Pain.

That's all Rose Tyler could feel as she stood on the beach of bad wolf bay. The harsh ocean wind stung her face and tore at her blonde hair. Waves crashed in the distance mimicking the crash of emotions that seemed to overtake her as the last sounds of the Tardis faded into the dull roar of the seascape.

He had left her. The Doctor had left her. He didn't even say goodbye.

"Rose."

Regret. Longing. Hope. Anger. Confusion. Sadness. Love. They all threatened to pull her under at once.

"Rose," he repeated again gently.

That familiar voice drew her gaze away from where the Tardis had just vanished forever, to the man by her side. He was still holding her hand, and the feeling of his kiss was still on her lips. His face was the same. His warm brown eyes filled with the knowledge of the universe. His hair. His great hair, messy like always. He was the same man, the Doctor, but not...

"Rose Tyler…," he started, his voice quavering slightly as if he was unsure of the effect his words would have on her, "I will never leave you."

A memory of a similar time she had promised him the same thing broke through like another crash of a wave, but yet here she was without him. She had broken her promise. Regret flooded over her at her hasty decision to kiss this Doctor, and she withdrew her hand from his and moved back a step from him.

"He's gone," was all she could manage to get out as the emotions overtook her.

Overwhelmed, tears began streaming down Rose's pale cheeks. The Doctor hesitated at first, but then lifted his hand and gently brushed them away. She froze at his touch but didn't push him away so he kept his hand on her cheek and looked her in the eyes, those beautiful brown eyes that seemed to almost dare him to surprise her, to show her something new. He could almost see the conflict that seemed to be brewing behind them. Fear pricked his heart. Fear that she would regret her choice. That she wouldn't accept him. That he would lose her all over again.

"I am the Doctor. I am him, Rose. I remember everything," He paused still not sure if his words would hurt or help him regain Roses trust. Being human was already proving to be a hard job, and he had only been one for a few hours.

"I know it seems like I am just a replacement, but the Doctor wanted a life with you, Rose. He wanted it so bad. This is our chance to have that. He couldn't bear to loose you again. He couldn't bare to see you hurt by his regeneration, or loose you to old age while he never died".

Rose shook her head, tears still streaming down her face. His words made sense, but they didn't stop the aching in her heart.

"He left me. He didn't want me anymore," she sobbed. "I promised I would stay with him forever," she cried, her body shaking.

"No Rose, I'm still here. I'm right here. We are still together, and we always will be. Your promise is being fulfilled."

His words seemed to buoy her up enough for him to be permitted to wrap his arms around her and hold her close like he always had on their adventures through time and space.

Rose permitted the tears to continue flowing until finally they ran out and she felt exhausted. With all of her energy spent and her sadness expelled she began to relax in the Doctors warm embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his suit jacket. Her breathing began to slow as she enjoyed the familiar feeling she had missed for so long. They stood there clinging to each other, each lost in a moment of comfort. After some time Rose pulled away and looked him, this new, but old, Doctor, in the face.

"You're really not leaving me this time right, yeah?" she asked hesitantly. The Doctor flashed her one of his classic smiles and said: "Rose Tyler I'm here to stay, just for you".

Rose smiled and hesitantly allowed him to take her hand and lead her back to where Jackie Tyler had been waiting anxiously for them. Jackie, feeling that most of the tension had faded between the pair, began fussing over them asking every possible question in the universe. The Doctor smiled. He secretly missed her fussing and never ceasing mouth. Though many times Jackie had driven him to the brink of insanity, an impressive task considering how many annoying things he had experienced that hadn't affected him, she had become like his family.

Suddenly pain flashed through him and he fell to the sand gasping for air. Everything felt as if it were spinning around him. He could hear Rose screaming his name as she bent down and clutched him in her arms.

A thought flashed through his mind. Donna. Something had happened to Donna. Their connection had been severed. Another spasm of pain ripped through his body. Since he was no longer bonded with her, he was feeling the full after effects of a time lords regeneration in a half time lord body. He knew his appearance wouldn't change, but he didn't know if he would survive the effects of the regeneration. His vision began to dim as he fell out of consciousness. No…no. Not after promising Rose...I don't want to go… he thought before darkness overtook him.

"Mum we have to help," him Rose screamed as she cradled the Doctor in her arms.

This was all so familiar. Images of that fateful Christmas Day when he had fallen sick after his regeneration flashed through her mind. She felt his forehead with trembling hands. His forehead was hot to the touch and covered in sweat.

"It's happening again," Rose muttered in quiet shock.

"What did you say dear," Jackie asked as she put her hand on her phone to cover it. She didn't even let Rose finish before she said "Your fathers on his way sweetie don't worry".

For the first time since, she was abandoned in the parallel world, during the attack of the Dalek and Cyberman, Rose Tyler felt powerless. She could do nothing, but hold him in her arms and stroke his hair.

After what felt like ages Pete Tyler finally arrived and helped Rose into the back seat with the Doctor.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" Jackie shouted at her husband.

"No, we can't take him to a hospital!" Rose yelled. Her grip on the Doctor tightened. She couldn't risk it yet. She didn't know if he would be recognized as human or alien.

"Home, we are taking him home Mum," she said as calmly as she could. She couldn't stop the slight tremor in her voice as she spoke.

Jackie Tyler stared at her daughter for a long moment before finally saying "Oh all right."

Pete drove as fast as he could back to the Tyler home. When they arrived Pete helped carry him in while Rose rummaged through the cabinets looking for anything to reduce fevers. She finally found something and rushed upstairs.

