THE DOCTOR'S TRIPLE TROUBLE
Chapter Two Donna Noble let out an angry sigh while she stomped out the door. Another temp job gone. The man had only needed a secretary for a few days to handle a sudden pile-up of paperwork but he had never told her that and neither did the agency. She was under the impression that she was going to land a full time job there until he came up to her desk and with a pleasant smile told her that he didn't need her anymore. Resisting the urge to wipe the smile off his face, Donna plastered a smile on her own face and politely thanked him for his time since any caustic remark might possibly prevent her from getting another job. It had been the third job in a month, none of them lasting more than a few days. She was tired, frustrated and sick of her mother jumping down her throat the moment she walked through the door. And she knew the moment she got home it would start all over again. An hour, maybe two, of her mother yelling at her that she couldn't keep doing this forever and it was time to go out and get a proper job and she didn't know what she was going to do with her because half the time she was utterly useless. Wilf tried to intercede, but most of the time he was shouted down by his overbearing daughter and he retreated outside to sit at his telescope and stare at the constellations in peace. On the way back to her car, she walked into a small coffee shop and ordered a coffee, figuring it would calm her frazzled nerves not to mention it brought her more time until she had to go home and face her mother again. She sat there in silence sipping her coffee watching while people passed by the huge window beside her table. She stared at them laughing and smiling and joking with one another and felt envious. Seemed like the more her life fell apart, the happier everyone else looked. It was the story of her life. Everyone else was off having a party while she sank even lower into the depths of misery and despair. Even her friends preferred to spend time with others these days to avoid her mood swings and sullen pity parties. She couldn't blame em. She knew she hadn't been a barrel of laughs but for the past year, ever since Christmas, her mind had only been on one man. Trouble was, she doubted if his mind was on her since she had yet to see him return to collect her and save her from her terrible mistake. The moment she saw him rise into the air in his TARDIS she thought that would be the starting point of her whole new life. She was gonna say goodbye to Chiswick, take off around the world and see the sights, gain a whole new perspective on dusty planet Earth. But unfortunately, her lofty dream of bumming it around the world came crashing down when reality set back in and she was soon regretting turning down Alien Boy's offer of taking her with him to see the stars. Especially after her mother began to nag her about finding a proper job after HC Clements was dissolved. And she tried to find a proper job, she really did, but there just wasn't anything out there. But her mother, anxious to get her out of her house for good, didn't understand that and there were times Donna had to stop and count to ten because she felt like she was seconds away from punching her in the face. She finished up her coffee, threw away the cup and walked back out. She reached her car, opened the door and was about to get in when she noticed a sign in a plate glass window across the street. HELP WANTED SECRETARIES Donna stared at it for a moment wondering whether or not she should apply. Figuring she might as well go for it, she slammed the door, looked both ways and hurried across the street. She entered and saw a small office with several cubicles. There was one desk up front and a pleasant looking twenty something year old woman with shoulder length bobbed brown hair smiled at her. "May I help you?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm interested in applying for the position," she said, gesturing to the sign in the window. "Certainly, fill this out," she said, handing her an application on a wooden clipboard. Donna thanked her and turned. There were several chairs in front of the window and she walked to an empty one near the wall. She glanced over and noticed a young blonde woman was sitting two seats down quietly filling out the application. She gave her an appraising look before she dug through her purse, pulled out a pen and began to fill everything out. While she was writing, she noticed the woman finishing up out of the corner of her eye. She glanced at her while she walked up and handed the clipboard and application back to the receptionist. The receptionist looked it over and smiled. "Thank you, Miss Tyler; we'll expect you back here at 8 a.m. tomorrow for your training." Donna mouthed a curse and slammed the pen down on the clipboard while the blonde turned and walked back out. She threw her pen in her purse and with a sigh, walked back up to the receptionist. "All done?" the lady said, taking it from her. Before she could say something, the lady was looking it over. She frowned and glanced up at Donna. "This isn't filled out, Miss Noble," she said. "Yeah, I know, you just gave the bleedin' job to Blondie there," Donna said. "I was handin' ya back your clipboard." "We have several openings, Miss Noble." "You do?" "Yes, there are still some openings if you're interested." "What is this place? You do telemarketing or something?" Donna said suspiciously. "No Miss Noble, we're just starting up. We manufacture home computers and we need qualified secretaries to help process orders from clients that order over the phone. The pay is 15 quid an hour if you're interested." "15 quid an hour? I'll go door to door and deliver the computers myself for that." The woman smiled at her and watched while she took the clipboard and walked back to the chair. