I smile over at him, and catch his almost wistful gaze back at the island, before he settles down next to Rose, looking at the horizon.

"Wolfe are you done showering?" Calls Rose through the door.

"Yes." I open the door, standing in an oversized robe, my long, damp hair tangled down my back.

"Come on let's get started!" grins Rose with an excited gleam in her eyes.

She takes my hand and leads me to what is designated 'her' bathroom, or the master bathroom.

"Doctor! Don't forget to get ready!" She calls over her shoulder, where the Doctor is reading on the couch.

"Oi! Just because I'm not starting to get ready two and a half hours early doesn't mean I wont get ready!" He calls back

Rose doesn't respond, but instead shuts the bathroom door, and sits me down on a stool in front of the mirror.

"We're going to do your hair first because it'll take longer." Explains Rose

She takes the hairdryer and turns it on. She tugs and pulls and prods with the hairbrush expertly, applying the air here and there. After what seems like forever, she finally turns it off.

"There we go." She says, brushing through my hair, which is now very soft and straight, hanging lightly down my back.

"It looks pretty." I smile at myself in the mirror

"Do you want me to curl it?" She asks, and I look at her in surprise.

"Would you? I've never had my hair curled before!" I grin and she laughs

"Of course. I already have the curling iron on because I am going to curl mine too."

She takes a can of hairspray and the curling iron and brings them over.

"I need you to stay very still while I do this okay?"

"Yes!"

The carefully pins up chunks of my hair and begins.

She twists and pulls and holds the hair around the iron, and sprays it with hairspray and suddenly my long hair is converted into waves and waves of loose curls, drifting to the middle of my ribcage instead of my waist. She continues for a long time, section by section, having me turn this way and that until she is finally satisfied.

"You're done! What do you think?" She spins me back around to face the mirror and my mouth drops open.

I look like some sort of princess, my hair framing my face and drifting angelically down my back, the soft curls bouncing as I turn my head to admire her work.

"Rose this is amazing!" I gasp.

"You look like a princess. My Little Princess." She says, kissing the top of my head

"Now I'm going to do my hair. Then we'll do our make up."

"What do you think?" Rose turns me back to the mirror and my mouth drops open again. I have pale pink lipstick on, and my very light eye shadow is silver and blue, matching my dress. My eyes seem to pop and my face glows with the make up, framed by my goldilocks -ike curls.

"Rose this is amazing." I whisper

"You look stunning." She smiles at me

"So do you!"

She has curled her hair and done her own make up to perfection. Her eye shadow is silver and purple, which I think is the color of her dress.

"Alright, let's get you in your dress and shoes." She urges me off the stool I've been on for over an hour, and to the closet.

She takes out my dress and unzips it for me.

I take off my robe, and step into the silky soft material.

Rose carefully zips it up, moving my hair to get it out of the way.

Then she kneels down and lets me use her shoulders for balance as she helps me get my tiny, silver heels on. They're only about an inch and a half, but I feel so royal in them.

When I'm dressed, I step away and look in the mirror with a gasp.

I hardly even recognize myself.

"You look beautiful."

"Thanks to you" I answer, laughing as I realize the double meaning.

"You were beautiful before I had anything to do with it!" Rose says "Now why don't you go show the Doctor, and if he's not ready yet I am going to kill him…"

I smile as I walk out of the bedroom. The Doctor is nowhere in sight. I walk over to the other bathroom, where the door is closed.

"Doctor?" I call, knocking on it.

"Be out in a minute. Rose better not be mad- She's lucky I'm wearing this thing at all!" Whines the Doctor from behind the door.
"Rose isn't ready yet. Its only quarter to seven." I answer back,

I walk back into the main room and sit on the couch, my dress billowing to the sides and front. I smooth the skirt down, still marveling at the material.

"Oh, Wolfe you look lovely. Spectacular, even." The Doctor gasps appears from the bedroom

"Thank you." I smile at him

"You look perfect" he smiles down at me proudly "Simply perfect."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

His hair is done, still damp from the water he used to comb it down to avoid the way it stands up in all directions. He is in a very crisp tux, with a very well tied bowtie and unmarred jacket and pants. My eyes fall to his shoes. His tattered black converse.

"Doctor. I know for a fact Rose bought you dress shoes."

"But Wolfe-"

"And you don't want her to get mad at you before the night's even began do you?"

He pauses.

"No."

"Go put on your shoes." I answer and he sulks back into his room. Moments later he reappears in his shiny new dress shoes.

"Well? How about now?"

"Brilliant." I smile up at him "You look very dashing."

"Thank you. He adjusts his bowtie, before glancing at his reflection in the mirror.

"Bond. James Bond." He murmurs to himself

"Preening yourself, are we?"

The Doctor and I look over to see Rose walking towards us, looking like a goddess.

