The Fool On Mott Hill (Doctor Who)

Chapter 1

In the final years of Wilfred Mott's life, Donna noticed a strange mix of absolute bliss and sadness within him. It were as if his soft, careworn blue eyes held the secrets of the universe. His hunt for alien life and strange occurrences became a near obsession. Donna went through that phase once, but she couldn't for the life of her remember why. She figured it was because of all the balmy stuff going on in the world, and especially in England.

It'd all started in 2005 with a tragic mannequin invasion. She'd always assumed it was a publicity stunt or movie shoot gone horribly wrong. In light of even more recent and tragic, human events in the world, she considered it a wild terrorist act that Parliament kept Top Secret. Investigating further only gave Donna headaches. She wasn't studious or interested in things like that anyway. Not like Gramps.

The Noble household was filled with unspoken truths that kept Donna on edge. She was always the last one in on the joke - the boisterous, flakey woman who missed life's biggest and eventful moments. Living in the house burdened her and she couldn't move in with Shaun fast enough.

Wilfred always stared at Donna proudly. He fiercely defended her whenever Sylvia started hemming and hawing about her failures. A force of habit she couldn't break. However, Donna noticed her mother had mellowed in the nagging department. Sylvia made it a point to compliment or commend Donna for something every day. Even if it killed her.

Donna took it as a good sign and their relationship greatly improved, especially after the birth of her son in 2011. Donna suffered a hard pregnancy and labor, and the Doctors warned her that having another child could be fatal.

Donna named her son John Caecilius Temple. Everyone thought her batty for picking that middle name. She'd come across it in Italy when she begged Shaun to tour Pompeii. Seeing frozen bodies was not his idea of a happy honeymoon, but Donna couldn't resist. The entire experience struck a deep chord with her and she cried through most of it. Even though the name meant "blind," she insisted. "Caecilius" would serve as a reminder for her son not to be so blind, daft, and selfish like his mother and miss out on life's wonders.

"Little John" as Donna fondly called him, grew to a spunky, intelligent five-year old with a tumbleweed of red fluffy curls and toffee colored skin. He resembled his handsome father, but John had Donna's eyes with the colors reversed – dark gold with flecks of green. He was the light of the Noble family and Wilfred told him colorful stories of outer space. John was determined to be an astronaut or astronomer, or both. He spent hours with Wilfred on the hilltop and shared all his childish secrets with him.

Despite the family winning a fortune on Donna's wedding day, Wilfred insisted on living in the same house. He was attached to the hilltop, and according to him there was no better place for stargazing. Donna understood Wilfred's desire, so she had a small cabin built to replace his run-down tents. Sylvia didn't put up a fight about moving. She'd grown attached, knowing all her best (and worst)memories were in Chiswick and kept her grounded.

Donna legally installed a sign and named the land, "Mott Hill."

~~Oo~~

Wilfred Mott was dead on a Sunday morning in early Spring, just a week after Donna's sixth wedding anniversary. The night before, he'd insisted on fresh air and sleeping under the stars. Nothing unusual for him. He'd always prided himself on his good health and strength, so no one suspected his heart pangs that day. Wilfred never feared death and often said that he'd only survived this long because of a precious gift he didn't deserve. When they chided him for that remark he'd get angry and sad.

Wilfred looked so peaceful when Donna went to the cabin to bring him down for their Sunday tradition, "The Noble – Temple family breakfast." She called him three times but he never stirred. Her heart leapt to her throat when she realized he didn't make the funny little groans and grumblings in his sleep. She shook his arm, and it was freezing to the touch. Panicked, she waved her hand over his nose and mouth. No breath. No Life.