Summary: Rose Tyler is a single mother surviving on her own during the London Blitz. John Smith is just an old soldier returning from the war due of mysterious reason. What will happen when fate bring these two broken souls together? Rose/Doctor. AU. One-Shot.

A/N: Whew! I wrote for three straight hours. That was painful. But I wanted to see if I can write something like this. This is a story of two lost souls that brought together. The longest One Shot I ever wrote. This rated M. For a small sex scene in the middle of the one-shot. I never really good at writing those but I gave it a shot.

In the story Rose challenge is her struggle with a failing relationship while raising a child in the early 40's.

While John struggle to overcome his demons of the war against Germany and the fact of his friend's death.

Pairing: Rose/Doctor. One-sided Jimmy/Rose. Doctor/Sarah Jane (Mentioned).

Rating: M for nondescript sexual scenes and language.

Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Romance

Be Near Me

The scent of smoke and ashes clouded his nose when he entered the battle-field.

John Smith took another gulp of the whiskey in front of him. His throat starting to burn when the warm liquid wash down slowly. He didn't wince. He was half pissed. He could tell but not nearly, for he still remembered the battle just a few weeks ago.

Screams and shouts washed over him in a distance. "Smith! Cover me!" He heard his orders and then he raise his rifle just over sandbags that he and a few of his comrades took over behind.

The pub was buzzing with many people. Young men and women alike. On some days even older people like him would stay and drink their problems away. John felt his arm twitched involuntary.

His rifle fired. He had to press the trigger. The trigger that ended many lives. He felt deep loath within himself. Each fire he shot, he couldn't forgive himself. He wonder why he was ever chosen for this work. He wasn't anything special.

John signaled the bartender for another glass of whiskey. The pain within him ached. Still so fresh in his mind. It was only mere weeks that the London Blitz had ended.

He covered his comrade the best he could. Then it happened. It wasn't unexpected. He knew one day will be his end. He always knew it would end like this. He saw the glitter of the enemy scope. Jack looked at him over the distance from the pillar that John had helped him to move to. He was only in his late twenties but he saw more horrors than anyone else. "Smith, down!"

John spend the next thirty minutes drinking. The liquor finally making him starting to forget on why he was even here at the pub. It was time to get himself home, he figured bitterly. He stumbled in his seat and paid the tab to the bartender.

"Careful, mate." The bartender wished him well. John almost snapped at him for his pity worthless comment but held himself back. It wouldn't do for him to be banned to the only place in London that was open for him to drown his worries away.

He made himself out of the pub. The night wind was chillingly, and he flinched at the unexpected weather. He could tell it was very late. Not many people were out and the moon shined over his head vividly, reminding him once more on what he lost.

BANG!
Pain.

Blood. He could feel it flowing down his shoulder. "

"Smith!" He watched in horror as Jack rushed over to him. Not caring from upcoming fire from both sides.

"No!" John gasped weakly.

"BANG!"

Jack fell.

John stopped walking feeling a slight headache rushing through him. The pain was numb but it was still there. He remembered the blood. The crimson liquid that stained both side. All he wanted to do was yelled at everyone screaming-"No more" but his voice had left him that day.

He wasn't fit for combat. The orders were clear. He was discharged from psychotically trauma. That wasn't needed in the field. A soldier that was too scared to pull the trigger anymore. His shoulder was wrapped in a sling. The sniper that had done this to him was either too bad of a shot or wanted to kill him down slowly and painfully with each limb. John silently packed whatever he had in his suitcase for his upcoming departure. A few pictures. A stack of letters from his wife that had suddenly stopped coming in a week before.

The walk to his flat wasn't that far. It was about a mile away from the pub. A small flat that the government had provided for him to live for his service to the crown. A few of his steps flattered.

John was home. That was all it matters. The death of his friend Jack still lingered in his head. At least he still have his family. At least he still have his wife Sarah Jane. He reached the flat a few days later of his departure. He had no words to say to his wife. But he knew once he see her, he will feel so much better. That is when he arrived at what was left of the flat. The flat was utterly destroyed. Apparently, it was bombed during the Blitz. The realization on why her letters stopped slammed into him. No….No….No… His body was filled with lost once more. He dropped his suitcase and rush inside the burnt down flat. The walls were crumbled. Everything was such a mess. "Sarah!" He called. He waited for a few moments and he receive no response.

