Author's Note: Was inspired today. Decided to post the first chapter of this. It's a story I've been working on off and on for a bit. I'm excited to see what people think of it.

This is my first time writing a Doctor Who fic and I hope I do it and the characters justice. It's an idea, or rather a series of ideas that I've had for a while.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of it's characters. This is purely for me to blow off steam and have some fun.

Enough from me, enjoy! Alons-y!

On the Shining World of the Seven Systems and on the Continent of Wild Endeavour in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude stood the Citadel of the Time Lords. And inside that Citadel, the newest class of soon-to-be Time Lords made their way to the chamber that housed the untempered schism.

In this group was young Theta Sigma who stood close to his friend Koschei as they were lead through the citadel. It was larger than Theta had thought, almost as if it were bigger on the inside.

"This way." The professor said from the front of his group. "Hurry up."

They stopped outside a chamber and Theta took a couple of deep breaths knowing what waited on the other side of the door. He'd heard the stories about the recruits who looked through the schism. Some were inspired, some went mad, and others ran.

What if he went mad?

"Before you take your glimpse into the schism and prepare to become Time Lords in training, you must first honor the Goddess of Time."

The professor moved so that the group could see the statue and Theta stared at the familiar image of the woman. She guarded over the fountain in his home village and he had seen her picture in books from the library. The woman looked at them with long flowing hair and a dress that still seemed to swish even though she was a statue.

"There are three Goddesses and each one serves as a reflection to a founder of Galifrey. The Goddess of Time is a reflection of one of Galifrey's Founders, The Other. Legend has it that the Goddess of Time took in the vortex to save the man she loved. They were soon separated and eventually she found her way back to him not once but twice. That second time, they found their forever and he joined her as Time's Champion."

"Does she have a name?" Theta's question came out before he could stop it.

"It has been lost to time, and even if it hadn't it would be hidden, much like your true name Theta."

Theta nodded.

The professor held up a basket of red flowers that had a blue ribbon tied around their stems. "As your name is called, you are to take a flower, place at at the Goddess' base and then proceed into the chamber. This is the moment that your lives change forever. This is the moment where you come face to face with time.

With that, the professor began, calling out name after name. Theta began bouncing on the balls of his feet, part of him not being able to help wanting to go out into the grass of his favorite hillside and play tag with Koshiel and their friends.

Those days were behind them though as he knew that years of schooling were ahead so that they could become Time Lords. His parents were so proud of him being accepted into the Academy and he hoped that someday he would be able to make a difference, like the goddess' champion.

"Theta Sigma." The professor called, looking at him.

Taking a deep breath, Theta went up and got his flower. Taking it over, he knelt by the statue. "If you ever need another champion, let me know."

With that, he walked into the chamber and to the schism and his future.

It reminded her of that day in 1987, the day her father died. Even though that had been a lifetime and a universe ago, looking back she saw the shift in her first Doctor after her first encounter with a Dalek and knew what he had done was incredibly stupid.

But he had done it for her. And that was the kind of thing that had made her fall for him. For both versions of him. She had fallen head over heels for big ears, harsh Northern accent, and leather jacket, but if she was honest, her heart belonged to the perfect haired, long coat wearing Doctor who had lost her, left her, and loved her.

A good sized crowd crowded around the casket as Rose Marion Tyler-Noble stood to the fringe of the crowd thinking back to that day. It wasn't grim or stormy, it was just another day.

Except this day, this was the day she finally lost her Doctor once and for all.

Pulling her coat close and checking her hood, she listened as the minister began to talk.

"We are gathered her today to honor and remember the life of Dr. Jonathan Smith Tyler-Noble. Jonathan lived a full life in dedication to his planet and his research has and will continue to keep Earth safe. He is proceeded in death by his mother in law, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentice Tyler, his father in law, Peter Alan Tyler, and his wife Rose Marion Tyler-Noble."

Rose looked over to see her parent's tombstones staring back at her as if they were mocking her. She wondered if Mickey was still alive in the other universe and if he had found someone. She wondered what she was going to do.

Because her life was about to be lowered into the ground.

He had lived a long life. Not too long after they had arrived in the alternate universe they had estimated that his body was about 38. They were married within a year and had 55 beautiful years together. Though, as far as the public was concerned, they had only had 25.

Rose had been dead for 25 years.

It was about ten years before they noticed she wasn't aging. Somehow she still looked like she was in her twenties when she was almost 85. Most people would be thrilled, but to her it was a nightmare. Constantly hiding, constantly lying and realizing the sickening thought.

She could have given the Doctor his forever.

