Author's Notes: I do not own the Doctor, Donna, Doctor Who, etc. This is a Regarding Mrs. Smith prequel mainly because I originally thought it would be a part of that story and it got a little out of hand and has been distracting me while I try to finish it. You don't need prior knowledge of that story but you do need some prior knowledge of Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead because I didn't feel like going throught that whole thing scene by scene and really, why would you want me to? I don't own those, but I borrowed some stuff from Moffatt. Anyway, enjoy.

Donna Noble was exhausted. She always was, every day with the Doctor was exhausting and brilliant. The fact that it was exhausting was part of what made it brilliant.

After an exhausting day of saving Agatha Christie from a serial killing giant wasp, Donna had made her way back to her bedroom, taken a shower, gotten in her pajamas and crawled under her covers. She was falling asleep when she became vaguely aware of a light coming into the room. She immediately knew who it was, after all it could only be one person.

"Donna, are you awake?," the Doctor asked.

Donna mumbled something. She wasn't even sure what it was.

"I just wanted to say, I didn't mean the detox."

Donna fell asleep just as she was aware of the door shutting.

Two minutes later, Donna sat upright, suddenly aware that something very important had been said.

"You WHAT?," she screamed.

Donna realized she wasn't talking to anyone. She sprang from the bed and ran straight to the console room where she found the Doctor sitting on the jumpseat doing that angsty Time Lord thing.

"Oh, had enough sleep, already? Where would you like to go this time?"

"You didn't mean the detox!"

"Oh," said the Doctor, looking surprised and a little bit anxious, "I thought you had fallen asleep."

"What do you mean you didn't mean the detox?"

"Um, well, what a question, blimey, I, I, Donna-"

He just kept stammering, rambling on about things, giant spiders, the time she was on the Sontaran ship, how great it was that she was ginger, making Donna even angrier. She steamed and was surprised when the words, "I've fallen for you" finally spilled out of his mouth.

"You've what?"

"I've fallen for you, I know you said no mating-"

"I did, I did say no mating! So did you!"

"I know and that was a mistake."

Donna realized the Doctor was staring at her chest. She'd rushed out in pajama bottoms and a cami. A not particularly thick camisole...

"Eyes up here!"

"You're so gorgeous, Donna..."

"Eyes!"

"Sorry, I just..." He shook his head and looked up at her. "What was I saying?"

"Have you never seen breasts before?"

"Well, I haven't seen yours before and I seriously would like to."

She wanted to slap him, but stopped herself. "Does this pass as courtship where you're from?"

"It sounds better in Gallifreyan," he admitted.

"Don't know if you remember, but you're all hung up on someone called Rose."

The Doctor looked up in surprise. "Oh, right. Rose. Yeah, no, not so much it would seem."

Stupid spaceman. Spends all the time mooning for Rose in the alternate universe and now no, not so much. It was exasperating! Donna threw her hands up. "I'm too tired for this."

"So, is that a refusal?," he asked.

She groaned and started back towards her room.

"I'm going to interpret that as not a refusal!," the Doctor called. "I know a nice beach where we can discuss this further!"

Donna smiled to herself.

Pretty boy. She was calling him pretty boy.

Donna knew she didn't have a reason to dislike River Song. She really didn't. After all, one confused Time Lord saying he's fallen for you and would like to see your breasts didn't exactly imply ownership, now, did it? Yet, River Song had strode in here dressed as the Stig and started with her flirtiness and pretty boys. Pretty boy! Donna was the one giving the Doctor nicknames, thank you very much. Oh, then that whole bit where she looked all sad about Donna. Was that some kind of head game? Maybe Donna could try the same bit on Rose if she ever met her. No, Doctor and Rose. The Doctor loved Rose. She and the Doctor were just mates, no, not that kind of mate.

Which is of course, why she had gone back to her room the night before and spent a good two hours performing all the necessary grooming and trying on from her collection of swimsuits. Because they were friends and you needed to look nice for your friend...

Especially if that friend had a gorgeous bum, one Donna would be damned if she let Miss Stig get her mitts on. Yes, because that's just the kind of friends they were.

Donna tried to shake the jealousy off herself by chatting up poor Miss Evangelista. She might have been daft, but at least she didn't have a confused Martian following her around with those puppy dog eyes.

