Title: Loving an angel instead.

Number of parts: 2/2.

Pairings: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler.

Synopsis: "The doctors explained the miracle rationally, but for Pete and later for Jackie, Rose was responsible for this. The little Rose had saved her mother. She had been given the gift of live."

A/N: The characters and the universe don't belong to me. All rights goes to Russell T. Davies, Phil Collinson, Susie Liggat, Steven Moffat and to the BBC. Everything else belongs to my imagination.


When Rose opened her eyes again, she was facing surroundings she didn't know. She had come here once a very long time ago but had never had the need to come back since she was healing herself very well. Until she met Jimmy. The smell of antiseptics attacked her nose and gave her a retch. She immediately rolled on her side to get sick but she had nothing to puke since she hadn't eaten in days. She rolled on her back again and sighed. There was a needle in her arm that had moved when she had rolled on her side. She was connected to a drip and was wearing a hospital gown on her thin body covered in bruises.

"Sleeping beauty has awoken."

Rose started at the voice. She turned her head to find the man in black sat in the chair by the side of her bed. He had his legs crossed. He looked at ease but a bit bored. Just the sight of him reminded her of everything that had happened. Jimmy had died after the police found out about his illegal activities. She had been saved, but she was alone. Alone in this world. The thought was making her suffocate as if a weight was on her chest. She was drowning. In the middle of her panic, a cold hand cupped her cheek and blue eyes met hers. He never said a word. He just looked at her with his hand on her cheek.

"You can't stay in here," he said when she was calm.

But where would she go? And why was he here? He had no reason to be here for her. Her head hurt and she closed her eyes again. She was too tired to think about anything. The man sighed. They needed to move before someone decided to come around. He had made sure everything about her disappeared from this hospital. No one could know about her gift. Humans weren't ready for people like them. He freed her frail body from the needles and wires it was connected to and gathered her into his arms. Footsteps were coming their way but he was already gone with Rose.


Everything was new to her. She was in a room she didn't know but it wasn't a hospital room this time. She felt much better than earlier. Had she healed during her sleep? That was the only option she had in mind. She couldn't think of anything else. She kept her eyes closed. There was a soothing atmosphere in here and it felt good to her. But she was curious about the voices she could hear. One with a very Northern accent and one more like hers. A woman, a Londoner, but from a different district.

"Why are you so interested in her?"

"I'm not."

"Don't lie to me. I know you too well."

"Don't use that tone with me, D."

"So what? You think I can't kick your ass?"

"No, the matter is you're appearing out of the blue at 3am with that blonde girl in your arms and you're asking to heal her and keep her here so I can teach her the code of the givers of life."

"So what? Our grandfather taught you. Time to hand down."

"That's it, that's a family thing."

"She doesn't have family. She was living with some waste beating her and using her gift for his own benefit."

"You like her."

Whatever the answer was, Rose didn't hear it. She sat up in bed and slowly got up. She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and walked out of the room. She was in some sort of flat. A nice flat. It was night outside. What time was it? She followed the voices and got into a small living-room. The man in black was sat in an armchair perfectly comfortable like he had been in that hospital chair.

"Oh, you're finally awake."

Not even a smile on his face. She wondered how it was like to always look so dull. He could smile at least. It wouldn't kill him. He took his time to get up and straighten his clothes.

"Rose Tyler, this is Donna Noble. Donna, this is Rose. You're both givers of life. She'll teach you all the rules."

And he disappeared. No goodbye, no further explanation. He just left, vanished into thin air. Rose was left alone with the tall ginger woman who kept calling him names until she decided it was enough. She turned to face Rose. She sighed. Rose didn't know what to say, what to do. Should she leave? Where would she go?

"That man was my stupid little brother. Maxence. He's a bit weird but he's not a bad guy."

"He's scary."

Donna laughed. He sure was now but she remembered when they were kids. He was such a happy child, always smiling and running around, dreaming about the biggest things. He was five when he was told about his strange gift. A curse as he called it. There had to be a perfect balance in every family: for one giver of life, there had to be a giver of death, a soul reaper, and it was his curse. He was a shadow everyone was scared of. He hadn't wanted to let this win. He had fought it until he couldn't anymore. When he was fifteen, he had to reap his first soul. He had never been the same after that. He had never told his sister how it had gone. He had just withdrawn and become the dull guy he was now.

Donna didn't kick Rose out of her flat. She kept her with her for years. Rose quickly learnt all the rules and she was excellent in practise. She should have gone earlier but Donna had offered her to stay. They were less lonely when someone was sharing the secret. They sometimes were visited by Maxence who was inventing excuses for his presence. He was often visiting his sister before but now, he also came for Rose. He could lie all he wanted, Donna knew him very well. She knew he was feeling something for the little blonde who had grown into a beautiful woman. Donna had told Rose a few things about him. Rose was always fascinated by him. She was since she had met him. But she never dared talking to him about anything else but her progress. And he never spoke much.