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX After the woman told her to come back at 8 a.m. for training, Donna felt far better than she had before she went in the building. She had a job, a good paying job that she was determined to hold onto with both hands so her mother would finally get off her back once and for all. Later that night at supper, Donna told her mother and granddad what had happened. Wilf was overjoyed that she found a 15 quid an hour job but her mother wasn't as enthusiastic. "You just better make sure you keep this one, Donna. Because if you get sacked again, you can go find somewhere else to live. You're too old to be living at home like this. Either you start paying me rent or you can get a flat of your own. I'm not a hotel and I'm not your maid." "Sylvia, for God's sake, leave her alone!" Wilf said. "I'm just saying, Dad, that she is 35 now and it's time for her to get out on her own instead of relying on family. I'm getting too old to support her. She needs to start getting her head out of the clouds and face reality. She's been this way ever since she met that man at Christmas. That weirdo with the exploding Christmas tree that ruined our reception." "It wasn't the Christmas tree that exploded, it was the decorations and it wasn't his fault," Donna said angrily. "Whatever. I've had it up to here with you. Your father just passed away recently and I've had to deal with that heartache without adding your odd friend and you on top of it. I'm warning you, Donna, this had better be it. You better get down on your knees tonight and pray you hold on to this job because I have no qualms about shoving ya out the door if you lose it." Donna sighed angrily, slammed her hand down on the table and got up. Angrily, she stomped out of the kitchen while Wilf yelled at his daughter for upsetting her. She hurried out of the house and ran up to the spot where her granddad took his telescope. She sank down to the ground and once she was alone and out of view, she began to cry uncontrollably, completely tired of life and living, wanting nothing more than to go back in time like the Doctor and correct her mistake so she could be up among the stars traveling instead of stuck on Earth with no real future and a mother who constantly made her life hell. She wept hard letting all the built up stress and heartache and fear out in a good cleansing cry. She was crying so hard she didn't realize someone was rubbing her back at first. "Donna," Wilf said, gently. "Donna, my lucky star, don't cry, please?" "I can't help it, Granddad," she sobbed. "I'm tired. I'm tired of all of this." "I know, sweetheart, I know," Wilf soothed. His heart ached to see his granddaughter in this state and he wished he could do more for her than offer her some tea from his thermos. He rubbed her back and smiled when Donna's crying subsided into sobs and she was able to get herself composed again. When she stopped crying and was sitting there sniffing, he poured her the tea and she accepted it gratefully. "Thank you," she murmured. Wilf set up his folding chair and set down in it. "Feel better?" he said. She nodded. "Yeah, I did need to do that." He nodded. "I figured that. Donna, I know it seems like everything is hopeless but it really isn't." "I know that, Granddad, but it's just so overwhelming sometimes. There are days I feel like I can't go on and I don't feel like getting out of bed." "Well, I don't either but when you get to be my age, you feel like that for an entirely different reason," Wilf said with a wink. Donna laughed at that and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Donna, you may not believe this but I know what it's like to go through a period of hopelessness. Everybody has em, even your mother. There are times when everyone would probably rather chuck it in and never wake up than go on but it takes courage to face the day and tackle life head on and that's what ya gotta do. You gotta get out there and make your dreams come true." Donna let out a ruthful laugh. "Dreams? I don't have any dreams." "Sure ya do. Everyone has a dream, even me and I'm older than the dirt at my feet." He smiled when Donna let out another laugh. "I do have one dream," she said. "Let's hear it then." She took a sip of tea and looked up at Orion. "I want to go up there and travel among the stars," she said, pointing to it. Wilf smiled. "Better pick another dream, Donna. I don't think you'll live long enough to get through university and become an astronaut," he teased. He smiled when Donna laughed and slapped his knee playfully. She sobered up and looked back up. "No, I don't need to do that, Granddad; I already have a way up there. Problem is I rejected it once and I doubt it's coming back around again." "How can you be so sure?" Wilf said. "You seem so sure of everything, Donna. How do you know this magical transport isn't gonna come back 'round and pick you up again?" "Because I told him no." Wilf perked up. "Him? It's a man?" She smiled. "Yeah, a man. A completely daft, thin, little wisp of a man who has the most wonderful blue box in the entire universe. A magical blue box that has the power to go anywhere you want so you can see all the wonderful things…" She trailed off when she realized how stupid it sounded coming from her own mouth and she looked at Wilf expecting him to snort and tell her to get her head out of the clouds but he only smiled wider and nodded. "Go on, Donna, this box goes all over the universe?" he said. Donna smiled as her heart filled with love for the old man. "Yeah, goes anywhere you want in time and space. He offered to take me along as his companion but I told him no like the barmy idiot I am and now I'm stuck taking a secretarial job in Harrow so my mum will stop nagging me night and day. But I can't help thinking that there's something more out there for me, ya know? That maybe I was meant to travel with this man." "Well, if you're meant to travel with him then he'll be back to get ya," Wilf said. "God works in mysterious ways, sweetie. I'm betting right now things are falling into place and you're about to meet this man of yours again." Donna smiled. "I hope you're right, Granddad." "Course I'm right, I'm your elder, aren't I? We're supposed to be all knowing and sage and infallible, ya know." She laughed when he put his hand on her head. "You've always been special, Donna. You are destined to be more than some anonymous secretary typin' and filin' in London. You just keep on hoping and keep those stars in your eyes and that man will be bumping into ya sooner than ya think." A tear fell down Donna's cheek and she wiped it away while Wilf gave her back a rub. "I love you, Granddad," she said to him. "I love you too, Donna. And I'm proud of you," he said. "Thanks," she said. He nodded and the two of them sat together staring up at the stars far above them.
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