Chapter Text
Rose Tyler was not a popular girl. Not on campus, that was. In her final year of university, she buried herself in her books, never really talking to other students, not dating, not going out. As a matter of fact, it had sort of become a competition about the boys on campus, who could pull her first. There was almost five thousand pounds in the pot for it as of last month. She kept tabs on it, and she wondered who would get the money, since no one was going to get her before she graduated.
Her favorite librarian was a woman named Sarah Jane. She helped her find all the right books and everything interesting. Rose had never been terribly interested in history, but Sarah Jane was just so passionate about it. Even though Sarah Jane was an older woman, Rose enjoyed conversing with her. The two often sat at the small library tables and poured over Rose's homework.
Unlike nearly every other person at Uni, Rose didn't' know what she wanted to do. All she had was her mother, her father having died when she was a kid, and an ex-boyfriend who only hinted at getting back together with her. She was rather convinced that he had about three hundred pounds in the "Pull Rose Tyler" pot.
She was shaken awake one morning, and she jolted awake, a piece of paper stuck to her face. She looked up at Sarah Jane, who pulled the piece of paper from her face and lay it back on the library table.
"Did I fall asleep here?" Rose asked, her hands pressed over her face.
Sarah Jane smiled sheepishly. "You did. Rose, this isn't healthy. You don't need to slaughter your exams, beating them within an inch of their life is enough," she said teasingly, sitting down next to her and rubbing her shoulder.
"I don't even know where I can get a job, besides that shop again," Rose said, waving her hand absently. "I have no idea what to do with my life."
"Some people don't, Rose, that's alright."
"I just feel like I could be of more use somewhere else," Rose said, glancing mournfully down at her books. "I could be... I dunno, curing cancer or inventing the newest light bulb, or something."
"And maybe you will."
Rose shook her head, an odd realization hitting her. "Not here, I won't."
"Well, you just get up and go to class. I've got an idea. When you're done, come back here, I'll have something for you," Sarah Jane stood up and helped Rose start to pack her things up.
"Thanks, Sarah Jane, but you really don't have to do that."
"Yeah, I do." Sarah Jane nodded. "I think it'll help you rather nicely as you go on your way."
Rose allowed herself a smile. "That's shady," she said, and Sarah Jane laughed.
"Maybe so."
"I'll be back at two."
Rose's classes were boring as usual, her neat cursive the only thing distracting her from whatever the boy next to her was doing. Usually, that included picking his nose. Today, though, her thoughts were focused on her lessons, really, properly focused, as though this was the last kiss she would ever have to attend. When she left, her writing hand was sore and her neck ached from sitting in those painful chairs for hours. Physics equations whirled through her mind as she made her way back to the library, her feet dragging behind her.
She entered the library, and all the librarians chorused a greeting of "good afternoon, Rose" to her. It occurred to her that she probably spent altogether too much time at the library. She let her eyes flutter shut as she inhaled the familiar scent of old books seeping into her skin. She opened her eyes again and greeted the librarians back, smiling cheerfully. She spotted Sarah Jane putting away some books from where she was, perched up on a high ladder. At the librarians' greetings, she peered down and offered Rose a wide, genuine smile. "Hello, Rose, how are you doing?" She called out as she climbed down the ladder.
It really was hopeless to be quiet in the library, it wasn't like many people came crawling into it anyways, and those who did usually had earbuds plugged in, their pencils tapping out meaningless tunes as they read their books. Rose dropped her back on a nearby table, ignoring the little flurry of dust that shot up at the motion, and hurried to steady Sarah Jane's ladder.
"Thank you," Sarah said as she reached the ground. "Come to my office. This is a... Well, it's a private matter, something you should really see just you and I."
Rose furrowed her brows and took up her bag again, following Sarah Jane through the library, the sounds of tapping and the gentle thud of feet against carpeting echoing through the building. She'd been to Sarah Jane's office once or twice during her first year to cry about her then boyfriend, Mickey. It had ended poorly anyway, but she couldn't imagine what Sarah Jane would have to show her in her own office. Perhaps another reason to cry?
Rose huffed to herself. She wouldn't have to think that hard to find reasons for that. Everyone told her that college would be some of the most fun she'd ever have, but somehow, getting drunk with strangers wasn't very fun to her. She was here to get an education, but in doing that, she'd missed out on friendships. She thought that she rather belonged somewhere else, but she didn't know where that was just yet.
"Have a seat," Sarah Jane said as they entered her office before shutting the door behind them. "It's very special, this think I have for you."
"Oh, good, I've been thinking about it all day," Rose teased, grinning.
Sarah Jane laughed. "Oh, of course," she said, wrapping around to her desk and opened the drawer on the right. "Now, this is called a fob watch." She deposited the gold watch onto the desk. "Don't open it, listen to me."
Rose looked at her carefully. "Is there something shady about that watch?" She asked.
"Depends on how you define shady," Sarah Jane shrugged. "There's a lot of lore behind this watch, in all the years I've had it, I've never opened it."
Rose found herself arching a brow at her mentor, suspicion clouding her view. "And why is that?"
"Legend says that there's a time set on this watch, which there is, it doesn't tick," Sarah Jane leaned forwards, as though telling a secret. "And when you open the watch, you go to that time."
"Time travel?" Rose replied blandly.
Sarah Jane nodded. "Time travel. I want you to have it, even if you never open it, just for the mystery." She slid the watch and its chain across the desk to Rose. "Take it."
Rose chewed her bottom lip. "Thank you," she said, taking the watch and fingering the gold metal. "I think... I think I will open it," she said, "So if I'm not here tomorrow, it's cause I'm somewhere else in time."
