A/N: big thanks to Godric'sGrl01 for fixing it up. And to Jerri for taking pity on me and fixing my grammar.
Disclaimer: I don't own or have anything to do with the production of Doctor Who.
Chapter 1
Well, she mused as she took off down the red grassy slope into the cover of the silver leafed trees, and through the woods hand in hand with the little boy, she at least found The Doctor, she was just rather early. Not that this was her Doctor or ever would be, she was in the wrong causal nexus; this was an alternate version.
"They call me Theta, what's your name?"
"Rose."
"Nice to meet you, Rose. How did you get here?"
Rose started to think of everything that brought her to this point, from the word 'run' to the stars going out and the Dimension Cannon. Before she could say anything though Theta stopped in his tracks and blinked.
"You really love that alternate version of me."
Rose stopped and blushed. "Don't you know it's bad manners to read people's thoughts without permission?"
Theta had the good sense to look embarrassed. "Sorry I didn't mean to, it's just your thoughts are so loud. You're not used to being telepathic is all. That's okay though because I'm taking you to see someone who can help, he helped me when I was just a Time Tot because I've got extra powerful telepathy myself. His name is K'anpo he lives as a hermit up here in a cave in these mountains. The council will want to see you and that's not a good thing, they will want to lock you up and study you because you're something new, but no one will think to look with K'anpo. All the other Time Lords thinks he's crazy and stay away from him, he also mistrusts the government so he won't turn you over."
"Right so we're off to see the wizard then," she remarked sarcastically.
"He's a monk not a wizard."
Rose smiled; the Doctor was an adorable little boy. So innocent and naive, like most eight-year-old boys she supposed. Her newfound senses told her this was him; he had the same yet different telepathic signature, only difference being something that marked him as being from this universe. Yet here he was all of eight years of age and trying to save someone because of his beliefs that what the Time Lords might do to her is wrong.
"It's from a story back on Earth called 'The Wizard of Oz' it's about a girl who suddenly finds herself in another world and has to go see the Wizard to go home and meets friends along the way."
"I like stories, can you tell it to me? I've never heard any Human stories before."
One look at those big bright eyes and adorable pout and Rose was a goner. She spent the next week walking through the Forest of Solitude on the Mountain of Solitude, which stood beside its twin, the Mountain of Solace while she told Theta every story from Earth she could recall reading. She tried to keep them age appropriate, but he was a Time Lord. Theta, in return, taught her to live off the land around them. He and his best friend Koschei spent a lot of time in the woods apparently.
Eventually they arrived at K'anpo's cave. It was furnished simply yet with technological benefits as well. Rose felt a strange yet familiar mind touch hers, 'sister', it said to her in greeting. She looked around and eventually settled on an unassuming wardrobe then realised why it was familiar, it was a TARDIS who touched her mind, not The Doctors' who had become her good friend, but a TARDIS none-the-less.
"K'anpo! Hey K'anpo I've got someone here to see you!"
An older man with greying hair and bushy beard dressed in Monk's robes walked out of the wardrobe. "Theta! You little scamp; everyone is looking for you. The Custodians have already been here looking for you. Where have you been? It shouldn't have taken this long to get here."
"I'm sorry; I took the long way and kept to the shadows so they wouldn't find us."
"So this must be the mystery woman that showed up from nowhere. Hmm I see why you brought her here. Your thoughts are rather loud, Rose, dear, and who is this Obi-Wan Kenobi you think I look like."
Rose blushed but Theta got excited in the way little boys do and said, "Oh I know this story, Rose told me all about it. Apparently, they have these things on Earth called films, moving pictures in just 2D can you imagine? I'm going to go to Earth just to see it someday. Anyway this one starts, A Long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."
K'anpo laughed getting the gist of the story from Rose's mind. Mental communications were so much faster than talking, for example, Rose told K'anpo the whole six movies inadvertently in the time it took the boy to say, 'a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away'. "Could be worse, could be that Darth Vader character, although I like how he turned to good in the end. Remember that, even the worst people can be saved."
"Aww I wanted to tell the story."
"Sorry about him, he loves to talk. You really should go to the Academy now Theta, your mother is worried about you."
Rose smiled, "The alternate version of a much older Theta I know has quite a gob on him as well."
The boy pouted and said, "I don't want to be a politician like my family wants, I want to explore."
"And someday you will but you need to go learn in the meantime," the monk replied.
"Fine, I'll go turn myself in, but you need to promise you won't turn Rose in."
"Cross my hearts, I won't turn her in; she needs a lot of help with her mental shielding. Now go on."
Theta went up to Rose and hugged her. "Good luck Rose, I hope you find your Doctor soon." Reluctant the youngster let go, programmed something into the transmat and was gone.
"Will he be okay?"
"Children are rare and cherished here, he will get a scolding, interrogated as to your whereabouts no doubt, but they won't harm him. Some of our harshest punishments are given to those how harm children."
"Can they trace that transmat?"
"Ordinarily yes, but the little scamp has scrambled it so it can't be traced and looks accidental. I'm going to need to spend the next few weeks fixing it no doubt. He's a smart boy, pretends to be stupid but don't let that fool you, he notices everything."
"Yes I've noticed that myself," Rose admitted ruefully.
"But first we need to work on your mental shielding, not only is your current state somewhat embarrassing for you, it's considered rude to project all the time."
