Rose studied the Doctor as he sat across from her on the bench seat at the restaurant. She had been the one to suggest going out to get chips, and she had been the one to pay for them as well. Space aliens didn't have a few pounds in their pockets at any given time.

She hadn't answered when the Doctor had asked if she wanted to go home after seeing how dangerous it was. Truthfully, she had been terrified: for the others on the platform, for the Doctor, for herself. It wasn't being selfish, but she did feel bad for not answering. Hence the chips.

She found herself openly staring at him with a silly smile on her face as he munched on a chip, staring out the store front window to observe people walking past. His bright eyes looked ancient now, as if they had seen horrors she couldn't even conceive. The leather jacket only added to the mysterious effect, especially with how worn it was, and his big ears had grown on her; they were cute. She thought he was very good-looking.

The blonde quickly grinned as he looked back at her to cover up the fact she had been watching him. He responded by popping another chip in his mouth before leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms, seeming to mentally argue with himself. Finally he sighed, leaning his head back in defeat before looking back at her with an answering grin.

"So." He seemed to pause for some sort of dramatic effect. If Rose hadn't been curious about what he was going to say, she would've echoed him and stuck her tongue out. "Before I take you into the past as promised, I've got to go pick someone up." He got a faraway look in his eyes and smiled softly. "I made a promise a long time ago, and I intend to keep it to her."

Rose tensed.

'She?'

She knew the Doctor had a past before her, but she assumed he was a free agent what with picking her up and showing her amazing things. She knew the Doctor wasn't hers, but she was starting to fall for him and wanted him to be hers. She knew she shouldn't be jealous, but she was. She was very jealous. However, she couldn't allow the Doctor to see how much what he had said affected her. A fake smile slid into place.

"Okay! What's her name?" She placed both elbows on the table as she reached for a chip.

The Doctor thought hard for a second before grinning. "Why don't I let her tell you? Now come on; once we're finished with these, we'll go get her!"

Rose ate her chips as slowly as she could.

"I have enjoyed being your professor for these past few months. I hope you all take away something from our time together- for instance, Mr. Davis, that falling asleep in class and falling out of your chair is not a good way to start off a new semester?" The class broke out into laughter at the expense of their peer, who turned red but chuckled alongside them. "I wish you all the best of luck in the future. Now, go enjoy the sun!" The class packed up their things and filed out as the professor sat on the desk and watched them leave in twos and threes, some calling out goodbyes as they left. The professor would nod at those who did so.

Aria stood up and stretched. She had waited until almost everyone had left, as there was no point in rushing to go anywhere after the last block of the year. She gathered her things into her backpack- laptop and sketchpad, as always- before jumping down the few steps that stood between her and the bottom level. The professor raised one eyebrow in amusement as Aria approached, a mischievous smile spreading to greet Aria's grin.

"Yes, Miss Aria?"

Aria reached out her right hand to shake the professor's hand. "Thank you for holding the best class I've ever attended while managing to teach us without being boring," she jokingly said, although every word was true.

The professor took her hand and shook it, looking off over the girl's shoulder to make sure no one else was in the room before pulling Aria close enough to whisper into her ear. "It starts today." The surprised girl jerked back, black braid falling over her shoulder at the same time. Her professor merely grinned at her before turning away to sit back behind her desk as Aria didn't move. "You won't go anywhere if you keep standing there, Aria." Aria, confusion showing plainly on her face, nodded absentmindedly towards the professor before walking out of the room. She stopped once she reached the doorway.

"Professor, how do you know that?"

The professor looked up from her papers and merely winked at her. "Spoilers."

Aria had no idea how the professor had known what she did and her fob watch had stayed stubbornly silent on the matter. It had never done that before. Half the time, she had a problem getting it to shut up. Either way, she trusted what her professor had said. She had rushed back to her dorm room to quickly pack, making excuses to her friends she passed that she was leaving early this year. "My brother is coming to pick me up," she said. Technically, it wasn't a lie.

Now she was faced with a problem: how was she to know where the Doctor was going to land the TARDIS? She sat down on a park bench not too far from her dorm in frustration. Out of force of habit, she grabbed the chain that hung around her neck and pulled up the watch that was out of sight under her shirt.

"Can you help me with this at least?" she growled, still annoyed it stayed silent earlier.

100 meters, it sounded reluctant as it replied. Aria kissed the watch in thanks before reaching down to snatch up her duffle bag and watch calmly down the path in front of her, enjoying the dappled sunlight that resided in the park. The area was quiet that day, as students were out packing, working, and enjoying the freedom of the break. It was a good type of day to land a spaceship in disguise as a big blue English police box in a park.

Aria almost kissed the TARDIS when she saw it sitting peacefully underneath a tree. She did, however, clap her hands together in joy, causing the TARDIS's door to swing open in a welcoming fashion. The girl walked in calmly though internally brimming to the edge in joy.