Gorgeous puppy dog eyes, really. And Donna was starting to think he was just pulling out the brainy specs to steal another look. Stupid Library, stupid flesh eating shadows, stupid Doctor.

Charlotte Abigail Lux watched as Donna was taken in the stretcher to the hospital.

"Donna?"

Donna waited for Lee to kiss her on the front step of the hospital. He fumbled with the fishing gear, trying to get into a decent position, finally giving her an unsatisfying peck on the lips. He left then and Donna stood on the steps for a moment, trying to squeeze some of the water out of her dress. She walked inside, startled to find a tall man with silly brown hair in pajamas and a dressing gown.

"Nice dress," he said.

"Thanks. It's a little wet at the moment."

"I think it's just fine. Brilliant actually. Hitting all the right spots."

Donna raised an eyebrow. "Do you now?"

Donna suddenly found herself back in her room, the Doctor was peeling the wet dress and leggings off of her. He succeeded and flung them aside. He had her by her naked waist and moved her onto her back on the bed. Donna grabbed him by his shirt collar and snogged him senseless.

"Charlotte!," said her father in shock at what was on the telly. "What are you watching? Change the channel!"

Charlotte sighed and started flipping through once again. She made her way around all the channels, until finally landing back on Donna. She was walking in a garden with the Doctor again.

"Lee!," the Doctor exclaimed. "You're marrying Lee!"

Donna tried to look away from him. Everything was so confusing, she had been confused since she arrived at the hospital and started working with Doctor Moon.

"He loves me," Donna said simply.

"I love you!" He stood in front of her, his hands on the tree trunk behind her. "I love you, Donna, I know you love me."

Donna shook her head. "It won't last, though. I know it won't. Rose will come back and you'll be off with her again, won't you?"

"No, Donna, I won't." He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. Donna forced herself to push him away and started back home.

"I'm not giving up, Donna!" He took a breath. "I never give up!"

Charlotte felt badly for the Dctor as Lee carried Donna through the threshold on their new house.

"Welcome home, Mrs. McAvoy..."

The newly minted Donna McAvoy sat in her sitting room. She was just so bored, nothing to do. She looked up to see the Doctor. He sat down and stretched his Converse clad feet onto the tea table.

"So, how's married life?"

"How did you get in?," she asked. She smacked his legs off the table. "I just polished that!"

"Oh, no, you might have to polish it again before your husband gets home." He looked at his wristwatch. "Oh, that might kill a whole five minutes."

"Stop it! What are you doing here? I'm married."

"You're bored."

Donna scoffed. "I'm not bored."

"Yes, you are. That's why you were with me in the first place, remember? Lee is nice and all, but let's face it, Donna, nice is boring. You need me, just like I need you." He purred into her ear. "It makes life interesting."

"I am married," she said.

"You're married to the wrong man," he said.

"Don't say that."

The Doctor pulled her closer and kissed her. Donna found herself kissing back, relenting. This wasn't going to stop at a kiss.

"I'm not some slag, I'm not going to shag another man in my bed!"

He paused, considering. "Have you polished the dinner table yet?"

Donna smiled.

As they stood up, Charlotte's father entered the sitting room again.

"Charlotte, stop watching that program. Find something else."

Charlotte again waited for her father's attention to wander off and got back to Donna. She was with the Doctor again, she seemed upset.

"You're pregnant," said the Doctor. "Oh, Donna..."

"So you see why this has to stop," said Donna.

He paused. "No, I don't see that. I do see why you need to leave him, though."

Donna's jaw dropped. "I couldn't do that to Lee."

"What? You're going to stay married to him just to spare his feelings? It's mine, isn't it?"

Donna shook her head. "What makes you think it's yours?"

"Well, I've certainly had more chances at it."

Donna slapped him across the face.

"You don't want me!," she shouted. "I don't know why I let it get this far, but you don't want me!"

She ran away, tears in her eyes.

"Donna!" He paused. "DONNA!"

In the hospital room, nursing her newborn twins, Donna McAvoy cried.

"Donna?"

She looked up to see the Doctor. That made her cry more. He rushed to sit at her bedside.

