A/N: Yes this story is girly and cliché. But you know what? I'm writing it anyway. 'Cause it won't get out of my head. I'm trying to accomplish a goal too…Read the note at the end of this to see if I managed it.

On another note, I'd like to mention a site I've created. I'll be mentioning it in the next few chapters I post. Its purpose is to help authors who don't get much recognition and to get everyone feedback so they can all grow as writers. It would be very helpful if you'd take a look! theauthorexchange . freeforums index . php Just take out the spaces, I apologize for having to do that.

She'd said no.

Not that she was the first one to say no. Plenty had before. But he really hadn't thought she'd be one of them.

She was a…strange one, this Rose Tyler. One of the reasons he'd asked her to come with him. She was brave, and kind, and intelligent and just a bit odd.

Rather like me, he thought with a wry grin.

He sighed then and pushed her out of his mind. She'd said no and that was that. No getting around it. He needed a distraction. Some mystery or disaster he could get involved in and forget the recent events.

A bit detached, he walked around the console and set the controls to random. With luck, he'd end up somewhere he'd never been and at the very least get to learn about the races there.

The TARDIS landed without much jostling for once, and with another sigh he stepped out and surveyed the area.

Wherever it was he'd landed it was a busy place, all sorts of different people and species rushing about to who knows where. Everyone was bustling about, talking loudly to each other in order to be heard over the rest of the crowd. Frowning, the Doctor rose up on his toes to see over the mob, wondering what they were all rushing this way and that to get to.

Shops. Dozens and dozens of shops, and vendors, and kiosks, and all sorts of salesmen standing about and trying to persuade passerby to peruse their wares.

He was on Proteus Nine.

He huffed irritably. This was not the kind of place he'd wanted to go. The planet was essentially nothing but a tourist trap, there for the sole purpose of making money off of useless trinkets. The Doctor shook his head, deciding he'd pick a planet on his own this time when something caught his eye.

There was a man standing not far from him, positively staring at him. He might have ignored it – some people were bound to notice a blue box suddenly appearing in the middle of town – if not for the expression on his face. It was a strange mix of surprise, excitement and…recognition? Perhaps he knew the man from somewhere? He was a tall, skinny sort of bloke in a pinstriped suit with hair that seemed to be defying gravity somehow. He couldn't recall ever having met him.

He gave the man a nod of acknowledgement, and again turned to the TARDIS, hoping that would be the end of it, but he felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to see the man standing beside him with an odd grin on his face.

The Doctor stared at him for a moment, and hesitantly asked "…Can I help you?"

"Ah, no, actually, but apparently I can help you."

Incredulous, the Doctor looked at him for another moment before saying "Really? How's that?"

The man rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets, seeming to enjoy himself quite a bit. "Well you see, I happen to know where you've just come from, and where you need to go now."

The Doctor folded his arms, suspicion growing. "And just how do you know that?"

The man's grin widened. "That's not really important. Weeell, I guess it's sort of important. Very important really, though you won't remember that it's important for a while. Until right now actually. Ooh, I had quite a frown back then. You were getting pretty irritated with me if I remember right. Wanted me to get to the point…Oh yes, my point is, you need to get back to London."

The Doctor blinked at him, processing the information. The man had quite a gob.

"Why would I go back to – remember? You remember this?" he asked, a theory dawning. "Are you…?"

"Ah, that doesn't really matter, you'll forget all about it in a few minutes."

"I'll have to repress this memory then?"

"Of course. Don't want any paradoxes happening. Not that I can really see how one would end up cropping up here but -"

The Doctor held up a hand, cutting him off before he could go off on another tangent. "Why do I need to go back to London?"

"Oh! Yes, well, you need to ask Rose to come with you of course."

The Doctor's brow furrowed. "I already asked her. She said no."

"Yep," the strange man – a future him? – said simply, popping the 'p.'

"…You're suggesting I ask her again? I don't ask twice. She already said no once, why should I ask again?"

The tall man glanced over his shoulder and stepped aside, allowing the Doctor to see past him. He peered into the crowd for a moment, wondering what he was supposed to be looking at when his eyebrows rose a fraction.

There, at a stall not far off, laughing at something a vendor had said, was Rose Tyler.

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, then turned back to the man. "She says yes?"

"Yep," the man repeated.

"…How long has it been? For you?"

"Uhh," the man tugged on his ear, deliberating. "'Bout a year and half? Therabouts."

The Doctor looked back at Rose, silent for a while. "Why do I go back if I forget all of this?"

The man grinned again. "Well there's something you forgot to mention to her."

"Oh?"

"You'll remember once you get there. Just go in, set the controls to London, just after you left and repress the memory. It'll work out from there.

The Doctor sighed, then straightened his shoulders and turned back to the TARDIS, opening the door.

"Well, uh…Nice meeting you. Guess I'll be seeing you around."

The man just grinned and watched as he entered the TARDIS, closing the door behind him. Once inside he rushed to the console, trying not to smile at his luck. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd grown quite fond of that human in the few hours he'd known her. He was excited to know she'd be coming with him. Once the TARDIS was in flight he closed his eyes, closing away the memories of the last few minutes into a box that wouldn't unlock for about a year and a half apparently.

The Doctor opened his eyes, and wondered why the TARDIS hadn't taken off yet. Hadn't he set the controls to random? He took a glance at the monitor and sighed when he saw he was in that same alleyway in London. He hadn't moved an inch from that spot. The screen flickered and he could see Rose looking back at the TARDIS. He frowned, wondering why his ship would show him that last look – was she rubbing his failure in? – when a thought occurred to him.

There was something he'd forgotten to mention to her. He wasn't sure it would change her decision on going with him, but well…he was still here, might as well tell her while he could. He rushed over to open the door and leaned out.

"By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?"

A/N: Woohoo, I did it! Okay, so usually when I write I have this irrational fear that someone will be standing behind me laughing at what I write, so I always have a blanket or sheet covering me and the laptop and it gets reeeeeaaaally hot. But I didn't do it at all this time! Though I wanted to. Woohoo, meaningless goals accomplished!

Anyway, stick around for more silly oneshots, love you all! Review if you liked please!