He grimaced. He still had nightmares of his time in the war. The time when he returned and finding out his wife was gone. The bunker that she had hidden with many other women and children had collapsed on them.

He had to look for another place to live. He didn't have any family left. His parent's long dead years ago in a boating accident. His brother wasn't even in the same country with him. He had fled to a place that wasn't really effected of the war. Lucky, the crown had recognized his service and set him in a place to live till he get over his trauma and go back into the service after a brief psychological checkup.

"I don't even know why you're here with the child. I told you to stay home and don't come after me!" an angry voice shouted snapping John out of the bitterness of his memory. He stopped walking and glanced at the couple just a few feet away from him. A woman with long wavy blonde haired looked like she was about to bust in tears. Held a small child in her arms.

"I don't want to fight, Jimmy. Just please come back home." The woman begged. The man scoffed.

John wondered why these people just fight in their own flat instead of showing the world their problems.

"I have no intentions of coming back tonight. I need to get away from this." He waved his hand over her body and the woman looked very distressed. The child stirred within her arms coughing sickly. The man looked at him with loath and disgust.

"Think about our child. He needs you. He's sick. He needs his father." A flash of anger went across Jimmy's face and soon he pushed the woman away from him. She almost dropped the child. Then the unexpected thing happened. He promised himself days after his wife's death that he wouldn't get involve or do domestics. He found himself picking the bloke by his collar of his shirt. He felt himself tightened his grip.

"You're garbage. Laying a hand on a woman and even worse your own child." John spitted on Jimmy. The woman tightened her grip on her son with a gasp. He ignored her.

"Ah the slag slept with you didn't she then too? Huh?" That comment earned Jimmy a right hook across the face.

He was gone again. The fifth time this week when Rose really needed him the most. She had barely sat their son Tony to sleep. His coughs echoed throughout the tiny flat that she shared with her boyfriend Jimmy. He was sick and there was nothing she could ever do to cure that. She couldn't afford to pay a doctor for a visit and she was hoping that Jimmy's job could pay a little more to send their boy to the hospital, but apparently it doesn't. Jimmy barely hand her any money. They barely have any food in the flat to survive on and Jimmy always went missing days at a time and when he does returned he often ignore her or start his drunken brawls.

Something she dread every time he returns. Being an unmarried mother in the 40's wasn't ideal. It was very scandalous, not much than the twenties but still. It was not ideal, but she will never call her son Tony a mistake. Even if Jimmy made unwanted comments to them about it. That he never wanted a son. Whenever she tries to leave, he often told her that she has no place to go. No one, not even her parents would accept an unmarried mother.

Tony was still sick and Rose placed another hand over his forehead. His forehead was really burning up and she sighed heavy before placing a cool rag over his forehead. She leaned down and kissed his check softly tucking him in his bed. The room was bare from any toys or even drawings that Tony had drawn. Jimmy wasn't fond of the drawings and often told his son to stop. That it was childish and pathetic.
"Jimmy, please leave him alone." Rose voice trembled during his usually insults to his son. Jimmy paused. His lips twisted in a snarled. Then he left his son's room slamming the door behind him, before taking her wrist dragging her to their bedroom.

Rose cooked dinner for the family. A nice family dinner, she supposed. Her hand trembled over the pot. Bruises laced her pale white skin. She almost cried but when she heard her son, she held those tears back. She must be strong. She have to be.

"Dinner is almost done, Tony. Go on and wash up." She smiled and the child. Who just turned five just yesterday gave her the biggest of smiles. That smile gave her hope. That this situation that they were in wasn't all that bad at all.

The door opened to the flat and she was soon greeted with Jimmy who sling down his guitar by the door. He was a musician and he often played at the local pub a few nights a week. He was pretty good at what he does and at times Rose wondered on why she had ran away with this man before she was reminding on why that was. She loved him. She always will. She figured and when he purpose on starting a life together with her, she jumped on the chance even against her parents advice.

It had been years since she talked to them. Many lonely years even before Tony was even born. Her parents had stopped commutating with her. Their last words rang in her head.

"I can't do this honey. We can't do this. We can't watch while you throw your life away to a musician." Jackie spoke brokenly to her only daughter.

