I was going to begin with the doomsday AU chapter but I just randomly started with this one. I know the doctor is slightly OOC but it was intentional as you will see.

James was never really talented at anything. He flunked college, certainly didn't have what you could call an athletic body and was nowhere even near rich. Bartending was the best he could do and he was fine with it; a small flat, enough money to get by and lots of free time to catch the football matches on telly.

But if there was one thing he prided on, it was the fact that he was a people person. He had no idea why but they always ended up divulging all their secrets, their deepest sorrows, worst regrets and he was always there for them, listening eagerly and encouraging them. Others collected stamps or trophies, he collected stories. Maybe thats why he loved his job so much

By now he thought he had heard all the sob stories, the betrayals, the losses. That was until 'he' came. He never caught his name in the five minutes he got to speak with him but those five minutes changed his life.

《Line break》

"James you're late again", jack said indignantly as he got out from behind the booth and gestured him to take his place," Its not the first time you've made me work past my shift. "

Taking his place he called out to jack's retreating figure," sorry mate, won't happen again".

"Thats what you say everytime", came back the retort and james grinned. Another usual day.

3 hours had passed and it was nearing midnight. Most of the customers had already left or were too inebriated to talk coherently. He was just itching to leave. Just another fifteen minutes, he thought to himself, and he could be off.

Suddenly, the familiar sharp sound of the door opening alerted him. That was unusual, people never came this late. He looked up to see a man in late twenties with floppy hair and green eyes. But the man was adorned in really odd clothes for someone visiting a small-time bar. A bowtie for Christs sake!

But nonetheless it was a new face; a new story to fathom and he was always up for it. The man took his seat at he booth as James stepped forward, a washcloth in hand to sweep off the mess on the table."What would you like to...", he began but trailed of when the man glanced at him. Those green eyes had a haunting look about them. Never had he seen eyes so old...so old and tired like they held the burdens of the entire universe.

He blinked and mentally reprimanded himself. Why did he zone out? The late nights must be getting to him.

Before he could begin again, the man stopped him," Nothing really. I...I just want to sit". The man's broken voice was so full of suffering and pain that he couldn't bring himself to tell him to leave. He had seen lots of defeated men, men who had lost everything, but this man seemed like he was carrying hundreds of years of burdens upon his shoulders.

He had never felt this compelled to do something so much before, but there was no way he was leaving without hearing this man's story. Leaning down on the wooden table he looked into those eyes again, those unfathomable deep eyes that seemed to draw him towards it like it had a hold over him,"So what happened?"

The man seemed confused, surprised even. His face morphed into a more guarded one as he eyed him suspiciously," What do you mean?"

"Your story mate! What happened to you? I have seen lots of men who come here to drown out their loneliness and sorrow. They all have one thing in common though. They're just looking for someone to share it with. ."

The man seemed to relax a bit," And why would you think I am sad"

James guffawed" That shattered lost look on your face for starters. Seriously man you just seem so genuinely broken like you might just kill yourself if you got the chance." Suddenly James felt incredibly uncimfortable" You're not gonna do that now are you? 'Cause really mate...". He tugged at his collar trying to ease the tension. He had no idea why he was at such a loss of words. Usually he could talk at a million miles per hour.

The man finally smiled a little,"Nothing like that". However he didnt continue any further,rather turning his head downwards.

James waited for a whole five minutes, hoping he would come around. Finally, he sighed in defeat as the impatience took over. There was no way he was going to force this man. The man seemed so fragile as it is. Washing the last of the glasses and doning on his jacket, he was just about to ask the man to leave when the man spoke," Rose".

James stopped himself in his tracks. It was not just because the man was about to tell him something about himself, but the way he said those words, the raw emotions pouring out from that one single syllable was enough to arrest him on the spot.

"What did you say?", he said as retraced his steps.

"Rose", the man said again," that was her name. Rose Tyler. My Rose Tyler", the man gestured him to sit besides him. James was supposed to be locking up the bar by now but right now he didn't care. Overcome by sheer curiosity, he sat besides this mystery of a man, placing his coat on the booth and motioning him to go on.

The man took a long breath," I..I was a war-hardened soldier at that time. I had lost everything in that war, everything and the worst part?, it was all my fault!, my freakin fault!", by this time the man's voice had escalated to a shout. The unbriddled emotions were escaping him and and James was sure that he had never told anyone about this before.

The man seemed to regain his composure,"I no longer wanted to live. I was tired. Tired of life,loss, sadness, loneliness. I was this close to finally giving in when she came into my life. All pink and yellow, full of life and youth and hope. She was so beautiful, so pure of heart, innocent. And you know what I did?", the man's face was inches from his and James was seriously doubting his decision. The near manic gleam in the man's eyes wasn't helping him either.

"I took all that beauty and crushed it! Every last bit of it! She didn't deserve it. She loved me. Oh she was so brave and me, I was a coward. Couldn't even say those three words, me, when I had a chance and now there will never be another again. You know the first words I ever said to her were 'run'. But it was me who ran, always me. She was there waiting for me everytime, every single freaking time. I..I broke her. That look in her eyes as she..left it shattered my hearts. She-she was my world and I threw it away. Just because I did not want suffer lose again. So selfish", the man's voice had turned to a melancholy whisper.

James had no idea how to respond. It wasn't the story, it was the emotions behind them. He could make out that the man had just given him a small glimpse into the events of his life and even that left him utterly dumbfounded. He clasped the man's hands within his own.

"Then find her. If you still love her, find her and bring her back to you".

"I can't, she is somewhere out of my reach. I tried everthing but I can't"

"There is always a way you just need to be determined enough to find it"

The intense moment passed as the man stood up with a confident look," Maybe..maybe you are right". After that he began mumbling some wierd sciency stuff that James could make no sense of. He caught some snippets of 'time rotor' and 'parallel worlds' but that only managed to confuse him more.

The man snapped out of his thoughts when the gong for midnight sounded. He began making his way out of the bar barely glancing at James. When James was just about sure that the man had completely forgotten about him, he turned back.

"Thank you", he whispered, his eyes shining with warm gratitude. With that he was off and James was left to ponder over what exactly occured. As he got up, his hand brushed against a piece of paper which he was sure wasn't there before. It must have been the man's he thought as he opened it. In it was written

" James, thats your name right? Go to the stationery shop next door and ask the man to give you a lottery ticket I gave him. Just say geronimo and he'll give it. Its the winning numbers. Don't ask me how I know, I just do

- the man who just left a minute back I think..I dunno if I got the time perfectly.