The Doctor walked into Rose's TARDIS without hesitation and began circling around the console, occasionally bending to examine a knob or lever. He didn't seem the least bit surprised that he was in a TARDIS. Maybe he had felt its dimensions in a way that Rose couldn't? She didn't know, but she was glad that he simply accepted it without trying to make her explain.

"Your TARDIS feels very young, but I find that difficult to believe since all Type 40's have been retired." He finally said.

"Please stop fishing for information. I can't tell you anything else. Just meeting you here has made things complicated enough. You taught me that!" Rose told him in clipped tones.

"I taught you, did I? Well I suppose I can't very well argue with myself."

Rose suppressed another sigh. Felt like she had been doing that all day.

"Well, you came, you saw, you questioned. Now can you go and get on with your life? I have to do some repairs and I can't do that with nosy timelords interfering." Rose said, gesturing towards the doors.

"Repairs, hmm? What exactly are you repairing? This entire ship should be taken back to Gallifrey for an overhaul. It looks as though this was built from scrap." the Doctor declared, looking at the wiring and handmade pieces.

"Yeah, well it's not exactly like Gallifrey is an option at this point."

My wolf, calm down. If you don't stop, you're going to say something dangerous. Stop antagonizing him and ask him for help with the dematerialization circuit.

"Oh yeah because he would just conveniently have one laying around that he gladly wouldn't mind just giving to me." Rose replied sarcastically to the TARDIS, forgetting how she must look to the Doctor.

"Who are you speaking to? Is there someone else here?" he asked, glancing around the console room and through the french doors into the library.

Rose ignored him and instead listened to the TARDIS.

I'm telling you, ask him! He may be grumpy and suspicious in this body, but he isn't the type to leave you stranded while injured. He can probably fix me in an hour while it will take you days, considering your arm. Don't be stubborn and get his help. Don't worry, I will make sure he doesn't see any data that could harm his future.

"Fine! Doctor, you wouldn't happen to have a few components laying around your TARDIS, do you? My ship was damaged when we landed and I don't have the ability to build or find replacement pieces at this point." Rose asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It depends on what you need, I suppose. Certain parts can only be replaced at the Citadel, but I might have some spares. Do you have an inventory of what you require?"

Next to him, a bell rang and a piece of paper began printing. The TARDIS had already done a full diagnostic and listed all damage. The Doctor took the sheet of paper and looked it over, tapping his chin.

"I have the majority of these, I believe. Most of them are commonplace and can be obtained easily, but obviously not in Earths 20th century. Everything else, you're going to have to retrieve for yourself, since you don't consider Gallifrey an option."

Rose smiled brightly and stepped forward to hug him. He patted her shoulder in a grandfatherly way, making Rose laugh. He might look like her grandfather, but eventually he would marry her in one way or another. The thought made her want to tell the Doctor so that he could laugh along with Rose.

Sobered by the thought and realizing that she should hurry him along, she stepped back and tried to appear grim.

"That's fine Doctor; I'm just glad you're willing to help. I think that it would be best if I find something else to do while you work out here. You may not know why exactly, but us talking at this point is very bad. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, yes. Find a way to entertain yourself while I go and collect some tools. I would invite you along, but I am not entirely sure I want you aboard my TARDIS. I believe you are from my future, probably a companion. I am going to make sure you are on your way back to whatever future has led to you having a TARDIS of your own, since I don't feel myself anywhere nearby."

Rose nodded, agreeing that she shouldn't have any more contact with his current companions. They went over a few more details before Rose walked into the library and thumped down heavily in a chair. She heard the Doctor leave, muttering about girls and their taste in décor.

"Pretty Lady, we need to get out of here. I knew that we statistically had a good chance of meeting a past incarnation of him, but I wanted one that might at least know who I was. "

That would have brought issues of its own kind. Do you think that leather Doctor or Pinstripes Doctor would have been willing to let you fly off into the sunset without them? At least this one doesn't have any attachments to you. As long as he represses these memories, the timelines will remain intact.

Rose nodded, suddenly agreeing with the TARDIS. Perhaps it was better this way. Meeting the Doctor that looked like her late husband would be heartbreaking, and Rose wasn't certain she could separate her feelings for the two. Even after a century, she still loved her husband and remembered him every day. Would she be able to look at the Doctor and not put those feelings on him?

I only knew James for a few years, but he was different from the Doctor that I have known through your memories. He was capable of commitment and love and wanted to be domestic, with you. The Doctor loved you, but he never would have let himself admit it. Too dangerous for him to open his heart.