They hadn't seen him in weeks when he reappeared again. It was the middle of the night. Rose was sleeping deeply when the sudden sound of a body collapsing on the ground and a death rattle forced her to jerk awake. She lighted the room and gasped when she saw Maxence, laid on the floor, his hand pressed on his stomach. His face was paler than usual and he was having troubles breathing. He was looking for the person by his side as if he was blind. Which he probably was. He was so hurt it was hard to tell what was the most painful.

"Maxence? It's me, it's Rose. You're home. What has happened to you?"

"I made… I made a mistake…" he stammered.

He was actually trying to reach Donna's room. He hadn't wanted Rose to see him like this, even if he had seen her in a similar situation a few years ago. He had even been a witness of her sad fate and had taken her out of there. Now, parts were reversed. Except she couldn't save him. It was against their rules. Givers of life and soul reapers weren't even supposed to stay in contact after their full education was done but Maxence hadn't been able to stay away from his sister. Even less when Rose had come around. But though his boss knew about it, he never said anything. Maybe he was afraid of Donna. Everyone was.

"Donna!" called Rose. "Donna! I need help!"

Maxence was coughing blood now. He was trying to explain Rose that she couldn't heal him, that she would get in troubles if she did so and he didn't want her to. Not for him. But Donna was already there. She pressed her hands on his stomach, telling him to hold on.

"No one can hurt a soul reaper," explained Donna to Rose. Her hands were already healing him. She was experienced enough to be able to focus her power in some parts of her body. She was guiding Rose's hands for her to help. "No one but another soul reaper. Who did this to you, Max? Is this that Van Statten guy again?"

Maxence protested weakly. He didn't want to tell them, didn't want them to heal him and pay the price of it. But Donna insisted and he let her know. Van Statten had set a trap and he had fallen right into it. The renegades Mitchell and Blaine had been waiting for him and they made him pay for the fact he had gotten them into troubles by denouncing their souls trade. The first time had been a warning but Maxence had been tasked with keeping an eye on their activities and tonight, they had found out about him spying on them. They had wanted to kill him but he had escaped and gone to Donna's. He was fully healed now but he felt weak. His eyes closed themselves.

"Can you get me stuff to clean him?"

Rose nodded but reluctantly left the room. She filled a bowl with water and grabbed a cloth. She brought it all back to Donna. She had put Maxence to bed and tucked him in. He was sleeping it seemed like. Donna thanked Rose and cleaned her brother's hands and face.

"I'm gonna meet his boss and report this. It can take some time. Stay with him please."

Rose did. She never left his side all the time Donna was gone. Maxence didn't wake up. Rose had her heart broken when she thought of the condition he was in when he had arrived. He was better but it was gonna haunt her mind forever. She stroked his face sometimes. His skin was cool. Was it because he was working for Death? Or was he a naturally cold skin guy? She was tempted to lay beside him, to hold him in her arms to warm him up. But she didn't dare. What would Donna and Maxence think if she did? Maxence wouldn't have minded. She was asleep, her head on the bed. Her back wouldn't like her when she would wake up. He slipped his hand through the curtain of her blonde hair, his fingers delicately finding their way to the warm skin of her cheek. She let out a sigh and leant into his touch.

"She loves you, you know?"

Maxence raised his head to meet Donna's look on him. She was standing in the doorway, leaning on the doorway and observing him. He didn't need to ask her where she had been, he already knew.

"I've done nothing for this."

"That 'I'm a big bad guy' attitude got her."

"The latest bad guy she dated almost killed her."

"And you saved her."

"She was intriguing me."

"You went against the rules by calling the cops and changing their fates."

"And you're in trouble again. You've taken her with you."

"What was I supposed to do? Leaving you to die? You're my little brother, I can't let you die because some assholes want you dead for doing the right thing."

"Maybe was I on their list."

"Don't be fucking stupid, Maxence! Grow a pair and do what is right! Don't let this ruin you, damn it!"

Maxence looked down. Donna had always gone against the rules but everyone feared her. He had done the same a few times too but he had paid the price of it every time. He was not a rebel in his soul like his sister. He was a gentle man with a too heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He shouldn't have been chosen for such a gift. He should have been given the gift of life. He would have handled it much better.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired still. My body's regenerating, I guess."

"You were hurt badly. Without Rose, there would have been more consequences."

"Wait for it."

"Don't be pessimistic."

"It's not gonna be that easy, Donna."

"Get some sleep, I'll take care of the rest."

However, Maxence was right and the consequences weren't long to come. They had crossed the line for the one time too many and there had to be something done. The high authorities of the souls reapers gathered and Maxence was convoked. He gave his version of the events: how he had found out about Van Statten's illegal trade of souls, how he had denounced him and how it had caused him to be beaten by his friends, how he had been given the mission of spying on Van Statten's activities and how he had been drawn into a trap that had almost killed him. The authorities didn't care about the danger he had been in to stop someone like they had ordered him to. They were too focused on the fact he had changed Jimmy Stone's fate to save Rose Tyler and how his sister had saved his life once again. So, the two women were convoked too to give their own version of the story. They weren't allowed to see Maxence while they were deliberating. He was locked into a room, alone. He was only brought back in the courtroom when the sentence was about to be pronounced.

