Alright, this one features the book "The Time Traveler's Wife" heavily. There WILL be spoilers! IF YOU ARE LIKE RIVER AND DON'T WANT SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK DON'T READ! You have been warned. I don't own the book or characters, blah, blah, blah.

It's a bit more depressing than I meant for it to be, but please rate and comment! Hope you all like it! =)

The Time Traveler's Rose

It was a Sunday in the TARDIS. The Doctor didn't land on Sundays. Said they were boring. Rose didn't complain. It was refreshing to have a day every once in a wile where you weren't running for your life.

On this Sunday she had found a nice spot in the Library, by the pool, and had settled down with a good book.

She didn't know what had drawn her to this book. No, that was a lie. Of course she did. With a title like "The Time Traveler's Wife" and her feelings for the Doctor, how could she resist? She had been reading it all day.

It had pulled her in. Of course, the time travel she knew was nothing like in the book. No spaceships. No TARDIS. No aliens. Just a genetic disorder that let Henry, the main character, to jump through his timeline and the timeline of his wife, Claire.

Rose thought Claire lucky. She had known the man she loved all her life. It was a bit inevitable that she'd fall in love with him. Of course, she supposed she knew a thing or two about inevitable love.

She sighed contently to herself, looking towards the door to the library, where she knew the console lied. Just go down the cooridor make a left then a right then another two lefts and there it was. The Doctor was no doubt scurrying around it flipping switches and pulling levers. Either that or under it, tinkering or fixing something. Seemed like something always needed fixing around here.

She went back to her book. She had been reading since the Doctor had told her it was Sunday this morning, and had already gotten halfway through it. She didn't like how it was going though. Claire was always waiting...just waiting. For Henry to disappear or come back. They were trying to have a kid, but Claire kept having miscarriages. It seemed that the child had inherited Henry's genetics and kept traveling out of Claire's uterus and dieing.

She wondered if it was really worth it. Loving a time traveler. Being in love with a Time Lord...was it really worth all the bloody DRAMA? She remembered what Sarah-Jane had told her...

"Some things are worth getting your heart broken for."

She had said that a wile back, and at the time Rose hadn't minded. As long as it meant she got to stay with the Doctor she didn't care. But now...

Rose loved the Doctor. More than she had ever loved anyone and more than could ever love anyone else. But would he just dump her off somewhere? He'd said he wouldn't, but what other choce did he have? And it wasn't like she could stop him...

-

The Doctor was in the kitchen, making tea and muffins. Rose had been in the library all day. She must have been hungry.

The Doctor wondered what could possibly keep her from coming out. She must have found one he## of a book.

He put the cups of tea and muffins on a tray and started towards the library. He hoped Rose wouldn't mind him interrupting her reading. He'd hoped to spend a little time with her when he didn't have to worry about life-thretenibg situations. It was much more refreshing.

"Oh Rose." the Doctor called, walking into the library. "I hope you don't mind. I thought you'd be hungry by now I made..."

His voice trailed off. Rose sat by the pool, a book closed next to her, crying. He'd never seen her cry like that...

He put the tray on the floor, nearly throwing it down, and rushed around the pool to kneel at her side. "Rose, you okay? What is it? What happened?"

Rose couldn't speak through her tears. She merely shook her head and nodded to the book. The Doctor picked it up, and understood. "Oh...I'm sorry. So sorry..." he said, throwing the book to the side. "C'mere." he said, pulling her into his arms.

Rose clung to him, crying into his chest.
"He died..." she sobbed.

"I know..." he said softly, stroking her hair.

"She was waiting. All her life. Just waiting for him! Then he just...dies!" She pressed her head against his chest. "And even after that, she was STILL waiting! For her daughter, for him...When she could have just..."

"She had an alternative." the Doctor agreed, though he was talking about more than the book.

Rose jerked her head up, catching his concerned gaze with her teary one. Her face was red, and tears fell from her eyes like waterfalls. It hurt the Doctor to see how much pain she was in because of this. Because of him.

"But how could she resist him...?" Rose asked, now also talking about more than the book as well.

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head and looking away. "She should have..."

"Am I going to wind up like her?" Rose asked suddenly. The Doctor looked at her in disbelief and sorrow and an apology all mixed in to one. "Am I going to just be waiting for you all my life? Are you just gonna dump me and never mention me again like Sarah-Jane?"

"No." the Doctor said firmly, though a twang of agony sprinkled his voice. "Not you. Never you, Rose..."

"Can you promise me?" she asked.

The Doctor looked away again. Could he? He didn't want to let Rose go. Didn't want to be apart from her. No matter what. But could he see her age? Go through seeing her die? She could run now, but she couldn't run forever...

"Promise me." Rose begged. "Promise me you won't just dump me off somewhere. Promise me if we ever get separated you'll ALWAYS come back for me."

The Doctor looked at her. This girl was brilliant and clever and cheeky and beautiful. How could he ever let her slip through his fingers? "I promise." he whispered.

"Even if there's an army of Slitheen in your way?" she asked, testing him.

He grinned "Angry Daleks couldn't keep me away."

Rose smiled, and did something she'd never done before. Well, not while she was herself anyway. She leaned forward and kissed him. It was a quick kiss, but it held all of her feelings for him, and she hoped he could feel it.

"Good." she said, her voice low. "Because I refuse to wait all my life for you to pop into existance on my doorstep."

"You won't have to wait long. Five and a half hours. Tops." he promised, holding her close.

Rose smiled, wrapping her arms around him. "You're stuck with me, then."

"Well..." the Doctor said, pulling away and wiping the last few tears in her eyes away. "Stuck here with you. Not so bad."

Rose beamed at him, because she knew she could trust him. Knew he would keep his promise. Knew she was his...

"Come on." the Doctor said, standing up. "Tea's getting cold." he went to the tray and picked it up. Nothing had spilled. Oh he was good. "I put three lumps of sugar in, just how you like it."

Rose smiled and stood as well, following him from the library, her troubles forgotten. Her hopes renewed. "Did you put honey in it?"

"You never said anything about honey in your tea!"

"Yeah I did. Just the other day after we got back from the weird planet with the man-eating pictures..."

"Oooh right. So sorry. I'll get it right next time..."

Their cheery voices faded as they walked through the TARDIS, away from the library and the book. The Doctor was happy. Rose would stay with him as long as she could. He promised her that. He wouldn't let her go. Couldn't. He'd grown more attatched to her than any other companion. She was his Rose. The time traveler's Rose. He wouldn't change that...not unless he ABSOLUTELY had to to keep her safe...

Three months later, the Doctor was orbiting a supernova in the TARDIS. Dangerous, yes, but he had to. He had to say goodbye to her. He owed her that. He didn't want to let her go. He didn't want to say good-bye to the woman he loved with all his hearts this way...

But what choice did he have…?