Chapter 1 – Long Time Coming –

"Where now?" The Doctor grinned cheekily, his childish attitude once again taking precedence over his serious side, prompting Rose to wonder for quite the possibly millionth time, if he really was a doctor. He placed his hands on the TARDIS's control panel, almost as if ready to pounce into a new time. Rose wondered how on earth such a vehicle could be built, as it had a very organic and curvy feel to it that she could not quite place her finger on. It also had the aura of being very old and rusted, a forgotten relic of a once great but ancient race. Could it be as old as the Doctor claimed to be? 900 years was it? Rose suddenly wondered again how he could possibly be 900 years old, especially if he looked only in his mid 30's. Could he really be an alien? She wouldn't be surprised if that were to be the case, as he certainly was very eccentric in his ways, not caring whether his life was in danger.

How many times had he come close to dying? She looked him straight in the eyes.

"Well, err" She paused for a second, "I've picked all the adventures so far, how about you pick?"

"Me?" He looked puzzled for a second "Well, there isn't many places I haven't been, you do tend to travel quite a bit in the TARDIS" He grinned again, raising his eyebrow to Rose, as if to indicate he really wanted her to pick.

It was just as he said this that her mind was cast back to when she first met him. She had instantly known that this man would affect her life, and that he had a certain sense of importance about him, more important than anybody on this earth could possibly conceive. But how important, she did not just yet know. How many times, over billions of years had he saved this planet, and why? Why would he risk his life for this planet if he was an alien? What was so interesting about it that he wanted to put his life in danger again and again just to save her planet. Did he bear some particular bond to it? She would never know. The Doctor had a habit of not telling her important things until their lives were in danger, and she needed to know. However, that was one of his many traits that she had come to accept after spending some time with him. Suddenly, she remembered back to when she tried to research him, and had come across a man named Clive through his website, who had spent most of his life researching the Doctor, and his doings. She remembered a photograph of J.F.K, right before his assassination, in 1963. What was he doing there? Maybe if she went back there, she could possibly find out more about him.

"Oh, I don't know, how about" She paused, pretending to make up a random date. "How about, November" She paused again.

"November?" The Doctor asked, seeming a bit confused, but adding with a sarcastic tone "Well that helps a lot, last November? The next November? I mean, you could be a bit more specific"

"I know, I know, I'm thinking… 1963?"

"November 1963?" What on earth happened then?" He gave her a puzzled look, but she just shrugged, rolled his eyes slightly and then began to set the date on the TARDIS's panels. Good, she thought, he obviously must have gone there quite a long time ago, and since forgotten. She wasn't too surprised she had to admit to herself, after all, if she was gallivanting off around the Universe for 900 years, she might forget some man on a small planet being killed. After all, they had only just recently dealt with the British prime minister being disposed of by Slitheen, who knows how long it would be before the Doctor forgot this whole ordeal as well.

"It's done" he spoke as he glanced up, and then raised an eyebrow to her, asking "You ready then?"

"Ready when you are" she answered, smiling back at him. He laughed slightly, and then proceeded to pull the lever based on the top of the control panel, which she presumed was to activate some sort of time drive, or some other technical nonsense. She would have to ask him at some point, although as he may point out, she probably didn't really need to know. As he carefully pulled down the last switch, she felt a small flutter in her stomach. Were they actually "travelling" through time and space?

How fast was the universe around them changing? The lights on the monitor flashed, the glass panels tinted with a slightly green hue. Suddenly, the noise started. She gave it this name because she had heard no other noise like it before, much like any of the TARDIS's sounds, for they too were detriment to his claim to be alien. The lights shifted down on the time rotor, illuminating the room with a ghastly and spooky glow.

For a split second her heart rose. Her pulse soared. She blinked.

Then it was over.

The Doctor looked at her. "Well, that's it" He pointed to the door, and then nodded his head in that direction. She smiled at him, then turned and walked slowly off towards the door. Not knowing fully what to expect, she cautiously opened the blue door, the grey brown tinge from behind the door and then looked out.

She saw, an alleyway, fairly similar to the one they had left, however, gone was the oldness, littered, abused and torn down alleyway. This one was far more basic, and just composed of bricks, with a concrete floor. But it was clean. She had never seen an alleyway look so clean. It suddenly dawned upon her as she stepped out, that it was indeed 1963, but they hadn't gone anywhere at all. They were still in the same alley as before. Except that now, Rose couldn't see her flat. Or anybody else's flat for that matter either, it just appeared to be very lower bungalows from what she could tell now. Looking upwards, the sky was clean too. She didn't think she had ever seen such a clear sky since she was a kid. When she and her father would used to go to the parks, and go on the swings, the summer breeze in her face, running it's winding fingers through her hair as she soared up and down, dreaming of travel through space and time. Her father… She instantly shut off her mind. No, she couldn't think about that, not now anyway. Well, the Doctor had certainly gotten the time right. No doubts about that. But unfortunately, she needed to go to Texas, not London. She really should have told the Doctor before they left.

The Doctor poked his head around the TARDIS door.

"Disappointed?" He asked with a smile on his face, smirking in a childish manner.

"Huh? Wha… No… Why would I be?" Rose had a genuine look of confusion on her face.

"You wanted to go somewhere else didn't you?"

"What…. No…. How did you…?"

He grinned broadly, folded his arms, in his trademark pose, and with a glint in his eye tilted his head.

"I'm telepathic."