Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Duplicate Doctor, the alternate Donna or Rose. If I did, life would be different, wouldn't it?

This is my attempt at what happened to the Duplicate in Pete's World and you can think of it as a companion piece to the Regarding Mrs Smith Universe, so this is like AU of an AU. You don't need to read that story, except Chapter Four might help some. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and let me know what you think.

As a warning, if Rose is like your favorite character ever and can do no wrong in your eyes, this may not be the story for you. Just thought I would give fair warning.


He had told the Doctor he would give it a month.

One month with Rose Tyler to see if whatever spark that had made him fall for her what now seemed like eons ago still existed.

It had taken the Duplicate Doctor or Handy or as he was now known In Pete's World, John Smith, the ferry ride home from Norway to decide that no, that spark was definitely gone.

Who the hell had decided the ferry was a good idea anyway?

Although Jackie Tyler might have been happy enough to be in her own universe she continued to harangue John about the fact that the Doctor had left them in Norway. That was hardly John's fault he hadn't wanted to be there at all. If it hadn't been for Donna he never would have come at all.

It would have been awkward he realized: he was the Doctor-Donna, part Donna, part Doctor, but definitely in love with Donna. He should have probably tried to pass himself off as a twin. He had wondered if the Doctor left him here specifically to keep him from Donna, but then dismissed it. No, the idiot had actually thought it was the right thing to do. He thought Rose could make him a better person.

No, not so much. Although it had made John wish he hadn't destroyed the bloody Daleks so he wouldn't have been brought to the stupid universe in the first place. But Donna had been next to him and they could have killed her and the baby. That's what made him angry enough to commit genocide.

He wondered about them all the time. Time passed quicker in Pete's World so he was always trying to work out the calculations. One month there meant a week and a third back with Donna. Three months there she was now four months pregnant. A year there and it was Christmas with Donna. Then one day he did the calculations and realized the baby must have been born by now. He pictured her cuddling a ginger Time Baby.

And it broke his one lonely heart. At the same time, he had no claim to the baby and the strongest claim. The fact that time went slower meant that his image of the baby lingered longer and longer, becoming even more imprinted on his mind.

He didn't want to be alone anymore. The Doctor and Donna's time together had given him a taste of what it was like to be with someone, to be part of a couple and a family and once you've had a taste of that, being alone is impossible.


Jackie Tyler was at Parents' Evening at her son Tony's school. She was new to it, Tony was just in reception this year and though she didn't show it, Jackie still had a difficult time negotiating the world of the posh mum. She was in a room full of strangers and though Pete was sympathetic, he was working late tonight as with so many other nights and thus, Jackie was left to navigate this minefield alone.

Then she saw a familiar face.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Jackie Tyler."

The woman turned to her. She had very red hair, green eyes and pale skin. She was dressed in a black suit and looked as if she had just come from the office.

"Oh, hello, Donna Noble." She held her hand out decisively and gave Jackie a firm handshake. "Pete Tyler's wife, right?"

"Yeah."

"How is Pete? Is he here tonight? I used to run into him every so often before he started with Torchwood."

"No, he's at work tonight." Jackie paused. "Is your husband here?"

Donna shook her head. "No."

"Boyfriend? Girlfriend?"

Donna just smiled. "Yeah, there's nobody. Just me."

Jackie motioned at the artwork. "Is that your child's?"

Donna nodded proudly. "Both of them actually. I've got two: Joshua and Ella. They're in Year three."

"Twins!," exclaimed Jackie.

Jackie got out her mobile as soon as she stepped out of the school hall. She couldn't wait until she got to the Jag and dialed her husband.

"Pete, I've just met someone. I've got an idea." She paused. "Is Rose around? I'm not on speaker, am I?"


Friday afternoon. John hated Friday afternoons.

Friday afternoons were best left to those looking forward to the weekends. Those looking forward to the weekends often had someone to meet or something to look forward to and John had neither.

Worse than that, was the Friday afternoon meeting. It wasn't really a meeting, not an official one anyway, but every Friday at precisely four-fifty, his colleagues Adeola Oshodi and Gwen Cooper strode over to his desk, pretending to have a casual interest in his weekend.

"So, John," asked Gwen, "big plans this weekend?"

