Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, much as I may wish I did.

It was a silly human tradition. Rings. How had that one gotten started?

The Doctor could just imagine an early human, fiddling with the new substance he'd found, –iron, they'd called it– and discovering that he could mould it to fit his finger…

Yet another reason he loved humans. Their creativity and originality was always surprising him. What next? Banana hats? Oh, he'd love that.

There was one human, in particular, that he'd thought a ring would look lovely on. She had just the right shaped hand and her fingers were long enough that it wouldn't fall off easily.

Of course, rings, on Earth, had come to symbolize such huge things. Huge commitment, huge attachment, huge promises… He knew these things. So, he made one. Crafted it carefully, coating it in particles and layers of protection. The wearer of this ring would be the safest being in the universe.

That was the plan, anyway.

His special human, with her blonde hair and black mascara, was torn from his grasp, locked away where he could never get to her.

The ring would've been powerless against her fate– he knew this. Still. He should've given it to her earlier. Before this. While she was still here.

She'd promised forever. It had been his turn. He hadn't been able to choke out the words.

It was too late, now. The Time Lord had run out of time.

So, when the human with fiery-red hair and a temper to match had shown up in front of him, in a wedding gown, no less, he had felt as if he'd been issued the infamous Tyler-smack.

The human in white had picked up her jacket, waved it around. He'd wanted to hate her for this. He'd tried. Tried to get her back to her wedding, get her out of his ship, get her out.

Then there were the Huon particles and the demented Santas. And of course the only thing he had on him that could keep the red-haired-human safe was her ring. Of course it was.

He'd handed her the ring, made it seem casual, like it didn't tear his hearts apart. He'd blabbered something about bio-dampers and tossed it off, like he wasn't already torn to shreds on the inside.

And still, it didn't work. The red-head's attackers were much smarter than he'd thought. The ring, after all of his time poured into its making, was a useless piece of metal.

This was how the universe repaid him for all the good things he'd done in the past, would do in the future… This was his reward.

Losing everything.

Over, and over, and over again.

And it would never stop.