A.N. I do not own Inuyasha or Doctor Who.

Shaking with sobs, Kagome rested her head against the well. It wasn't fair! Why was she pushed back? Never again would she see Inuyasha, Sango or Miroku... Maybe Shippou or Kirara if they survived after all. Shuddering, she whirled around when a hand landed on her shoulder. "What the-?"

"Hello Kagome." There was a gentleness in his eyes as he crouched beside her, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Doctor..." She lurched forward, sobbing into his chest. When she finally stopped, she was a tad embarrassed. "No Rose with you this time?" She looked around him, expecting to find the blond woman.

"No, I've got no one, actually. There's... Well, I just wanted to see you." The Doctor smiled sadly, looking down at her. "Before."

Pulling back, she narrowed her eyes on him. There was something off, the feeling of his foreign energy pouring off him a little more as if seeping through cracks. "Before what, Doctor?"

"When you see me next, don't ask me about anyone you've seen or make reference to any different versions, alright? Even if the version you see is one you haven't seen before." Letting go of her, he brushed the remaining tears off her cheeks.

"Wait, you can't just leave when you've said something like that! Doctor!" When he continued out of the well house, she ran after him. "Take me with you! Or bring me back to the feudal era! Anything, just don't leave me now just to wait for you..." Tears ran down her cheeks anew as he stepped into the familiar blue box parked in her courtyard. She knew though, knew she couldn't stop him. "Doctor... Where are you going?"

His smile was very sad in that moment. "I've got one more person to see. Rose, in fact. Take care of yourself, Kagome. You won't wait long." With that, he closed the door.

Letting out yet another sob, she collapsed to her knees when she saw the TARDIS disappearing. "Why?" She whimpered and curled in on herself, the pain radiating from her heart out to every part of her.

"Kagome?" Gentle, motherly arms wrapped around her. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Oh, Mama!" the miko wailed, turning and sobbing into her shoulder.

"Perhaps I should come back?" an unfamiliar voice asked, the source a tall foreign man standing behind her mother.

Before her mother could respond, Kagome looked up, watery eyes locking on the stranger. His aura was the same. "Doctor?" She was in shock, having just said goodbye.

Kneeling next to her, he smiled brilliantly. "You're fantastic, you know that? Normally people tell me I'm not the Doctor. Even your mother was ready to shut me out until I spoke with her properly."

Stifling another sob, for the second time that day, she threw herself into the arms of the Doctor and cried. Her emotions were on overload though and she couldn't take much more of the roller coaster. "Stay, Doctor. Stay." Her eyes slid shut as she was carried away into blissful unconsciousness.

x~x~x

"Morning, Kagome! I've got breakfast for you, from your mother. Smells good, doesn't it?" Dragging her desk chair over, he plopped down and set the tray on her table. When she remained still and didn't respond, he frowned. "Come on, now, Kagome! Don't sit in your bed pouting! You've accomplished something improbable-clearly not impossible since you did it-and that is amazing! You should be celebrating. I could take you for drinks. It's happy hour somewhere."

Staring at him, she wondered if he could see all the hurt in her eyes. Hurt that she was separated from her friends, hurt he kept popping in and out of her life, hurt for everything... But then, he didn't know, did he? He didn't know he'd popped in and out. To him, he had come back for her after the incident with the Prime Minister. Her head ached at the paradox. She sat up and took the tray. "I don't think drinking will cure me."

Pleased when she began to eat, but irked by her response, he frowned. "Cure you?"

Smiling ironically, Kagome's eyes flickered up to meet his. "They say time heals all wounds, you know. So maybe I just need you to stick around this time."

Wincing, the large man grasped her hand. "You weren't ready, Kagome. Your control was too tenuous and you could've hurt someone by accident. Besides, could you have honestly enjoyed our adventures before you finished yours?"

Reminded once again that this man was not the man that had spoken to her in bits and pieces and left her, Kagome squeezed his hand. It wasn't right for her to hold him accountable for actions he'd not yet taken. "Our adventures?" she echoed.

Grinning broadly, he nodded. "Of course. You didn't think I'd be leaving you behind, did you? We've got worlds to see, times to explore! You thought the well was amazing, well the TARDIS can bring us wherever and whenever we want."

"Whenever?" she repeated, looking up at him.

Eyes softening, he shook his head. "Not there, Kagome. History is finished with you there. But I can tell you a bit about them all, if you like. Did the research before I came."

"Really?" Breath hitching, she scooted closer to him.

"You eat, I'll talk." Beaming, he waited until she took a bite to begin. "Well, your Sango and Miroku got married, had oodles of children and lived to be in their sixties. Not bad given the time. Sango's little brother Kohaku lived and married that Sesshomaru character's ward. Shippou found a school for kitsune and applied his talents readily. He disappeared, but most 'youkai' did in order to conceal themselves, so he's likely alive. Kirara is still guardian to Sango and Miroku's descendants."

"And Inuyasha?" Kagome asked softly, still eating.

"He disappeared from history along with Kikyou after the battle. I'm sorry, Kagome." Sitting beside her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Leaning into him, she nodded. "I knew it would happen. He really loved her." The words 'not me' seemed to echo unsaid.

"Well, I say when you're ready, we go somewhere new. We'll explore everywhere," he pledged, getting to his feet.

Smiling a little, his enthusiasm a tad infectious, she nodded. "Alright. I'll pack a bag and tell Mama. And Doctor? I like your new face."

"The ears are a little floppy, but thanks." He smiled a bit and walked off to prepare.

A.N. Okay, since it will no longer spoil things, I've gotten a lot of questions on which Doctor this is. Kagome first met Eight, but had run-ins with Ten and Eleven for brief periods. She has now officially met Nine who of course doesn't know she met Ten and Eleven, hence why Ten warned her not to say anything about it, knowing she was about to meet Nine for the first time.