On The Edge of Reality

A/N: Okay, people! This is the moment you've all been waiting for! The PREQUEL! As prequels go, you don't have to read Partners In Time to understand it :D (but it would be great if you did) Anyway. I hope you guys like it. This is the first non-shipper fic I've done (although, well, if you've read PIT you already know it will be…anyway.

And thank you to Isis the Sphinx for coming up with the brilliant title!

Anyway. Enjoy!

Prologue

She cuddled up to him, sighing as she leaned her head on his shoulder. The bed was warm, as they had been sitting on it talking for hours.

His hand found hers, gently squeezing it, before he kissed her on the cheek, reassuringly.

Her long blonde hair fell down his back on the side she had her head resting on. He wrapped his arm around her waist, tightly, the warmth of her body seeping to his under the covers as they leaned against the pillows, sitting up.

"You know," the blonde started. "You never did tell me the story of how you found me."

"You really want to know?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered, looking into his brown eyes. "I want to know everything."

"It's not really all that interesting," he mumbled, pressing a kiss to her hair. "What about you? What were you doing all that time?"

"Well," she started. "I went out on a date."

"What!" he nearly shouted, making the blonde giggle.

"Tell you, what, Doctor," she started. "If you tell your story, I'll tell you mine. We'll take turns."

"Fair enough," he said. "So, I already told you about after the Master came, how Martha and Jack left. Well, I was now on my own for a while and…"

He was scrambling around the console, trying to find a way to fix the problem. Smoke was emerging from the control panel, and no matter what buttons he pressed, the turbulence wouldn't stop.

Even the hammer trick failed.

The Doctor was tossed around the console—as was anything else not nailed down already—and tumbled and tossed.

And finally, nothing.

The calm before the storm, he thought bitterly, getting up.

The lights were out, and nothing seemed to be working. He fished his sonic screwdriver out of his coat pocket, turning the setting to flashlight.

He stumbled his way over to the console, reaching out to touch it. And if not for the warning of sparks erupting from it, he probably would have been regenerating right now from electrocution.

He made his way over to the doors, stroking the TARDIS in worry. "What's wrong, old girl?" he asked it.

Nothing. Not even the usual hum. She was sick.

He sighed in frustration, before pulling open the door, ready for anything that would come his way.

Well, this was something new.

He was lucky he didn't step out, or else he would fall to his dea—well, his next regeneration at least. Wow, he had been around humans too much.

About twenty stories below him was a garden, flowers beautifully in rows, vegetables growing on vines, artistically carved hedges here and there. And no one in sight.

And he was on one of them, the tall, hard green shrub keeping him and the TARDIS stable.

Oh, getting down was going to be interesting. Seeing as how he couldn't just pop in the TARDIS and get something like a ladder that he needed in the dark, let alone moving the TARDIS just twenty feet down.

He looked at the shrub, deducing it was a Gylian Art Shrub. Perfect for art, moulding any way that the artist wanted. Sort of like putty.

And perfect for making foot-pockets.

He turned on his stomach, his feet dangling out of the TARDIS as he kicked the shrub hard with his foot, preparing to make a sturdy pocket for his foot, so he could be able to climb down.

But the shrub was hard, and his foot felt like it had just kicked a bowling ball. He gasped in pain, muttering a few choice words in Gallifreyan, his legs dangling against the shrub, as his grip slipped a notch, until he grabbed the wall, his knuckles turning white as he pushed himself back up.

Of course, he realised, Gylian Art Shrubs were often glazed over, hardening so other artists wouldn't be able to wreck the piece.

Just his luck.

He heard giggling from below. He looked down, but saw nothing. "Who is that, then?" he asked, still holding his foot.

A young woman stepped out from a nearby shrub, her hair up, taking off an apron that was full of green residue.

She had a wide grin on her face. She was beautiful, long auburn hair that cascaded below her shoulders, even though up. She had a wonderful smile, her round cheeks puffing a little as she did.

"I seem to be, um, well, stuck up here…do you mind?" he asked, annoyed when she started giggling again.

"Sorry, it's just…" she started. "Here, why don't I get you a ladder?"

"That would be very nice," he replied, relived that the language translator still worked, at least.

She disappeared behind the other shrub again, before bringing a small-looking ladder. "Hold on a second!" she called, pressing a button on the side, the ladder rising up, stopping when she pressed the button again.

It was perfect, he mused, climbing down the steps. He turned back to her, noticing new details about her.

She seemed about early twenties, her auburn hair really a lighter red. She had very pretty eyes, violet, with one dimple on her left side as she smiled. And she wouldn't stop giggling!

"I'm sorry, it's just…well, I do get a lot of tourists, but you're the first one with such a… unique entrance." She giggled again.

"My ship crashed," he defended. "I didn't intend to land so high."

