A long, long time ago...

A young, ashy-brunette woman awaited on the ice lake of the Silver Monsoon, watching the sky intently. She couldn't help but feel excited - even if she knew it was a low possibility he would actually be on the ship this year - when the familiar ship flew by her planet. She stood up, wanting so much to be able to get a closer look, but she knew that if the boy was there, he'd be by the window just like before.

But he wasn't.

Her little friend, well at least she still thought he was a little boy as that species seemed to age slowly, was no where to be seen. Once again, he hadn't returned.

She sighed as the ship flew away, silently cursing the moon for not listening to her pleads for the return of her little friend. It had been years since the boy had disappeared from the window. Ever since she was a small child she had been on her favorite iced lake, on this day, to await the boy she would see each year. He was on a spaceship of a species her parents refused to tell her about. It had taken a custom to flying over her planet in the precise place she was at. The first time she saw them, she was captivated by all the little kids on each level of the ship that had clear, glass windows which allowed her an easy view. But what really took her away was a small little boy that was standing at the highest level of the ship, palms on the glass and big eyes just looking down with such intense curiosity. He didn't seem a day over ten, maybe eleven, like her. He was so young and already you could see the curiosity dripping from his eyes and heart. He'd be adventurous.

She was small, like him, but she had felt a connection with the boy. She herself had many spirits of adventure, though she knew the boy would have a much better chance of having adventures than her. She only smiled when she saw the boy for the first time, and to her surprise, he had smiled back.

Now, at that time, she believed that would have been the last of the ship and the boy, but to her surprise...it returned the following year.

And the next.

And the next.

And the next.

And as the years went by, they seemed to grow at the same time. He was rather handsome, she admitted. She wished she could greet him, talk to him...but the students, she guessed they were, never left their ship. They only passed by.

At many points she had tried getting her parents to speak about the ship and its voyagers, but they refused. She was not allowed to know because then her curiosity would rise and she'd get those silly ideas of leaving the planet...which she could never do. And so, with great deception, she resigned to just watch the boy, her little friend she called him, pass by her planet each year.

Until one year...he disappeared.

He just stopped appearing at the window. Had he grown tired of the silly tradition she had invented of just looking at each other? Had he stopped even going to the ship? What had happened to him? Each year, in hopes that he would return, she'd go to that iced lake and wait for the ship, even lingered hours after in case there was another ship...

But he never returned.

She had gotten one of her friends, one whom she trusted deeply, to try and figure out who the boy was, what species he was, what planet he lived on. But every time, every year, the answer was the same: unknown. She never gave up her hope, however. She stood there, year after year, awaiting for her little friend, and one day...one day...

There came a wheezing sound...

At that moment, she had been off to the sides of the lake, playing with some snow, using her abilities which she practiced hard ever since she had acquired them. She heard the wheezing sound, at first faint, but quickly intensifying with each second. She poked her head up from the small cover of snow in front of her, seeing a blue box appearing in the center of her lake.

The first thing she should have done was call her guards.

She remained in place, however, and watched with big eyes how the box materialized with such ease. She'd never seen anything like that!

The doors of the box opened, and a man stepped out!

"How to find you? How to find you?" the man whispered to himself, turning away from her, taking slow steps, probably wondering if he'd slip on the ice.

She didn't have to be a genius to know who that man was. She smiled and stood up, stepping onto the lake in which one could perfectly walk on without the fear of slipping. She took hard, loud steps around the lake, purposely loud to attract the man's attention.

And she got it with ease.

He turned around almost immediately, his eyes widening at the sigh of her. Oh, she was beautiful, "It's...it's you?"

She smiled, taking in his features as he did hers. He had changed. He was no longer that little boy, nor that teenager, they had both been the last time they'd seen each other. He was a full grown man. One that would easily be estimated to her age. And one thing she immediately picked on was his looks. He was handsome. Very handsome.

"You're my little friend," she spoke first, the man letting a shaky breath out at the beautiful sound of her voice.

"Y-yes!" he stuttered, much to her amusement, "Yes, that's me. I'm...your little friend," he sighed happily, "I was on the ship on each year."

"Not every year," she corrected seriously, "Why did you stop coming? Did you wish not to see me anymore?" she started making rounds on him during her questions, "I missed you, you know. I missed you terribly."

"I am so sorry," he shook his head, the woman stopping feet away from him, "It was this...this whole fiasco and-"

"What is a fiasco?"

"Uh, earth term-"

She gasped, "You are from earth?"

"No! But I do like the planet."

"So do I," she whispered, "Why did you stop coming?"

"I...I was kicked out of the program that was in control of the ship."

"Why?"

He stared at her lovingly, really taking in how beautiful she was. As a kid, he'd never thought of that. He just liked her eyes. Her big, blue eyes that matched the planet she lived on. He was also enthralled with the planet itself and its people...and her. Even as a teenager, she still didn't attract him. What he liked was the big curiosity she seemed to glow in. But now, many years later, standing in front of her... he was really captivated by her. Her beauty was stunning, her voice soft and delicate, her eyes, oh her eyes... He knew, now, that it had been worth it to be kicked out of the program. He had to see her. And here he was now.

"Because I tried sneaking off the ship to see you."

She gasped, stunned. All this time she believed he had grown tired of seeing a strange girl on the lake. That he had grown out of the silly tradition she thought it had become. And now she learned that he stopped because he was caught in an attempt to meet her! "You tried sneaking out?"

He nodded, "Oh yes. And I'd do it again."