The first few years living with Jimmy was a bliss. They were happy. They had everything they wanted. He treated her nice enough and then his behavior slowly changed within a few years. He then started to treat her awful even after falling pregnant with Tony. He often accused her of cheating each time she refused to give in to him.

"Welcome back." Rose gave her boyfriend a false smile. He looked at her with a haze wondering what she was even doing before setting down his coat on the coat rack moving into the kitchen. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and Rose smell faint perfume on his shirt. She ignored it walking to the stove with a smile.

"We're about to have dinner." She uttered and that went downhill. His smile froze on his face and soon turned into an icy smile. He walked over to his girlfriend and then he saw what was in the pot.

"What did I tell you about cooking curry, my love?" He cooed. Then that was the last thing she knew before falling into darkness.

He was gone once more. He had done his gig at the pub. Rose had come to the performance with Tony to watch her boyfriend play. She always supported him during his career. A career that many people frown upon. A girl with long brown haired walked over to him leaning over his ear whispering. Jimmy gave her a grin grabbing her hand pulling her to the back of the pub. Rose frowned. "Can we go say hi to daddy?" Tony asked excitedly, Rose froze. "Your father is busy, love. We will see him at home." She smiled taking Tony's hand and walking him out of the pub, but not without seeing a man at the bar. He was tall and well build. He has dark brown haired that was borderline to black. It was chopped obviously, but for some reason she found that a bit attractive. No…She told herself, scowling at that thought. She's in a relationship. She's with a child. She shouldn't be thinking of strangers this way. That was Jimmy…not her.

When Rose came back she was met with Tony's worry eyes.

"Mummy, are you okay?" He asked worried. There was no trace of Jimmy anywhere but she felt her head throbbing and she knew she was bruised from the hit that she had apparently gotten.

"I'm always alright, love." She reassured her son. Getting up from the floor and looking at the stove. The curry was missing and Tony was hungry.

Rose managed to make Tony something light to eat and head him off to bed early much to his displeasure. Once Tony was gone, Rose head to her bedroom that she shared with Jimmy. One the door closed she felt herself sunk to the ground and finally tears passed down her eyes. Small sobs left her lips. How did her life got this far? What had she done to deserve this much pain? A boyfriend that's scared to commit to her. A boyfriend that hits her. A boyfriend that is verbally abusive to his son and her. How far had they fallen?

She always enjoyed making love to Jimmy in the past but right now is much of a chore. The love was gone. The passion was gone. From her at least. She felt his hands under her shirt touching her. She felt the clothes disappeared from her body and she silently wish that this was over already. It didn't take much after that before she felt him inside her painfully, and without waiting for her to adjust, she thrusting inside her hard and fast. Rose bit back the painful scream that almost left her lips. She can't fall apart now. Not in front of him…not to this monster who took pleasure in her. It didn't last long and soon she felt Jimmy went limp over her body with a grunt. His hot breath hit her neck and she suddenly felt disgusted with herself. This is what society expected of them. She couldn't run away. She couldn't leave with a child. They will shun her and she didn't want that to hurt her son. He will be called a bastard child. That was a stigma in this world. She could endure this. For Tony.

A few days went and passed and there was no sign of Jimmy. But he did returned during the night. Stinking of booze and smoke. That was when Rose knew she couldn't take this anymore. Tony didn't deserve this and that she and Jimmy needed to talk.

So they did and it went into a huge argument that resulting in Jimmy running out of the flat screaming that she was slag. That she slept with everyone and that all she ever wanted was his money. That was stupid. All she wanted was to be treated better. For him to care for his family better.

She took Tony with her. She couldn't leave him alone and maybe if Jimmy see how sick his boy was. That he would give her the funds to go to the doctor. He was blood after all. So she chased after him.

Dirty. That was all she felt. So she boil the water so hot before pouring it into the old tub in the washroom. She scrubbed. She scrubbed her skin bare. The hot water was so painful against her skin but she didn't care. She hated herself. She loathed herself and she tried her best to scrub the dirt that was on her body. She wanted to feel clean…clean from this…

"I don't even know why you're here with the child. I told you to stay home and don't come after me!" Jimmy snarled at her drawing a crowd of people around them. Rose trembled. Her eyes watered in tears but she tried her best to hold them back. She held Tony in her arms tightly and she finally found her voice.

