Author's Note- I am going to try to make this story as original as possible, and that means that the Tenth Doctor never met Rose, Martha, or Donna. I just want to start with the Tenth Doctor and his companion Ruth Finlay, my original character.

I will explain how they met later, but for now, just go with it. I am going to make references to episodes that had Rose, Martha, and Donna, but remember, in my story, it is just Ruth.

As far as the Inheritance Cycle, I have a pretty clever way of integrating the Doctor. Those who know the books very well might already have an idea of what I mean. If not, then you will find out. I am going to start at the beginning of Eragon and work my way through the series. Yes, that is four books, but I never said this was going to be a short story.

With that, my pacing might be fast. This story is intended for those who know Dr. Who and the Inheritance Cycle really well. I will do my best to explain the background information, but that is not always guaranteed. This story is set in Alagaesia, but I am not going to mention every detail of the story. If I make a jump, it's to progress the story.

And yes, the Doctor will be gone for a while, but as always, he comes back. ^^

The Fair Hero

Chapter 1

Rrar rrar rrar. The metallic siren sound of the TARDIS made Ruth Finlay crack a wide smile as she watched the Doctor run around the controls. Outside, the police box disappeared from the Earth travelling into the Time Vortex, a vast expanse of tubular multi-colored lights that zoomed past the ship at an unfathomable speed. In fact, it reminded her of the old Science Fiction shows she used to watch when she was a child where the spaceship would enter lightspeed causing the world around them to become a blur of color and light. The light whipped past the ship in long strips allowing the ship to reach its destination in a matter of minutes.

Ruth had no idea where the Doctor was taking her, but she was very excited, as always. She had been with the Doctor for seven months, though it felt much longer; travelling with the Doctor always felt like an endless journey. She knew her time with him would have to end, but until then, she relished every moment she had.

Her life before the Doctor was not dull by any means, yet it lacked a certain depth. She was lost in her life, working as a waitress and being constantly surrounded by her friends. They would go clubbing every Saturday and spend the rest of the week planning their next outing, a lifestyle that Ruth did not fully approve of, but lived nonetheless. She was young and life was short, and she wanted to live it to the fullest. Yet, during all that time, she had accomplished nothing. She worked almost every day during the week and partied on the weekends, and that was it; that was her life until the Doctor showed up and gave her something better, something to live for.

The siren was ceased by a constant whirring, an indication that the TARDIS was now inside the Time Vortex. "So, where are we going now?" Ruth asked as if on cue. On her last trip, The Doctor had taken her to a planet that was almost 100% water. It was called Sachiel, named after the mermaid-like creatures that inhabited the aquatic planet. Ruth had admitted that Sachiel was definitely on her Top 10 Favorite Planet list. She was always writing and making lists—helped her stay organized. Life in the TARDIS was confusing, so she had started to write things down to help her remember where she had been, terms and phrases the Doctor would use, and how long she had been away from her life on Earth.

"You'll see," the Doctor said in reply as he stopped running around the controls to remain in one fixed spot, navigating the TARDIS. His tone was forced as he tried to share her enthusiasm, but Ruth knew better; the Doctor was downhearted and his mood darkened hers, a feeling she despised.

"What's the matter?" She walked over to his side where she placed her warm hand upon his shoulder.

The Doctor tore his brown eyes off the control panel to look at Ruth. His eyes were soft and full of sadness, but his lips formed into a smile. "I'm taking you to the perfect place."

Ruth narrowed her eyes, unsatisfied with his answer. "What does that mean?"

"You'll see."

After several failed attempts to get him to talk, Ruth was forced to give up. The Time Lord was stubborn—too stubborn—and she knew he would not say another word until he was ready. Ruth found herself glued to his side, waiting patiently; the Doctor could not remain silent forever.

Ten minutes passed before the metallic siren sounded again, marking their landing. When the sound stopped, the Doctor motioned for his companion to look outside. "What's out there?" Ruth could be very stubborn as well, refusing to move until she got answers.

"The perfect planet." The Doctor avoided her gaze as she stared at him.

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning exactly what I said."

"How is that possible? Every planet has its flaws." Ruth had found that out the hard way, along with the Doctor. No planet was ever perfect.

The Doctor pressed a button on the control panel before responding. "Just take a look outside; only then will you begin to understand what I mean."

Ruth groaned at his brusque reply and gave up, walking towards the stairway that led to the door. When her hand was upon the latch, she turned her head to look at the Doctor who started to run around the ship as if looking for something. "Are you coming?" Her question was met with silence, so with a sigh, she finally exited the police box.

An endless array of trees entered her line of vision as a gentle breeze tickled her light brown skin, rustling her brunette curly hair that reached her shoulders. Ruth shivered; she was wearing a black T-shit with multi-colored lips printed upon the cotton and blue jeans. On her feet were athletic shoes, the only shoes a companion of the Doctor should wear given all the running they normally have to do.

The chirping of birds and the humming of insects made Ruth relax a little; sounds of life and serenity was always a good sign. Allowing herself a smile, Ruth walked up to the nearest tree to place her hand upon its rough bark. Growing up in London, she was not used to nature and now she was completely immersed in a vast wood. It's so beautiful! Becoming a bit silly, she hugged the tree.

"Should I leave you and the tree alone?" Ruth yelped at the Doctor's sudden voice.

