Brilliant. We just saved London from living plastic. Hooray. Saving people is a good thing, right? So why aren't I happy? I'm the Doctor. I'm always happy. Normally. Sometimes. Maybe it's just the weight of somebody else knowing what I am... or part of it. Rose Tyler at least knows that I'm not human.

We're back where we need to be, and Rose's boyfriend- Mickey, I think it was- is trying to hide and looks like an idiot. Rose walks over to him and glances over at me, "A fat lot of good you were." Mickey is still whimpering.

"Nestene Consciousness? Easy," I scoff, choosing to ignore the fact that a human actually did more to save London than me.

"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it weren't for me."

I look Rose in the eye, knowing that she wants me to agree. She doesn't completely know who I am, but she still wants my approval. All humans want approval. All creatures want approval, really. "Yes, I would. Thank you." She smiles a bit, and I'm not certain what to say next. "Right then, I'll be off. Unless... er... I don't know, you could come with me?" I try to say it casually, but I really, truly want her to come with me. I used to travel with people- a long, long time ago- and I miss it. I miss having somebody that understands me at least a little bit at my side. "This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge."

"Don't," Mickey speaks up at last, "He's an alien. A thing." I flinch a little bit on the inside.

"He's not invited. What do you think? You could stay here, fill your life with food and work and sleep, or you could go anywhere." I look her in the eye, barely allowing myself to hope that maybe she'll say yes, and I won't have to be alone anymore.

"Is it always this dangerous?"

What can I do? Lie? She'd find out fast enough. "Yeah."

"Yeah, I can't. I've, er, got to go find my mum, and somebody's got to look after this stupid lump, so..." Her voice trails off, and she bites her lip.

My hearts sink. Of course. I was stupid for hoping. I don't need people. I'm fine on my own. "Okay. See you around." I look away, and close the doors of the TARDIS behind me. "Stupid Doctor," I mumble to myself. Then I leave.

An entire year has passed. Of course, I'm a Timelord, so a year means a lot less for me than it would for, say, a human. But it still means something. An entire year running, saving, defending, and surviving. Not regenerating. I still have the same face as I did the day I met Rose Tyler; I'm still stuck with my same huge ears.

But I've also gone an entire year without a friend. A companion. Yeah, I saved the world a few times, but what's the point if there's nobody to share your success with? Every time I get back to the TARDIS, I stand there in the silence and wait for anything to break it. But nothing ever does. I know I'm saving lives out there, but my heart isn't in it anymore. I've been alone for far too long, and every day feels longer.

I still think about her sometimes. Rose Tyler. When I have nothing to do, nowhere to go, I think about what I could've done differently. Like when she asked her question- "Is it always this dangerous?"- what if if I had said no? Sure, she would've found out that I was lying, but maybe she would have loved it so much that it didn't matter anymore. Or what if had asked for one trip? I could made her one trip so special- taken her somewhere so spectacular- that she wouldn't have wanted to leave.

Or maybe I'm cursed. That's probably a stupid idea, I know, but I never can find somebody who can travel with me. Something always happens. There's always some reason they can't give up their entire lives to travel with an alien stranger with the possibility that they could run into some crazy danger that causes them to die or get stuck somewhere and never see their families again.

Am I asking a bit much? I don't think so. If somebody really cares, they'll come. It won't matter about the worst case scenarios. It'll just matter that we're friends. That I am not alone.

Right now, I'm sitting in the TARDIS, looking at the consol. I should go somewhere to get my mind off of this. Anywhere in all of time and space, as long as I'm not alone with my thoughts. I should go somewhere awesome, somewhere that I've never been. I know they're out there. Somewhere, sometime, the Doctor has never set foot. But where? I need action, I need adventure, I need...

I slump back in my chair, defeated. I'm going mad. I just need somebody to talk to. I haven't told anybody my name since Rose, which means I haven't heard the word "Doctor" in a year. Nobody has saved my life. I smile a bit at nothing, remembering the moment when Rose saved me. Swinging on a rope, gymnastics-ing the manakins... she was a stud. Unstoppable. One hundred and one percent worthy of traveling in the TARDIS. But no, she chooses Mickey and her boring, human-y life.

I wonder what she's doing right now. I guess she could be anywhere, anytime, doing anything. The TARDIS is resting in 2342 at the moment, so I suppose she's dead. Maybe her grave is out there. But just through the time vortex, she could be having dinner, opening presents on Christmas, getting married, or... or... or standing and looking at a vanished TARDIS wondering whether she made the right choice.

I jump up now, thinking fast. How had the idea not occurred to me sooner? If there was even a tiny bit of doubt in her mind, I could go back and try again. What had I told her a year ago? Something about how the TARDIS could go anywhere in the universe? Of course I know it's a time machine; it's mine... But it never occurred to me that she wouldn't know that. Every person has somebody they've always wanted to meet or civilizations they've always wanted to see. With the TARDIS, you can do all of it and still be home for supper.

I laugh and flip a switch on the console; she makes her beautiful travelling noise and I travel backwards to a year ago my time, but 337 years ago on Earth. I travel to less than a minute after I said goodbye.

I hear us landing, and I throw open the door with a grin to see Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith looking at me. "Did I mention it can travel through time?" I ask brightly.

Rose pauses, then she she turns to Mickey. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Exactly." Then she kisses him on the cheek and runs toward me with a grin almost as big as mine.