Rose crossed her fingers as she turned the key in the lock; she really didn't want to explain her date to her mother. Maybe Mum is at Bev's. She sighed when the living room was dark. Perfect.

Her luck didn't hold, however. In the ten minutes it took to change her clothes and freshen up her makeup, her mum came home. Rose heard the door open and shut as she fluffed her hair in front of the mirror, and she painted a smile on her face before stepping out of her room with her bag slung over her shoulder.

The flat smelled like curry, and Jackie waved the take-away bag as she carried it into the kitchen. "I brought us dinner."

"Oh, I'm actually going out," Rose said regretfully. "A friend and I are meeting up for chips."

Her mum leaned back on her heels to stare at her through the doorway. "Oh, are you meeting Mickey?"

Rose rolled her eyes. She'd broken up with Mickey two weeks ago, and her mum couldn't let it go. They never should have been more than friends in the first place, but as far as Jackie was concerned, Mickey was a good bloke who she could trust not to hurt her daughter.

"No, not Mickey. Just an old mate I ran into when I was out looking for a job today." She made a show of glancing at the clock as she walked to the door. "An' I've gotta go if I'm going to be on time. I'll see you later, Mum!"

The door slammed shut behind her, and Rose jogged down the stairs. She had plenty of time to meet the Doctor, but she did not want to explain to her mother that she was going out with a man she'd just met who didn't even have a proper name.

Her steps slowed once she reached the courtyard, and she ran her hand through her hair as she walked to the bus stop. What kind of name was the Doctor, anyway? It was weird, but somehow, it fit the stranger.

The bus pulled up, and Rose climbed on and took a seat by the window. Wonder if he'll still be dressed like Mr. Darcy. She giggled softly; as odd as his outfit had been, he was definitely fit. She spent the bus ride remembering his smile and imaging the way his snug trousers would show off his bum.

She hopped off at her stop and walked down the street to the chippy, keeping her eyes open for the Doctor as she went. She finally spotted his green velvet coat just inside the cafe.

"Hello, Doctor," Rose said, offering him a smile when she stepped inside.

The Doctor's blue eyes lit up when he returned her smile, and oh, her memory hadn't failed her—he had a gorgeous smile. "Good evening, Rose. Shall we?" He gestured to the counter, and they stepped forward to place their orders. Rose bit her cheek to keep from laughing when he proudly pulled a twenty pound note out of his wallet to pay for their food.

"So," he said once they were sitting down. "How did the search for employment go this afternoon?"

Rose sighed and ate another chip before answering. "It didn't, really," she told him. "Every place I went either wasn't hiring, or they wanted someone with more experience."

The Doctor made a sympathetic noise and squeezed her hand briefly. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard when everyone wants experienced workers, but no one is willing to give you any experience."

"Exactly!" Rose took a sip of her Coke. "I mean, I'd be willing to do the work if they'd just hire me."

"What did you study in school?" The Doctor watched her intently as he ate, waiting for her story.

Rose flinched. "I studied French and art, but I never sat my A-levels." She stared down at her food and tried to ignore the hot rush of shame. "I left school for this boy, Jimmy Stones—not that he was worth it, in the end." She snorted and rolled her eyes, anger bringing her confidence back. "He lived off me for six months and left me with a pile of debt."

"Well, that's certainly experience," the Doctor said wryly. "Sadly, it's not the kind that translates into employment."

"Not unless there's a job where you warn girls not to throw their lives away for wannabe rockstars."

They both laughed for a moment, then tucked into their meals. "What about travelling?" the Doctor asked after polishing off the last of his food. "Have you ever wanted to go someplace else? See new things?"

Rose rested her chin in her hand. "Yeah, for as long as I can remember. But it's not like I'll ever have a chance, is it? I mean, if wanting something could make it happen, I wouldn't be looking for work right now."

"And then we never would have met, which would have been a tragedy," the Doctor said smoothly.

Something in the way he said that made Rose blush, but she rolled her eyes and laughed. "Right, your life would've fallen apart if you hadn't met me."

The Doctor arched a brow. "I'm surprised, Rose Tyler. I thought you, of all people, would appreciate the huge impact a seemingly small event can have on our lives. After all, if you hadn't contracted the lupine flu, you might not be here."

Rose wrinkled her nose. "I'm not even sure that's really what it was," she confessed. "I mean, who's ever heard of the wolf flu?"

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. He was more than a little curious about the mysterious virus that had kept Rose from going to work that day. "You said a doctor diagnosed you, though, and prescribed a course of treatment."

She shook her head. "Yeah, but there was something off about him. He wore jeans and a jumper, with a leather jacket instead of a lab coat."

"Jeans and a leather coat, you say?" The Doctor forced himself to keep his voice even. If his future self had examined Rose, that would explain the made-up illness. "Not exactly professional attire."

"He wasn't exactly professional," Rose said. "I mean, he wasn't inappropriate or anything, but he just swept into the room and said, "'Hello, Rose Tyler. I'm the doctor'—just like you did. No real exam either, he just told me I was clearly exhibiting signs of the lupine flu, and hooked me up to an IV to rehydrate me. I never saw him after that."

The Doctor nodded slowly; that sounded very much like him. Rose's future self had probably stayed on the TARDIS to avoid running into her own past as well as her mother.

He looked at her empty newspaper-lined basket. "Would you like to take a walk? I think there's a park nearby." A park where he had parked the TARDIS, though he wasn't exactly sure how he could get her inside—this was so much easier when aliens were chasing him and he could just suggest, "Oh, let's hide in here!"

