When Rose steps through the TARDIS doors, she knows that there is something strange about this man who calls himself the Doctor.
Oh, she is so very right. More than she knows.
Even when she travels with him, she will never truly understand this man of mysteries, a man who hides such deep scars under a grin.
Such mystery and wonder...
But such grief as well.
She sees things she never dreamed alongside a man who fears what he will dream about.
There's an ache deep inside his hearts that gnaws at him, defines him, drives him. There are times when he feels so vulnerable, so insecure. He dreads being alone, even though he says he doesn't mind solitude. He clings to Rose so tightly because she's an anchor, unaware of just how much she's helping him stay grounded.
He is a man of mystery and time, but he cannot outrun his own regret. He lives in that just about every day. He is the Doctor, but sometimes...
Sometimes he feels like he needs a doctor himself.
AN: The Ninth Doctor is my favorite incarnation so far. Anyone else feel the same?