Oh and just so you know, this is my AU story in which the regeneration at the end of "End of Time" did NOT happen XP Because I'm just not ready to let Ten go ^;^

My beloved do you know?

Moments lost, though time remains,
I am so proud of what we were.
No pain remains, no feeling
Eternity awaits.
Grant me wings that I might fly,
My restless soul is longing.
No pain remains, no feeling.
Eternity awaits.

Prologue: A Chance Meeting

It was a cold night, with biting chilly wind blowing through the abandoned streets. Watery light filtered down from the street lamps, casting an eerie glow on each side of the pavement. Of course, even if there had been people around, no one would have seen the blue 1950's police call box at one end of the street; it wasn't meant to be. As it was, there was hardly a soul about at the moment. Not many people felt like braving the cold just to soak up some moonlight and gawk at nothing in particular.

But the word "Hardly" leaves room for exceptions, doesn't it? Yes, in fact. Why, just a few streets away, rounding a corner, was a small, fast moving figure. It was difficult to really see the shape, but it was certainly a human. Breath coming out in white puffs due to the temperature, hair flying and overall in a very great hurry. In fact, you'd think they were being chased.

The person kept looking back over their shoulder, seeming almost afraid, and picked up a bit of speed, huffing and puffing with the effort before, very suddenly, slamming headlong into one of the streetlamps. A hand went to the head and there was a quiet, "Owww..." while the person rubbed the injured spot for about a minute before shaking their head, glaring lividly at the lamp, and starting off again.

Heading in the direction of the phone-box.

At first, of course, it was bypassed. That was entirely normal, considering that almost no one ever noticed the box unless they already knew it was wherever it was. However, this person backtracked after only getting a few feet away, a frown plastered on their face.

They reached out a hand and touched the wood, wondering why, exactly, a police box from the 1950's was here, of all places. It probably belonged in a museum. But that sent thoughts through the persons' mind, thoughts of thieves and burglary. The eyes widened at the realization that they'd probably just stumbled across stolen property, and the person quickly took a few steps back...

And stumbled over what they hadn't noticed.

It was a man, lying face down on the ground, a dark brown coat making him difficult to see in the night. The person looked at him closely, wondering what to do. Were they equipped with a phone they would have called the police right away, but as standing they never did carry one around with them. And that left them in an odd situation indeed. What to do about this? Well...the man on the ground might just be asleep...another homeless person in the world, but then he might be hurt.

The person gently nudged him with one foot, gaining no response. Then they hesitated a few moments, ringing their hands and trying to make up their mind. Then, turning about as white as a sheet for nervousness, they knelt down and gently rolled the man onto his back so as to get a better look. There wasn't any blood, but something wasn't right; his breathing wasn't normal at all, much too shallow to be considered healthy.

The person thought it over for a moment and reached out, pausing again before placing one hand on the mans' chest to feel a faltering heartbeat that was much to quick. That done they felt the other side of his chest, jumping back with a yelp of shock; there was a second heartbeat there, this time much slower than it should be. They stared at the man in horror, now really unsure of what they should do.

Then they reached a decision and, very very slowly, grabbed the mans' arm and tried to help him stand. However, he was bigger than they were so it was very awkward, to say the least. They finally hauled him upright and stood there, panting, for several seconds before beginning a slow hobble to...

No where.

They had no idea what to do now that they were half-dragging this man to lord knew where. They sighed and staggered a little, thinking. Then they reached a conclusion and, very slowly and in a very wobbly manner, opened the door to the police call box, deciding that they could leave the man in the relative shelter that would provide and return later with help.

However, as the door opened the person was confronted with a stunning sight; more than enough room for themself, the man, and about ten to fifteen guests.

