A/N: To the readers who have stuck through and are still reading this even though I haven't updated in 6 months, I want to thank you. From the beginning of this year until now, my life has a been a bit crazy. Unfortunately, real life is quite demanding as of late, and it took away from my writing time. I am sorry for the lack of updatage (is that a word? It is now...) due to a combination of writer's block and simply life. Again, thanks to anyone who has stuck through this story, and if you're new... Erm, hi! Thanks for clicking in!

I can't guarantee anything, but the end of July and all of August look not as crazy as usual. I'm hoping to finish up this story by the end of August... I'm not sure if that thought makes me happy or sad :(

IMPORTANT: I debated long and hard about what might have happened between Rose and Jimmy, and it does not contain anything that falls above Fanfiction's rating T. However, there will be graphic depictions of violence in this chapter. And lots of angst. Lots of angsty feels. You have been warned...

Chapter 13

Angst Galore

Riiing! Riiing!

The Doctor muttered a Gallifreyan curse as he dropped the three plates of lasagna he was carrying. Since Rose had returned, people continued to drop into the Powell Estate to say hi. However, they came bearing gifts. Most of them lasagna. Jackie had practically forced the Doctor to take three trays of it the last time he went over for tea.

"Hello?" the Doctor greeted picking up the phone. Naturally, it was Jackie at the other end. Who else would be calling him?

"Hey John, It's Jackie," Jackie replied. "Look, I've gotta leave for the store, but no one's at the flat right now. I know Rose's been back for almost a week, but I haven't left her alone yet. She's in no fit state to go out in public. Could you come over and stay with her while I run out?"

"Yup, definitely, certainly, sure-can-do," the Doctor replied bobbing around the console flipping switches at random. "I'll be over there in a few minutes."

...

Rose looked better than she did when she first arrived back home. She no longer walked with a limp and her cheeks weren't quite as hollow. However, the haunted look still hung in her eyes, and the dark circles underneath them had only gotten darker.

"Would you like some tea?" Rose offered. Her voice was soft, but no longer hoarse.

"Yes, please," the Doctor responded.

Rose poured him a cup and handed it to him. "Ten sugars. I remembered," she laughs softly to herself, but the sound is forced.

"How many lasagnas do you have?" the Doctor asked.

Rose grimaced, "'Bout a dozen or so in the fridge. Why people bring lasagna, I dunno. Mum and I'd rather have cookies."

The Doctor chuckled, "Your mum tricked me into taking a couple of those lasagnas off her hands. I think she poisoned them though, they were awful."

"Yeah," Rose gave a half hearted smile. "Mum gave you the worst three."

"Oh, that is just pure evil!" the Doctor exclaimed. "After everything I've done for you two, and you go and try to give me food poisoning! I, I am extremely cross right now."

Rose smiled fondly. She suddenly said, "John, you're a doctor, aren't you?"

"Yes," the Doctor replied.

"A doctor of what exactly?"

"A little bit of everything, I guess. Some science, mathematics, physics-"

"Do you know anything about psychology?" Rose asked bluntly.

"I can't say I know a lot, but a little."

"Mum can't afford a therapist... I just need someone to talk to... someone I trust, y'know. Not mum. It would only upset her."

"What's wrong, Rose?"

"I can't tell my friends... They'll never look at me the same... It's just Jimmy... He..." Rose trailed off uncertainly.

"What did he do to you?" The Doctor coaxed.

"Nothing... nothing terrible," Rose said unconvincingly.

"You can tell me, Rose, if it helps," the Doctor said.

Rose hesitated for a moment before launching into her tale. "We had been fighting. He... He was angry. Stormed out of the little flat we were staying at. He came back hours later with a gun. He... He told me to get outta his life. He said I was ruining it. And, and I told him that he was drunk and needed to put the gun down... He loaded it and fired it at me. He was drunk. He missed. He fired it three more times before I was able to run out of there. He chased me down the street with it. I ducked down an alley. I took the next bus to London and didn't look back, and here I am."

"Oh, Rose," the Doctor whispered.

Rose stayed silent for a moment before bursting into tears. In a second, the Doctor was at her side enveloping her into a hug. Rose buried her face in the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor rubbed small circles on her back. It wasn't anything romantic, just friendly. After a minute Rose pulled back.

"But that's not it," Rose told him sadly. She wiped away tears and trudged through the last bit of her narrative, "Jimmy, he's been messaging me. He... He sent me a message last night. Said he woke up with a gun in his hands and he doesn't remember anything that happened the night before except our fight and him going to the pub."

"Don't respond, Rose," the Doctor whispered. "You've got to cut him out of your life."

"I can't just say nothing, though. He... He thinks he murdered me. He woke up with a gun in his hands and I was gone. I can't let him think that. He keeps texting me. Begging me to respond. What do I do?" Rose asked helplessly.

