Journey's Beginning

It was New Year’s Day, almost one in the morning, and The Doctor and Rose had been at the famous Tyler New Year’s Eve party. Some of their acquaintances and all of their closest friends were there. Drinks, games, food, and other sorts of entertainment had passed the time until midnight came. Glasses of champagne and mixed drinks were held high, someone played "Auld Lang Syne" at the baby grand piano in the front room, some cheered and used their noise makers, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler laughed and held eachother close with Tony nearby, and there was a couple in the corner of the room who acted as if they were the only ones in the room.

"Happy New Year, Mrs. Smith," he sentimentally whispered in her ear before kissing her tenderly on the lips. They kissed for the longest time, ignoring everyone else, fading into their own little world. It was their first New Years together.

"I love you," she nearly cried, just thinking of what all they had been through the last year.

In the last twelve months, everything about her world had changed- for the best, of course. She had been everything from depressed to determined, determined to triumphant, triumphant to more happy than she had ever been in her life, and now a new phase was about to begin.

He softly placed a hand on her rounded stomach as their kiss came to an end. Still in the moment, the father-to-be felt a tiny flutter against his hand through Rose's blouse. Their lips parted as they laughed. He bent over, putting his head ever so close to her stomach, and placed both hands on either side of her belly.

"Hello, daddy's growing girl. Just a bit longer, my dear. Happy New Year, Sammy," The Doctor sang to the unborn baby.

Rose gasped as she felt the flutter a second time.

"Alright, that's quite enough. You're going to get her too excited," she laughed, trying to be cross but failing miserably.

"Sorry, mum," her husband grinned, moving his hands from her stomach to his pockets, his voice mimicking a child in trouble.

The party ended and the happy couple were one of the first to leave. They made their way off her parents' property and towards the city. Snow fell as they walked the vacant streets of London. Neither could remember how they had gone this far out of their way. The intention had been to walk to the nearest underground station but they had somehow passed it over an hour ago. Both were bundled in winter coats and quite warm, walking intimately arm in arm. They were having too wonderful of a time walking around beautiful snow-covered London and talking to mind the time or dropping temperature.

Suddenly, Rose stopped and looked around. The Doctor was confused at first and then realized where they were.

"Our old flat- where mum and I used to live, remember?"

"Yes, of course. This is where you lived when we first met. I could never forget it," he chuckled, memories of what seemed so long ago running through his mind.

They stared into eachother's eyes and felt as if some sort of cycle had been completed by them coming here. It was completely by chance, yet, there they were.

Suddenly, Rose stopped and grabbed her head as if in pain.

"You alright?"

She looked confused for a few seconds then replied, "I don't know. Give me a minute."

"Rose?"

The Doctor was becoming very nervous. Several things could have been happening. Was it her? The baby? Quickly, she looked up and their eyes met.

"Just remembered something, that's all."

"What do you mean?"

"It's impossible", she whispered.

With a smile, he replied, "Oh, my Rose. Haven't you realized by now? Nothing about time is impossible. You, of all people, should know that." He grabbed her head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

She tried to argue but couldn't resist meeting his stare. After all she had seen in her years of traveling with The Doctor in the TARDIS, how could she possibly question the most impossible and most questionable aspects of time?

"I was walking home from a New Year’s Eve thing with mum and this man was in this alley, right here. When it happened, it was just a daft, half-mad man. Being here, now, I’m starting to remember."

"Did the two of you speak?"

"He looked horrible," she answered, trying to recall everything as best as she could. "He looked like he had too much to drink and asked what year it was. I told him- ‘2005’."

"Alright. Nothing too strange there."

Realization struck her.

"Sam, it was you." Her eyes looked troubled and she was slightly trembling.

"Me?" It sounded ridiculous. "It couldn't have been me. I didn't see you New Year’s of 2005…" his voice trailed off. "Oh," he gasped, falling into a thoughtful silence. "I didn't see you in 2005… with this mind."

"But you said that your memories were identical to--"

"Up until this body was made. This mind started making memories independent from the original the moment it was created."