"Yes, I've decided to enter a ballroom dance competition."

"Really?," asked Gwen with bright eyes.

"No, Gwen."

"Don't tease like that," said Adeola, "it's not nice."

"What are you really doing then?," asked Gwen.

"I suppose I need to buy a new toothbrush," said John.

Gwen and Adeola looked at each other.

"Really? That's what you have planned?," asked Adeola.

"Oh, my God," said Gwen. "John! You need a life!"

"I don't want a life. I'm fine."

"You are not fine!," said Adeola. "John, this is not normal. You at least need a hobby."

"What about cricket?," asked Gwen.

"What about it?"

"You said you were good at it. You could join a cricket club and you would meet other blokes and you would make friends with them and you would probably go to the pub with them for a pint!," said Gwen.

"You said that about the book club," John protested.

"I was wrong about the book club, I can see that now. Sport is different, you hardly need to talk for sport."

"She has a point," mused Adeola.

"Then it's settled. I'm finding you a cricket club."

"I don't need a cricket club!," said John.

"Gwen and I will come to your first match," promised Adeola.

"How are we all?"

They looked up to see Bernard, he was the head of the Extraterrestrial Department, a nice man in his fifties.

"Fine, sir," said John.

"Are the girls trying to find you plans for the weekend?"

"They are."

"We all need a life, John," Bernard smiled. "Clementine and I would have you over, but it's parents weekend at my daughter's school."

"It's alright," said John. "I'll be fine."

"Well, I'll be off," said Bernard. "I have to go battle the M1. Oh, John, one more thing, Pete Tyler needs a file brought to his house around seven. Do you think you could manage that? He was sure to mention Rose wouldn't be there."

John grimaced. He wondered if there was anyone at all in Pete's World that didn't know about the absolute disaster that had been he and Rose. "I'll take care of it," said John.

"Good then. Have a good weekend, all."

"Cricket!," said Gwen walking off to a computer.

Adeola looked at John. "Look, if you haven't found anything by Saturday afternoon, ring me. We can go to the cinema."

"I keep telling you, Gareth does not want me tagging along with you."

"He'll deal with it. I'll make him."

"I appreciate the thought, but really I'll manage."

"You know what you really need?," asked Adeola.

"What's that?"

"A wife."

John scoffed. "I doubt I'll ever find one of those again."

"Don't give up, John."


John walked in the front hall of the Tyler Mansion perplexed to find a sea of waiters and people dressed for a cocktail party. He held the Torchwood file in his hand, wondering where to find Pete. Instead, Jackie walked up to him.

"What are you dressed like that for?," she exclaimed.

He looked down at his clothes. "This is what I always wear."

"Yeah, I know!" She shook her head in dismay. "Well, it'll have to do. No time to get you changed. She's already here so try not to act like an imbecile."

John shook his head. "You don't mean Rose, do you? Jackie, please, no."

"I'm not stupid, you know. I was on the ferry back from Norway with you two, remember? Trust me, I think you'll like her."

Pete rushed over. "Is that what you're wearing?"

"What are you two on about?"

"We're trying to set you up," said Pete.

"Oh, I'm fine, I don't need to be set up," said John.

"Got a big social life, have you?," asked Jackie.

"Just go in and have dinner with her," said Pete. "I'll introduce you two. If you don't like her, you never have to see her again."

Pete ushered John into the dining room, where the guests had begun to mill. Harriet Jones was talking to someone, a ginger someone, wearing a green silk dress that clung to her in all the right places.

"I beg your pardon, Madame President, I'd like to introduce you both to someone."

The woman turned.

It was her.

Donna Noble.

"This is John Smith, he's just been promoted to Senior on the Extraterrestrial Desk at Torchwood. This is-"

"Harriet Jones, President of Great Britain."

John nodded. "It's an honor, ma'am."

"And this is Donna Noble. Donna, John."

Donna smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, brilliant."

Donna looked taken aback. "What?"

Pete smiled at this bit of success. "We should be sitting for dinner. Madame President, why don't I show you to your seat?"

John showed Donna to their seats. Dinner was served and John didn't quite know where to begin. Luckily, Donna did.

"So, John," said Donna, "do you like working at Torchwood?"

"I do actually."

"Aliens, Cybermen, that sort of thing?"

