Forever

"Rose!" the doctor's call rang out through the TARDIS.

"I'm coming!" From a distant room.

Footsteps pounded the floor as the companion ran to the console room.

"Yeah?"

"Just a moment." The doctor finished setting the TARDIS controls. With that done, he plopped down on the captain's chair.

"C'mere," the doctor said softly, holding his hand out to Rose. She took it and sat down next to him, curling into his side a bit, and looked up at the Doctor.

"What's wrong, Doctor?" she asked quietly.

"Hm? Oh nothing's wrong."

"So why the urgent call? No mauve alerts. Not even a red alert!" Rose said, giggling softly.

"Oh, right. I have something to give to you." Rose looked questioning. "It's something I found lying around the Tardis. It's been here for a few hundred years. It belonged to my first companion, Susan. I think she would like if I gave it to you. It belonged to her grandmother. Her granddad gave it to Susan just before she started traveling with me. I think she would like if you had it."

Susan? I think I've seen that name somewhere. It was in some of the books I've read since coming on. Susan Freeman? Fortman? Foreman? That's it! It was Susan Foreman. So what is it?"

"Yes, Susan did love her books. It's a locket. Here it is!" The doctor was still speaking quietly, and now he lifted something from his pocket. It was glowing slightly in the light of the Tardis rotor. Rose took it from his hand to inspect it closer. It was a small heart shaped pendant on the end of a long gold chain. On the front of the locket were what looked like a random design of swirls and circles. The inside was Rose's favorite thing about it. On the left side was a picture of Rose and her first Doctor, his ninth regeneration, taken a few months before he regenerated. On the right was a much more recent picture, taken on Christmas day shortly after he had regenerated and fought the Sycorax with a Satsuma.

"Doctor," Rose looked up at him, "I love it, but I have a question." He waited, so she continued. "Is there a particular significance to the design on the front? It looks somewhat familiar, but I can't place it. It's not some alien language, because then the Tardis would translate it. Doctor?"

"Yeah, there is a small significance. It is a language, but one that the Tardis will not translate. It's Gallifreyan. For you, it's just a nice design."

Rose turned more fully to face him. "Please tell me what it says?" She opened her eyes wide and pleading, a look she knew the Doctor couldn't resist, and started counting down in her head. *5...4...3...2...*

"Fine!" Rose grinned. "I inscribed it before I gave it to Susan's grandmother. It just says 'Forever'. I thought it was a good word. So, do you like it?" he asked. Rose smiled widely, her tongue poking out.

"I love it. Thank you!" She exclaimed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Will you put it on for me?" She asked, handing it to him. He did so quickly, flattening it to her neck. Rose turned around and grinned again, reaching up to fiddle with the heart.

"So, I was thinking, since we just recently escaped death, again, we should take a little time before our next attempt. I know a wonderful planet. It's got the most fantastic sunsets, and these bird like creatures as big as dragons! How about it?" the doctor asked.

"Sure, why not. Let's go!"

Both jumped up, and the Doctor set the controls. A few moments later, they were there. Walking out the door, they had to stop to take in the scenery just a few feet away from the Tardis.

The dragon/bird/dinosaur things were flying overhead, and the sun was setting quite magnificently. Rose and the Doctor just stood there for several minutes, taking it all in. Suddenly, the Doctor turned to his companion.

"How long are you going to stay with me?"

With a small smile, Rose replied, "Forever."

On the horizon the sun disappeared, while two beings, wandering, so far from their homes, yet right at home, gazed on.

A/N- So, yeah. I wrote this over several days during school. I actually found a piece of paper with the first paragraph or so on it, and since I had forgotten how the original story was going to end, I wrote this instead. For those waiting on my other stories, I will get them up soon; I just haven't gotten around to typing them yet. Hopefully sometime next week. So, R&R as always! The more you review, the faster I'll get those other chapters typed. Just so you know.