Hi, haven't really been on much. Thought I'd start this. If anyone seems out of character, or something doesn't make sense, please notify me. I will strive to correct it.

Any opinions or suggestions also welcome. This story is about six chapters long so far. Nowhere near complete yet.

Alright, BBC owns Doctor Who, and anything you recognise as theirs.

Rose Tyler had a faint inkling in the back of her head, that this was a bad idea, very, very bad.
She was willing to blame it on the smog filling her nose with bitter fumes, dragging her spirits down.
She knew it wasn't the smog.

To be fair, she knew he had been here, he had to. How she'd managed to find an outfit for the time she couldn't remember, she just hoped it passed off. Better they think she's just looking for a missing friend, then looking for someone totally out of their time.

Or maybe in, he had apparently had a soft spot for the dresses, even if he only changed his jumper.

The office, Selby and Lockhart, was bustling, but they seemed to just be running back and forth, one little boy, probably twelve, carying a box that had to be as big and heavy as him, slowly dragged his feet across the room, apologising when he ran into her. She hoped this place would be helpful. She couldn't jump again...

"Who are you?" The porter, she thought at least, asked gruffly.

She jumped slightly, she'd forgotten people weren't always trying to make you feel partially comfortable. He wanted her gone and that was that.

"I'm looking for someone, can you tell me where Mr Selby is?" She asked boldly. The bag on her shoulder was poised so she could run if anyone went at her. The man seemed to lighten as she said that.

"He isn't here, but Mr Higgs will look after you." The man glared down the hall and rang for another boy to come.

"Yeah, what do you want?" A voice that she'd never heard before, but somehow remembered, started. She turned and looked at him.

He was young, about as young as she looked really. Brown hair, the Doctor would be bored, the tie around his neck was a bowtie though. She noticed it looked a little out of place on him, but she guessed so did bleach blonde hair on her. She almost couldn't say anything.

"Oi, that's mine." He growled at the porter, taking the book the man had been reading, well, it did look more like a journal. He didn't even notice Rose.

"Love the bowtie." She managed. He stopped, almost dropping the retrived book. She noticed how he didn't breath for a few seconds. Had she startled him that much? He mouthed a single word, that she missed.

"Do what you told." The porter growled back, ignoring Rose. "Take the young miss to see Mr Higgs." He turned to Rose, "Forgive him, miss. He wasn't caught young enough to tame." He muttered loudly, not seeing the grin the boy had on his face, that Rose was nearly mirroring.

He wasn't one for being tame, she could deal with that. She really wasn't good with Victorian ettiquette.

He arched his head to the side, as he offered her an hand.

"This way, miss." He offered kindly as he turned to pull a face at the porter. He was enjoying antagonising him, she could tell. His breath was hitched though, like he thought she'd reject him. She took it, noticing just one heartbeat running through his veins.

"So what's your name?" He asked her suddenly. She almost tripped. He looked apologetic. "I need to give Higgs one, I don't care if it's real." He explained. She stopped breathing for a second. "If it helps, I'm James Taylor." He told her with a muffled laugh, and a wry smile cast along his face. "But I'm just called Jim." He added on as an afterthought.

"M-my name?" She finally started shakily. She didn't know why, she could've told anyone else to just call her Ma'am or Wolf, but she couldn't say it to him. Why? "I'm... I'm Sally Lockhart." She squeaked, she knew how fake that sounded. Hopefully it seemed plausible, it had when she'd read the book... Oh, he'd laugh when he found out. Jim smiled at Rose, but his eyes looked hollow, seeing through the lie.

"Well, then Miss Lockhart..." He sounded much more chipper than he looked. What was he telling himself? "I would have liked to be 'that' Fred." he muttered, then scowled. "No, no, forget that. I'm Jim, not Fred." He said and went on like he'd never said a word. "I'll be helping out Fred later. Even if he wants her to call him Rory. I really shouldn't start that fiancee thing... again." He said conversationally.