"Don't do that, you'll upset them," he said. He took out a tissue and started dabbing at her tears. "Donna, I'm sorry, I should have come sooner."

Donna shook her head. "I can't do this to Lee. I can't."

"How long do you think you can go on like this? Living a lie?" He looked down at the babies. "Please. Come with me."

"Will they be safe, though?" Donna shook her head. "No, they won't. You should leave."

"No, Donna-"

"Go!," she said. "Get out!"

Donna blew out the candles on Josh and Ella's cake as the party guests cheered. She looked up to see the Doctor in the distance. She made her excuses to Lee and rushed off.

"I told you to stop coming like this."

He held out a carrier bag. "I brought presents."

"They have presents and a father!"

"Well, they don't have these presents and they don't have the right father, now, do they?" The Doctor looked over as Josh and Ella put frosting on each others' faces. "They're growing so much."

"You can't do this."

"The more you put this off, the worse it will be, Donna." He leaned in to her. "I grant you, this life can be wonderful, but it's not enough, not for you, at any rate. You, me and the babies, we should be somewhere magnificent."

As Charlotte cowered on the floor, Donna sat on the landing of her stairs, waiting for Lee to come in. What was this? Was it real? Was the Doctor real? Was her world disappearing around her the punishment for being a total slag?

"Donna? What's happening?"

"I don't know, but it's not real. Nothing here's real. The whole world, everything, none of it's real."

"Am I real?," asked Lee as they were surrounded by a white light. "That's why you were with him, wasn't it? Is he real enough?"

"You knew!," shouted Donna. "What's wrong with you?"

The light tore Lee away and Donna found herself at the landing pad or whatever the hell it was with the others. She sat down and started crying.

"Donna?" Before she knew it, the Doctor was sitting on the floor next to her. "I'm sorry. I was trying to get you back to the TARDIS, it didn't work out-"

He was cut off by another burst of tears on her part. She collected herself enough to tell an abbreviated version of the story, without the part where she and him were shagging behind her husband's back like bunnies. He took it in, stoically, she wondered if he was trying to not show his hurt. Then he started about what had happened with River Song. Donna pangs of petty jealousy transformed into an awful heartache. The Doctor was going to be with someone and it wasn't her. They stood up and she halfheartedly attempted to look for Lee. The Doctor seemed to think Donna was asking to be with him, she didn't see how that was possible, but supposed she ought to apologize anyway for her fake adultery.

"You!" Donna heard a familiar voice stammer. She turned around to see Lee heading towards the Doctor.

"Sorry?," asked the Doctor. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, God," said Donna as she rushed towards the other side of the room trying to intervene on what she knew was coming.

Lee slugged the Doctor.

"What?," exclaimed the Doctor.

Lee looked at Donna. "You slag!"

"What? Don't call Donna that!," said the Doctor. He looked angry now, eyes raging at Lee.

"Sorry, Doctor, this is Lee," said Donna.

"What? You were married to him? Why do you always have to fall for men that treat you badly?"

Donna shook her head. She had to get out of here. "Okay. TARDIS. Now. You, sorry I cheated on you."

"You didn't mention you cheated on him," said the Doctor. He paused and looked at Lee. "Oi, what did you hit me for?"

Lee just glared. There was a sudden dawn of realization on the Doctor's face.

"Oh," he said. Suddenly, his countenance perked up. "Oh."

Donna put her face in her hands. "This is horrifying."

Lee left, not saying much, not that Donna was surprised. It was bad enough having your imaginary wife cheat on you without having to stammer through some sort of an explanation. Then she and the Doctor went to the balcony. He set River Song's sonic screwdriver on top of her diary on the edge.

"Your friend, Professor Song," Donna began. He looked up at her and she lost her nerve. "She knew you in the future, but she didn't know me. What happens to me? Because when she heard my name, the way she looked at me..." So, see, silly spaceman, we really can't get together. You apparently move on with her. I end up back in Chiswick.

"Donna..." He spread his hand across the blue book. "This is her diary. My future. I could look you up. What do you think? Shall we peek at the end?"

"Spoilers, right?," said Donna.

"Right," said the Doctor.

The Doctor put River's sonic screwdriver on the book and they headed back up the steps.