"After a close analysis of the facts, we've come to a unanimous decision. Maxence Spitz, you are sentenced to the ultimate death."

"No!" exclaimed Donna and Rose.

"Silence! Mrs Spitz, you were supposed to break off all the tides with your family after the end of your education. We've not intervened before since you were both doing your duty properly."

"And that's still true."

"But you've gone through the rules once again. As we're not responsible of you, we can only sentence him."

"That's not fair! He's done everything you've asked him and that's how you're thanking him?"

She wasn't given the chance to go to the end of her argument. They were already tying Maxence with solid chains. He would be killed off later that day but they had to make sure he wouldn't be able to run away. Rose, who had been silent since her statement, suddenly stood up.

"My life for his."

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked at Rose. Both Maxence and Donna wanted to protest but he was hit before he could say a thing and Rose stopped Donna by talking again.

"You said families are a brake to the duty but Maxence and Donna have always worked together and they've got the best records and scores ever seen. They've broken the rules only to stay together and keep up the good work. I'm an orphan. I didn't even know the rules before Donna taught them to me. I'll never have as good records as they do. I'm only Donna's apprentice. You can take my life and spare his."

"That is not up to us."

"I'll do it myself."

"What?"

"My fate was to die in Jimmy's hands but he saved me. If I killed myself, everything would be back to normal."

"That's unconventional."

Maxence protested. He refused this option to be accepted. He refused to have his life saved if Rose had to die. He couldn't allow that. They hit him again and dragged him out of the room. The option had to be studied. Rose was taken to another room and Donna was sent back home. She was left without news, not knowing what they were gonna do with her brother and best friend.


That situation lasted for days. Since Rose was a part of the givers of life, she was the responsibly of another authority. An authority that had had to gather and debate about the situation. It appeared after a long discussion that Rose wasn't in anyone's record because she wasn't supposed to be given the gift of life. She was part of those people born in such exceptional circumstances that they developed the gift with the strength of their personality. Rose was a natural and couldn't be judged because she was superior to all of them that were chosen according to precise details. All her decisions belonged to herself and they couldn't interfere. She was an Alpha and they were all Betas. That was very annoying for the high authorities of the souls reapers because messing with an Alpha was always troublesome. They couldn't refuse her offer but they couldn't let Maxence go unpunished. So, it was decided that Rose would do as she wanted and Maxence was compelled to take her soul and bring her to her last home.

That decision taken, Maxence and Rose were led into a room. It was a small one, very white with nothing but a table with a silver tray. On this tray, there was one single dagger. Maxence was dull, his face was shut and pale. He didn't want to play that game. He didn't want Rose to die for him and he didn't want to be the one taking her soul. The feeling got stronger when Rose ran to him and cupped his cheeks with her warm hands as the doors were closed and locked.

"I was afraid they might have killed you already."

"They compelled me to live with the weight of your death thinking that this punishment is worse than death itself."

"You gotta live for Donna."

"Don't do this, please."

"You've saved my life. Let me pay you back."

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. He had never been so close to her through the years, which had been quite frustrating for her since she had fallen in love with him. She grabbed the dagger silently.

"I'm sorry, Maxence. I wish we had more time together."

"I beg you, don't do this."

"I have to."

"I love you."

"I know. I do too."

The dagger was very close to her stomach now and she was about to pierce her flesh when his hand caught hers on the handle and stopped her move. She was struggling against him but he was stronger than her. Tears were running down her cheeks. His eyes were full of the same sadness but there was also a cold determination, and she didn't understand it until she felt the warm fluid slip between her fingers. It wasn't hers, she wasn't hurt. He gave her a sorry smile.

"I'm sorry. This is how it should end."

"No," sobbed Rose.

The dagger fell to the ground. He had taken her hand only to turn the weapon against himself. She couldn't hurt him but he could do it himself. And he had done it. Her expression of despair broke his heart. His blood was on her hand and it was driving her crazy. She could have picked the dagger and killed herself but she chose the other option. She kissed him, desperately, and as she did, he could taste the salt of her tears and feel the power of life running into his veins and healing him. She was saving him once more but there was something else. The power of life mixed to the strength of her love for him was changing him. She was taking something away from him. He would find out later that she had actually softened his curse by taking a part of it in her and giving him a part of her gift in return. By doing so, she had abolished all the rules that would apply to givers of life and souls reapers. They both were half giver of life and half soul reaper which meant they were a new race no one had authority on.

That new status was what saved them both from a certain death after they defied the laws again. The souls reapers found them together in that room, their hands covered in blood and the bloody dagger on the ground but no dead body. They stopped in the doorframe, sensing that something was wrong about them. They made them go through some tests and when the results fell, no one knew what to do anymore. They had no power over this new race they were a part of. Maxence and Rose were allowed to come home. They could work together as life and death and they could love each other without the laws bothering them, and Maxence could protect his sister like she had always protected him…