Sarah Jane laughed. "Any time, Rose. If, by some twist of fate, it works, any of it works, leave me a note for the future. I'm a bit... Curious about these things."
"Then why didn't you open the watch?" Rose asked curiously, carefully avoiding the button on the top of the watch.
"Because I wasn't the one who needed it," she replied simply.
Rose looped the chain of the watch around her neck. "Well, I appreciate this a lot, Sarah Jane. Even if it doesn't work. Thank you."
Sarah Jane grinned. "You know, a little adventure, real or fake, never hurt anybody."
She thought about that for the rest of the night.
The evening was hot, practically burning through her as she tried to sleep. She had sleep shorts and a tank top on, and she was still sweating through it. Finally, she sat up, unable to take the heat and too preoccupied with thoughts of the watch to sleep. She adjusted her tank top and padded over to where she had laid it on her desk. Her roommate was quiet, had been asleep for a while, and Rose didn't know how she managed it. Maybe because it was simply quieter here at Uni than it was where she lived. Martha's family was a bit loud, after all. The silence was probably completely welcome to her.
Rose tried to keep quiet as she sat down at her desk, picking up the watch and looking at the simple plating on the front. It had Roman Numerals carved into it, and she squinted in the darkness to try to read it. After a few moments she finally read it as "1860" and hummed softly to herself. So that's where it was from. It was in pretty excellent condition for being that old.
She itched to open it.
She wasn't sure why, but there was something about this simple piece of metal that seemed important. It drew her to it, as though something like destiny was awaiting her on the other side. She rolled her eyes, of course she didn't believe in things like destiny. She sighed heavily through her nose and set the watch back down, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. After all, if this thing ended up working, she should probably tell people where she'd gone. She'd barely gotten the pen in her hand before she realized she probably couldn't write "Gone time travelling -Rose" on a paper and leave it there without seeming insane. She didn't want to be seen as a psychopath when she returned.
Rose twirled the pen between her fingers, trying to think. Finally, she settled herself in to write a short note.
Martha,
Gone travelling. Make sure mum is okay until I get back, I won't be able to come home and check on her.
Thanks!
Rose
She stared at it for awhile, making sure that was what she wanted to say to her friend before she left. She then shook her head. She was being stupid, there was no way that the watch actually gave her the ability to travel through time. Like Sarah Jane had said, it was just lore. Stupid lore, probably Irish. She rolled her eyes and picked up the watch again, setting the pen down with her new distraction in hand. She stroked over the upraised Roman Numerals with her pointer finger and inhaled slowly. Well, she might as well do it, hadn't she? It wasn't like there would be any true consequences either way.
Rolling her eyes at herself, she popped the watch open, and promptly blacked out, the chain wrapped around her wrist.
She woke up in a field.
Wait.
A field?
She sat up and glared around her. It was nighttime, and she was still in her pajamas, but really it was much colder now. She shivered and got slowly to her feet. When had it gotten so cold? When had she gotten outside, for that matter? She wrapped her arms around herself, the watch pressed into her arm with the motion. Her feet were bare, and she could feel herself growing chilled, her toes going numb. She turned over her shoulder and saw what looked to be a city in the distance. There were lights, that was for sure. She turned back and looked in front of here. There was a small, cozy house, a tiny garden with some flowers and vegetables in front. Smoke was spewing up from the chimney, and she furrowed her brows at how old the place looked.
The smoke reminded her that there would be a fire inside the house, which meant there would be warmth. Steeling herself to knock on a strangers door, she started walking through the dew-wet grass towards it. It would be very simple, to find out where she'd been taken. Had someone drugged her last night? She knew she'd passed out, but she wasn't one hundred percent sure as to why.
Finally, shivering, she reached the door and lifted her shaking hand to knock. She heard a man yell "Coming!" And run down a set of stairs at top speed. He threw open the door, and she blinked at his attire.
He was wearing breeches and a vest and a waist coat and.... She blinked. He was dressed like a man from 'Pride and Prejudice'. Although, his hair was spiky and wild, with dark eyes to match, and she found herself gulping. He was really rather good looking.
She was so entranced and shocked by this that she barely heard his squeak of alarm as he turned away from her, shielding his eyes. "Blimey, you're naked!"
Rose furrowed her brows. "M'not naked. I passed out and woke up here. Can you help me?"
The man peeked through his fingers, his eyes carefully trained on her face. "Yes, miss, I'll always help someone in need, though I don't know how you ended up outside the village." He opened the door wider and beckoned her in, but vanished to grab a blanket from a stool that sat next to a dingy kitchen table. He brought it to her and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Thank you," She said, clutching it closed over her, the watch exposing itself. He eyed it curiously.
"Is that your father's?"
"No, no, my friend gave it to me. It was an... She got it from... Oh, I don't know," she sighed. "It was a gift."
The man chuckled. "Well, now you're a bit less naked. You could stay here for the night if you'd like. Although summer approaches, the nights are still cold."
Rose breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said, her voice dripping with relief. "I'm Rose. Rose Tyler."
"John Smith, inventor," John took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of her knuckles. She felt her cheeks flush as he continued talking. "Well, we'll have to find the person who left you out here, Miss Tyler. They should be punished."
"I'm not sure it wasn't my own stupidity," Rose admitted. "But I'm sure we can figure all that out... Tomorrow... What year is it?" She blurted out.
John gave her an odd look. "Did you hit your head?"
"No."
"It's 1865. Come with me, I have some of my mother's old things that you can wear. Dreadfully out of style, I'm afraid, but that should be alright."
Rose felt her jaw drop. It had worked! The bloody watched had worked! She mouthed a silent thank you to Sarah Jane as she followed her frankly gorgeous host up the stairs.