"Come on. The next chapter's this way," he said.

They had not gotten very far when the Doctor's thoughts suddenly exploded out of his mouth.

"Why? Why would I give her my screwdriver? Why would I do that? Thing is, future me had years to think about it, all those years to think of a way to save her, and what he did was give her a screwdriver! Why would I do that?" He opened the screwdriver to reveal the green blinking lights of a neural relay. "Oh, oh, look at that! I'm very good!"

"What have you done?," asked Donna.

"Saved her!," exclaimed the Doctor and he started running.

Donna was left to stare at the diary.

Spoilers. That had to be the dumbest word in the English language. Part of her wanted to look inside, secretly hoping it was full of things like, "I can't stand that ginger bitch, Donna. The Doctor is so hopeless about her, he won't even look at me." Part of her was really afraid it would say something else, something horrible or at the worst, nothing. She would have meant nothing to him.

Somehow the diary ended up in her hand. Somehow she started walking back to the TARDIS with it. Somehow she was walking inside the TARDIS with it, hearing a hum of disapproval.

"I know, I know!," exclaimed Donna. "I didn't say I was going to read it. I just didn't want to leave it, in case I do want to read it because it's going to be in a location full of flesh eating shadows, isn't it? Not thinking ahead, are you?"

The TARDIS hummed again.

"Okay," Donna sighed. "I'm going to put it away. I won't even put it in my room."

Donna marched down to what had been pointed out as Martha's room when they went to Messaline. She put the diary in the bedside table and slammed the drawer shut. She marched back to the console room just in time for the Doctor to return. He came in and silently started the controls to put them in the Vortex.

"So, suppose what happened last night is a moot point," said Donna.

He stopped everything and turned towards her. "How is what happened last night a moot point?"

"Well, you have River," she said.

"I don't have someone I just met today and know basically nothing about."

"You know you wanted to save her," countered Donna.

"I save a lot of people," said the Doctor.

"You tried to set me up with Lee!"

"That's because you made it sound like you were happy with him!," the Doctor whined. "You didn't mention you were having a secret affair with me the whole time." He nodded as if confirming his own thought in his head. "I must be pretty strong in your mind if I rated my own character in CAL. I think I might mean something to you as well."

"You don't love me," said Donna, trying to ignore the fact that he had just called that one. She hated how he did that. "You love Rose or River or someone else whose name starts with an 'R'."

"You, Donna. I love you. I want you."

Donna paused. "Okay, you know what? I think there's been a mix up. Some sort of pheremone issue, they got mixed up with the cyanide or maybe there was some sex pollen somewhere-"

"Why are you humans always fixated on sex pollen?," Said an exasperated Doctor. "If I just wanted to have sex with you, Donna, I would take you directly to the sex pollen planet first thing, wouldn't I?"

Donna paused. "There's really sex pollen?"

"Stop changing the subject! There's been no mix up."

"Sure, but now I think we should just kiss to dispel the sexual tension and your illusion that you love me." That was it. They would kiss and they would both see this was just a mix up.

"How is that going to dispel the illusion that I love you?," asked the Doctor.

"Look, skinny boy, do you want to kiss me or not?"

Donna had just gotten the last word out of her mouth when she found the Doctor's lips on hers. He brought his tongue into play, teasing her mouth open and suddenly her tongue was playing with his and he was pressed against her, her back against the railing. This kiss was making what happened between them in the Library computer look lame.

And she couldn't breathe, she pushed him off, panting, gasping for breath, collapsing against the railing.

"Oh, sorry," said the Doctor, "my respiratory bypass system engaged. I forgot that you... I can do better in future, I promise. I could set my watch or something."

Donna sat there, trying to catch her breath. "You can do better?," she spat out.

She found the Doctor sitting in front of her. "I can do lots better," he said softly. "Donna Noble, you have no idea the things I want to do with you."

He was leaning against the railing now, his hand tracing up her thigh, her hip, her stomach and the side of her breast. He looked at her clearly waiting for a slap.

There wasn't one coming.

"Why don't we get up off this cold floor and we go somewhere you can show me more?," she said.

She looked up at him. He was grinning. Of course he was.

"Oh, yes."