By the time we got out of 18th century France we ran as fast as we could through the ship's hallways.

I couldn't remember being tipsy but I felt myself sobering up when I saw Mickey strapped down in the centre of the engine room. All around the room were the clockworks in 18th century wears.

"Mickey you weren't…?"

"No but it took you long enough. Where were you?"

The Doctor swung around the corner.

His tie wrapped around his head and a glass goblet in his hand.

"Boy! Do the French know how to party!"

Mickey looked at the two of us, "What were you two doing?"

"So much dancing, then the Doctor decided to show them a banana and they all went…" I hiccuped.

"Bananas?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

The Doctor looking tipsy neared the machinery and the head droid.

"I think I invented the banana daiquiri a couple of centuries early."

"You're so thick. Thickety, thick, thick." The Doctor sauntered over to the head drone. I came up from behind and grabbed the Doctor's glass to pour it over the robot's head.

"Hey that was mine!"

"What I wasn't about to pour mine, its good wine!"

The Doctor flipped a switch and the clockworks powered down.

"Now let's close those time windows." The Doctor pounded the keys before letting out a semi-yell, "Why aren't they closed?"

A ding came in and the clockworks powered up again.

I cleared my throat, getting the Doctor to focus and he looked at the ceiling.

"Of course! There's still another out there. They must have found the right window." The Doctor raised his eyebrow at me.

"I don't know where it is on the ship."

"Ok then, we'll have to spread out searching the portal."

We all raced off.

Down one corridor I found a tapestry.

I peeked behind it. "Reinette?"

"Rose?" Reinette came around the corner. Her gaze looked over my clothes. "You truly do not change."

I gave a bittersweet smile, "The place that allows me to travel your timeline, doesn't let me do so in order."

"You wouldn't age regardless, would you?"

"No."

Reinette peeked behind the curtain, her eyes widening.

"This is the vessel?"

"Not the one I travel in, but the one that allowed me to meet you." I looked at her curious features, "Reinette, have you been visited by the Doctor or Mickey already?"

She shook her head.

"I see. How old are you now?"

"Thirty two."

"The clockworks will be coming for you in five years. Sometime after your 37th birthday. When they come, try to delay them for as long as you can. The Doctor and I'll be there when you need us."

"Why won't you stay by my side right now?"

"Rose! Rose!" Mickey came jogging up, eyes widening at Reinette.

"We've found it!"

I turned and leaned forward to press a soft kiss on each of Reinette's cheeks, "I will be there as soon as I can."

Reinette returned the kisses, "Do not delay…"

Future Reinette's voice called out somewhere to the front of the ship.

"Rose! Doctor! I need you. The clock on the mantle is broken."

Reinette's lips pulled down in a frown, "It seems its time for you to go."

I squeezed Reinette's hands before nodding to the tapestry. She went back behind it.

Mickey pulled me the way he came.

We ran back to the engine room where a large mirror was revealed.

The Doctor was checking around the mirror with his sonic.

"They knew we were coming, they've blocked it off."

Looking around I didn't see the horse. I gave a sharp whistle and Arthur trotted in.

"Good boy," I gathered my skirts before I pulled myself up onto his saddle. I offered my hand to the Doctor.

"Rose you can't. If we smash through we'll smash the time window. There'd be no way to come back."

I looked to Mickey, "When you grow bored of waiting for us ask the TARDIS where the stasis pods are. You can go to sleep in one of them and we'll be back in the blink of an eye."

Mickey looked curiously at me, "What about you?"

"You'll find Mickey that it won't even look like I've aged."

"How?"

The Doctor looked at me waiting to see how I responded to Mickey's question.

"I'll tell you when I get back. Meanwhile, stay safe."

I looked at the Doctor who was staring up at me, I offered my hand to him again.

"Willing to take the slow path with me, Doctor?"

The Doctor didn't answer but took my hand.

He swung himself up behind me.

I looked down at the horse, "Come on then Arthur, we have Versailles to save."

Arthur lept and the Doctor protected me as we went through the mirror.

We came to Versailles filled with the screaming French court.

I slid from the horse and strode toward the front droid standing over Reinette with a blade and yanked it off its feet.

A tall man with dark hair and a worried expression glanced from the Doctor to me. "What is going on?"

Reinette looked over, "Forgive me, my love. Let me introduce the sister of my heart and her Doctor."

I curtseyed before the king of France, "Forgive the disruption but we came to stop the monsters plaguing the French court this night."

The Doctor looked at the mirror in worry, "Talk about 7 years of bad luck, try 3000."

The droids looked up at the brick wall that resided behind the once time window. All of them tried to teleport back but found they couldn't.