"I know. Well as soon as this one is done helping out, were going to be on our way. I want to visit Jack and Mickey before we start searching for all of your missing parts. Also, thank you for not jettisoning the library when we crashed. I really do appreciate it."

I would never let myself destroy your most precious possessions.

Rose was startled awake by the feeling of the TARDIS's anger. She threw herself up from the chair and looked for the cause. Sitting in a chair opposite of her, the Doctor was flipping through the handwritten book that she had been reading before dozing off.

She immediately surged to her feet and snatched the book from his hands.

"You can't read that! Stop snooping!" she growled, staring down at him.

"James McCrimmon, hmm? He sounds like a very clever man and seems to know quite a bit about me. Why is that?" The Doctor asked, motioning towards the book in her hands, titled 'The First Doctor'.

Before she could stop herself, Rose was chuckling condescendingly.

"You are so young, that I sometimes forget that you haven't learned the hard way not to mess with your future."

The Doctors face pinched in anger and he glared at Rose while standing and pointing a finger at her face.

"Young, am I? And who are you to know one way or another. I think you have forgotten that you are being allowed to leave, by my good will. I will not be condescended to by a child!" The Doctor shouted.

At that point, Rose had moved beyond angry. She was already upset that he invaded her privacy, but now she was furious that he was an arrogant arse.

"Your good will? You are not a child at the academy; you are old enough to realize that my being within a decade of you is catastrophic! It was just my luck to end up meeting the youngest and stupidest version of you that I possibly could! The only reason you're willing to help me at all is because your instincts are telling you to get rid of me as fast as you can. So stop acting like you have some choice in the matter. You need me gone and I don't want to spend another minute with you!"

"Then go! Get back to your own time and try not to destroy the universe the next time you crash like a damned fool!" At that, the Doctor stomped out of the library and walked out the front doors, slamming them loudly.

You handled that badly… said the TARDIS

"He started it! He is smart enough to know that he shouldn't be snooping through my personal items. I made it very clear that I am from his future and he needed to not ask questions. Arrogant git!" Rose yelled at the door, knowing it was pointless since he was gone.

Do you think we will suppress his memories? He might forget in his anger.

"No, my memories are still the same as they were originally, so he hasn't changed the future. He will probably retain an echo of this encounter though, so it's best if we don't encounter him anytime soon. Funny thought though; maybe the echo is what caused my first Doctor to come back and ask me again. James said he had never asked twice before…"

Which would mean that you were always meant to return from the other side. The entire time 'young you' was travelling, 'old you' was here at the same time.

Rose sat back down in the chair, wrapping her finger in her hair in thought.

"Well let's assume that I have always been here. The entire time that 'young me' travelled, the Doctor never mentioned feeling or seeing another TARDIS, so we never met, or if we did he suppressed it again."

That would suggest that we need to find a means of hiding our telepathic signatures. James told you stories of places the Doctor had gone, so as long as we avoid those places, we should be fine.

"Okay, new plan; avoid the Doctor at all costs until we find our pinstriped one, then make him figure out what is going on with me. After that, enjoy the marvels of the universe! Lots and lots of running!"

I still think you should make amends with his first incarnation. He might have crossed a line, but you lost your temper first. Be the grown up…

Rose growled deep in her throat, grudgingly acknowledging that she had been the one who was rude first. She was the one with future knowledge and shouldn't have acted like she was nineteen again.

"Well I can't exactly go talk to him, can I? He is probably long gone."

My sister is still here, but I agree it wouldn't be wise to go see him. Rather, write a letter, and I will send it to my sister. She will make sure he reads it before he suppresses the memories.

Fifteen minutes later, a bell 'dinged' on the Doctors console and he looked up from his conversation with Susan to see what had arrived.

A letter had printed and was addressed to him. He picked it up and retreated to his bedroom to read it.

Dear Doctor,

I am very sorry for fighting with you. You were very kind and helpful with my TARDIS and it was ungrateful of me to lose my temper. I am older than I look and it was unacceptable. Please accept my apologies and thanks; with your help, I will be on my way, making sure that the timelines stay intact. Please be sure to burn this letter and repress your memories, since it really is imperative that you not know me when you meet me again. Best of luck!

Yours truly,

Rose Wolf.

p.s. Stop being so rough on your TARDIS; she doesn't like it.

Thank you very much for all the reviews and follows. I never expected to get such a good reaction. I will continue to update as quickly as I can and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story. If you find any errors or character issues, please let me know. My classic Doctor Who is based entirely on research, so its likely that I get something wrong. My thanks to the Tardis Data Core for such a thorough wiki.