She's in a royal purple gown, which just brushes the floor. The bodice is tight down to the hips, and covered in hundreds of white crystals. Its strapless and has a sweetheart neckline, which accents her collarbone and beautiful silver necklace, a cursive letter "R". Her hair is curled, but pulled back in a somewhat messy bun behind her head, leaving a few strands whispering by her cheekbones. Her eyes are alight with excitement and are accented by her makeup. Through the shifting of the dress's skirt I can just see her shiny silver three and a half inch heels.

The Doctor is completely speechless, his face pale and eyes wide.

"What?" She looks at him, her smile fading slightly with worry

"Oh, Nothing! You look beautiful. You…you look Brilliant. Fantastic." The Doctor responds, having recovered slightly.

"Really?" Rose blushes slightly, breaking his gaze

"Yes!"

"Well, you do look handsome too, Doctor. I told you you'd clean up well." Rose tells him, somewhat breathlessly.

They both awkwardly stare at each other for another moment before the Doctor says, "Ready to go?"

"Yes. We don't want to be late! We're the guests of honor!" Rose grins, walking closer towards us.

We quickly leave and head downstairs where a car is waiting for us.

We arrive at the palace, which is an enormous cream building. A guard, dressed in pink, leads us down the hallways until we reach the entrance.

"Wait here for her majesty to announce you." He orders before leaving

Rose looks at the Doctor, biting her lip slightly "I'm nervous." She whispers to him

"Don't be. It'll be fine." He whispers back. "Plus, I wont leave your side."

She smiles gratefully at him, and he offers her his arm. She takes it, and I walk on his other side and take his hand.

"Ready?" He whispers to us

"Yes."

Suddenly a booming voice echoes from behind the closed door.

"And please welcome the guests of honor, Sir Doctor, his wife Dame Rose and their Daughter, Wolfe!"

Rose hardly has time to gasp at the fact he made them married before the doors open and we walk into the room, to a chorus of applause.

We walk into the room, to where the President and her husband are standing.

She is a tall, elegant brunette with sharp cheekbones and warm green eyes. Her husband is a thin, dark eyed and dark haired man with a hunch.

We stop about five feet from her and the Doctor drops Rose's arm and my hand, bowing politely.

I follow his lead, curtsying and so does Rose.

"Thank you for coming today, Doctor. It is a honor to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine." The Doctor responds, kindly

"Enjoy the festivities and I hope you have a lovely evening."

She sits again and on cue, the orchestra starts playing and people start milling about, talking to one another, their laughs light and airy, and delicately holding their champagne glasses.

I wander away from Rose and the Doctor, who have found several other couples to talk with. It seems to me that I am the only child here. I slip quietly through the many skirts and around the pants.

"Hello Wolfe." Says a very majestic sounding voice.

I look up to see the President smiling kindly down at me.

"Hello Ma'am."

"Please, call me Reaghann." She laughs, "How are you?"

"I'm doing well thank you. The ball is lovely."

"I'm glad. I haven't seen your father in a very long time. I was just 16 when I first met him." Reaghann explains, looking over to where the Doctor was gesturing wildly, captivating the crowd around him. "He looks different than he did back then."

"Reaghann, if you don't mind me asking, why aren't you confused that he looks so different?"

"I knew the Doctor was different when I first met him. It didn't take me long to figure out he was alien. I grew up here. Aliens are hardly extraordinary. He explained to me that the next time we met he may look a little different, but that he'd tell me something that would make sure I knew it was him."

"What did he say?" I ask, captivated

"Hello Rae! Want a cup of tea?" She chuckles when she finishes

"That was a long time ago. Almost 30 years. He was travelling with a different young woman back then. Dirty blonde, with big blue eyes and wore her hair in braids. She wore lots of patches on her jacket. I don't recall her name…" Sighs Reaghann

"Her name was Ace, my love." The President's husband had wandered over during her conversation with me.

"Yes, Ace. Wolfe this is my husband Colby. We were a young couple, just 17 and 16, when we met the Doctor and Ace." She looks lovingly at her husband. "Got married just two years later. We invited the Doctor, but he was busy."

Colby nods in agreement, staying quiet.

My stomach rumbles, loudly, and I realize I haven't eaten for several hours.

"Sounds like you're hungry! Here, let me show you where the refreshments are." Reaghann says, leading me through the crowd.

It's been a couple of hours, and the sun has set, leaving he room alight by candles and chandeliers. After dinner, the orchestra has picked up and most people are dancing together. Rose and the Doctor are still sitting, talking to some of the people who do not want to dance, or have no dance partner.

One man, who was a particularly handsome blonde with big blue eyes was staring at Rose.

The song ends and everyone claps.

He stands and walks over to her

"Hello. My name is Allen. Would you care to dance with me?" He offers Rose his hand

Blushing, Rose takes it, saying, "I'd love to."

The Doctor's eyes narrow protectively but he says nothing.

Allen and Rose take to the dance floor, whirling about in a variety of slower, almost waltz like dances.

Looking very angry, the Doctor never lets his eyes leave her, following her throughout the swirling colors on the dance floor.

