Our Story

Chapter 30: Gifts

"Donna, I need your help."

"My help? Doctor, what's wrong? Is everything okay with the Archivist? We just left you a few hours ago?"

"What? Oh yes, everything is fine! More than fine. But I have something I need done, and I think you're just the one to help me."

"Well, alright. What is it?"

"I need to show you and bring you something. Are you at your apartment or your Mum and Gramps?"

"We're having dinner with Mum and Gramps."

"Alright, I'll land now, I'll only have a few minutes before Arch will come looking for me, so be ready."

"Okay, I'll be outside waiting."

**—**—**

Donna was walking up to the TARDIS when the Doctor opened the door and stepped out, glancing inside before shutting the door behind him.

"What are you being so secretive about, Doctor? This doesn't bode well for your marriage if you've been together for a few hours and you're already keeping secrets."

"It's a good secret, I promise, Donna." He reached into his pocket and when he placed into Donna's hand what he pulled out, she gasped.

"Doctor, those are the ribbons from your wrists!"

"Yes, we've no need of them now, at least not for that. But Arch is quite fond of them, and rightfully so, they have a very special meaning, obviously. So, I was thinking, maybe there was a way we could retain the thought, without having to be literally tied to each other."

He went on to describe what he was thinking in detail. Donna smiled and accepted.

"I'll do my best, Doctor."

"You'll do brilliantly, I'm sure, Donna. How much time do you need?"

"A week?"

"Alright, I'll come back in a week."

"You're just going to skip forward, aren't you?" She gave him a mock glare.

"Yup!" He popped the 'p' and grinned. "I can't wait to give it to her."

**—**—**

The Archivist felt the ships take off and land twice and became more and more curious as to what the Doctor was up to. She, however, did her best to not pay attention to the motion of the ship, instead sitting back in her comfy high back chair in the seating area of Libby's control room. Her eyes were closed and she was listening to the hum of her ship as it sang in her mind, almost lulling her to sleep when she felt the Doctor press his lips to her forehead. Hello, love. You and Libby enjoying yourselves?

Mmm....mm-hmm. She smiled.

I have something for you.

She felt him move around and opened her eyes to find him on his knees in front of her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was both nervous and excited. She leaned forward in the seat. "What is it, Doctor?"

"Close your eyes," he said, his voice hushed.

She looked at him one more moment before obeying and shutting her eyes. He took one of her hands in his and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles before she felt him pull something over her hand, onto her wrist.

"Open them," he directed in a gentle tone.

She opened her eyes slowly and saw on her wrist two very familiar colors. A small gasp escaped her mouth.

"I hope it's okay. I took the ribbons and had Donna create bracelets from them." He pulled up the cuff of his jacket and there on his wrist was a matching one. The two ribbons that had been around their wrists were now intricately weaved together to form almost a rope. Woven into the center of hers was a small ametyst. In the center of his was a sapphire. Blue and purple."

"I explained to Donna that purple and blue were far more than just our favorite colors, they were significant to our families and to the aura our time lines each present. She thought it would be a nice touch for each of them to be unique and have a gemstone of the appropriate color, while both being woven of the two colors of ribbon."

"It's...it's beautiful, Doctor. Donna made them?"

"She did. A hidden talent she once mentioned to me on Shen Shen." He chuckled. "She was criticizing one of the jewelry makers for poor craftmanship of their work and said she could do better, and proceeded to explain it had been a hobby of hers once." He paused and moved to sit on the armrest of her chair, taking her hand in his and weaving their fingers together, the two bracelets touching. "I thought, maybe, this would be a way to honor the tradition of the marriage bond ribbon and create our own tradition as well."

"I love them," she ran her fingertips over her bracelet, then allowed them to trace over to his. "It's a fantastic gift, Doctor. Thank you so much."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead again. "You're welcome." He then stood up and turned to her, still holding her hand. "So how about the Garden?"

"Actually, Doctor...since we're giving gifts. I have something for you, too."

"Oh?"

"Yes, just one moment. I need to get it from the Old Girl."

She walked back across Libby's control room to the door that connected the two TARDISes. A moment later she came back in with the locked wooden box she had brought back with her from 1929. Set set it on the console and the Doctor stepped over as she pulled the key out of a pocket in her tunic and opened it. Setting on the top was a book. She pulled it out and handed it to him. "For you, Doctor. The first ever printed copy of The Healer and the Librarian."

His mouth hung open in awe for a moment before he spoke, "Your book, the book you wrote in 1929...so I would find you."

"You should read it."

"Oh, I will. I definitely will." He pulled her into a hug, then slid the book into the inside pocket of his jacket.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Should have known you'd have your jacket with dimensionally transcendental pockets."

"But of course! So—now, the Garden?"

She grinned. "Yes, now the Garden."

A/N: This is as far as I made it in this fic back in 2020. Maybe one day I'll give it a proper ending. :) Hope you enjoyed it this far!