Pulling out of the embrace, she turned around to look at him. His demeanor was still melancholy, though, he sounded somewhat content. He was wearing his blue suit with a red tie making him look exceedingly handsome, especially with his heartening smile. The Doctor was an alien-a Time Lord more specifically—yet he had the appearance of a human man. She had to remind herself that he was not human, a task that became difficult at times.

"Very funny," Ruth replied, embarrassed. She was glad her skin was tanned to conceal the blush that danced upon her cheeks. "I am glad to see you have left your beloved TARDIS for the great outdoors. Care to join me on this adventure?" A sassy grin crossed her lips; she loved her comebacks.

The Doctor laughed slightly before composing himself. He had no time to succumb to her charm—he had a very important, and painful, task to complete and time was running out. "Not this time, Ruth."

Taken aback, she asked, "Then why are we here, Doctor?"

The Doctor sighed heavily and said, "I do not have much time to explain, so listen very carefully. I have to go away for a while and you cannot come with me. There—" Ruth tried to interrupt, but he placed his hand up to silence her. In her eyes and face he saw her confusion, fear, and sadness, an expression that he could relate to.

"There is…" Again, his sentence was cut off, this time by a loud beeping that came from the TARDIS. "Blimey!" He shouted into the air to vent his distress.

Ruth walked towards him until only about sixteen centimeters separated them and placed her hands upon his clean shaven cheeks. She made him look at her before she asked, "Doctor, please, tell me what is going on."

He took her hands off his face to hold them as she spoke in a hushed voice that held such conviction; every word he uttered was the truth. "Someone is after you and the only way I can keep you safe is by leaving you behind. I will come back for you, though, it might be a while. You will be safe here, that I can guarantee."

"Who is after me? Tell me, Doctor!" When his response was only a pained look, she took a small step back and asked, "Isn't there some other way? You can't just leave me here." Despite her will to stay strong, tears still fell from her eyes in defiance. His words were like poison, sickening her the more they sunk in.

"I can't tell you—spoilers." The last word was mentioned with a little pizzazz, but, after, he cleared his throat and began again, back to his former disposition. "I wish there was another way, but I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Ruth Finlay, this marks the end of our travels."

He let go of her hand and reached into his pocket taking out a vintage silver locket. It was oval shaped and had three roses with leaves carved into the bottom while a floral border encompassed the rest of its edges. Where the chain met with the locket, two shorter chains branched off. One chain had a translucent pink bead attached at the end and the other had the same bead followed by a small metal dove.

"Doctor, this necklace, it's stunning." That was all Ruth could say about the gift; all her other words and emotions were left unspoken, depicted by her visage.

"It's not just a necklace," he said, handing it to Ruth.

She carefully took the necklace and began to trace the design with her fingers. "What is it then?"

"I can't tell you that, but I can say this: only open this locket when the time is right, otherwise…" He trailed off as his meaning was understood by his friend and faithful companion.

"How will I know when the time is right?" She placed the necklace around her neck as she spoke.

"You will know, trust me. You still trust me, don't you?" Ruth nodded as the beeping sound began to accelerate, making the Doctor become almost frantic. "Time is almost up; I have to leave."

"Please, don't go." Ruth begged when the Doctor let go of her other hand to enter the police box.

"I have to. That annoying beeping sound is a timer, and once it stops, it will be too late. I have to leave now. Goodbye, Ruth Finlay. You really are brilliant; stay that way." Then, he began to close the door, but before he had the opportunity, Ruth flung herself at him for one last embrace.

"You had better come back," she whispered into his ear, kissing his cheek after. With all her strength, she let go of him and took a few steps back, giving him enough clearance to leave.

"I will come back for you Ruth. How could I ever forget you?" This time, his eyes seemed to be smiling, the last look she saw before the door closed, severing their connection. Less than a minute later, the TARDIS vanished.

Ruth stared at the empty location; she was all alone, a situation that frightened her more than anything. For seven months he had been her life, and now he was gone. Her mind tormented her with thoughts of the Doctor and their travels, the images vivid in her head, reeling around like she was watching some movie. Aliens, planets, spaceships, and her life in the TARDIS all came to her like a flood. Every fiber of her being longed to hear the metallic whirring of the wonderful blue box, the blue box that had changed her life forever, but was now as distant as a memory.

Ruth closed her eyes and listened. She heard the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves in the light breeze that still caressed her skin, and metallic whirring. A smile crossed her lips as she envisioned the ship reappearing before her. The sound became louder and louder, feeling more real by the second. When the sound had stopped with a slight thud, she decided to quit her silly thoughts and open her eyes to face the cruel reality.

There, standing a few feet in front of her was none other but the TARDIS. She jumped back when the door suddenly flew open to reveal the Doctor. "Sorry, I forgot to mention something very important: Do not under any circumstances tell anyone where you are really from, nor anything about me. Got that?"

Frozen with shock, Ruth simply nodded. Her reaction made the Doctor flash her a quick smile before he disappeared behind the door. Moments later, the TARDIS vanished for the second time leaving Ruth feeling entirely crushed. With the Doctors sudden reappearance, she had gained the slightest hope that he had come up with another plan, but he had torn that away as well. Feeling vulnerable, and very tired, Ruth lost her balance and fell to the ground where she violently sobbed into the dirt.