I frown as I notice Rose start to pull away from Allen when the song ends, only to have him pull her closer. She tugs again, and he clearly digs his hand into her skirt to hold her to him. The next song starts and he starts to dance again, his hand sliding down from her back. She yanks it back up, but he slides it down again. He presses closer against her, and now it's clear she's trying to get away.

I stand, but the Doctor charges onto the dance floor. He whacks Allen on the shoulder.

"May I step in?" hisses the Doctor as I come closer

Allen looks like he's going to say no, when the Doctor leans close and whispers into his ear.

Allen's face grows pale and beads of sweat form on his forehead. He drops Rose and hurries off the dance floor.

The Doctor takes his spot easily, hands sliding onto Rose's waist, pulling her towards him. Rose's arms slide around his neck and they dance slowly together.

"Thank you." Rose gasps to the Doctor.

"No problem." He smiles down at her "Besides Allen are you enjoying yourself."

"Yes Doctor. This is one of the most amazing nights of my life."

She smiles, before cautiously laying her head down on his chest, just below his right shoulder.

I step away, not wanting to intrude, but I see their mouths move as they talk quietly to one another.

They dance and dance, song after song. Even when some of the party guests start to leave, they stay and dance.

I catch sight of Reaghann watching them, a special gleam in her eye.

Two songs later, Rose and the Doctor step off the dance floor.

They walk over to Reaghann. "Where is the rest room?" Rose asks her

"Just down this hall." Gestures Reaghann.

"I'll be right back Doctor-" starts Rose

"No, I'm coming with you in case Allen is hiding down there." Frowns the Doctor, protectively.

Rose smiles at him "Okay."

They start down the hallway and I wait a couple minutes for them to return, while Reaghann drifts away.

When they don't I go down the hall, and catch sight of them standing on one of the balconies.

Rose has the Doctor's jacket over her shoulders and it looks like the type of thing you'd see in a movie. They're both looking at the skyline and the water, and stealing glances at each other in the moonlight.

I don't interrupt, watching with building glee, as they continue talking, moving closer and closer. Rose leans her head on the Doctor's shoulder and he smiles down at her. I suddenly gasp as I realize they're dangerously close to kissing. His eyes glance down at her lips, almost unwillingly.

She stares up at him, as they move fractions of inches closer.

"Rose?" Whispers the Doctor, their mouths no more than two inches apart.

"Doctor! Doctor?" One of the guards comes running down the hall and charging out onto the balcony "Her Majesty would like to speak to you and your family before she retires for the evening." He announces, as the Doctor and Rose step apart, awkwardly.

"Ugh!" I groan, my forehead hitting the wall in front of me.

So close.

"We're on our way." Rose says, following the guard briskly.

I realize they'll know I was spying if I stay here so I run down the hallway and back into the ballroom, where almost everyone has dispersed.

Reaghann is standing near her table with Colby. I hurry towards them and a few moments later Rose and the Doctor come over.

I see Reaghann's eyes quietly take in the fact Rose is wearing the Doctor's jacket, but she says nothing.

"Thank you for coming Doctor. It was lovely to see you again. I hope to see you again sometime before I pass."

"I hope I'll find my way back here before then too!" Smiles the Doctor. Giving her a hug

"It's been a pleasure." Colby says, extending his hand to the Doctor, who shakes it enthusiastically.

Rose shakes both Reaghann's and Colby's hands.

"As for you, Wolfe, it was a pleasure talking with you. I hope to see you again too."

"Thank you. It was nice to meet you." I nod politely at Reaghann, not wanting to touch her for fear of seeing her timeline. "And you as well, sir." I nod at Colby too.

"Good bye, Doctor."

"Goodbye, Rae."

I pause as Rose and the Doctor hurry away. Colby wanders off too. I turn to Reaghann

"Do you love the Doctor?" I ask her before I think it may be a bad idea.

She looks down at me, eyes soft "Yes. But he never loved me. In fact in my foolish years I believed he could never love anyone, but I see that I'm wrong." Her eyes rise to look at Rose and the Doctor, before back down at me. "They're not married are they? Not yet anyway." She says, firmly

"No…no they're not." I answer, wistfully

"Then are you really their daughter?"

"Yes. They just don't know it yet." I smile ruefully at her "And you must never tell them."

"I doubt I will see the Doctor again in my lifetime, Wolfe."

"Don't say that-"

"Its true. I only have a handful of months left to live. I couldn't believe my luck when I heard the Doctor was in town. I figured I would get my last goodbye."

"I'm so sorry." I whisper to her,

"Don't be. I lived a happy life, started with the Doctor, and now…ended with him." She smiles "Go and be with your parents. They need you as much as you need them. I can tell. I've always wanted a daughter of my own, and they are lucky that they have you."

"Thank you, Reaghann. It was an honor to meet you."

"No thank you." She smiles at me, and turns, following Colby

"Wolfe?" I hear Rose beckon me from the door.

"Coming."

I hurry over to them.

We follow a guard out to the car, and neither the Doctor nor Rose say anything about the almost kiss, and as soon as we get home, we go to bed.