"So the first body went back and saw me New Years of 2005? I thought--"

"This reality was sealed off- not the reality you came from. That's the reality he travels in now- the one where we meet for the very first time." Things were coming together. "I did it," he chuckled in disbelief. "Clever me must have found a way back to you, but why?"

Rose took her husband's hand.

"Why does it matter?"

In that moment, she decided to not let it all get to her. So what? What if the Time Lord went back and found her in the reality she came from? What if he changed time and found her on that New Year’s Eve? It didn't make much of an impact in her life in this new reality. It was just another memory, right? It was just an extra event that made her life just a bit more interesting. Life wasn't going to change because of this occurrence.

"If that was me you saw, that means we were together on New Year's Eve 2005," he announced, tears almost forming in his eyes.

"Seems that way," she giggled. "But how?"

"Does it matter?" he chuckled in amazement, using her own words against her.

Rose kissed him on the cheek, giving his hand a single squeeze.

"It's you. It's us. We always find a way back to eachother." She paused in a thoughtful sweet moment. "We've proven it over and over. Our love is stronger than time."

"Did anything else happen?"

"Nothing. You were a stranger so we just said good night and I went on into the flat." She couldn't help asking. The smallest piece of her heart was screaming and Rose couldn't ignore it. "Do you think I'll run into you again? In my past, I mean."

The Doctor gathered her into his arms as the snow continued falling around them.

"I don't know. If so, it’ll be in the next year. Our first real meeting is later in 2005. Shop dummies!"

"Ah, yes. Mannequins," Rose giggled, remembering the first time the odd exciting man grabbed her arm and told her to run. "Our first date was at the end of the world."

"With chips," he cheerfully recalled.

"With chips," she repeated, loving him so much for remembering the little details.

It was times like this when she was reminded that this was really The Doctor from back then. Only this one was spending the rest of his life with her. This one was going to grow old with her and have a proper life.

They began walking again, first in silence, and then Rose sighed, ''You were right."

"About what?"

"Before I went back inside that night, you told me that I was going to have a great year. You were the bloke that I told you about."

He stopped, looked down at her, and asked, "And was it?"

The young woman couldn't help revealing the smile he loved best. The answer was so obvious.

"It was ‘fantastic’. I met you."

"I can't even begin to imagine other me seeing you again. With all that we've been through, having to walk away from you with another bloke- well, the other me. Very interesting. To think," he paused, "you had no idea who I was. In those few minutes we spent together, I loved you with everything inside me."

"I can't imagine seeing you and not knowing you." She paused, seeing the past meeting for what it was. Seeing it from his point of view. "Blimey," Rose sighed, a lump forming in her throat. "You were a complete stranger. You meant nothing to me that night. Just a nice, odd bloke."

Seeing her filled with slight grief, The Doctor knew he had to turn this around.

"Hey," he said, lifting her face with a single finger to hold her gaze. "I got to see you again. That had to be some sort of closure, yeah? I'm sure it was all for a reason. Remember all that happened after that?"

She seemed to ignore every bit of comfort he was offering.

"Do you think I'll recognize you when you regenerate? Won't that raise questions later?"

"Well, I obviously didn't make you forget the meeting. Not sure what happens."

A few silent seconds passed. Rose tried to think back before time travel, magic, and love came into her life. Once she met The Doctor, she changed. He brought out the best in her. He showed her how to be the one she never knew she could be. She remembered him now, and appreciated the moment for what it was. If only she had known then all that he would come to mean to her. How difficult that experience had to be for the lonely traveler.

"Don't fret, my Rose. Everything will be 'fantastic'." He held out his arm with a smile. "Just wait and see."

With bright eyes and a trusting grin, Rose linked her arm though his and they continued down the street she once lived on. That was another time, another reality, another man.

"Now, where is the nearest underground? They'll be closing down soon," he sighed, perfectly content and a bit more at ease.

Part of him always worried about his other self. In London on New Year’s Eve of 2005, the last Time Lord saw the girl he loved. Bad Wolf Bay wasn't the end. There was at least one more time, and hopefully others to come. Only time would tell.