They figured it was the Bad Wolf, she finally got the story out of Jonathan. How Jack couldn't die, why he had to regenerate, what happened. And they figured it stopped her aging, even though the Doctor had thought he'd gotten all of the vortex out of her.

They made do, because it was the Doctor and Rose Tyler, as it should be. They married, rose through the ranks of Torchwood, and were together. Even the thought of never having children together, while a burden, didn't drive them apart.

But finally, age did.

As the funeral ended, Rose wandered over to her parent's graves, leaving flowers for them as she did every week or so. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the crowd as the lingered over her husband's funeral. She wanted them to leave, wanted to have one last minute with her Doctor, her Jonathan, before he was gone from her for forever.

"Rose."

She turned to see Tony walk up to her. It was weird that her little brother looked older than her, after all he was turning 60 next month, but he still looked up to her. He also was her secret keeper and the one who helped her go underground.

The tears came as she rushed to give him a hug. "I don't know what I'm going to do, Tony. He's gone and I'm not going anywhere. You'll be gone in 20-30 years and…"

"Don't talk like that." He pulled away just enough to be able to give her a stern look. "Meet me in my office at 8. Jonathan gave me something that I swore I would give to you when he was gone."

She nodded, wondering what secret her brother and her beloved had kept from her.

The crowd finally dispersed and she walked over, running her hand over the casket. She turned to the headstone that had her name on it as well as her "death date" and would soon has his alongside.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Jonathan." She whispered as the tears fell. "It was supposed to be you and me and we were going to grow old and be happy."

She laid the rose she'd been holding on the casket, a TARDIS blue ribbon tied around it's stem.

The crew stood by and Rose knew she needed to let them get on with the job of lowering the casket. She started to walk away before turning back. "I'm going to prove you wrong. It's my only choice, Doctor. I'm going to find a way back to you."

It was a few minutes before 8 when she headed up the elevator to her old office, the one that Tony now worked out of as the head of Torchwood. The difference between this Torchwood and the one that had started this whole mess was night and day and she couldn't be prouder of the work that her father, her Doctor, she, and Tony had put in to make this an organization to be proud of.

Walking in the office, she found herself alone and turned to see a photograph that was about 40 years old. It was a large picture of her family. Her mom, dad, Jonathan, her, and Tony. Tears came again at the sight of those gone and how she looked the same all these years later.

Everything has it's time but when was hers?

"Rose."

She turned to see Tony standing there with a package. "Jon gave this to me on his 90th birthday. He knew his time was close and said to tell you that he meant what he said both times on that bay, even the time you didn't hear the end."

Rose took the package and opened it to find a journal. It was TARDIS blue, a move she knew was intentional by her husband, and seemed to be a few years old. Opening it up, she felt the tears come again as she saw his handwriting that filled every page.

My Dearest Rose,

If this letter is in your possession, then that surely means that I have finally passed on. I'm not sure how I feel about finally dying, when one has lived as long as I have the idea of this death being final is a bit overwhelming. But with the discovery of your lack of aging, I felt it was necessary that I provide you with a guide to get you back to me.

That's right, there is a way back.

You see, I've had a running theory ever since the last minute of being Big Ears and Leather about you. One I never wanted to admit to myself because I knew what it meant. And when you were separated from me and sent here the first time, it only confirmed my suspicions.

And here we are and now I'm fairly certain.

You, or rather the Bad Wolf, was known on Galifrey as the Goddess of Time. She was a powerful being that stood guard over my village as well as the chamber that housed the Untempered Scism. It was said that she took in the time vortex to save her love and that they were separated not once but twice. When she got back to him, they found their forever and he joined her as Time's Champion.

That makes me Time's Champion. My seven-year-old self would be so proud.

Inside this diary are notes, thoughts, musings, whatever I thought you might need return and claim your champion. Take care my love and return to your universe and I truly hope that you find him/me.

All my love,

Jonathan

PS: On the last page is a list of things that I wasn't able to fix. Just take a look because the other me won't have the courage to ask you. But he's, I've, we've lost so much and you know how rare it is that everyone lives and that everyone gets their happily ever after.

Closing the diary, Rose held the book close. "There's a way back."

"What?" Tony's jaw dropped. "Are you sure?"

"He seems to think so and that's all I need." Rose smiled for the first time since her husband had passed away. "I'm going to get home."

She looked at the book in her hands. "I'm coming, Doctor."

Why was it that funerals, at least the ones Rose attended, were on such sunny and cheerful days. While it had been 23 years since her Jonathan was buried, these days still reminded her of the adventures they had around London and the rest of the globe.

But today brought no happy memories as she was here to say goodbye to the last thing she had holding her in this universe. And even with over 20 years to think on it, she was no closer to getting home and finding her Doctor.

