I wrote this for WhoMe-2's birthday a little while back. She wanted me to share it with all of you, so enjoy!

This story also has an image associated (not really artwork), but it will spoil the mystery of the story, so check it out afterwards from the link on my profile. Be wary, there's also spoiler art for Tower of Eternity at the link, so if you haven't read ToE, you may wish to refrain for now.

"You said it's on Earth?" Rose asked doubtfully from her seat on the captain's chair. "That sounds...boring."

"If you find it boring, then I'm a Slitheen's arm," the Doctor insisted as he flipped seemingly random switches on the center console. "I assure you, this is worth your twentieth birthday."

"Can't I have another hint?" Rose asked, pouting her lower lip.

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply but hesitated, apparently changing his mind. "Let's just say, if you had known me ten years ago, I would have taken you there then."

Rose frowned, his "hint" only confusing her further.

"Aaand, we're there!" the Doctor announced, flipping the hand brake with a flourish as the TARDIS thudded into place around them. He extended an arm towards the door in invitation.

In response to the smug smile on his face, Rose perked an eyebrow in warning as she slid off the chair and walked towards the door. There was a time she would have run in excitement, but after multiple times landing in the wrong place in the wrong time and fleeing for her life, she wasn't as confident as he was. "Don't you think you're all that."

The Doctor grinned, following Rose down the ramp to the door. "I do, and I am."

As the TARDIS door creaked open, a permeating cacophony of insects and birds met her ears. The pungent scent of trees and other vegetation wafted in, and she could see they had landed in some sort of forest. Ancient trees with huge trunks of the darkest brown were all around them, contrasting beautifully with the brightest green foliage illuminated by impressive shafts of sunlight streaming in from the upper canopy.

"It's beautiful," Rose said in awe.

"Isn't it?" the Doctor replied, his smile in his voice. "But just you wait. Come on." The TARDIS door shut behind them and the Doctor moved ahead of her, scooping up her hand as he went and pulling her gently along.

What could it be, Rose wondered? A huge treehouse, or perhaps a flock of exotic birds? This was Earth, so it couldn't be some alien creature she had never seen before. Maybe just a pretty waterfall, with a nice view? What would he be taking her to see out here ten years ago?

"Found it ages ago," the Doctor began conversationally. "Couldn't believe it when I saw it. Extremely rare on Earth, at least in this dimension. Bookmarked it for a special occasion, like today." He looked back at her, offering that smile of his again.

Rose wasn't going to fault him for it this time, his excitement now starting to affect her. At least now she knew it was some sort of rare animal or plant, something on Earth, but what? She concentrated on her footing as the underbrush got thicker, and after a while, the Doctor slowed them down.

"Quiet, now," he said in a near whisper, drawing close to her face in order to be heard. "We don't want to spook it." He began moving ahead of her again, carefully pushing aside the foliage so it didn't make noise.

Even though he had moved away, his sudden closeness had left Rose's heart beating quickly. She tried to ignore it and followed quietly, concentrating on not making a sound. Definitely an animal, then. Time passed in this way, and she was about to ask him how much further when the Doctor stopped, his eyes fixed ahead. When he turned, Rose attempted to interpret the soft expression on his face. Reverent excitement? He moved carefully to one side, ushering her to move up next to him.

"There it is, see?" He pointed, but it wasn't really necessary. In the distance, amongst the browns and greens, Rose's eyes were attracted to something so white, it seemed out of place. It was facing away from them, but when it raised its head and turned it to the side, she recognized the distinct shape of a horse, even if its mane seemed excessively spikey. In the next instant, she saw the long, tapered horn rising majestically from its head.

"Woah," Rose breathed. Chills ran up her spine as she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She simply gaped for a moment, studying the creature's movements to make sure she was seeing properly.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" the Doctor whispered from right next to her.

"Is that a unicorn?" Rose replied, putting as much incredulity into her voice as a whisper could carry.

"It is. A proper one, too. Native to Earth." He paused. "At least, I think it is. Hope so."

Rose peered quizzically at him. "What?"

The Doctor shrugged dismissively. "If it's not from Earth, it's stranded here, and that would be sad. Different species. Long story, for a whisper."

"Right," Rose replied, the Doctor getting complicated and going over her head again. She turned her eyes back to the creature in front of them. "Let's get closer." She began crawling forward when the Doctor grabbed her arm.

"No, Rose, you'll spook it. Trust me, I tried."

"I can barely see it from here! What sort of birthday present is that? If it runs, well, I'll take my chances."

"If it runs, what kind of present is [i]that?[/i]"

Rose frowned at him. "Are you really not giving me a choice? Will it mess up history or something?"

The Doctor stared back at her, then finally released his grip from her arm. "No, it's safe. Of course you have a choice. I just don't want you to be disappointed. Do what you want."

She could tell the Doctor was perturbed, but Rose was willing to take responsibility for scaring it off. Besides, if it saw her, she wasn't going to make any aggressive moves. She would make sure it knew she wasn't going to hurt it. She could do that, right?

