Jackie Tyler twitched aside the window curtains for the umpteenth time. It had been hours since the explosion at Ten Downing Street. The news said that three survivors had climbed out of the wreckage, but so far, she'd yet to catch a glimpse of her daughter…or that bloody, big-eared space menace who called himself a Doctor. Still, that blue box was still there, so she supposed they must be lurking about somewhere. Any other outcome was…unthinkable.
Unable to help herself, Jackie parted the curtains for another peep. There - a flash of darkness and light - Rose's blonde hair and white jacket and brilliant smile, silhouetted against the tall man's black leather jacket. They were strolling through the estate, hand in hand, as if they hadn't a care in the world. A whirlwind of emotion blew through Jackie with the force of a gale - relief at seeing her daughter safe and whole; anger for the devil-may-care attitude those two took with hulking green monsters and spaceships and what-all-else; gratitude to the strange, aloof man for bringing her Rose back safely.
They stopped in front of the blue box, and for one terrible moment, Jackie feared they meant to leave again with out even saying goodbye, and her eyes flooded with tears. She watched as they spoke quietly for a moment, then the Doctor gently cupped Rose's face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead. An indescribably tender smile graced his features as he smoothed her hair back from her face.
A single tear traced down Jackie's cheek as she realized in that instant that she'd lost her daughter to this strange, traveling man. She watched as his smile faded when Rose turned away from him to walk up to the flat. His expression turned flinty as he scanned the area for anything that might possibly harm her. And that's when Jackie knew another thing - that for all the mayhem that man might attract, that look in his eyes just then told her that he'd never let anything hurt her baby.
