The Time Traveler and The Immortal

The beginning of the friendship

We first met when Rome fell. By then I knew what I was; who I was. I had known ever since Queen Nefertiti died; since my sister died. It had been many hundreds of years since then and by now I knew I could never die.

I don't know why this had happened to me, the knowledge that everyone I would love and ever love would die before me aged and withered while I stayed young even if we had shared the same life. It hurt at first, and every time after someone else had died; I always swore that was the last time I would love someone. That nobody else would find their way into my heart. But every time someone did.

When my younger sister died at the age of 90, I had tried to follow her. I tried so many times, but it never worked. I would just wake up again, wounds all gone. The house that we had once lived in became a painful site so I left.

I wondered for many years living everywhere and anywhere that took my fancy; living in the background and in the shadows. Amusing myself by learning about almost anything I could try to find something permanent.

I lived in Athens for many years and watched to city grow knowing that I would see it fall one day.

I lived in a small Gaulish village by the seaside for a few years watching it fight against the Roman invaders. I befriended many and lost many. But when I was with Asterix and the rest I almost forgot most of my troubles.

I lived in Rome as well. I watched the Games in the Coliseum. I saw many rulers fall and others rise. I watched Rome grow for many years and I began to think that I had found something permanent, the way the city took its challenges head on and always recovered gave me hope. I thought I had found something that could stay with me through my long immortal life, something that I could trust. But then I watched it fall. Sometimes I am almost glad it did. Then I wouldn't have met him. He is the closest thing that I will ever have to permanent.

We met when the city was in flames. The house I had and was living in sat on a hill above the city, I was in no danger from the flames, even if my house went up in smoke. I was sitting outside and I watched it burn. The wind that night carried the fire through every house and I could hear the screams of the people below. The air was filled with the smell of smoke and the smell of things burning. While I felt an ache in my heart at the sight of the city in flames, I shed no tears. I had known somewhere that it would not last forever as I had hoped. I sighed and stood up. I would have to pack my things. I would find a new place. Somewhere across the sea. I gave one last look at burning city and turned slowly to my home. I was not three paces inside when I heard footsteps outside. I turned around expecting a fleeing citizen who would beg me to come and save someone from the flames. Instead, there was a strangely dressed man.

He was wearing nothing like the togas and clothes that the citizens of Rome wore but something I later learned was a suit. He had a mass of crazy brown hair that stuck up at all angles and he looked like looked he was having the best day.
"Hello?" I questioned,
"Hello," He exclaimed, glee clear on his face. "You have the best view of the city from here so I thought I would pop up and watch the city burn. I have always wanted to see the destruction of Rome," He sat himself down on my bench and looked up at me. "I've read about this day in books, but I've never seen it happen in person; I never got the date right, and ended up on the ashes tomorrow." I stared at him. This man was obviously mad.
"Ummm...." My voice was shaky, "Are you sane?"
"Brilliant question," He exclaimed with a smile, "Unfortunately you will find me quite sane."
"Unfortunately?" I asked my voice weak.
"Yes well, all the best people are crazy," He continued grinning his crazy grin, "All the best people are."
"What?"
"Inside joke. You wouldn't know about this for another couple of thousand years. Oh well"
He jumped up and strolled down the hill toward a blue box in the distance, leaving me in stunned silence.

The next time we met was at a party. It was more of a banquet, but the same principle really. It was for King William. And I was a servant. And tonight I was to protect the king. I saw him standing across the room, clad in servants clothes as well. It was a shock to me because I thought he would be long dead. It had been a few hundred years or so, all people from that time were dead. Dead and gone. And yet. I smiled politely at the woman I was serving and moved over to him. As was walking over I let my hair fall over my face to disguise my appearance. If he was the same person then he could recognise me. I stopped beside him.

"Lovely party isn't it?" He seemed surprised by my voice, it was as if he was lost.
"Yes, I wish I wasn't here as a servant."
"Yeah, this would be better to attend as a noble." He laughed,
"Even then, this would get a bit boring after a while."
"Why?"
"This kind of thing doesn't interest me all that much."
"But I suppose Rome burning does." I turned to face him and pushed my hair back to show my face.

He let out a strangled yelp and backed into the wall. His eyes flashed in terror and he almost dropped the tray he was holding. I glanced at the party to see if anyone had noticed but we looked like the lower class, no noble would pay any attention to us.

I grabbed his hand and dragged him into a room just off the party and locked the door. I slowly turned and faced him.

"Ok, who are you?" My voice cut like a knife through the air, "I saw you in Rome about a thousand years ago, spill."
"I . . . Ummm," His eyes flicked around the room in fear looking for a way out. "I . . . Wait how are you alive?"
"I asked first."
"I, I am a time traveller." His face was utterly serious when he said this,
"Really?"
"Yes, I travel through time, I'm in this time to stop the king from being saved,"
"Why."
"Because if he is saved then he will kill millions." I sighed, my job just go 10 times harder.
"Now answer my question, who are you and why are you still alive?'
"I'm immortal." The answer was out of my mouth before I even knew it.
"Wow, really?" He had let go of his fear and was looking at me.
"Yes." I looked away and an awkward silence filled the room. "Soooooooo, What's your name."
"My name? Oh, right now I'm going as John Smith, but more recently I think I prefer the name Doctor. And I travel through time in my blue box" He grinned like a madman.
"My name is Rose, just Rose."

After that night we were best friends, I let an assassin kill the king and he in return would visit me throughout the years. Every 10 years we met up, sometimes more than 10 years, sometimes less but we always met up. He often had me kill a person as they would wage war on countries but only at the end of their time stream.

The next most memorable time was when we met in 1765. He appeared just as I was getting breakfast on the table. I ignored him and sat down and took a bit of my food.

"So," he began. He was nervous I could tell just by his voice, "I need you to protect someone, this time it's simple."
"Simple?" I raised my eyebrow, "Last time you said it was simple I ended up beheaded and you were almost impaled."
"Well, that was an accident."
"How did you think it was going to turn out?"
"Differently."
"Yes well, how do you think he would have reacted when you strolled up to Vlad the Impaler and asked, 'Well Vladdy, do you think you could bugger off and not attack the Ottomans.'?"
"By saying yes."
"Well then, remind me never to trust your judgment." I looked up at his face and saw how serious he was. "All right what is it?"
"Well..."

Originally posted on AO3 under Fairylights_and_Stormynights