"You lied to me," he snapped, rounding on her.

Most people would've been afraid at the anger, not only in his voice, but his eyes as well, but Rose had never been most people. And she definitely wasn't anymore. Her hands flew to her waist and she glowered at him.

"Seriously?" she growled. "That's what you're going to say?"

He stepped toward her, pointing an accusing finger. He'd never been more upset with anyone in his entire life, which was over twelve hundred years. She took it upon herself to decide what he needed to know. No one had a right to do that!

"You should've told me!" he yelled.

"We were separated you arse! By an entire universe! I didn't want you to blame yourself anymore than you already did!"

"So you decided not to tell me," he snapped.

"What would you have done, Doctor? Burning up an entire sun only allowed us to see each other. Tell me, Doctor! What choice did I have?"

"You don't ever decide what I need to know!"

"Oh, my god! Can you even hear yourself? Did you tell me you were going to take me back to that parallel universe and drop me with your clone? Did you ask what I wanted? Who the hell gave you the right to make all the decisions?"

The TARDIS knew her thief was about to stick his proverbial foot in his mouth and, since she found something, she took that moment to flash her lights and ding the bell on the console. The fighting abruptly stopped as they both raced over to the monitor.

The Doctor looked at the monitor. What? No! The TARDIS found Tony all right, but this was bad, really not good. He was…

"He's in Stormcage," he said.

Rose sighed.

"I know," she replied.

He turned to her.

"You know?"

"I've been searching for him for two month. Don't you think I've run across him? I haven't actually seen him, not face to face, had to make sure of that because I know that would create a fixed point and I can't chance that. I came back to this date so I could find him before all that happens. Before they do whatever they do to turn him into that," she indicated the hardened picture of her son who appeared to be in his late twenties.

His heart broke at the fear and frustration in her voice. Tony was his son too, but she'd been with him, she gave birth to him. She wasn't just a mother mourning her child, she was Rose, his Rose, mourning their son.

"Rose," he began, intent on explaining the situation as he reached for her, but she shoved him away.

"No!" she yelled, shaking her head. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare tell me it's too late! I can save him! I have to," she felt herself breaking and she knew there wasn't enough glue in the universe to put her back together if she allowed it. "I promised! I promised him after I got back from trying to find his father, from trying to find you," she spat the word out as if it was bitter. He stood there and took it, although inside he was dying because this was on him, "that I'd never leave him again," a tear slid down her cheek, but she ignored it. "I have to find him and if I have to create a paradox or destroy the entire universe to save him I will! Do you understand me?"

She was screaming now, but she didn't care.

The Doctor reached for her then. He ignored the way she tried to pull away from him and held her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. After a few minutes she collapsed against him and began crying. He whispered soothing words in Gallifreyan as he stroked her hair. She'd been alone too long, but she didn't need to be anymore. He would fix this, no matter the cost because this was on him.

"I wasn't going to say it can't be done," he whispered when she calmed down enough. "We'll find him, Rose, before this all starts. We'll save him."

She heard his words and she could hear the truth of them in his mind. She'd spent so long on her own, too long it seemed. She was afraid to let anyone in, especially him, especially the man she was still love with, the man who walked away, but she also knew that if anyone could save her son…their son…then it was him. The Doctor.

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

Reviews are always welcome. :)