A/N: Ooh, this one's a bit short- oh well, enjoy anyway!

To all of you who asked me questions- I'm pretty sure they all get answered!

4. Gold, Bronze, Violet and Ochre

The silence lengthened, and confusion lit up his eyes, and he looked at me, concerned, as I continued to stare into his eyes mutely.

"Er, are you alright?" His voice was the same, the very same; everything about him was so familiar; the curve of his shoulders, his hands, his hair.

Everything was identical.

Except… the man in front of me wasn't the Doctor.

His eyes didn't hold the same brooding/sad/deliriously happy expression that the Doctor's did; nor was his usual spontaneous bursts of elation lurking behind them– no, wait, it was, but it wasn't the same. My eyes narrowed as I scrutinized his face as he stared at me, clearly unnerved by my inspection. The crowd looking at us faded away, as I ignored them, my attention entirely focused on the man in front of me that was so familiar and yet such a stranger.

How could this person look exactly like the Doctor, hold his body in the exact same way as he did; even tilt his head slightly as if he was deliberating a life-affirming question, and not be him?

"Are you alright?" He said again, and I noticed that his voice was marginally different as well- an almost incomprehensible difference, but still there.

I didn't answer.

And then he continued in a tone I knew so well. "Listen, whatever it is, I can help- just tell me your name"-

I couldn't prevent the gasp of surprise as the truth struck me- oh course; how could I have been so stupid?! I looked back at him, and saw that worry had replaced curiosity now- he was obviously wondering whether I was mentally competent. But I didn't care; I was still trying to work out the jumble of realisations that had swarmed into my head.

The Doctor was looking at me like I was a stranger, because to him, I still was.

His face looked different (more mid twenties than early thirties) his voice different, because he hadn't had them changed by years of grief and pain and anger. His gaze was young and innocent because it still was. He hadn't experienced any of the effects the Time War would cause him.

I wrestled desperately for words, as he was obviously waiting patiently for an answer- I knew enough about the Doctor to know whatever age he was, he wasn't going to leave without the answers to any of his questions, no matter how unimportant it was.

"Doctor?" I managed, and he tilted his head again.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

My mind wasn't working fast enough to process a believable answer; but I was saved from having to by one of the boys from before- now on the other side of the square, all of them walking in the same direction, towards a huge building that shone like gold, which was obviously some sort of school.

"Oi! Cassie, hurry up. Leave the girl alone; haven't you got enough of them trailing after you already?!"

I saw the Doctor wince and shoot me an apologetic look before turning to the boy and calling back.

"Save it, Omega." He retorted. "Just go, I'll be right behind you." Omega smirked at him and shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah- but with your impeccable reputation, you'll get away with it, no doubt." The younger version of the Doctor ignored him and turned back to me and said something; but I didn't hear because my mind had restarted, and a few things I knew were coming back to me.

An image of a street flashed before my eyes- of me pulling Dad from the road, saving his life. The Reaper appearing, snarling. Because I meddled with history and saved Pete Tyler's life.

The Doctor had said something once about it being the same if you went back in time and met someone you weren't supposed to meet.

"Hey, you still haven't told me your name."

"Rose." I choked out. "Tyler."

The Doctor smiled, but then caught the panicked expression in my eyes. "What's the matter, Rose?"

I must've looked like a terrified deer caught in the headlights, and that's exactly what I felt like. What would happen if Reapers appeared now? When I was on my own without the Doctor? I didn't know how much this younger Doctor knew or what he'd experienced, and I knew for a fact I wouldn't be so lucky this time around if they came for me.

I had to put as much distance between myself and this younger version of my friend, and hopefully avoid the Reapers.

Without pausing I scrambled up from the cobbles and, with one last fleeting glance at the younger Doctor, turned and fled with every ounce of speed I possessed, praying that Reapers wouldn't follow.

* * *

Panic fuelled my flight, and adrenaline pounded in my ears, blocking out all other sounds; which is why it took a long time to realise I was being followed. The sound of dual feet hitting the cobbles bled into my frenzied state in stages, so it took me a long time to realise what the sounds were as I hurtled down alien streets without the faintest idea of where I was going. I risked a glance back and almost stumbled as I saw the young Doctor following only several feet behind.

Damn him and his stupid curiosity, I thought bitterly. His detective streak had never brought us anything but trouble, ever. Clenching my teeth I willed myself to move faster, and somehow my legs managed it, and the blur that was the houses on either side of me became even more smudged.

A frustrated hiss escaped my lips as I glanced back again and saw that he was keeping pace with me with ease- and I knew that although I couldn't go any faster, he would definitely be able to. He was only humouring me until I exhausted myself and stopped.

I had to lose him- but how?

Half-heartedly I tried to get my body to move even faster, but I knew before I tried that it would be no use; I was in shape, of course- with the Doctor you had to be with the sheer amount of running involved- but my body just wasn't a runner's body, and didn't possess inhuman amounts of stamina, like his did. I'd pushed it as far as it was going to go. I hissed, desperation seeping into my adrenaline-fuelled chest. There was no way I could keep this pace up for long; the muscles in my thighs and lower back were screaming and my calves were numb; my breath coming in short, laboured pants.

I gasped heavily, my throat sore, trying desperately to will myself to keep going, but I could feel my legs failing. And the Time Lord behind me didn't sound at all troubled by my pace.

Bloody alien bodies, I swore under my breath as my knees began to buckle, making me stumble several times. But still I kept going, every part of me shrieking now, and a strangled cry of despair slipped through my lips as I heard no sound of retreat from behind me.

I heard him yell something, his voice panicked, but I didn't pause; I risked a glance and saw him slowing down- maybe now I could get away, I just kept going for another few minutes…

Without warning my feet hit air instead of cobblestone and for a second I flailed, and then I was plummeting downwards, fast.

"Rose!" I had a fleeting vision of the young Doctor's panicked face before it disappeared from view to be replaced by a stone wall as I hurtled downwards. A short scream of startled surprise erupted from my painful throat, but it was cut short as astonishingly icy water enveloped me. The stunning force with which I hit the water made blackness surge up to meet me, and I surrendered to the darkness and knew no more.

A/N: You see? This is why you should always look where you're going when fleeing past versions of your time-travelling friend… tsk, such a novice mistake Rose Tyler!