Rose crept forward for several minutes more as the Doctor followed her, the unicorn showing no signs yet of noticing them. She stopped, thinking there was no way she could go further without being heard. She crouched down to watch, and the Doctor settled beside her. The unicorn strolled along, presumably searching the ground for tasty grasses to eat. Did they eat grass? It seemed a serene existence, surrounded by deep forest. She could hear water running nearby. Did they have any natural predators like a horse would, or could it defend itself with its horn? She dare not ask the Doctor any of these questions this close in fear of being heard. She looked over to him and found he had been watching her, a soft smile on his face that reached his eyes. Rose smiled back, happy he wasn't upset with her taking a chance. Who could be upset anyway, in the presence of a unicorn?

They continued to watch for a while, and Rose was overcome by a sense of peace. What a wonderful birthday present! She reached for the Doctor's hand and gave it a squeeze. They grinned at each other, message received. The unicorn began to wander away from them and Rose wanted to follow, but there were too many dry branches in front of her. Should they turn back now, leaving it as is and calling it a success? The idea made Rose sad. She really, really wanted to meet it, but would it be foolish to try? Would failure ruin the experience as a whole?

Making her decision, Rose let go of the Doctor's hand and stood up. Moving forward, she stepped on the dry branches. It wouldn't do to meet someone by sneaking up to them, after all. The unicorn's head swiveled immediately in her direction, but Rose didn't stop. The thrill in her heart urged her to move quickly, but she steadied her pace, being as casual as she could. The unicorn didn't run.

Pleased with herself, Rose continued to walk forward. A rock directly in her path made her walk to one side, and it gave her an idea. She continued to approach the unicorn, but she didn't walk directly towards it. Instead, she tried to not focus too much on the unicorn and watch her step instead, moving slightly to one side.

Rose reached somewhat of a clearing, and she realized it was near where the unicorn had been. She could see the source of the water now, a waterfall at the edge of the clearing splashing down rocks into a pond. She was so close, now! Forcing herself to look away and remain casual, Rose glanced behind her. There was no sign of the Doctor, but she knew he could see her. He hadn't followed. [i]Now should be good[/i], she thought, turning to look at the unicorn. It was watching her, still facing away, having not moved. It was [i]right there[/i], she realised, so close!

They both gazed at each other for a few moments, Rose making sure the unicorn could easily see her. The unicorn moved first, turning. It started to come towards her! As it turned in profile, Rose was close enough that she could see it at least appeared to be male. Good, she thought, now she knew how to address him. Not that the unicorn would understand her. Would he?

The unicorn walked slowly in her direction, his ears perked forward towards her. When he reached the clearing, the end of his tail swayed to one side and she could see it wasn't like a horse's tail at all. It was long and tapered like a short-haired cat's tail, but the hair was long in tufts only on the end. Halfway, he stopped and turned his head to the side, looking at her with one eye.

Rose smiled, extending one hand out, palm up. "Hey, boy. You're a pretty one."

He continued to watch her for a moment, then began to walk forward again. This wasn't at all like the Doctor said! The unicorn wouldn't hurt her, right? If anything, if he was scared, he would run...right? He was big, taller than her, like a large horse. She was eyeline with his withers. And he was right...[i]there[/i].

Bravely, Rose kept her hand out, and his nose reached to sniff her. Seemingly satisfied, he turned his head to the side again, looking at her, but he didn't come any closer. Rose found this calming, and in turn, she took a step forward experimentally. The unicorn didn't back away, but instead directed his nose towards her hand once again. Encouraged, Rose brought her hand up and gently touched his muzzle.

"Hello," Rose said softly, grinning. As if in response, a low rumble that almost startled her resonated from deep within his chest. He was so much like a horse in every way, she thought, except for the horn and tail, and perhaps the short mane that stood straight up. "Look at you, with your fancy hair. Trying to show off to the ladies?"

The unicorn seemed more confident at her touch, lowering his head until her hand lay atop the long bridge of his nose. Rose couldn't help but be thrilled at how comfortable he seemed with her. Beaming, she turned to look for the Doctor, but he was still hiding. Of course he was, she thought. He was convinced the unicorn would spook, and he didn't want to sabotage anything.

"Doctor?" Rose called out softly, not wanting to startle the unicorn. "Come on out. He's not afraid, see?" At first there seemed to be no response, so she tried calling a little louder. "Doctor?"

After a few moments, Rose could hear the dry sticks crunching and saw the Doctor appear through the brush, approaching slowly. The unicorn raised his head in alarm, but didn't run. Rose turned back to the unicorn, wanting to calm him, but she thought it best not to reach for him. Instead, she attempted to soothe him with her voice. "It's all right, he won't hurt you. He's my friend. He brought me to see you." The Doctor had paused, noticing the unicorn's unease. "Come on, Doctor. Don't be sneaky about it. Just walk casual."

The Doctor approached again, and Rose watched the unicorn's response carefully. As soon as the Doctor stepped out of the brush into full view, the creature lowered his head and rumbled again, this time louder and more...threatening?

"Ooh, right. I'll just stay right here, then," The Doctor said, standing at the edge of the clearing and clasping his hands behind his back.