She smiled warmly, "My name is Kaeya, princess of the Silver Monsoon. It is an honor to meet you my little friend...who is not so little anymore."

He smiled back, "Hello Kaeya, it's very nice to finally meet you."

"And your name?"

"Uh...the Doctor."

"That is not a name," she pondered, coming to terms that it really was not, "Why do you not wish to reveal your name to me?"

"Don't take it personal, it's sort of a tradition on my planet."

"Oh," she nodded fast, immediately desisting on any further questions. She didn't want to offend him and then really lose him, "Alright, hello Doctor, it's very nice to meet you."

"Can I tell you something?"

"What?"

"You are exceptionally beautiful," he breathed, staring at her.

She smiled sheepishly, getting a blush on her cheeks. It was the first time someone had actually made her blush. She looked at him again, realizing he was still looking at her. An idea sparked in her mind, and she dared to admit that the idea had already passed through her mind several times before he had returned, secretly hoping he had continued to grow up along with her.

"I'm sorry...that was probably out of line," the Doctor said, so afraid he might have just ruined everything.

But Kaeya grinned, becoming more confident as she fixed her posture and stood straight, "No, I thank you for compliment. In fact, there is something I'd like to do to show you what I think of you."

"What is it?"

Her smile turned into a smirk. She rushed up to the man, throwing her arms around his neck, both stumbling back as she kissed him. He was shocked at first, to have a such a woman like this her actually kissing him, but then he realized this was his first kiss and she was a very good kisser. Plus, she was beautiful. So, he held her by the waist and kept her close. They kissed for several minutes before Kaeya started to speak...and even then it wasn't a proper conversation.

"Is this alright? Or do I offend you?" she whispered in-between kisses, her heart feeling like it'd burst at any moment of joy. She'd never done anything like that and yet it didn't seem wrong.

The Doctor would've laughed if he hadn't been so fearful of ending their moment, "No, no, I feel quite alright."

"So do I," she admitted.

And so they kissed for a minute or two more, both hoping, as they pulled apart, that nothing would be awkward afterwards. But they looked at each other and let out a short laugh.

"I'm sorry," Kaeya stepped back, ending her laugh with a smile, "It's just...I wondered what it might feel like to kiss you...and the results are..." she looked him over, "Enthralling..."

"As you are," he nodded. He kissed a princess, an actual princess! How's that for a first kiss!?

Kaeya blushed and held out her hand, leaving him a bit perplexed, "I wish to talk to you. I want to know who you are."

He took her hand, "Anything you want, princess."

"Have you visited Earth? Is it really lovely like the books say? With the humans? And their houses and grass, is grass nice? Oh! What about their sun!? Is it warm?"

The Doctor laughed at her curiosity, the way her eyes widened with every question made her all the more cuter, "You really love it don't you?"

They started walking, small steps around the lake, Kaeya shyly looking to the side as, "Yes, I truly love Earth. It amazes me how they live. All their customs and..."

"I know what you mean."

"I have a whole library dedicated to the planet. Oh, no one knows that but you," she covered her mouth in surprise, though not ashamed she had revealed it, "But you won't say anything, will you? My parents disapprove of my intense infatuation with the planet."

"My lips are sealed," the Doctor pretended to zip lock his lips, "But tell me something, Kaeya, if you love Earth so much, then why-"

"Haven't I visited?" she finished his question, a sad smile forming on her face as she sighed, "I cannot leave my planet."

"Why not?"

"Have you noticed what my home is mostly made of?" she gestured around her, "Snow, water...I am of the cold and I need the cold to survive. Earth is too warm. It has a sun. Look at my planet, Doctor, do you see one anywhere?" they both looked up to the starry, black sky, which only held stars and a great, silver moon, "My planet has no sun. I cannot ever see a sun. That is the curse of the Monsoon."

"I am so sorry," the Doctor said, seeing her eyes watery.

"One grows accustomed," she shrugged, "Though I would love to see a sun. Does your planet have one?"

He looked at her with a grin, just loving the girl's curiosity, "My planet, Gallifrey, has two suns."

She gasped, her eyes becoming wide with shock, "Really? Two?"

"Yeah, I'd love for you to see them rising in the sky. It's magnificent."

"I bet it is," she nodded, enthralled with the idea of two suns. Though, now that she knew his planet's name, she knew exactly what species he was, "You're a Time Lord," she whispered, fascinated even more with the man.

"You know?"

"I don't know much about you but I know the planet's name and it's current inhabitants. My parents forbid the knowledge of your home. Why?"

"Uh, political differences?" he tried, chuckling at his lack of knowledge of the planets' differences.

That was why they weren't allowed to ever step on the Silver Monsoon. Gallifrey had differences with the planet and its people. Although no one but the High Council knew why. The rest of the citizens were only told to never make contact with them, "for their own good". The Monsoon's citizens were of the worst, according to them. They were not to be trusted.

But how could anyone hate this world? This woman in front of him? He didn't understand what the problems were but he wasn't going to let it stop him from continuing to see Kaeya.

It never would.

Author's Note:

Just kidding! Consider it as an extra prologue for the next chapter. Next chapter will go into depth about that woman and why she's so important...though I think we can all see why the Doctor cares for her so much.

One thing I forgot to say was the pronunciation of Kaeya. It's 'kay-ah' :) And I picture Kaeya to look like Michelle Trachtenberg! Though a more specific description of her appearance will be given in the next chapter.

Guess Kaeya has to be mighty important to be given an actress for an description image :o ;)