Author's Note: A Different World: Children of Earth is now up, the first chapter has been completed and the next four are a work in progress. This chapter is set afterwards though to keep you guessing.

The moment the TARDIS was in the time vortex both Rose and Donna collapsed on the floor.

"Thank goodness that was over" Donna said stretching her arms. "I'm so knackered that I might sleep for a century"

"I might join you" Rose yawned.

"Ah come on you two, I'm still bouncing with energy. How about we go play tennis with Henry VIII it was said he was a fantastic player never tried him myself-"

"I hope not" Donna interrupted. "Despite your...no-boundaries attitude you don't seem gay"

The Doctor blushed. "I didn't mean it like that" he sniffed. "How about we go see Shakespeare?"

"Done that, been there, not only got the t-shirt but got voodoo-ed as well" Rose mumbled. "How about we shower, eat, go to bed and then talk about what to do tomorrow?"

"Wonderful idea, brilliant, fantastic, let's go, Allonsy!" Donna said mimicking the Doctor causing him to pout slightly.

"But where's the fun in that?" the Doctor asked.

"Look Space-Boy we have just hiked over a mountain, thrown down a king, helped make a new democracy, chased away five large swamp monsters before being chased out ourselves by the villagers who thought you were bad luck causing us to hide in a swamp before hiking over the bloody mountain again" Donna screeched, jumping up and poking the Doctor with her newly broken nail which was also really pissing her off. "So you can just jump off a cliff because I want to shower, eat and sleep! I'm exhausted, I'm hungry and miss real food not that crap that was supposed to be porridge and I my legs ache"

"Ok, ok, ok I get the picture" the Doctor said backing away, his hands up in an 'I surrender' gesture. "You win, go and get showered and what not" Donna stormed off in a huff and the Doctor sighed heavily. "Jeeze what's got her knickers in a twist?" the Doctor asked Rose.

Rose laid there on the floor, a frown on her face as her mobile was held up to her ear. The Doctor didn't like that look it meant something was wrong.

"Rose?" the Doctor said softly.

Rose put her phone down and sat up. "Doctor, what sort of race would be able to make children stop moving?" she asked.

"Stop children moving?" the Doctor scratched behind his ear. "I dunno Rose, doesn't sound like anything I bumped into"

"Jack left a message two weeks ago" Rose said emptily. "The children of Earth have stopped moving"

Before the Doctor could say anything Rose's phone rang again.

"Hello?" Rose answered. "Martha! Huh, what do you mean have I heard from Jack? Is it about the children...it's been solved already, that's good but....he's missing? How? Wha...you mean I....again? No...No Jack hasn't come to me at all...i hope so...yeah...bye"

Rose hung up and sighed heavily; she curled herself up and looked down at her hands, her hair covering her face.

"Rose?" the Doctor crouched beside Rose. "What's wrong? What happened? Is Martha all right? Has something happened to the Tin Dog?"

Rose shook her head. "Mickey's fine" she mumbled.

"Who said I was talking about Mickey?" Rose's lips twitched in amusement. "Is that a smile?" the Doctor asked leaning in closer.

"No"

"It was, that was a smile" the Doctor said his breath dancing over Rose's face. "Please Rose tell me what's wrong"

"Jack...Jack saved the world, right?" the Doctor nodded and made a gesture for her to carry on. "But he had to sacrifice his grandson-"

"He has a grandson?!" the Doctor said shocked.

"Yeah, I didn't know either...i mean I sort of thought he might after all this is Jack we're talking about, he must have had some kids" Rose said shivering slightly; the Doctor wrapped an arm round her. "Jack left afterwards and he just contacted his team....he's left the planet and they hoped I know where. They're so worried about him and they miss him and need him just like I do but probably more...."

The Doctor pulled Rose closer and wrapped both arms round her. "Hey" he murmured. "Don't worry, this is Jack we're talking about, he can take care of himself, it's not like he's going to die and sooner or later we'll bump into him. After all how can he resist Donna's lovely charms?"

The last part was sarcastic but it got Rose to laugh and cheer up which is what the Doctor aimed for. Rose snuggled in closer and took a deep breath, filling her senses with his warmth, scent and very closed yet buzzing mind. It was comforting and something she had dreamed of long ago, on lonely nights before Donna, after Martha on Sarah Jane's sofa.

"I'm gonna have a shower" Rose mumbled. "After....tonight...could you....stay with me....in my room? Please?"

The Doctor's face heated up. "Sure, we'll have a sleepover filled with movies, doing nails, talking boys, eating lots of chocolate and doing whatever girls do"

Rose laughed, grateful that the Doctor was here to cheer her up.

Captain Jack Harkness, I better meet you again soon before you turn into Face of Boe or I shall hunt you down and let Donna slap you constantly Rose swore to herself. Be safe Jack and come home soon.