AN: In which Eight meets dimension-hopping Rose and offers her a ride home.

Disorientation. Surprise. Hope. Joy.

The emotions caught the Doctor by surprise—not because he'd never had cause to feel them, but because they were distinctly not his own. His coat swung out slightly from his body as he turned around in the middle of the Falvin market, trying to find the mind strong enough to project their emotions onto him so clearly.

Doctor?

The second surprise of the day was stronger than the first. The stranger knew him, knew he was there, and could communicate with him telepathically without any physical contact. Time Lords were strictly touch telepaths, except…

Oh God, Doctor. I'm here. Please talk to me, love.

The Doctor closed his eyes and opened himself to the bond he could feel between himself and this stranger. Loneliness flooded over him, sharp and painful, and he realised that somehow, she had been separated from his future self.

I'm here, Rose, he said, using the name he'd picked up over the bond. Where are you?

By the fountain, underneath the clock tower.

Her telepathic voice trembled with excitement, and the Doctor felt his hearts beating faster as he strode through the marketplace in search of his future bondmate. Her mind felt incredible against his, like they were two halves of a whole, and he hoped he wouldn't have to wait too long to meet her properly, in his own timeline.

Finally, the narrow street widened into an open square, dominated by a large fountain. Almost immediately, his eyes were drawn to a blonde woman standing on the other side of the square, underneath the clock tower. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the way time danced around her, tiny golden motes of possibility. Out of the possibilities, one solid gold line emerged, carrying her forward and twined inextricably with his.

At one time, Rose Tyler had held all of time in her hands, and when she had, she'd chosen her own path—a path that kept her with him, forever.

The Doctor caught her eye as he walked across the square, and he could see the exact moment Rose recognised who he was. Another flurry of emotion passed over the bond—sorrow, confusion, speculation, and finally understanding.

When he stopped in front of her, she smiled ruefully at him. "I found you early, didn't I?"

"A bit," he admitted. "But I'm still the Doctor. Just not the Doctor who knows you yet." He took another step towards her, and a habit he hadn't yet formed had him brushing a loose strand of hair back over her ear.

Rose sighed and leaned into his touch. "But I can feel the bond, just like I do with my Doctor."

He allowed himself to cup her jaw and brush his thumb over his cheekbone. "I will always be your Doctor, whether you know me yet or not." Tears caught on her eyelashes, and he wiped them away. "That's how it works to bond with a Time Lord, Rose. Once yours, always yours."

"Always my Doctor," she murmured, and he could feel the significance of the words, even though he didn't understand the meaning behind them yet.

"Always your Doctor," he confirmed.

Staring down at this woman who would one day be the other half of his soul, the Doctor wished he could keep her with him. But somewhere out there, a future Doctor was suffering almost unendurable pain from a broken bond—and knowing he would one day be that Doctor, too, made him eager to ease his own future suffering.

"But…"

Rose bit her lip and looked up at him.

"Somewhere, there's a Doctor missing you just as much as you've been missing me. Are you ready to go home?"

Rose reached for his hand, and their hands slid together with practiced ease. She smiled up at him, and even though he knew he would have to hide the memories of today, the Doctor tried to burn this picture of her into his mind. Her eyes glowed with happiness, and a hint of tongue gave her answering smile a cheekiness he immediately adored.

"Of course, Doctor," she said, following his lead as they walked back to the TARDIS. "Take me back to you so that you can meet me yourself."

The Doctor squeezed her hand as he tipped his head back at laughed at her teasing summary of time travel. For once, he approved fully of the choices he made in the future—Rose was obviously his perfect match.