"Listen to me, don't tell him anything. He tried to shoot you, Rose."

"He was drunk," Rose said.

"That doesn't matter," the Doctor insisted.

"I know. I just can't let him think he murdered me, y'know?"

"I understand that," the Doctor responded. "just, whatever you do, don't let him back into your life. Tell him to stay away."

"How can you say that about a person? He has feelings-"

"He tried to shoot you. He almost murdered you," the Doctor felt a pang in his heart at the thought that someone had tried to murder Rose.

"I know that. I know I can't go back to him. It's just hard sometimes. I still don't believe he tried to shoot me. I thought I was goin' to die, you know."

Jackie chose that moment to bustle into the flat, dozens of shopping bags in her hands. Rose immediately jumped up and helped Jackie with the unpacking as if nothing happened. The Doctor didn't stick around much longer. He was out the door almost immediately with hurried excuses about work.

...

By the time the Doctor got back to the TARDIS the world was spinning.

There was something burning in his chest.

Rage. The feeling was rage.

It was the feeling he felt when he stared down a Dalek, it was what he felt when he declared himself the Time Lord Victorious.

The Doctor barely had a thought in his mind as he set coordinates into the TARDIS. The old girl whined at him, don't go she seemed to say. The Doctor didn't listen. He smacked a button and the time rotor started pumping.

The rage was still burning in his chest.

The TARDIS landed and the Doctor strode out in a second.

Jimmy was different than the Doctor expected. He looked tired, and sad, not malicious. Although, evil intentions might not show off very well when a Blue Police Box inexplicably shows up in one's living room. Jimmy looked more shocked than anything else.

"What the...?"

"You hurt Rose," the Doctor said simply.

"What? How'd you know about Rose?" Jimmy asked incredulously. "Who ARE you?"

"You hurt her. You broke her heart," the Doctor stated.

"Look, get outta my flat! Rose is a good for nothing little girl that I'm glad I got out of my life-"

The Doctor didn't think before he strode forwards and struck Jimmy across the face. It hurt his hand a bit. This regeneration wasn't really great for fighting. But after studying so much martial arts in his third regeneration, it didn't take him long to get a rhythm.

Jimmy tried to punch him, but the Doctor dodged it. He grabbed Jimmy's hand and flipped him over in true Venusian Aikido style. Jimmy gasped for breath as the Doctor kicked him in the stomach.

The Doctor stepped back. What was he doing? Fighting? He felt embarrassed, until Jimmy spoke up.

"I'm glad Rose is hurt," Jimmy whispered. "She's so pathetic. 'Jimmy, do you think I'm pretty?' 'Jimmy, does my hair look nice?' 'Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy?' That girl doesn't have one originally thought. She's only a pretty face-"

The Doctor lost all restraint. In an instant he was on top of Jimmy, punching, hitting, kicking. There was no style anymore. No rhythm whatsoever. All thoughts of karate or Venusian Aikido were lost. All he wanted to do was hurt Jimmy. The rage in his chest got worse. NO ONE hurt Rose. Rose was so much more than a pretty face-

"Rose is amazing!" The Doctor yelled between a punch. "She is amazing!" Punch. "So much better-" kick, "Than a bastard-" slap, "LIKE YOU!"

"Doctor?"

A familiar voice pulled the Doctor out of his rage. He looked up. Captain Jack Harkness stood in the doorway. He looked surprised. The Doctor looked down. Jimmy was unconscious. Blood was spilling from his nose. He was taking shuddering breaths. His ribs were most likely broken, much like his arms. The Doctor looked at his hands. They were covered in Jimmy's blood.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked flatly.

"Well, I was coming over here to teach the scumbag up, but I see you beat me to it," Jack said with a smile. "I know what he did to Rose."

"What have I done?" the Doctor whispered to himself.

"Don't worry, he doesn't look dead," Jack offered helpfully.

"I think I broke my wrist," the Doctor stated.

"Well, based on the way I just saw you fight, I would guess so."

"This isn't funny!" the Doctor yelled at Jack.

"Sorry, Doc. Didn't mean for it to come off like that," Jack responded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," the Doctor said. "No. I need. I need to go." He turned around and walked into the TARDIS.

"Wait, Doctor-" Jack tried to say, but the TARDIS disappeared before his eyes.

A/N: Er, sorry. Angst in that chapter like none of your business, :\ I actually cried writing this.

Thanks to my reviewers: silvay drakkon (thanks for understanding about the wait on the last chapter), Silver Dolphin 218 (I know, I took forever! Also, congrats on your story :D), theDestroyerofXD (Your review made my day! Thank you so much for the love and support *hugs*), Seralina (Thanks! I'm exited Rose is back too :P), Guest (... and finally I've updated in July :P), Catnip30 (Thanks!), and Gally (I know! I need to write more :D).

Feel free to leave a review! I really appreciate them :)