FIREWORK

The Doctor tightened his grip on Donna's hand; she responded with a gentle swat on the arm, but he remained on edge. Dozens of pairs stood on the vast hillside, all of their eyes staring intently into the blackness above.

"Goodness, haven't seen you this worried since…ever," Donna said, genuine concern creeping into her voice. The Doctor swallowed. "Or is this just the new face?"

"The face. Yeah," the Doctor lied. Donna's eyes glazed across once more, and he gritted his teeth. She didn't respect herself, back there deep in the heart of her soul where she should. She needed someone's love first.

She needed him.

"What is this big surprise?" Donna asked.

"Up there," the Doctor replied. "Any second."

Donna followed his gaze up into the clear night; suddenly, fireworks of all colors filled the air, alighting beside the stars and spinning round, round, shooting off in every direction and spreading a painting over the canvas in the sky.

Donna stared up into the beautiful, beautiful sky, but the Doctor had eyes for her alone. The colors played across her beautiful skin and her radiant hair, and he couldn't hold himself back any longer.

He threw one arm into the sky, his screwdriver pointed to the colorful display. The buzzing was barely audible over the thundering fireworks, but it caught Donna's attention. As the fireworks spun like clockwork from simple shapes and stars into words, her breath caught in her throat and her eyes glistened.

All around them, couples were leaping into one another's arms, but Donna stood, staring up into the sky silently, the only woman in the universe in the eyes of the Doctor.

"You are the most wonderful, beautiful…incredible woman, Donna," the Doctor murmured, a gentle, pleading smile on his lips. "You mean more to me than all the stars in all the skies, and all the nights full of fire like this one. I want, more than anything in the entire universe, to spend a little piece of forever with you."

A tear rolled down from Donna's eye, which the Doctor quickly brushed aside as he turned to face her directly. She shook her head, her lips falling open.

"I…I can't believe…" She looked from the sky to him, and a small laugh escaped her lips. "I can't believe you've got a romantic bone in your body, but…yes, yes, Doctor—of course it's yes, it's always been yes."

She leaped into the Doctor's powerful arms, her eyes buried in his tweed jacket; above them, the words began to fade away as new fireworks filled the sky, but they didn't mind. The world was theirs tonight, and that was all they needed.

Will you marry me?

When finally their embrace broke apart, the Doctor laughed.

"Almost forgot the whole—the—" He swallowed, dropping to his knees; not one, but two. Donna cupped her hands over her mouth, closing her eyes before wiping away tears of bliss. "Donna Noble, make me the happiest man in the universe."

He pulled out a small box, which he opened before her. Within, there shimmered a brilliant diamond ring, which she ignored; her lips found his and she pulled him up to her. They moved in perfect unity, his hands coursing through her hair and hers tangled up in his.

They had found each other, so many years before…they were always heading for this, like some sort of destiny. They were always meant for this, and the dark corners of the universe would wisely be afraid.

The Doctor and Donna Noble.

The Doctor Donna.