"Doctor!" she cried out, causing the man to look up from where he stood beside the console. She dropped her bag and ran up to him, wrapping him in a bear hug. The Time Lord laughed gleefully, securing his own arms around her waist before swinging her in a circle. Once he set her down, Aria turned to kiss the center cylinder of the TARDIS's console. "Hello, girl," she whispered, receiving an answering vibration under her feet in return.

"Well, look who grew up." Aria turned back to face the man in the leather jacket that had come to her all those years ago and opened her eyes to the wonders of the universe. His grin reminded her of the Cheshire cat's; she was surprised he managed to fit it on his face.

"Well, look who's ears didn't shrink," she teased, reaching up to flick one. The Doctor mock frowned at her but lit up as he saw the golden watch swinging from the chain around her neck.

"You still have it," he said softly, brushing a finger over the accessory.

"Damn right I still have it," Aria sassed back, proudly putting a hand on her hip. "Wouldn't give it up for the world- any world."

The Doctor nodded proudly. "Good girl." His eyes roamed her face for a second longer before he turned back towards the TARDIS's console. "So much to do, so much to see, and so little time!"

"Doctor, this is a time machine," Aria said with emphasis.

He rolled his eyes and pointed off down the hallway that branched off from the main room. "The TARDIS will lead you to your room; it'll be right next to mine. Go get your stuff settled and then come back out here; Rose and I will be waiting for you."

"Rose" as in "Rose Tyler," Aria assumed. Her watch had talked about her a bit, not enough to tell anything time-altering though. She saluted the Doctor before picking up her bag again and disappearing off down the hallway, following the twisting corridor the TARDIS provided for her. The girl stopped as a blonde in a hoodie and jeans opened one of the doors lining the path. Both of them paused all movements to survey the other.

Aria didn't like how the girl tensed as if threatened.

"Hi," Aria said with a smile, holding out her hand for the other to shake. "You must be Rose Tyler. I'm Aria."

Rose looked surprised that Aria knew her name, but shook her hand nonetheless. "You're the girl the Doctor was talking about." A hostile look flashed across her face as she glanced at Aria closely.

"Is something wrong?"

Rose crossed her arms and huffed. "Actually, yeah. The Doctor and I were doing great. I helped him save London, he took me to the end of the world." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't see where you fit into the equation. I don't see why he decided to get you now."

Aria's eyebrows went up as she listened to Rose. "Are you being serious? I've known him since I was five." Then it hit her: "Are you jealous of me and him?" Rose's silence was all the confirmation she needed. "Rose, he's like my brother. That is absolutely disgusting. That's like incest!" Aria put both hands on her hips in exasperation. "Trust me, I won't meet who's mine for a while."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

Aria just shrugged. "Not my problem. My problem is you suggesting that I'm involved with the Doctor like that." She walked past Rose, ignoring the glare sent her way. "However, I will be watching to see if you're compatible with him."

The blonde looked extremely offended. "Excuse me, how dare-" She stopped as Aria turned to look her dead in the eyes.

"I dare because that man has been through things neither of us can imagine. If you hurt him, I won't forgive you. If he hurts you, he won't forgive himself."

Rose scoffed. "He won't hurt me. He's the Doctor."

"Exactly."

Aria pivoted on her heel and continued walking the opposite direction, only stopping once the TARDIS gave a gentle nudge into her mind.

"Thank you, girl," she said as her door slid open. Inside was almost an exact replica of her dorm room, except for the absence of her roommate's stuff and the fact that her bed had changed from a twin to a queen. It was placed against the wall on one side, with a desk underneath a large pushpin board where Aria would display all of the sketches she completed. A door led to what she assumed to be a bathroom, and a closet was next to it. Aria did her best to quickly hang up all of her clothes while still seething over her encounter with Rose. She hadn't meant to get off on the wrong foot with the girl, but Rose had just rubbed her the wrong way. The Doctor had never appealed to her in that way, as his voices inside the fob watch always told her about the soldier that would sweep her off her feet. The Doctor had been a big brother looking out for her; the big brother she had always wanted.

Her mother had died giving birth to her, and her father was always away on business trips. On top of that, he wasn't much of a kid person. That's how she found herself with a different nanny every six months, "so they didn't get too attached." She had been lonely when she was little, but soon grew out of that phase as she began to stand up for herself. Her world was made larger by this and the watch the Doctor had given her, as language barriers were nonexistent for her. She did her best in everything, otherwise she would be vexed with herself as she knew her limits and wouldn't allow anyone to tell her she couldn't do something. She wouldn't take shit from anyone.

Of course, this led to several issues with "figures of authority" and people unused to being fought against as they were always the ones sassing off... for instance, Rose Tyler.

Aria sighed and sat on her bed as she dropped her now-emptied bag. "Girl, do you like Rose?"

The TARDIS hummed reassuringly.

"Fine, fine," Aria muttered. "I won't kill her in her sleep."

If the TARDIS could laugh, she would've.

Aria stood up and skipped to the door. "Let's see what Rose and the Doctor have to offer then." She smiled slightly as she heard a quiet whisper coming from within her watch as she ran off down the hallway.

Home.

A/N: Don't forget to review! :)