They gaped for several moments, in near shock at the discovery, but then dragged the man inside, deciding that an unnatural shelter was better than no shelter at all. If only that was the last surprise of the evening. After all, people did say, curiosity kills the cat.
_____

The Doctor groaned as he opened his eyes, wondering what on Earth had gone wrong. He'd been trying to get back to the TARDIS so he could regenerate, praying that the pain of the radiation would end soon but at the same time wishing he didn't have to go, and he remembered seeing the TARDIS but...after that there was nothing. He had no idea where he was. He was lying on something hard, he could tell, and the ceiling above him was dark. But, upon turning his head a little, he recognized the med bay. A frown crossed his face; how had he gotten here? He didn't remember coming here...

"O-oh, you're awake...d...d'you feel alright?" a soft, girlish voice that cracked just a little entered the Doctors' perception. He looked around and soon located the source; a short girl, about five feet tall, was standing a few feet away, hands clasped behind her back and a nervous look on her face.

The Doctor blinked, not having any clue who this girl was or why she was in the TARDIS or how he'd gotten into the med bay. "What?" he asked, his voice both hoarse and a little higher pitched than it should be. He couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say at the moment; he was still feeling pain from the radiation and he was, obviously, tired. Being knocked out didn't do much in the way of providing rest.

The girl shifted uneasily, looking around as if searching for help. "Um...I...I I I...I found you...uh..outside, Sir. You were...well...you didn't seem well so...so I just...brought you here...I...I meant to get proper help for you but...um...well...it's so big in here and I...I just thought...and...um...found this room and...well..."

The Doctor winced and propped himself up on his elbows, peering curiously at the girl. "What's your name?"

She seemed like she was about to fall over and the nervous fidgeting continued. "I...I'm..." she hesitated for several moments, "I'm R-Rowan, sir. Is it alright if...if I...I asked...?"

The Doctor nodded slowly, regretting it almost instantly. "It's alright," he said, attempting to calm her a bit, "I'm The Doctor. And it's nice to meet you but...how exactly did you get in here?"

Rowan looked around again and the Doctor determined that it must be a nervous habit of hers. "I opened the door...sir..."

The Doctor frowned at that, settling down again and thinking it over. For one thing, he could tell that he hadn't regenerated and yet he could feel the effects of the radiation subsiding, and for another this girl, Rowan, had gotten into the TARDIS even though she didn't have a key. This was weird, very very weird. Another thought struck him and he peered at Rowan skeptically. "How...how old are you?"

She squirmed a bit at that, a thousand things going through her head. "I'm nin...nineteen, sir..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She went pale and took a step back. "A...almost..."

He nodded slowly. "Ah, so you're eighteen?"

She shook her head. "Sixteen, sir..."

This time both eyebrows went up.

Rowan decided to change the subject quickly. "Sir, this...box...how is it so much bigger inside? And why is all of this..." she gestured around the room, "Stuff in here?" she flashed a small, nervous smile. "It looks like a giant science fair..."

The Doctor paused before replying, allowing himself a few moments to collect his thoughts and try again, in vain, to figure out why he hadn't regenerated. "It's called the TARDIS," he said, deciding that he may as well be truthful about it; after all, he couldn't exactly deny the alien technology that the girl had already seen, "And it's bigger inside because...well...it's alien."

Rowan blinked. "Alien? You mean like outer space alien? Or is it just illegal?"

The Doctor shook his head, closing his eyes and wincing as his headache got a bit worse. "No, it's really from outer space. Other planets, other galaxies, solar systems..."

Rowan took a step back, eyes wide. "Really? That stuff's really real?" She looked around as if she was only just seeing everything, "That's amazing!" she exclaimed.

The Doctor smirked. "You mean you honestly believe me?"

Rowan looked away for a moment. "Well...there's really no other way to explain it I guess..." she hesitated for several seconds, "Is...is there anything I can do for you? Some Tylenol or Excedrin maybe?"

The Doctor gave a small head shake. "Nah, I'm allergic to those. I'll probably be fine in a couple of hours; haven't re-" he stopped there, eyes wide, having realized that he'd almost told her about regenerating.

However, now on the subject of medicine and such, Rowan remembered her discovery, the one she'd made when trying to get the Doctor into the TARDIS to start with. "Um...Sir..." she began, unsure of how to continue, "You've got...uh...well, when I was trying to get you in here...you've got two hearts..."