"It's supposed to be classified."

Donna snorted. "Yeah, right. The secret everyone knows about."

"What do you do?," asked John.

Donna narrowed her eyes. "Are you putting me on?"

"No."

"You mean you really don't know?"

"I really don't."

"Don't you ever watch telly?"

"Oh, I keep forgetting to buy one."

"Are you serious?"

"Very."

"Well, I'm Donna Noble."

"I knew that."

"No, I meant, Donna Noble. The Noble Family of Networks? I bought every communications outlet Cybus Industries had in Europe after the corporation was liquidated? Mind you, I got it all cheap, but it did take a little ingenuity."

"That little logo on the bottom of the telly? That's you?"

"That's me," said Donna. "You mean you really don't watch television?"

"No."

"You're not like a snob?"

"No, I really just keep forgetting to buy one."

They kept chatting all night, even as the other guests left. Jackie and Pete would have let them stay all night talking, but Donna finally noted the time and they said their farewells on the front steps.

"Good night, Donna," he said.

"Good night, John."

John walked away and came back.

"Sorry. I never asked for your number."

Donna raised an eyebrow. "And what do you need that for?"

"Well, it's just... if I ever want to see you again, I'll have to ring you and to ring you, I'll need your number to ask you... to places."

Donna smiled and took a business card out of her bag. She turned it over and wrote on the back. She held it out to him. "That's my office number, my assistant's name is Ianto. My mobile is on the back."

John took it. "Thank you."

"So? Do I get your number or do I have to sit around waiting for you to ring me?"

"Oh, right. I don't have any cards..."

"Do you have a phone or have you forgotten to buy one of those as well?"

"No, I have a phone, just need a bit of paper..." he started patting down his pockets. "These used to be bigger."

Donna took a tiny memo pad out of her bag along with a pen and handed it to John.

"You're prepared for everything," remarked John.

Donna shrugged. "Hardly."

"Well, good night," said John starting to walk away again.

"Is your car all the way over there?," asked Donna.

John stopped. "I don't have a car."

"So, you're going to..."

"Take the bus."

"I could give you a ride home," said Donna. "You know, if you like."

"Right..." said John.

"You don't have to. I mean, we could go get a drink?," said Donna. "I hardly ever get out for anything other than work. This is a big night for me, really."

"Well, then," John grinned, "I wouldn't want to stop your fun."


They had been sitting in the pub an hour already. Donna drank a wine and John had a ginger beer. They were still talking, they were good at talking.

Then John's mobile went off.

"Work?," asked Donna.

John glanced at it. "It's nothing."

"Another woman?," she asked with a smile. "I don't like games, John Smith. My last two boyfriends turned out to be totally worthless along with my husband. I don't take chances anymore."

John smiled. Was it possible for this Donna to be even feistier than the one he left behind? He handed over the mobile. "Look all you want."

Donna took it. "Text from Adeola, am I saying that right?" John nodded. "She's reminding you to buy food. Are you really that helpless? You might be too much of a project for me."

"I forget to buy food sometimes. And eat."

"And you keep forgetting to buy a television."

"I forgot to buy a bed for a month. Gwen finally dragged me to IKEA."

"Gwen," said Donna, scrolling through the mobile, "lots of texts here from her as well. She's reminding you to eat, saying that bananas do not constitute dinner. Are you like an idiot savant or something?"

"That would be accurate," John admitted.

"Have you got any other women looking after you?," asked Donna.

"No, Gwen and Adeola are work colleagues. They look after me quite a bit."

"And Pete and Jackie," she added. "They were falling over themselves to set us up."

"Were they?"

"Do you just know them through work?"

"I... dated their daughter for a while."

"Really?," asked Donna. "Seems a bit young for you."

John scoffed. "You have no idea."

"She must have done a number on you if her parents feel sorry for you." She paused. "I wonder how they knew the two of us would hit it off so well. No offense, you're not what I usually go for."

"Are you going for me?"

"I might be."

"Well, you're what I usually go for," said John. "Just so you know."

"Rose Tyler isn't your type?"

"She used to be, I grew out of it."

"That's more than a lot of blokes can say."

"I'm not like a lot of blokes."

Donna studied him carefully. "I almost believe you."