responded; and then she stopped to speak to him. "And I'm really sorry that I didn't remember you properly," she apologetically stated as she studied him.

"I don't think…," he began to reply.

"Darling, you are doing it again," Hardy gently taunted her. "Are you trying to make me jealous by picking up strange men?"

She inevitably snorted her scorn. "As if! I've got enough to put up with you."

That made the Doctor smile; but it was wiped off his face when the man also stopped to let her walk on; and hastily whispered, "Thank you for giving me her. I didn't believe you when you talked me into having the op, but I've been grateful for every day."

That immediately gave the Doctor food for thought about what he might be doing in his own timeline very soon.

"Oi! Hardy! Are you coming or what?!" Donna yelled out indignantly.

The man rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "Another choice for me, I see," he provoked her as he sprinted the small distance along the pavement.

There was an answering huff and then they carried on walking. They stopped at the bottom of some steps that led up into one of the houses flanking the square. She let go of the children's hands to let the man scoop up the baby and supervise the boy as he tried to race up to the front door. It was flung open and a young woman peered out, her expression full of delight as she spied her favourite people running to greet her.

"Happy birthday, Bethany!" they yelled out as soon as they spotted her standing there.

"Hello!" she gleefully greeted them, and managed to sweep the boy up into her arms. "You look very handsome today."

"We come to your twenny bird day," the boy declared as he placed a huge wet kiss on her cheek.

"He means twentieth birthday," Hardy corrected as he reached the top of the steps and then kissed her cheek in greeting too. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"Thanks Dad." She smiled grateful back at him and kissed the baby before returning her attention to the boy. "What's in the bag? Is it for me?" She then thought to add, "And where's Donna?"

"Don't worry about me, love," Donna grouched as she made her way up slowly to join them, and then she too kissed the young woman's cheek. "Your dad is such a gentleman for waiting for me."

Hardy reached out to take possessive hold of her hand. "As if you expect special treatment," he teased.

The Doctor was pleased to see the man briefly kiss Donna's lips, as if apologising, and he then gave her stomach a faint rub.

Well, well, well, the Doctor thought. Donna Noble got the family she wanted and she got to spend the rest of her life with him… in a very roundabout way. He couldn't have been more pleased for her in that moment. The universe had made things right for her after all.

~0~0~

Five years earlier…and a day later

It was immediately obvious that he had stepped out into a hospital in the early twentieth century. Ah, the Doctor reasoned, the TARDIS had brought him here to fulfil a promise.

As expected, he soon found himself outside the door to a private room holding a single occupant. It was a man rigged up to an oxygen machine and an IV drip. Against his extremely pale complexion his dark stubble showed up; as did his slightly ginger-tinged hair. The Doctor grinned; he had the right room holding the right man.

Cautiously, he neared the bed and peered down at the prone man. "Hello," the Doctor cheerily greeted him.

The man instantly opened his eyes in scorn. "Not another bloody junior doctor! Can't they send me a proper qualified one?" he grouched.

"Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, I am indeed a doctor, but not merely a junior doctor. In fact I am THE Doctor," he declared, and waiting for some recognition.

He didn't get it.

Instead Hardy rolled his eyes in exasperation. "And what do you have to tell me, THE Doctor? I already know I might not survive the surgery, so you can forget coming in here to use me as a bloody guinea pig."

"Fine words, Inspector," the Doctor responded, unfazed by Hardy's words. "And I have come in here to talk to you; to tell you, you are wrong."

Hardy glared back at him. "What do you mean I'm wrong?"

"May I?" the Doctor asked as he grabbed a chair and sat himself down by Hardy's bedside. "I know you are wrong because you think you have nothing left to live for; but I assure you that within a short time of having your pacemaker installed you will meet a special woman. A meeting you will never regret."

"Out!" Hardy demanded. "I don't need some psychic to come in here and give me a load of drivel; so take yourself elsewhere!"

"Come come, Inspector," the Doctor said in very friendly tones. "I may be many things, but I am not a psychic. Dread the thought! No, I'm a time traveller."

Hardy groaned in suppressed anger. "A time traveller, eh? Well you can time travel yourself away from me!"

"Alec; may I call you Alec? Doesn't matter, I'm going to tell you anyway. I've just come from meeting you as your daughter Bethany celebrates her twentieth birthday with her family. I was drawn to the scene because… well, I was checking up on my best friend, if you must know."

Was this man completely or utterly mad? Hardy was desperately trying to decide. "So you found out my daughter's name. What do you want from me?"

"My friend; I want you to cherish my old best friend. I couldn't give her the life she deserved, but you can. And the only way you can do that is by having this pacemaker fitted," the Doctor explained.

"And if I say 'yes' you'll bugger off and leave me alone?" Hardy tried to clarify.

"Most definitely," the Doctor assured him. "Nice grapes," he commented as he stole a grape from Hardy's bedside cabinet and popped it into his mouth.

The cheek of the man! Hardy was astounded by his uninvited visitor, but there was something about him that rung true for some reason. He was brought out of his thoughts by this man, the Doctor, speaking again.

"So… what's it to be?" The Doctor then looked expectantly at him as he took another grape.

"Alright, I'll have the bloody pacemaker," Hardy told him with a sigh. What did it matter? He was going to die anyway, and this loony would now leave him alone to die in peace.

"You won't regret this," the Doctor gleefully responded and leapt up out of his seat. "I'll go notify the nurse and then I'll be off. Have to deal with a misaligned promographer."

"A what?" Hardy wondered, clearly puzzled.

But the Doctor had practically danced out of the room and was causing a stir down by the nursing station by the sound of it.

Hardy laid back in his bed waiting for what he felt was the inevitable; but his thoughts were stirring. It would be nice to meet a special woman. How would he know when he met her? If he met her, he quickly amended. It was a nice thought though, that there was some woman waiting for him to turn up in her life.

As he fell asleep his dreams were full of a woman with fiery hair; and that was only the start of her brilliance.

The End