He nodded at that. "Yes, yes I do."

Rowan gawked at him as if he had suddenly turned hot pink. "N...not to be rude or anything, Sir, but...how?"

He felt a small flicker of amusement; she still hadn't grasped the fact that he wasn't human. "I was born with two hearts," he began, noticing that Rowan was nodding slowly, "On a planet called Gallifrey."

Rowans' eyes widened and she took a step back with a small gasp, staring at him in awe. "You mean you're...you're really...are you serious?"

He nodded and very slowly stood up, groaning a little and leaning against the wall for several seconds before stretching. "Very serious, which is why you can't tell anyone about this."

Rowan was still staring, totally amazed. "But you look like...well...normal!" she exclaimed, "Is it camouflage or something?"

"No, this is really how I look." he took a few steps experimentally, still a bit wobbly but beginning to feel much better; his headache was starting to calm a bit and he was sure that he would be fine within a few more hours, which was certainly something he was looking forward to.

Rowan suddenly grinning, her eyes showing a look of delight. "That is so...well...cool!" she said happily, tilting her head a bit and beaming at him. "You're really a real alien!" her voice took on a serious tone and she looked at him more carefully, "And I'm not supposed to tell anyone?"

He shook his head. "Nah, the less people who know about me the better."

Rowan nodded seriously. "Right, don't want them to think you're planning an invasion or somethin-" she trailed off, looking worried, "You're not, right?"

He smirked, though his eyes displayed sadness instead of humour. "Couldn't if I wanted to." he said.

Rowan frowned at that. "Oh...alright then..."

There was an awkward silence before,

"So you're okay? You don't need any help with anything or...?"

The Doctor smiled at her, shaking his head again. "I'm fine."

She nodded and backed away a step, turning toward the door. "Alright then, I'll just...well, um...bye?" she paused, just outside the door to the med bay, "Oh...um...will you still be here later?"

The Doctor looked around for a moment before making eye contact again. "Probably not...well...maybe here in a different time, or in this time but not here..."

Rowan gaped. "Oh my gosh, you can travel in time?" she shook her head in astonishment, "So I guess I won't be seeing you again then..." she muttered.

"It's not very likely...but, thank you."

She nodded and, walking over to him rather slowly and hesitantly, gave him an awkward hug before hurriedly exiting, this time actually vanishing from sight.

The Doctor chuckled faintly; humans could be so strange sometimes. Ah well, he was alone again and that meant that he should probably return to the vortex to rest for awhile until he was feeling like himself again and then go back to his usual traveling...alone.

Then the TARDIS gave a frantic jolt and he was sent sprawling to the floor. "Oy! What?"

There was another shout then, but not from the Doctor. "WHAT?"

The Doctor paled; Rowan was still inside the TARDIS; and it had just leapt, of its own accord, into the vortex, traveling to who knew where.

Rowan suddenly appeared in the doorway again. "What just happened? And there's..uh...smoke...coming from that thing in the front of this...umm...box.."

The Doctor gave her a look of complete shock. "What?"
__

Muahahaha...hope you like it so far ^;^

A/N: Glad you like it! Here's chapter two! ^?^

On my knees, I'll ask,
Last chance for one last dance.
'Cause with you I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all,
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know
You know, You know
I love you,
I have loved you all along.
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long.
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
And you'll never let go
Stop breathing
If I can't see you anymore.

Chapter 1: Stuck with Who?

The Doctor couldn't believe this was happening. He leapt to his feet, running past Rowan and hurrying into the control room, trying to ignore his building headache as he went. Sure enough, there was smoke billowing from the control panel. The Doctor brushed his hands through his hair rapidly and went to the door, wrenching it open and staring with a sense of dread as he watched the vortex speeding past. He was aware of another presence and turned his head a bit to see Rowan standing next to him, peering out into the vortex with massive eyes.

"What's that then?" she asked quietly.