"I don't want to fight, Jimmy. Just please come back home." She then started to plea with him in a low voice. Jimmy rolled his eyes at her. She noticed a man nearby stopped his walking and was looking in their direction. He seemed very familiar to her.

"I have no intentions of coming back tonight. I need to get away from this." He waved his hand over her body and the woman looked very distressed. Tony stirred within her arms coughing sickly. Jimmy started to look at him with loath and disgust. This broke Rose's heart even more. He clearly doesn't care for them. This realization hit her painfully. The memories of the past years settled in her mind and she did the only thing she could think of. Even a person with a heart would flinched and looked passed their mistakes and then try to fix.

"Think about our child. He needs you. He's sick. He needs his father." Rose spoke and this was clearly a mistake. Using the guilt trip on her boyfriend .Using the fact that his own father left them when he was younger. Jimmy pushed her hard and she stumbled back struggling for balance.

That was when she saw that same stranger move. He moved so fast and she saw the obvious anger on his face. The stranger grabbed Jimmy by his collar picking him up from the ground with a look of pure disgust.

"You're garbage. Laying a hand on a woman and even worse your own child." Rose heard the stranger spoke harshly at Jimmy. Jimmy smiled coyly sending a glance to Rose over the stranger's shoulder.

"Ah the slag slept with you didn't she then too? Huh?" Jimmy snarled. Rose felt anger deep within her rolling. The nerve of him! She felt pain and anger roll up all at one.

Then the stranger punched him.

Across the face.

She gasped. Tony slowly waking up from the noise and she slowly shush him back to sleep.

"You punk! I can get you arrested!" Jimmy uttered in pain. The stranger didn't even let him go from his collar. A dark look appeared across the stranger's face.

"You will not even have a chance to make that report." The stranger responded darkly and Jimmy paled at that threat.

Something within her shook.

She wanted this to stop.

Maybe it was the love she felt for Jimmy.

"S-Stop." She uttered at the stranger. The stranger paused just for a few moments and then he let go of him. Jimmy fell to the ground with a limp. Rose took a few steps to the stranger with the courage she gathered.

The stranger was about to say something but he stopped when he heard the woman's voice once more this time directing to Jimmy.

"I'm tired of this. Tony deserves much better than this. I want you to leave." She said to Jimmy, surprised by her own words.

Jimmy wiped his bleeding mouth and send her a glare.

"You have no place to go. The flat is in my name. You have no job, no family or even friends. Who will take care of you?" Jimmy snarled with a grin. This will be his revenge. This will be his victory.

Rose looked conflicted. Pain clearly shown on her face. That was when the stranger interrupted them once more.

"You will come stay with me." It was an order not a request. The stranger placed his hands inside his pockets of his coat. He avoided her eyes,

"I can help you. I have a flat not too far from here. It's better than staying here trapped with this scum." He glared at Jimmy who glared back at his words. He was losing Rose.

Rose didn't know what to do. He was a stranger. This man, but he defended her against Jimmy. Maybe he's not that bad? Against her rational judgement. She agreed to the stranger's offer with a smile.

John didn't know why he even offered his place to her in the first place. She was a common woman nothing else. He found her very beautiful and it would be a shame for her to be trapped by this lowlife. Maybe he wanted to help another poor soul out? Maybe he was lonely and in need of company. Maybe he wanted to do the right thing for once. He didn't know. He didn't even expect her to say yes. She would obviously choose her husband over a stranger, he figured.

When the words that say yes left her mouth and finally looked at the blonde woman. He didn't even know her name, but the smile that she beamed at him lifted his heart leaving him breathless. She's truly was beautiful and suddenly he felt like a dirty old man of thinking this way. She needed help. She needed comfort. He shouldn't be thinking this way to her and beside she was with a child.

The woman didn't even went back in her flat. She just gathered the boy in her arms and walked to him with naïve trust inside her eyes. That made him stared at her in pure wonder.

John looked down at the scum on the floor.

"She, the kid or even I better not see you ever again, if you know what's good for you." John warned him. He thought best not to even kick this bloke.

The two of them began to walk toward John's flat in silence. The incident with Jimmy almost forgotten.