The Doctor lay in her bed covered in blankets. His suit abandoned on the floor and a pair of Pete's old flannel pajamas on instead. Images from Christmas flashed through Rose's mind again. She shook them off and went to sit by his side. His breathing was labored, and his face was flushed with fever.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" Rose murmured. "Please wake up I have some medicine". No response came. Rose tried shaking him gently hoping he would wake.

"Please Doctor," she whispered. "I need you-".

Before she could even finish her sentence his eyes fluttered open briefly and he forced himself up to take the medicine. It was all he could manage before he lost consciousness and his head hit the pillow. Rose refused to leave his side for the rest of the night.

Jackie came in many times asking her if she needed to rest and offering to stay and watch him instead, but she stubbornly refused to sleep. Guilt coursed through her as the memories of that Christmas all those years ago haunted her. She would make up for that Christmas Day that she had given up on him and left his side while he was sick, she would not make that mistake again. Around 3:30 AM the Doctor sat up quickly in bed gasping for air. Rose jumped out of her seat, startled.

"Doctor?" she asked tentatively.

"Rose...," he said his eyes glazed with pain.

"What do you need," she asked taking his hand.

"I need..." his voice trailed off as he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer and kissed her. Rose tried to pull away, but his arms held her close as his fevered lips kissed her. When he finally pulled away he studied her face, his eyes full of pain. Before Rose could respond the Doctor fainted again.

Rose sat there in shock, her cheeks burning as she contemplated what had just happened. The emotions that had been suppressed by the panic of losing this Doctor came back in full hurricane force. She hadn't decided how she felt about this Doctor yet. She hadn't decided if he was her Doctor, though she had accepted him when they were on the beach she still wasn't sure if she could have the same romantic relationship she and the Doctor had, and yet he had kissed her so suddenly. The kiss from the beach flashed through her mind and she groaned inwardly at her impulsive actions. She was so desperate for those three words that she had kissed this Doctor, and he had kissed back.

Rose got up and paced around the room in deep thought till the sun began to rise. Checking the Doctors forehead again, she felt that his fever had gone down and decided she could take a short breakfast break. Rose walked quietly downstairs so she wouldn't wake anyone, as she wanted a little more time of peace and quiet before her parents, and the baby woke.

~.~.~.~.~.~

The Doctor stirred as he became aware of Rose walking downstairs. His whole body hurt terribly as he tried to sit up. He wanted to see Rose, to talk to her. To hear her beautiful voice. Using all of his half Time Lords will power he pushed the covers off of his aching body and stood up. Walking felt harder than fighting the Daleks in the Time War as he thought as he drug himself across the room and opened the door. He hadn't seen the Tyler house since he and Rose first set foot in this parallel world. He was surprised to see the interior of the house looked much more, well domestic now. Pictures of the Tyler family hung all down the hallway and walls by the stairs. Many of them included the new edition Tony Tyler, his chubby face lit with a smile in all of them. A few featured Rose too. The Doctor leaned heavily against the hall wall as he studied her face in a particular photo. Rose was standing on the beach looking out towards the horizon where the sea meets the sky. Her eyes looked tired and had dark circles under them. The smile plastered on Roses' face was clearly forced too. The Doctor felt his heart ache as he continued looking at his precious Rose in such a tortured state.

Not able to bear it anymore he continued walking down the hallway to the stair ignoring the other pictures of the wall. He didn't want to see Rose sad anymore. It hurt him too much. He continued down the grand stairs, still leaning heavily on things. The Doctor knew it was risky to be up and about this soon after the attack on the beach, but he needed to know that everything between him and Rose was ok. She hadn't seemed a hundred percent sure on the beach that she trusted him, but they had begun to take steps in the right direction and that was enough for him. The idea of settling down and leading a normal life still terrified him, but if that's what Rose needed him to do then he would happily settle down, and get a mortgage. As he reached the bottom of the stairs Rose came into the foyer. She froze when she saw The Doctor standing there his face haggard, but smiling none the less. There was a pain in his eyes as gripped the rail tight, his hands turning white from the force of his grip.

"Rose!" he exclaimed with a grin on his face. Rose smiled slightly but her eyes betrayed her uncertainty.

"Y-you shouldn't really be out of bed yet Doctor," she replied shifting her feet awkwardly as she stared at him.

"Well I couldn't sleep so I thought I would get something to eat maybe," he said walking toward Rose and taking her hand.

"Don't…," Rose murmured as she pulled her hand away from his and took a few steps back.

The Doctor flinched, stung by her words. "Rose I'm sorry. I thought-," he started, but she didn't let him finish.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm just a little tired and I need to rest."

Before he could say anything else she turned and walked up the stairs. Moments later the Doctor heard what he supposed was the door of her room shut and the lock click.

His heart sunk and he fell to the floor holding his head in his hands. What had he possibly done this time to upset her? Maybe she was right, and he would never really be able to fill the hole in her heart left by the other Doctor. He wasn't him, her Doctor, that she loved. How could he ever be? Technically it was an accident that he even existed. He was a product of a war that had torn Rose and the Doctor apart forever.

The Doctor sat on the stairs in more pain then he had ever felt in his life. His body still felt as if it were on fire, and he knew he should probably rest more if he really wanted to heal, but his heart hurt too much to move. The soft sound of footsteps descending the stairs sounded behind him, and a gentle hand touched his back. He looked behind him to see Jackie Tyler holding little Tony. Her hand rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Just give her time love," she said smiling softly before moving to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Time, he thought, was now the master of him. Oh, how the tables had turned.