She stared at him. He ignored it, she could tell, as he checked over a fob watch she barely managed to glance at. Rose Tyler hadn't spent 3 years with the real Doctor and who knows how many with the human Doctor, to not look for little details. She focused on him again.

His steps were akward, like they were a toddler's, but they were quick ready to run, even if he fell. But she couldn't tell if they were his. While they strode forward to the office, Jim became progressively happier. HIs hand gripped her's with a tight, knowing grip. She sighed sadly, everyone reminded her of him, didn't they?

"Mr Higgs, a Miss Lockhart to see you." He snickered, and Rose lightly laughed with him.

When he'd noticed her, he felt like he should laugh. He didn't know why. Apart of him said it was irony. That was after his heart had skipped a beat.

Love the bowtie. Of course she would, he thought hapily to himself. Why did that make him so happy?
His lips formed a word he didn't realise he'd said.

He hadn't even noticed Mr Millers' demand, just the part about 'not young enough to tame'. Jim grinned. For some reason, this was extremely funny, he couldn't tell why, and the girl seemed to think so too.

He recognised her face, but he couldn't place where. His hand itched for contact with her's, he realised soon after.

"This way, miss." He offered quietly, thinking over why she looked so familiar. His hand was offered akwardly. For a moment he was worried she would reprimand him, but somehow he knew she wouldn't. She took his hand, and the itch became a soothing touch. He felt her heartbeat, and he counted their pulses in his head.

An echo of two hearts...

Who was she? He asked himself again as he pulled a face at Mr Millers, he was too fun to not antagonise after all.

"So what's your name?" Jim asked her, surprised he hadn't been told it already, most women seemed to need their identity certified by every man they met, but not this girl. Not this red-clad rose. She stopped, startled and almost fell over her rather amazing dress, if he'd admit it. He fought the urge to snort, then apologise. "I need to give Higgs one, I don't care if it's real." He told her, because he honestly didn't, he'd like the real one, but she didn't need to give it to him. "If it helps, I'm James Taylor." He noticed her draw a breath, " But I'm just called Jim." He added, simple names were better. Or funny ones, James was just... boring. Something unique and meaningful was good, but he couldn't live this life as the Doctor.

"M-my name?" She asked almost choking on the air she used. She took longer than he'd expected, she really wasn't using a name she would relate herself with then..."I'm... I'm Sally Lockhart." She stuttered weakly.

"Well, then Miss Lockhart..." He knew she was lying, not because the unapproriateness of the combination, but something deep down in his memory. What was it? Why couldn't he remember?
"I would have liked to be 'that' Fred." He muttered to himself, but a slight twinge entered his chest, a pain that he should never have felt, he couldn't remember anything to bring such a sting. "No, no, forget that. I'm Jim, not Fred." He muttered, voicing his thoughts to the girl. "I'll be helping out Fred later." He told her conversationally, then he recalled that Fred's behaviours. "Even if he wants her to call him Rory. I really shouldn't start that fiancee thing... again."

It was strange, he knew they were married, but they hadn't always been set to. He was a scholar, of sorts, and she, Amelia, was a spitfire, that seemed to love antagonising him. Everywhere the trio went, Fred had apparently seemed the third-wheel.

They were the same age, but Jim remembered Amelia as a little girl and five minutes later he'd met Fred and her the same age as himself. That was something he'd mentioned in his diary, maybe it was just a dream... Maybe he'd tell her about them.

She was staring at him, he could tell without even glancing at her. He just seemed to have this sense, that something was wrong, and both of them should know something, but didn't. Hi

fs hand tighten around her's, it just fit perfectly in his own, like they were meant to be. She sighed quietly, he almost hadn't heard it. She knew something, but he couldn't tell what. He ignored it. He was still that sort of person, ignore the coincidences, until they come up and bite you.

"Mr Higgs," He announced as he opened the door for her, "A Miss Lockhart to see you." He bowed for her, snickering quietly. She joined him, barely avoiding a barking laugh that he would've loved to hear again. It was ironic, a Lockhart going for help from a Selby.

He stepped away and closed the door.