A/N Another chapter. I know it seems to end on a cliff, but will be resolved soon…. I promise. As I said before, I just like to play in this universe, I don't own anything in it.

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"MUM!" Rose cried as the second major contraction hit her. "MUM!"

Jackie appeared at her daughter's bedroom door, cooling tea cup in hand. "What's wrong, Rose?"

"The baby's coming. Mum, this is happening too fast." Rose said breathlessly as another contraction hit.

"Let's get you comfortable, and then we can have Pete call Dr. Harper. Honestly, Rose, I don't know why you like that man. He is rude and condescending….."

"Owen is the best doctor that Torchwood has. He won't let anything happen to the baby or me."

"I know, sweetheart. It's just that that whole place makes me nervous."

"I know. Everything will be OK."

"I hope so, Rose. Let's just get you downstairs."

Jackie led the very pregnant Rose Tyler-Sigma down the central staircase and into the family room. A few weeks ago, with Pete's insistence and Dr. Harper's guidance, the room had been turned into a mini medical suite. There were monitors and an incubator and all the equipment for an emergency cesarean section if the need arose. All the equipment was behind a large screen but ready for when and if the need arose. A comfortable bed had been set up there as well.

Jackie still had misgivings about her first and probably only grandchild being born at the house. Hospitals always seemed safer to her. But, this was no ordinary baby. He was a Human/Gallifreyan hybrid. The second to last of his kind, the only one in this universe.

Despite Dr. Owen Harper's bedside manor, or lack thereof, he didn't trust Torchwood fully, either. He knew that there were elements that would take this baby and treat him as an experiment, not a flesh and blood baby. Harper's ethics were stronger than that; he was a better man than that. He also knew who signed his pay packet and when Pete Tyler called on him for this personal job, he agreed readily. This was a chance for many things. The chance to do real medicine, the chance to help bring life and not just do necropsies, and the chance to impress his boss. Maybe he could even have the chance to impress Pete Tyler's apparently single daughter. OK, the baby might complicate things, but he could deal with that.

Jackie got Rose comfortable in the bed and called Pete. Pete called Owen and there was the doorbell less than an hour after Rose's labor had begun. Within minutes, Pete, Dr. Harper and two trusted nurses were in the family room. Mark and Eleana had both assisted in alien births and were trusted to keep their mouths shut. Pete led Jackie out of the room while Owen examined Rose and the nurses set up some basic monitoring equipment. Rose was grateful that it was all on telemetry. All the information was sent to centralized monitors so all she had to wear were small sensors stuck to various parts of her body; she was able to move around freely, visit the loo and even shower without wires dangling everywhere.

When Jackie and Pete came back in the family room, Rose was nowhere to be seen. Dr. Harper told them that she was in the loo and sat them down.

"This is going to be difficult for her. Rose is refusing all drugs for pain, insisting that they may hurt the baby. This is also her first baby and I take it that her lover was not Human, which is why I am here and not in the Torchwood infirmary or London Memorial. She'll need your support and reassurance that everything is alright. But you need to understand that if anything goes terribly wrong that can't be handled here, I will order her transferred to Torchwood." Jackie and Pete nodded their agreement as Rose came back in the room in her dressing gown, clutching her belly.

"I think my waters broke." She said through a contraction. "In the shower."

Mark guided her to the bed that was now behind the screen, helped her into a clean, new gown and covered her with a sheet. Owen excused himself to care for Rose. He and Mark reemerged from behind the screen and Owen told his assistant, "Make sure the blood and section equipment is in order, we can't afford any surprises."

Jackie looked scared. Owen tried to reassure her. "Mrs. Tyler, Pete, Rose and the baby are OK. Her labor is progressing faster than is common for a first baby. If all goes well, your grandchild will be here in a few hours. Why don't you come in and see her." The doctor pulled the screen from the bed and Rose was there, looking nervous, but otherwise OK. There was a glow about her and everything seemed peaceful.

"How are you, Love?" Jackie said as she got to her daughter's bedside.

"OK, Mum. The bloody contractions hurt, though. Where's Pete?" She said through gritted teeth as another hit.

"Hold my hand, squeeze as hard as you need to, Sweetheart. Are you sure that you don't want those drugs? Dr. Harper said they won't hurt the baby. Pete is making the tea." Pete didn't feel that he belonged there at that time and found "useful" things to do around the house.

"No drugs! The Doctor once told me that an aspirin would kill him; I don't know what else could, if anything. I can't, won't take that chance with his child, Mum." Jackie winced as Rose squeezed her hand. "Doctor, when can I push, I feel like pushing."

"Eleana, could you check Rose while I finish here?" Dr. Harper was heard to say. A few minutes and an intimate exam later Nurse Eleana told Dr. Harper that Rose was ready to deliver. "That's fast. Four hours of labor? Might be a record for a first."

Dr. Harper positioned himself at the base of Rose's bed. "Rose, when a contraction hits, feel free to push, OK? You and the baby are doing fine." The monitor indicated another powerful contraction. "OK, Rose. PUSH!"

Rose pushed with all her might through every contraction. She was tired and her lower body was wracked with pain like she had never felt before. She was tired and just wanted it all to stop, but she had to continue, for Him, for their son.