Tense time ahead (6)
I believe the answer is:
future
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'tense' is the first definition.
(future tense is a kind of tense)
'time ahead' is the second definition.
(the future is the time yet to come)
(Other definitions for future that I've seen before include "Verb tense; to come" , "What's yet to come" , "Time that is 4 down" , "Time yet to come" , "Outlook" .)