"I'm sorry about your scum of a husband, Mrs." John spoke. There was a moment of silence before she reply. "He isn't my husband. Now he's my ex-boyfriend." John felt something like relief in his chest and he wondered why he felt that in the first place.

"Thank you…"

Those words stopped him from walking. He turned to face her and she soon halt her steps. She looked at him like a hero. Like a savior. He was everything but that….to this woman he is…he felt something in his chest tightened.

"John Smith."

"Excuse me?"

"That's my name." He said roughly, and he watched a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. He found this cute. He corrected himself. Damn his hormones. This wasn't right. He just lost his wife. Not just, but still and she just broke up with that scum of a bloke.

She smiled at him once more and John found himself wanting to make her smile even more.

"I'm Rose. Rose Tyler."

They started to walk to his flat. It took them only ten more minutes and then John lead her to the first guest room in the tiny flat he lived.

"In the morning, we can call a doctor." He said very uncomfortable as he watched Rose tucked Tony in bed softly and lovingly. He stood by the door. Rose looked up at him this time with tears.

John froze.

Did he done something wrong? He had no idea. He didn't want to make her cry. He started to feel like dirt. Worse than dirt.

John took a few steps forward unsure and not understanding why she was crying.

Rose wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry…I didn't expect that. T-Thank you very much for your kindness." She cried through her sobs. John felt another wave of anger. He was completely sober now. He thought. He wanted to go back to Rose's flat and beat Jimmy to a puddle of blood. This shouldn't be a kindness. Treating the sick child.

He loath people who treated children even their own like this. John tilted Rose's chin up that her eyes met his fierce ones. He softly wiped her tears away with his thumb.

Rose almost shiver from his rough touch but she suddenly felt very safe. His face was inches from hers and she can felt his breath upon her lips faintly.

"Rose Tyler, with me. You have nothing to fear for child or your well-being. I promise to take care of you."

Surprised and even more tears escaped her eyes.

"W-Why?" She wondered. Why her? A stranger. John smiled at her and he himself didn't even know. But the short time being with her. Her being near him made him forget about being a soldier. An old dirty soldier that took many lives away with a pull of a trigger.

"Because you're a beautiful, wonderful human being." His lips touched hers softly. The kiss was chaste. She felt the warmth of his lips pressed against hers. Her heart started to beat even faster. His figure tips still cupped her face softly and she started to close her eyes with a sigh during the kiss. The kisses that Jimmy gave her didn't compare to this. This kiss was soft and gentle with no hidden intentions.

They were both just two broken souls trying to live through society.

He pulled away softly and regretfully. His forehead touched hers. He was breathless. His heart thundering against his chest. Why had he kissed her? He was just supposed to tell her that she was always welcomed here. Damn his hormones. But he knew it wasn't his hormones that made him kissed her. It was the fact that she made him forget. Just for a small moment. That moment gave him rest.

"You must be tired. I'll show you to your room." His voice was rasped and he almost swore to himself on how he sounded. He acted like a damn hormonal teenager.

A painful struggle looked appeared across her eyes and he managed to catch her thought. It was fleeting but the question was in her eyes. He chuckled quietly, easing her fears.

"I may be old. But I'm not looking for anything other than this." He stroked her cheek softly with his thumb. Happy that her tears was gone.

She looked very relief at his words. He wasn't looking for sex….he wasn't like him. He wasn't looking for anything from her….he truly taken her under his wing. She saw the haunted look within his eyes. The eyes that told her a story….something was haunting him….and for a moment all she wanted to do was to do anything to take his pain away.

His fingers left her cheek much to her disappointment before he grasped her hand within his own. It fit perfectly within his. Like it belong there. Like it was made for him.

She shook her thought.

This was too soon.

Then she felt guilt.

She didn't know why.

He led her to a set of doors that must be her room.

"The washroom is a few rooms down and my room is next to this. This will be your room." He said opening the double doors that was unusual in a flat like this. Before he let go of her hand. Before he could retire to his room till morning. She looked up at him with those beautiful eyes that he starting to feel drawn to.

She wrapped her arms around his neck to his surprised and brought him in a huge hug. Her chin rested near his neck and he shivered at her unexpected touch.

"Thank you." She whispered against his neck.