Authors Note: I don't own a thing.

Now I don't know about you but I'm getting a little tired of all these 10/Rose stories. You would have thought that after getting 10.5, and her happy ending that would be an end to the matter. But oh no. So I wrote this. I've tried to keep the other characters name out of it till the end but those of you who know your OldSkool Who should be able to identify her. It's also a little light on plot (its mostly fluff and reminising) but I hope you enjoy it.

For a friend.

His Equal

She had always been his equal. Right from when they had first met she had been able to match him, stroke for stroke. Sometimes she was even ahead of him.

Sighing, the Doctor stared at the scrap of paper that was the cause of his misery. He had found it when clearing out one of the back rooms. It was of a woman, her face obscured by a fractured clock face.

"For a portrait of a Time Lady, that's not at all a bad likeness."

He had been different then of course. All teeth and curls. Not that it had matted to her of course. Suddenly standing, the Doctor slipped the paper into his pocket and bounded over to the console. Setting the co-ordinates he settled back into the chair to enjoy the ride.

"Where are we going?

Are you speaking philosophically or geographically?

Philosophically.

Then we're going to lunch"

She had been so….arrogant at first, flaunting her top academy marks in front of him.

"I graduated with a triple first from the academy……It's better than passing with fifty one percent on the second attempt"

But as time went by, as they searched for the Key of Time, they had become much closer to the point that she stayed with him, even after she could have gone home.

"Doctor no, don't give into him. It doesn't matter what happens to me."

"Well of course it matters."

As the years went by, he sometimes wondered if she knew how important she was to him. Sometimes he knew she did.

"You are wonderful."

"Me wonderful, I suppose I am. Never really thought about it."

But no matter what happened, she was never afraid to pull him up on his behaviour when it was getting out of hand.

"Well there's no need to be smug about it."

"I'm not smug."

"I can tell that expression even from behind."

Soon the TARDIS faded into existence, and the Doctor stepped out into the Parisian sunshine. Shrugging on his jacket, he locked the TARDIS and began to walk. As he walked he laughed at trifling little things, like a café or a Mona Lisa postcard.

"Garcon, a glass of water and make it a double."

"She doesn't have any eyebrows. You ever noticed that."

Soon he found himself sitting on a bench. Staring out over the view, he thought back to the last time he had seen her. During the Time War.

"Do it Doctor," her face was contorted in pain, a deep gash marring one side of her face.

"I can't," he said, "You'll die. You'll all die."

"Doctor," she hissed, "As President of Gallifrey."

He laughed, "Your not really going to pull that card are you."

She scowled, "Doctor. Do it. Now."

He reached out and touched the screen, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye Doctor," she replied, "Oh and promise me one thing."

"Anything," he whispered.

"Live. For the both of us."

"I promise," he said quietly, before pushing the button. Deep beneath Gallifrey's core, the Eye of Harmony opened. Within a few seconds a colossal amount of energy had been released, ripping the planet apart from within and taking the nearby Dalek ships with it.

Inside the vortex, the Doctor collapsed to the floor. The voices of a thousand Time Lords screaming inside his head.

Shaking his head, the Doctor felt a faint tingling at the back of his skull. Looking up he saw a woman standing a few feet away. As she walked towards him, the tingling grew stronger.

"Hello Doctor," she said coming to a stop in front of him.

Wordlessly he leapt, grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her. When they broke apart, he had tears in his eyes. "How," he whispered, "You should be dead."

She laughed, "Come now Doctor, you must allow a lady her secrets. Now two questions. Firstly which regeneration is this?"

"Eleventh," the Doctor said, "You?"

"Fourth," she said, "Now where is the TARDIS?"

The Doctor gestured towards the distant Eiffel Tower, "Over there," he said quietly, still not quite believing what he was seeing.

"Come on then," she said, "We have a lot of catching up to do."

Laughing with tears flowing down his face, the Doctor grabbed her arm and ran in the direction of the TARDIS, his mind still trying to digest this new information. They were back together, he and his perfect equal.

The Doctor and Romana.

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