"The link to your ship is broken. No way back. You don't have the parts. It's over. Accept that." Each clockwork tilted its head down, some falling to the ground and breaking into pieces.

Slightly anti-climatic but it did the job.

Reinette looked at me, "What's happened?"

"They no longer have a purpose so they've stopped ticking."

Reinette held my hand as I looked out the window at the misty blue night sky.

"In saving me you have trapped yourself and the Doctor. Did you know that was going to happen?"

I hummed.

"Thank you for coming. Will you take the slow path now, you and your Doctor?"

"If you will have us."

"I could have the king give you a title for your deeds."

"Only if it helps with our stay."

Reinette squeezed my hand, and I looked over to her.

"There were many doors between your world and mine. Could you not use one of the others?"

The Doctor spoke from the doorway, "When the mirror broke, the shock would've severed all links with the ship."

Reinette gazed at me, I spoke softly so only she'd hear, "Except for one."

Her eyes widened, as she smiled. "You always seem to know such things don't you Rose?" Her eyes grew sad, "You even know my story's end."

"I shall stay by your side during it."

"Then I'll always keep the fire burning for the day your Doctor and you must go back."

At the end of the day the Doctor and I were brought to our own suite on Reinette's floor.

When we stepped in, I turned toward him.

"You heard."

He hummed before looking into my eyes, "You know you can't change her death."

"I know I just want to be with her in the end."

"You'd risk being stranded for her?"

I nodded.

"Family is worth the risk and Mickey will be alright. Sexy will keep him safe for me."

The Doctor bent to kiss me on the cheek, "Then we'll stay."

Six years passed.

Six years of the Doctor and I sharing the same quarters.

We grew closer, often comforting the other when we would have nightmares. Him, the Time War and me, my past life and the responsibilities of Time.

Reinette's stepfather, Monsieur Tournehem adopted me as his ward and so Reinette and I were truly sisters. I was recognized at court as her confidante, and the Doctor was mine.

The Doctor and the king were on pleasant terms, the king seemed to believe him to be no threat to Reinette's heart. Reinettte never failed to try to get the Doctor and I closer than friendship, if assigning us to the same room wasn't already evidence of her determination. She on occasion would try to get the Doctor jealous, but it often failed due to me not finding any interest in the men at court.

The parties we'd have at Versailles became legendary throughout the city.

In a world where love and power could hold hands often, she never could understand why we never exchanged such words.

"He's waiting, Reinette." I knew the Doctor loved me. I could see it in the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn't aware. How he'd kiss me on forehead before sleep, how his eyes were always upon me as if he was afraid to lose me. But I also knew that he'd lost others before and he was scared; like I was scared to tell him and for him to then run away.

Reinette would shake her head, "Foolish man."

"I suppose I'm foolish then for I'm afraid to say the words before I believe he can tell me them back."

Despite the Doctor's warning, I still tried to keep Reinette healthy but she still caught an illness. When she was moved back to Versailles after a turn for the better she asked to rest in her suite. The fireplace had been kept burning for six years straight, a feat in itself.

"Soon I'll be leaving, dear sister, but I want to see you off before I go."

The Doctor stood solemnly by the fireplace having already checked to find a weak signal.

"Rose, before you leave I must ask you to take something." Reinette pointed to her side table and I followed her direction.

I pulled out a small leather bound diary with a fireplace engraved in gold on its cover. I raised an eyebrow.

"I had it specially made, read it when I'm gone."

Tears fell down my cheeks as the last rites were said over the quickly fading Reinette. The king sat to one side of the bed and I the other.

She weakly patted my hand, her eyelids falling low.

"Go, my sister. Remember me well."

I shook my head. I didn't want to leave her like this.

"Please." Her voice was hoarse and I felt a sob lodged in my throat.

I stood before walking to the Doctor. He placed a hand around my waist before pressing the fireplace's trigger.

The cold spaceship greeted us.

I looked down at the book and opened it to the first page.

The title page read, "To: The Lady in the Fireplace (a sister and friend)".

I didn't watch as the Doctor shut down the rest of the ship, instead I wandered into the TARDIS not even a smile lifting my lips as I felt Sexy greet me.

I heard the Doctor join me closing the TARDIS's doors behind him.

"I need a moment."

I left for my suite but barely made it through the door before I dissolved into sobs.

I don't know how much time passed when a knock came upon the door frame. I felt familiar arms surround me and lift me up.

The Doctor brought me to the observatory where he had set up a blanket fort, complete with a nest of pillows and blankets within.

He set me down before wrapping his arms around me again, pressed a kiss on my forehead. He ran his fingers through my hair as I curled up in his arms sobbing.

The last thing I heard as I drifted off to sleep was the Doctor whispering into my hair, "Rose…"