Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Just to clarify real quick, in this story, Mickey went back to Pete's universe instead of marrying Martha. I kept him hung up on Rose so that the story would flow better. Sorry for the confusion everyone!

Anyway, what does the Doctor have in mind? We'll have to wait a while to find out, now won't we?

Who's ready for the Sirulians?

Sit back and enjoy!

Love always,

Avoline

Rose looked around as she stepped out of the TARDIS. She knew right away that this wasn't Australia, and, much like this Amy woman that the Doctor talks about, he had promised her somewhere else and she was dressed for that place. Not this.

"Uh, Doctor," she began.

"I know, I know," he replied. "I promised you Australia. Turns out the TARDIS takes me where I'm needed, not where I want to go. Wonder what we're going to run into today?" She grinned at him.

He had gotten a bit goofier than she remembered. He was probably the clumsiest person she knew, and yet he was graceful in his clumsiness. She was finding everything different about him absolutely adorable, much like the first time he had regenerated around her. Even the goofy looking bow tie was cute.

"So, this has happened before," she inquired, pulling herself from her thoughts.

"Well, we ran into the Silurians, one of whom you've already met," he answered. "Big fight, huge misunderstanding, got it completely resolved with only two or three casualties." She blinked, a bit shocked at how easily he spoke of the incident.

She knew better, though. She knew that he hated death of any kind, even if it were the Daleks. He was always trying to keep the number of each race in the universe intact. She used to wonder why, until she found herself alone.

He avoided any form of death cause he was alone. He was the last of his kind, and he hated it. Before, she would catch him staring off into the space before him. Now, she knew what he was thinking in those moments. Now she understood his reasoning behind everything. She just hoped that he didn't blame himself for her situation.

Of course he blamed himself. She knew better than to think anything else. He had assured her that nothing would happen, but it did. She didn't blame him; shit happens. But she knew that he would never forgive himself for what happened, even though it wasn't his fault.

"So, what do you think will happen now," she questioned.

"Who knows," he answered, bouncing out and grinning. "We might run into the Kahlers again. I loved the Kahlers. Or maybe the Weeping Angels. Not fond of them, honestly." She started giggling, and his grin grew. She was starting to like the goofier Doctor.

She turned around to see a large cloud of smoke rise up from the trees. She felt her grin grow to an obscene width as she turned back to him.

"Oh, look, something interesting," she informed cheerfully. "Shall we take a look?" He gave her his crooked, childish smile before grabbing her hand.

"Oh, how I've missed you, Rose Tyler," he murmured.

"Silurians, of course!"

Rose stood back, her body shielded by him, as another explosion went off. Obviously, they weren't on Earth anymore. Or at least the Earth as she knew it. She couldn't tell by his clothes just yet if they were in the past or the future, but she reckoned it was the distant past. There weren't any modern buildings around, and she couldn't see any landmarks she recognized.

"Last time you ran into them, what did they do," she shouted over the blasts.

"Well, they were tunneling their way up to the Earth's surface," he answered. "They felt threatened by a drill, and were planning on wiping out all of humanity. Managed to talk some sense into the leader, but still had one rebel."

"What happened to it," she inquired as everything quietened down. He turned to her, his eyes twinged with sadness.

"She died," he answered flatly, "after attempting to kill one of my companions."

They moved quietly towards the source of the blasts. He was being even more protective of her than he ever was before, and she could halfway understand. Last time, they tried to kill a companion. He didn't want to have to go through that again.

She was also a bit more fearful than she used to be. What if they tried to kill him? She had already lost too much. Her mother, her brother, her father, her best friends. She couldn't loose him too.

His hand closed around her arm, and she was being pulled into a hollow tree. She craned her neck back, looking to him for an explanation.

"Guards," he whispered. "Didn't want them to see us." She nodded.

"They would probably try and kill you," she murmured. He glanced out the tiny peephole, then met her gaze.

"Or you," he answered softly. "Rose, I can't loose you again." She shook her head before standing on her tip toes to press her lips to his.

"You're not going to loose me," she soothed. "I'm still tough enough to hold me own. I'll be fine." He smiled, the worry still lingering in his eyes.

"Haven't changed too much, have you, Rose Tyler," he mused. She giggled quietly as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Let me see if they're gone." He stepped outside of the safety of the hollow log...

And the ground disappeared from under her.