He looked up, seeing his TARDIS perched flat on a juplo's back. A juplo was an animal much like a horse, except it had a flat back, which people could lay down on.

"Did you make all these?" he asked.

"Well," she started. "Not really. Only four are mine. The gardens are mostly mine."

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around.

The girl scoffed. "You mean you didn't come here on purpose? I am hurt."

"Sorry, I didn't mean—where are we?"

She laughed, smiling. "It's all right," she said. "I was being sarcastic. We are at the Healing Gardens, of course," she explained.

"Oh," he scanned the room, taking in the harmonious scenery. "Wait, TheHealing Gardens? The intergalactic renowned relaxing and tranquil spa, museum and all-natural clinic?"

"Intergalactic?" she laughed. "Hardly. I've only started, though many travelers have started to come by. And I am not a doctor, so it is not a clinic. But yes, all the others you have described are correct. It is a peaceful spa, and also as you have experienced, an art museum."

She giggled again.

He mulled over the world and era. "Healing Gardens…that's in the…Mearth Galaxy, right?"

"You don't know what galaxy you're in?" she asked, incredulously.

"I told you, my ship crashed," he defended.

"Yes, then, you are correct. You must be far from home."

"And the year?" he asked.

"20051. You don't even know the year? How long have you been on that ship?"

"Honestly? I have no idea," he replied.

"You obviously don't get out much," she laughed.

"You have no idea." She really didn't.

"In any case," she said, her voice businesslike. "I am Emelise Zabelle, founder of the Healing Gardens." She bowed her head, a custom of greeting.

"I'm the Doctor," he bowed his head at her, their foreheads meeting gently as custom. "Zabelle? You're not married?"

"Married?" Emelise laughed. "I'm afraid not, Doctor. Marriage is…well, let's just say it's not for me."

"Well, give it a couple years," he mumbled. "I mean, you never know."

"Are you proposing to me, Doctor?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Me? No! I was just saying…" he stumbled, trying to get past this without mentioning the whole 'time travel' thing.

"It's all right," she laughed again. "Is there anything I can assist you with, then?"

"Well…I would like to fix my ship and get it running again," he replied.

"Oh! Okay! I know just the person!" she walked him over toward the hedge she had been working on when he had landed. "Pandy!"

"Coming!" shouted another girl's voice, muffled.

After a few seconds, another girl stepped out, a smock around her waist, green shrub-mould on it, and also on her white gloves. She looked very young, a teenager, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. She had dark brown hair, pulled back into something that resembled a French braid, small square specs perched on her nose haphazardly. She was a head shorter than Emelise, and seemed like the younger version of her, only with extraordinary eyes.

Her eyes were a blue-green, bright aqua, with a violet ring surrounding them. And they were not contacts.

"Yeah?" asked the girl 'Pandy.'

"This man has a broken ship," Emelise started. "Do you think you could fix it?"

"Now, that's not really necessary," the Doctor started. "I only need a few spare parts, really—"

"Now, Doctor, you're a guest here," Emelise started. "And Pandy's a very good mechanic, so please. It'll be on the house."

"It's no problem," the girl explained, looking at the TARDIS fondly. "Just show me where the circuit breaker is and I'll get her started up in a minute! And I'll even fix the chameleon circuit for you."

"That's really—what?" asked the Doctor. "How'd you…?"

"Well, it's in the shape of the police box! I mean, who would build a ship in the form of a police box! Obviously there was something wrong with the chameleon circuit. So, what do you say?"

This girl was sharp, brilliant, even. And her eyes…well, her eyes were a mystery. He wanted to get to know her better, because the curious man he was, a mystery was just too good to pass up. Even if it was something like flower pollen got in her eyes or something.

He stuck out a hand to her. "I'm the Doctor."

She extended her hand, but dropped it, taking off the gloves first. Okay, maybe not as brilliant as he would have thought. But still, pretty smart. She removed the glove, shaking his hand firmly.

"Pandora Zabelle." She grinned at him. "Pleased to meet you, Doc."

"Pandora?" asked Rose, snuggling closer to him as he continued. "Is that why you…?"

"Well," he grinned. "It's kinda funny. That Pandora reminded me a lot of this one. That, and it just seemed fitting."

"Why Pandora?" Rose asked. "I mean, what did they have the same story?"

"No," he said. "That world was very human, of human descent. But by then the story of Pandora's box was long gone. No, in every language, you have to remember, it's just sounds. And sometimes those sounds sound similar to what we have. Names, words…"

"So, you really liked her?" Rose asked, not the slightest bit jealous. She had him now, after all.

"

A/N: That's it for the prologue! I hope you guys liked it! To all my previous readers from Partners, well, don't spoil it for others! And RandomQuests giant rats will be coming soon! lol.