"Just a boy,

Just an ordinary boy.

But he was looking to the sky."

-'Ordinary Day' by Vanessa Carlton

Prologue

He's 900 years old, more or less. Or he's only a few days old. Take your pick.

A lot has happened in those 900 plus years. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he doesn't see the brown hair and brown eyes or the shirt Rose made him wear this morning.

He sees men, young and old, dark and fair. Straight hair and curly hair. He sees a blue box that once contained everything that ever mattered to him. That once was the only thing in the universe that belonged to him.

There are others, there, too, in that mirror. His family. His children, turned to dust so long ago. His companions on travels through time and space. Some left to return to ordinary human lives. Some died. He sees friends who betrayed and were betrayed.

Rose had asked him, once, why he never mentioned anyone from before. The pain they bring is too much to deal with, most of the time. Better to pretend that everyone is safe and happy. Better to block out the guilt.

He is understanding how strange and wonderful and terrible it is to be human. He has this time left to him, and it might end tomorrow.

He can accept that. He has Rose, and that makes everything else bearable.

He prays it will always be so.