Chapter Text
Prologue
It was a beautiful December evening, London was lit up with Christmas lights and snow was falling giving the landscape an almost fairy tale feeling.
John tore his gaze from the scenery outside the window to take in the atmosphere in the small but elegant restaurant. There were mostly couples and nearly every table was occupied, despite it being the day before Christmas. He turned his attention back to his own table when he realized someone was addressing him.
"John! You could at least pretend to find our company interesting," his father rebuked jokingly.
"There is nowhere else in the world I'd rather be than with all of you," he assured him.
"Oh, it warms my heart to hear you say that. We've hardly seen you these last few weeks, have we Verity?" Sidney Smith reflected to his wife.
"I'm sure the boy has been busy, dear. You don't become successful without working hard."
"Yeah, yeah, we all know genius boy is destined for great things," John’s brother Harry teased, a slight bitterness tainting his voice.
His brother was a genius in his own right, the man was an MP for god’s sake. But being constantly overshadowed by his younger brother since primary school had always been a sore spot for Harry and created tension between the two brothers.
John was grateful that their rivalry these days consisted mostly of the occasional snide remark and good-natured teasing. A lot of that was because of Donna, ever since she and Harry started dating John had noticed that his brother had mellowed considerably and seemed much more happy and secure in himself. And he knew the same thing applied to Donna.
Still he couldn't help the twinge of envy he felt when he saw them together. It wasn't that he begrudged his brother his happiness, quite the contrary. He adored Donna and already saw her as the sister he never had. He just couldn't help but wonder if he would ever find what they had. Of course he'd been in love before, had girlfriends, but he'd never meet someone who made him feel that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with that person. He had certainly never looked at anyone the way Harry was currently looking at Donna, like she was the most important person in the universe.
As the waiter arrived with their desserts his father cleared his throat and stood up. "I want to propose a toast. I've always been grateful for my sons and now I’m fortunate enough to be getting a daughter as well. Donna, we are delighted to welcome you to the family. To the happy couple!"
"The happy couple!" the rest of the company chorused in.
"I suggest you go easy on that pudding Donna, you still need to fit in to your wedding dress tomorrow," Sylvia Noble chided, as she critically eyed her daughter’s plate.
"Gee, thanks mother," Donna snarled through clenched teeth.
Harry looked like he was about to come to his fiancés defence, but luckily for everyone Donnas grandfather Wilf beat him to it. "Don’t listen to her sweetheart, you enjoy your dessert."
The remainder of the evening passed pleasantly, and they were among the last to leave the restaurant. By then the snow was coming down heavily and the temperature had dropped considerably. Harry and Donna had retreated to a secluded corner, both reluctant to say goodbye for the night. John and his parents took refuge in the car to escape the biting cold.
"John, did I tell you the Curtis’s daughter is going to be at the wedding?" his mother inquired, giving him a piercing look he recognized far too well.
"Yes, and I’m sure she is lovely, but I’m not interested."
"I’m not saying you have to ask her out, but you could at least talk to her. You two have a lot in common. How are you going to meet anyone if you don’t but in an effort?"
John sighed deeply. "I’m just… waiting for the right person."
"I know. I’m just worried you’re so focused on your work that you’ll miss the right girl when she does come along. She’s not just going to appear out of the blue you know. You have to put in some effort, John. You haven’t been serious about a girl since Romana and that was years ago."
Luckily he was spared from continuing the conversation as his brother threw open the car door, joining him in the backseat.
The roads were mostly empty, the weather making people reluctant about taking to the roads. The snow made it hard to see so forcing them to drive slowly, making the journey home take longer than usual.
"I should have gone home with Donna," his brother moaned.
"It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," their mother stated, clearly feeling that was reason enough.
"All these wedding traditions are just idiotic superstitions," Harry muttered, clearly displeased with the situation.
"Can't manage one night without her?" John teased, amused to see his brother blush.
"I think Donna’s mother might claw your eyes out if you showed up at their house tonight," their father chuckled. "I don't think I've ever met a more frightening woman."
"And from tomorrow she will be your mother-in-law," John declared dramatically. "Oh, the things we do for love."
"Speaking of love Doctor, have our mother managed to persuade you to letting her set you up with the Curtis daughter?"
The retort on the tip of John’s tongue was lost as his vision was suddenly blinded as a flood of bright white light poured through the car's front window. It was quickly followed by the piercing sound of tires shrieking and in the next moment the world was turned upside down. He could hear metal crunching, the tinkling of glass being shattered and his mother letting out a deafening scream. The last thing he was aware of was a blinding, excruciating, white-hot pain that pierced through his head, and then the darkness swallowed him.