Author's Note: This story is rated T for a reason. The later chapters will get intense, so know that if you plan to keep reading. Reviews are appreciated!

The Doctor gripped the TARDIS console as another wave of pain shot through him. He gritted his teeth and tried in vain to stifle a groan. His vision was going hazy again, this time it faded to black for a brief second. Or was it more than a second? He didn't remember being on the ground a second ago, and Rose was here now. He could see her standing above him. She was saying something. Her lips were moving, but there was no sound coming out. No... there was a drumming noise. But Rose didn't sound like drums... or was that his frantically beating hearts he was hearing? Or maybe it was his brain in overdrive, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

Rose had been examining herself in the mirror when she heard the crash. She rushed out of her room, running in the direction of the console room, not even bothering to worry about the fact that she had left the water running in the bathroom. There was only one thing that could have caused that crash. The Doctor.

As she entered the room she saw him. He was slumped on the ground, one hand still resting on the edge of the TARDIS console as though he had tried to hold on.

Rose ran to him. Grabbing him around the waist she eased him onto the ground, his head in her lap. His eyes were closed, and his body was limp, but Rose could see him breathing, see the slow rise and fall of his chest. She put a hand over the left side. His left heart beat rapidly under her palm. The right did the same. They were beating so fast, too fast. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Doctor," she said, shaking him. He didn't respond.

She bit her lip and gently stroked his cheek. What was wrong with him? He'd been acting a bit strange ever since Scotland, since the encounter with the werewolf. Not strange in his usual Time Lord way, really strange. Rose remembered just a few days ago.

She had just gotten up from a nap, running always made her tired. The Doctor wasn't in the library anymore, she guessed he had gotten bored when she drifted off, either that or she had snored. She hoped it wasn't that.

She had found him in the console room. His hands were gripping the sides of the TARDIS console, knuckles white, his eyes shut tight, teeth gritted, breathing slow and determined. He had jumped when she'd touched him lightly on the arm.

"Rose," his voice was shaky, his eyes unfocused.

"What's wrong, Doctor?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. "It's nothing, just a headache."

He inhaled sharply suddenly and clutched his head in his hands, elbows leaning on the TARIDS controls and he grunted in pain.

"Doctor?" Rose said worriedly.

He waved a hand at her. "I'm fine. Time Lord headaches, much worse than humans. I just need to rest..." he trailed off and groaned, massaging his temples a bit.

"Can I do anything?" Rose asked.

"No," the Doctor replied curtly. He started toward the door, "I'm just going to lay down for a bit." He quickly ducked out of the console room.

Rose watched him until he disappeared into his room. She listened to the sound of the door shut, and then the lock click. Rose didn't recall the Doctor ever getting headaches. But maybe he did and she'd just never seen him get one before. And by the way it had affected him, she hoped he didn't get one again anytime soon.

The Doctor moaned and Rose looked down at him. His eyelids fluttered and he mumbled something.

"Doctor?" Rose said again, brushing her thumb across his cheek.

HIs eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Rose. She smiled and said, "Feelin okay?"

He groaned. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I just came in here and you were on the floor."

"Must've passed out for a sec there," the Doctor said, closing his eyes again.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked, beginning to worry anew.

The Doctor rubbed his eyes. "It was that headache again."

"I'm sorry," Rose replied. She moved her fingers up to the Doctor's temples and began massaging little soothing circles.

The Doctor sighed, and relaxed as Rose's finger instantly made him feel better. Rose was always so good as making him feel better. Like that time when he'd had that horrendous cold and she had been there to give him soup and more tissues and read him that bedtime story about those puppies.

He must have smiled at the memory, because Rose said, "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing," the Doctor mumbled.

Rose's fingers stopped their circles and the Doctor said, "Don't stop."

They started up again and he sighed. Rose massaged his head for several minutes, doing little circles on his temples and through his hair. If he didn't know better, he would have thought she was tracing patterns in Gallifreyan on his scalp.

"Feel better?" Rose asked as she brought her hands down to rest as his side.

The Doctor nodded. Rose put her hands under his head and eased it off her lap for a second so that she could stretch her legs out properly.

"Whatcha suppose brings these headaches on, Doctor?" Rose asked, absentmindedly playing with a button on his suit.

"Don't know," the Doctor replied. He looked up at her, "But at least now I know how to cure them."

"Yeah?" Rose said, looking down at him.

"Yup. Just need a good old head massage from Rose."

Rose grinned at him. "Well you better hope I'm around to do that."

He grabbed her hand as he said softly, "I'll make sure of that."

Their eyes locked for a moment and then the Doctor said quickly, "Dinner. We need some dinner. I think it was pizza tonight, right?"

He got up and offered a hand to Rose, who took it saying, "I thought it was pasta."

"Pasta? Hmmm. I think we could manage that." He smiled at Rose and his hand remained in hers.

She squeezed his hand and said, "Come on. Let's get that pasta going. I'm starving."