She promised him forever and if she couldn't deliver it she didn't know what she was going to do.

"We are gathered here today to honor the life of Anthony Sigma Tyler."

Rose smiled at the mention of Tony's middle name. It was a piece of her Doctor after all. Her mum and hopped that it would help this boy live up to the other man that held that name, at least in his younger years. The day she'd found out about that name, not his true name, but the one from his younger days, was an accident yet a fun memory.

"Rose, we need to split up. You take the domestic approach."

"And you'll be you?" She smiled at him.

He shook his head, smiling at her as he handed her the psychic paper. "In case you run into any trouble."

"What about you?"

Reaching into the pocket of his impossibly long coat, he pulled up what looked like business cards handing one to her. "I think this will work in here."

She didn't make it past the name, Theta Sigma. "What kinda name is Theta Sigma?"

"It was my name in the academy, since our true names were not to be spoken." With that, he took off, leaving her holding the card and the piece of him he had given to her.

It might not have meant a lot to him, it might have, he was hard to read, but it meant the world to her.

The minister kept delivering the eulogy and Rose couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do now that she found herself alone in a very unforgiving universe.

The minister kept talking but Rose knelt down by her husband's grave. "I want to keep my promise, you know I do. But I don't know how. I don't know if I can and if I can't…"

A sob escaped and Rose put a hand on the headstone to steady herself. "Jonathan, you believed I could get back. I wish we had talked about it."

Her gaze wandered to her parents' graves and her mother's words that were almost a century ago and a universe away rang through. "And you'll keep on changing. And in forty years time, fifty, there'll be this woman, this strange woman, walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. But she's not Rose Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human."

Not even human.

There was a difference between knowing and accepting it. She didn't know what she was anymore. Shoot, she had celebrated her 100th birthday a few years ago, she'd gone to get chips with Tony, yet she didn't look a day over 25, if that. The waitress had mistaken her brother for her grandfather and they'd laughed it off because it's not like the truth would make sense.

The funeral ended and the crowd dispersed and like 20 years earlier, Rose found herself alone to say goodbye. "Tony, I always wondered what it would be like to have a little brother growing up. I'm glad I got you, you made living here, being trapped her, more bearable. When I get back, I'll tell the Doctor about how you helped me and how you defended this world. And he'll laugh and say that that's what Tylers do."

She grabbed a long-stemmed rose and laid it on the casket. "Goodbye Tony."

Leaving the cemetery, she headed back to the house she had shared with her husband. It still smelled of him and part of her could imagine he would come through that door, throw her that smile and say the words she had waited years to hear.

But she knew he wouldn't and as she let herself in, she wondered what she was going to do. The journal sat on the table, pages upon pages of her own notes scattered around it. Even with all that, she was no closer to figuring out how to get back to the "prime universe" as Jonathan had called it.

She guessed it was for that reason that she found herself on Dalig Uld Strandem hoping that this location would give her some clarity. She sat on the rocks, not too far from where she'd said goodbye that first time.

The waves came into the bay and if she chose to ignore that this place was one full of bittersweet memories, she could see the beauty in it.

Pulling the diary out of her backpack, she turned to a particular passage.

I remember that day on Bad Wolf Bay, the first time around when I ran out of time before I told you I loved you. Since we found ourselves on that same beach a few years later, I've tried to make up for not telling you that day. But I love you, Rose Tyler. Even if this version of me is gone, the one in the prime universe still loves you.

It broke my hearts to not be able to come to that beach that day and take you back to the TARDIS and go on to all of time and space. But I didn't have an option then. That goodbye was the best I could do and know that I spent months trying to find another option.

Remember when we were both left? That day that I realized what the other me realized, that we could have our "forever" just not in the way I had originally thought. That kiss on the beach as he went back to his universe, I'm sure it broke his hearts but it made me the happiest man alive.

I missed those moments alone in the library, the little touches we had, the moments that we would never admit to your mother. I missed you and that smile that is so unique and so special. And there I was, on the beach that originally broke my hearts but this time I was trapped with the woman I loved and the idea that our forever wasn't so unreachable anymore.

Closing the diary, Rose looked out over the ocean, wrapping in the shawl that she had gotten with Jonathan shortly after they were married. He said the colors reminded him of Galifrey and Rose got it to give him a piece of his home world.

Suddenly she heard a crash and saw a …. A motorcycle. It appeared out of nowhere and rode onto the beach. Sitting on it was a brunette woman who looked younger than Rose. The bike came to a stop a few feet from her and the woman turned to her.

"Hey, Goldilocks! You coming?"

AN: I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading. I appreciate it!