Rose grabbed the remnants of their meal and tossed them in the bin, then reached automatically for his hand. The Doctor blinked, but he found himself curling his fingers around hers just as naturally as his future self had.

She smiled up at him, and warmth settled in his belly at the sight of her tongue peeking through her teeth. "Come on then, Doctor," she said, pulling him towards the door.

The weather was unusually warm for an April night. The Doctor looked up at the sky out of habit, but in the middle of London, it was almost impossible to see the stars.

"My friend Mickey and I used to go up to the roof after dark and try to find the stars," Rose said quietly. "Well… I'd go up, and Mickey would go after me."

The Doctor shot her a sidelong glance. "You like looking at the stars, Rose?"

She bit her lip and didn't look at him, and he thought he detected a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "It's like travelling, you know?" she said. "I just wonder what's out there."

The Doctor's hearts raced. "What would you do if you could find out?"

She huffed in amusement. "Right. A chav from the estates, travelling in space. Pull the other one, why don't you."

A frown creased the Doctor's forehead. "Rose Tyler," he said, his voice a bit severe, "you are not just a chav from the estates. You are…"

He bit his tongue to keep the words, The Bad Wolf, from falling from his lips. She wasn't the Bad Wolf yet, but one day…

"I'm what?" Rose said, her voice a little breathless.

He winked down at her. "Well, you're the only known survivor of the lupine flu, for one."

Lupine flu. The wolf flu. Yes, Rose Tyler would one day become the Bad Wolf, all to…

The TARDIS hummed a warning in his mind, and the Doctor backed away from Rose's future reluctantly. Her timeline was so enticing, especially the way it twined around his own. But he needed to let events unfold naturally, and that would be hard if he knew everything that was going to happen to her ahead of time.

"Doctor?"

He blinked. "Yes, Rose?"

"What's a Police Public Call Box?"

The Doctor looked around the quiet park and realised they were only ten feet away from the TARDIS. He reached into his pocket for the key and took a step towards her, then registered what Rose had asked.

He turned and looked down at her, his eyes wide. "You can see her?"

Rose arched an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. She's kinda hard to miss, all big and blue."

The Doctor chuckled. "Rose Tyler, you are an absolute wonder." He spun around before she could question him again and unlocked the door. "Would you like to see what a police box looks like on the inside?" he invited.

The slight frown on Rose's face disappeared when he pushed the door open. The TARDIS had turned on the lights in the console room, and warm yellow light spilled out onto the grass.

"But that's…" She took stepped into the doorway and peered inside. "That's impossible."

"Go on inside," the Doctor encouraged softly, and after a moment's hesitation, Rose obeyed. He followed her and closed the door behind him, not once looking away from the awe on her face.

"It's… bigger on the inside."

The Doctor stepped around her to lean on the console. "Yes, she is." He watched in fascination as Rose processed that. He could see the moment the next conclusion occurred to her.

"Is it alien?" she asked, staring up at the time rotor.

The Doctor smiled proudly. Rose Tyler might not have sat her A-levels, but she was still dead clever. "Yes, she is."

Rose took a deep breath and looked him in the eye for the first time since he'd unlocked the doors. "Are you alien?"

"Yes, I am." Nerves struck the Doctor. "Is that all right?"

She nodded, almost absently. "Yeah."

"Good." The Doctor rocked back on his heels and pointed at the matching armchairs on the side of the room. "Why don't we sit and have some tea?" he suggested.

"Do aliens even drink tea?" Rose asked, but she took the chair opposite him.

"You had tea with me this afternoon."

"Right, sorry. It's just…" Her gaze drifted to the bookshelves lining the room. "This is a bit much to take in."

"She's called the TARDIS," the Doctor said as he poured the tea. "It stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. She can go anywhere in the universe."

Rose's gaze sharpened. "That's why you asked if I've ever wanted to travel. And if I thought about seeing the stars."

The Doctor smiled broadly. "It is. You see, Rose, you're looking for work, and I happen to be looking for a travelling companion. Adventures are always more fun when you have someone to share them with."

She took a sip of tea, then asked, "What'll I tell my mum?"

"Ah. What?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I can't just disappear," she told him. "Mum's been protective ever since I was sick, even more after I broke up with my boyfriend. I think she'd notice if I just didn't come home."

The Doctor ate a biscuit while he pondered that question. He didn't usually have to consider his companions' families, but Rose had a point.

"What if you went home tonight and told your mother you've gotten a job that involves a lot of travelling?"

"She's gonna think I'm running away with a bloke."

"Well, you are," the Doctor said, gesturing at himself with his teacup.

Rose swatted him on the arm. "Not the way she'll be thinking."

"Ah."

They discussed it at length, and in the end, the Doctor promised to have enough proof manufactured to satisfy Jackie Tyler that he was a legitimate employer. Rose gave him her address, and he felt the strangest tug watching her walk out of the TARDIS. Rose Tyler belonged here—not in her mother's flat.

Convincing Jackie Tyler of that the next morning took more work than the Doctor had anticipated, but when he held open the door of the TARDIS for Rose, it was all worth it. Her eyes lit up when she stepped into the console room, and the ship sang a greeting.

"Welcome home, Rose Tyler." He closed the door behind him and walked to the console, feeling the burn of adventure coursing through his veins again. "Where do you want to go first?"