The Doctor shuddered and slammed the door shut. "It's the vortex...the time vortex..." he mumbled. He turned toward Rowan and gently grabbed her shoulders, giving her a look that resembled that of a five year old whose hands had been caught in the cookie jar. "I am sorry, I am so sorry-"

Rowan shrugged and pulled away from him. "It's alright," she said, actually sounding fairly cheerful, "So are we gonna die or something?"

The Doctor scowled. "I didn't say tha-"

Rowan blinked up at him. "So we're not going to die? What's wrong then?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again before hurrying to the control panel to try and get the TARDIS under control. He paused a moment to really look at Rowan for the first time.

She was, as he'd noticed before, fairly short and thin. She had long brown hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, as well as slightly large brown eyes that were rather dark and seemed either curious or oblivious, it was hard to tell which. Her skin was lightly tanned and he couldn't help but notice that her fingers seemed to be smudged with a dark gray substance of some sort. She was dressed in dark blue jeans that were rolled up at the cuff because they were a bit too long, as well as a black hoodie with a white tree on the front and some text on the back. On her feet there were some rather old looking blue converses that looked as if they'd certainly seen better years. When the girl shifted slightly the Doctor could see that she was wearing two different socks. He continued to look her up and down, wanting to make sure that he knew exactly what she was supposed to look like in case he wound up getting her damaged in some way-

"Um...why are you lookin' at me like that?"

The Doctor jumped as Rowan spoke unexpectedly. He realized that she'd noticed him staring at her, probably not helping his standing in her eyes very much. "What? Oh...sorry..." he mumbled, very quickly turning his attention to the TARDIS.

Rowan smirked a bit and came closer. "She's pretty," she whispered, looking around with wide eyes. "she's really pretty..."

The Doctor frowned and looked sideways at her. "What's that?"

Rowan gestured vaguely around the TARDIS. "This...um...whatever it is, she's beautiful!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "She?"

Rowan nodded. "Aren't most ships called a 'she'?"

The Doctor smirked and pressed a few more buttons, finally at least reducing the amount of speed by a little and bringing it under reasonable control, though he still had no way of stopping it from taking him wherever it was going to take him. He looked at Rowan again, a question coming to mind.

"How did you find me, exactly?"

Rowan shrugged and looked around again. "Oh...um...I was just...eh...running...and I saw this," again she looked around the TARDIS, "And then I sort of tripped over you...sorry about that."

The Doctor waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it. Any particular reason you were running? Humans tend to stay inside at night."

Rowans' eyes widened slightly and she shook her head a little. "Nothing important..." she muttered.

Well, she certainly seemed eager to change the subject, the Doctor noticed. He sighed heavily and nearly fell into the captains' chair rather than actually sitting down. He was feeling awfully tired and could tell he was going to need a proper rest later, maybe a full spin in the med bay to see if he could find out exactly why he hadn't regenerated.

Rowan leaned back against the railing and reached into one of her pockets, withdrawing a small notepad with a pencil attached to the top. She opened the book and began scribbling furiously on one of the pages, looking like she was writing rather than drawing. She caught the confused look the Doctor was giving her and shrugged apologetically. "Heh heh...um...sorry, sir, just you've got a really nice...um...description...right now, I might have to use it...sorry sir, hope you don't mind..."

The Doctor shrugged and tried to focus on clearing his thoughts; he felt like he'd just woken up after being unconscious...oh...he had just woken up a few minutes ago...He shook his head a little and smirked at Rowans' comment. "You might have to use it? You sound just like Shakespeare...Are you a writer, then?"

Rowan gave a small nod and closed the notebook. "Yes, but nowhere near as good as Shakespeare," she smiled wryly, "At least his villains didn't chase him when no one's watching..." she muttered.

The Doctor leaned forward, suddenly interested, "What's that?"

Rowan blinked in surprise. "What? Oh, nothing. Are we going to crash or something?"

"Well, most likely yes. But nothing fatal."

She grinned almost maniacally at that. "Sounds fun."


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