Disclaimer: The Doctor gives me permission to write stories about him and his companions as my fancy leads.

A/N: This idea was inspired by Jessa L'Ryan's "Misadventures in Babysitting" in that Jack and Rose became children in that one. In this one only Rose becomes a child. I hope that you enjoy it, and, as always, please review.

LITTLE PROBLEM

PROLOGUE

Jack smashed through the door to the High Councilor of Breckbeck's secret lab. He glanced wide-eyed from the Doctor who was struggling to hold down the manic scientist to the smoking machine to the small blonde child lying on the floor. His jaw dropped, "Oh shit."

Hearing Jack, the Doctor yelled, "Disconnect the power couplings, Jack. It's building up an internal overload—Dr. Barnes here rigged it to explode."

"But," Jack hesitated, "But if I disconnect it…" He looked helplessly at the child.

"I know. It's likely that the temporal storage will be erased," the Doctor also looked at the child, a pained expression on his face. "But if you don't. It won't matter anyway. Do it Jack."

So Jack hurried to the machine and began disconnecting wires amid flying sparks and smoke.

Dr. Barnes was still struggling in the Doctor's firm grip, his eyes revealing desperation and madness. He looked from Jack to the Doctor to the girl and his laugh cut across the room like a knife. "I win. I win. I win. In all the legends of my race, they say that the Doctor is above emotions, that he cannot be touched. But, I've done it. I've touched him. I've made him suffer as he made my people suffer for generations. Me. I did it. Me. I win."

The Doctor's face took on an even darker aspect. "Jack?" his voice was low.

Jack carefully removed a wire from between his teeth, "Yeah?"

"Are you done with that?"

Jack carefully removed one last connection from the hulking contraption. "I am now. What do you need?"

"Come and take him. We might need him later, and, if he doesn't shut it, I might do something I'll regret."

Jack immediately crossed to the Doctor's side and skillfully took the prisoner in hand. The scientist was still gloating, "Oh, temper, temper. Has the mighty TimeLord lost his plaything? Poor Doctor."

Jack eyed the scientist with disdain. "Do you need him conscious?"

"Not at the moment, no."

And, with a menacing smiling, Jack responded by cracking the scientist on the head. "That felt good."

"I'll bet," the Doctor replied, but his eyes were no longer on the prisoner. He was studying the child cautiously.

"Doctor," Jack asked, following his eyes. "Is she okay? Physically, I mean."

The Doctor's expression had changed from fury to something else as he looked at the girl. She hadn't stirred since the explosion, since she'd been changed… "I don't know." He answered honestly, his voice nearly cracking.

"Well, don't you think you ought to check? That was quite an explosion. I was knocked over by the shock wave as I came down the hallway," he indicated a torn and bloody patch on his knee. "She may need medical attention, and we won't be able to reverse anything if she's…" Jack trailed off.

"I know, Jack. I know."

The Doctor squared his shoulders and approached the precious heap of child on the lab's cement floor. Kneeling beside her, he pulled his sonic screwdriver from his leather jacket pocket, and, turning it on so that it emitted a light hum, he scanned the curve of her neck and spine. Satisfied that her spinal cord was in tact, he turned her onto her back very gently and carefully moved her limbs—not an easy feat as the clothing that she was wearing was several sizes too large. As he did so, the child grimaced. "Shhh," he soothed. "It's all right Rose. You're all right. You've had a bit of an accident, and I'm just checking you over for damages."

Rose opened her eyes, strikingly big in her smaller face, and looked up at the Doctor in confusion. "It hurts." She mumbled, closing them again.

"What hurts, Rose?" the Doctor asked scanning down her legs and arms for breaks.

"My head," she answered softly, "And my chest. It hurts to breath."

The Doctor immediately scanned her head and chest. He turned his eyes to Jack, "Concussion, some minor cranial pressure caused by a bleed, several broken ribs, and one of her lungs collapsing. I've got to get her into the med bay of the TARDIS right now. Did you find it?"

Jack nodded. "They've got it locked up in a lab on the other side of the compound." He picked up the unconscious man and put him over his shoulder. "I'll lead the way."

The Doctor leant down to pick up the child. "I'm sorry, Rose, but I've got to move you. It'll probably hurt."

The child Rose studied him carefully, her eyes no longer dull, and then gritted her teeth and nodded. "Wait," she said suddenly, as he gently slid his arms under her. "Who are you?"

The Doctor tried to keep his expression clear, tried not to reveal how deeply that question disturbed him coming from her lips. "I'm the Doctor." He said over-brightly, and then lifted her and cradled her carefully against his chest.

Then she smiled, a foreshadowing of the smile that he often executed elaborate schemes just to bring forth. "Doctor who?" she quipped, and then, with a ragged gasp and a soft moan, and she slid into the warm darkness of unconsciousness missing his answer completely.