"No, Doctor, show your hands are empty," Rose instructed helpfully.

The Doctor brought his hands out, spreading his fingers wide. "I really don't think that's going to help, Rose." As if on cue, the unicorn seemed to relax, raising his head to a more comfortable height, but he was still eyeing the Doctor warily.

Rose smiled at the Doctor in triumph. "See?"

The Doctor frowned. "I think it has more to do with my not coming any closer, honestly." Rose extended her hand towards the creature again. It showed interest, but it was clearly still watching the Doctor, who smiled at their interaction. "It likes you, though."

Rose twisted around. "He, not it."

"Oh, I'm sorry." The Doctor raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side, trying to look past the unicorn's flank from too far away.

Rose was still staring back at him, a cheeky look on her face. "Jealous?"

The Doctor sniffed, amused. "Maybe." The creature rumbled softly, and Rose turned her attention back to the unicorn. "Ooh, now it's jealous. I mean, he. Wants you to pay attention to him, not me."

Rose did just that, running her hand up and down his head. She brought her other hand up to his muzzle. "Wish I'd brought an apple or something. I bet you like apples." She could hear the Doctor muttering behind her, apparently switching to fast-paced geek-speech.

"...Monocerus. All the depictions and legends of the ages. Clearly not all of them true, but which ones? You really are brilliant, Rose. I never believed the stories of maidens taming unicorns. I mean, a horse with a horn, why not. Biologically, easy. Specifically tamed by a virgin, though? I thought that was just an embellishment that took hold and everyone ran with it. I dunno. Are you a virgin, Rose?"

Rose turned her head with a furrowed brow and stared at the Doctor. She couldn't believe what he had just asked her. "Oi!" After a moment she turned back, determined his question did [i]not [/i]need answering. The unicorn was letting her pet down the side of his neck now. She could sense his calmness with her, that he didn't fear her at all, now. The Doctor made him nervous, however, and he was always keeping an eye on him. Rose was expecting the Doctor to keep jabbering on and was curious that he was now quiet, so she looked over at him. He was just standing there, hands in his pockets with a small smile on his face, watching her.

The unicorn rumbled happily at her and took a step forward until Rose's hand was resting on his withers. He then bent his legs and lowered himself to the ground, leaving Rose staring at him in surprise. What did he want? Did he want to rest, with her by his side? If so, why did he step forward, or did that have no meaning? The creature turned his head, briefly touching his side with his muzzle, then straightening his neck to again keep a wary eye on the Doctor.

"I think...he wants you to get on." The Doctor sounded more surprised than Rose was.

Rose's eyes widened. "Really?" She began to move towards the unicorn's back experimentally.

"No, Rose, don't," the Doctor insisted.

She stopped. "Why?"

The Doctor eyed her critically. "Do you know how to ride?"

Rose shrank just a little, but shrugged like it wasn't important. "No."

"Even if you did, this is a wild animal. It's not safe."

Of course this was true, but at that moment, Rose felt a connection to the unicorn she couldn't explain. She quickly mounted his back, and the unicorn began to stand. As she clutched tightly to his mane and wobbled precariously, she shouted back, "Neither is taking me to a world full of Daleks!"

"You know that wasn't my intention! Rose, no!"

The unicorn turned and began to trot away from the Doctor. It was all Rose could do to hold on as they left the clearing, hunching over so the lower branches didn't snag her. She squealed in delight even as she attempted to work out how to move as the creature's back bounced up and down. After a few moments, Rose thought she had a handle on it and was able to just enjoy the moment. Here she was, in the middle of an old growth forest who knows where and when, invited onto the back of a unicorn. Could life get better than this?

The clearing was quickly disappearing, and Rose thought for a moment how terrible it would be if she got lost. How did she turn this thing? "Hey," Rose said. Without really knowing what to do, she snapped her fingers off to one side of her mount's neck, causing one of his ears to swivel towards the sound. She then reached as far forward as she could and tugged his mane to the side. "We've got to turn around. Don't go too far!"

She wasn't sure what did it, but the unicorn turned his head to the side, and his body followed. They were turning! The experience itself was thrilling enough, but having gained some sort of control in this way made it even better. "That's it, good boy! Has anyone ever told you that you're the best unicorn ever?"

Rose felt absolute joy in her heart, like she had walked into an enchanted land at ten years old. Was there anything she couldn't do?

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

The Doctor watched frantically from the clearing as the unicorn carried Rose into the forest and disappeared. "Kidnapped by a unicorn. I can't say I saw that coming." If he ran after them, would the unicorn spook and take Rose further away? What should he do?

After a moment, he saw a flash of white off to his right. When Rose came into view, she looked directly at him and waved. He grinned back in relief and waved back.

"Woohoo!" Rose cheered. "Thanks, Doctor! This is the best birthday ever!"

The Doctor took a deep breath and sighed in resignation. Rose was going to ride a unicorn for her birthday, and there was nothing he could do about it. She was going to worry him sick, but there was nothing he wouldn't do for that girl. He smiled.

"Happy Birthday, Rose."

~End