Rose woke up slowly, willing her eyes to open. She felt Alex smile, and she smiled back. Her sadness had gone, she felt strangely light and breezy, happier than she had been for a long while;

"Alex, Mummy had a nice dream about Daddy," she placed a kiss against his cheek, "A very nice dream," she reached down and felt Alex's nappy and frowned, "Ok, guess its nappy changing time"

Rose carried him into the bathroom, and went about changing Alex's nappy. She hummed a happy tune as she worked and felt Alex's pleasure at her happiness. "You are going to be a handsome devil when you grow up Alex Tyler, your going to break so many hearts" she chuckled as she dusted talc on his bum, "You're gonna be such a pretty boy, just like your dad"

She heard a knock at the bathroom door, and turned to see Tom enter the room,

"Someone's in a good mood today, nice hair by the way" he muttered as he came over to check on Alex, "Is Alex ok?"

Rose nodded and brushed a finger over Alex's cheek, "My Alex is perfect"

He chuckled, "Most mothers think that"

Rose shook her head, "I don't think it, I know it"

Tom smiled at Alex and Alex reached out for his finger and grasped it, "Wow, he shouldn't be doing that at least not for another three weeks"

Rose chuckled and disposed of the old nappy, "That's because he's special"

Rose finished replacing Alex's nappy and picked him up, "May I?" asked Tom, reaching out for Alex. Rose nodded and placed him in his arms.

Tom smiled down at Alex, and placed a kiss against his forehead, "He's the first baby I've brought into the world," he glanced at Rose, his eyes moist, "that makes him special to me"

Rose nodded, "I'm sure he thinks your special too. Tom I'm not sure if I'd have managed without your help; Thank you Tom"

He shrugged, "I'm a Doctor, it's what we Doctors do"

Rose sighed and followed Tom out to the spare bedroom where he gently placed Alex into the cot with Andrea, he stood over them for a while and watched them sleep, "Nicest picture in the world," muttered Tom, "two sleeping babies" he sighed and stood up and followed Rose out onto the landing, he shut the bedroom door and leaned against it "What kind of world will they grow up in?"

Rose took Tom's hand in hers, "A better one than this"

He stared at the certainty in her eyes, "So many people have died, how can you be so sure?"

"The Doctor will save us"

Tom shook his head, "I wish I had your faith, after all those needless deaths it's hard to find hope in anything"

"You lost someone?"

Tom took a deep breath and nodded, "I lost my sister, she was in London during the attacks; she wouldn't have survived"

Rose shook her head, "I'm so sorry"

He brushed a tear from his cheek and cleared his throat, "Well, no sense in crying, she's gone now nothing can bring her back"

They stood together in silence for a while, neither wanting to speak. "Thank you," muttered Tom a while later,

Rose shrugged, "I didn't do anything"

He smiled, "Exactly, sometimes silence is enough," he stared at her thoughtfully, "You remind me of my sister you know"

"Do I?"

"Strong and compassionate, always ready to listen"

Rose giggled, "I wasn't always like this"

"Something about you, makes me want to protect you"

Rose chuckled, "Don't you put me on a pedestal, I'm a tough girl, motherhoods softened me up that's all"

Tom laughed, "You're a special lady Rose Tyler"

Rose shook her head, "I'm no lady"

"Well what are you then?"

Rose giggled and wandered off singing down the stairs, "#I'm a woman, W-O – M - A - N, Woman#"

Tom chuckled and followed her down the stairs into the living room


Jackie sat reading a book on the sofa and looked up as Rose appeared smiling; Rose hadn't smiled like that for a while. "My daughter's happy"

Rose frowned, "Shouldn't I be?"

Jackie frowned, "Have I upset you Rose?"

Rose took a deep breath, counted to ten and then forced herself to smile, "No, you haven't mum,"

Jackie sensed Rose was far from happy with her, but decided Rose would tell her what was wrong in her own time, "Alex and Andrea okay?"

Rose nodded, "They're asleep for now. Where is everyone?"

"Oh they are all in the kitchen, got some people from the resistance movement over"

Rose and Tom walked into the kitchen; Peter, Gladys and Mickey sat at the table along with three people they hadn't met, a map of the UK was spread out over the table some it was shaded in red, and marked 'Destroyed'. Rose gasped as she looked at the map, "I had no idea so much had been destroyed"

Peter nodded sadly, "Most of the major cities took out within seconds, no warning; nothing," he glanced over at the woman and two men, "meet Alun, Nigel and Kirsty"

Rose and Tom introduced themselves and sat down at the table

"Alun was the man I told you about, he witnessed the events at the school, Nigel and Kirsty are working in the ambulance division for the government, it allows them to travel anywhere in the UK"

"What's it like out there?" asked Tom,

Kirsty sighed, "It's not pretty, everyone has lost someone, the country is in chaos"

"Looting in the towns, crops destroyed and the people are scared" Nigel shook his head, "The cities are no go areas because of the dead bodies in the streets spreading nasty diseases; we just don't have the man power to clear them and its not getting any better"

"Doesn't help with Saxon dragging half the population off to build rocket silo's" muttered Alun.

"That man!" Tom slammed his fist into the table,

Rose took his hand in hers and tried to calm him down, "no sense in damaging your hand is there?"

"He just makes me so angry!"

Suddenly the lights went out, everyone looked about the room as Peter grabbed some candles and placed them on the table, before lighting them.

"What happened to the lights?" asked Jackie standing in the doorway, suddenly they heard Andrea crying.

"Thought it would happen soon, the powers been cut off" Peter reached into a kitchen drawer and passed Jackie a torch, "They're diverting all the power down to the building projects"

Jackie wandered off to see to Andrea as Peter took his seat at the table

"You're a doctor aren't you?" asked Nigel,

Tom nodded, "Paediatrics"

Rose chuckled, "Wow, that explains how you know so much about babies"

Nigel nodded at Tom, "You might just be the man we're looking for"

"Tell me more," encouraged Tom,

"There's a shortage of medical trained staff in the UK, all Doctors are being called up to work in the medical core; as a doctor you can travel anywhere, gain access to all the factories, and building projects in the Uk"

Kirsty nodded, "It's there that we can hit back at Saxon, we can't let him think he's getting away with this"

Rose shook her head, "Sounds dangerous"

Tom nodded, "I'll do it"

"But Tom!"

Tom shook his head and patted Rose's hand, "I'll be okay, I need to do this for my sister and maybe I can save a few other lives at the same time"

Rose sighed sadly, "You Doctors; always wanting to save the world"

Mickey reached out to comfort Rose, but she pulled away and turned to Tom, "Are you sure?"

Tom nodded, "Got to make this a better world for Andrea and Alex, I can't sit back and do nothing not anymore"

"Great" said Nigel clasping Toms hand in his to shake it, "We'll take you with us in the morning"

Mickey looked at Nigel, Kirsty and Alun, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Rose shook her head, "Mickey you can't leave us"

Tom glanced at Mickey, "You need to stay and look after Rose and Jackie

Mickey sighed and glanced at Rose, "I guess your right,"

Rose took his hand in hers and placed her head on his shoulders, "Thanks Mickey"


Next day Tom stood outside the house, as Kirsty and Nigel loaded the van with supplies. Rose and Mickey stood with Tom at the door.

"I hate goodbyes," shuddered Rose as Tom pulled her into his arms, "I've said so many goodbyes, too many"

Tom chuckled, "That's because you meet so many people, you can't keep everyone close to you; you have to let them fly sometime"

"Alex and Andrea will miss you"

"Well I'll miss them, but one day I'll be back to see how you're doing and maybe even meet this great man of yours"

"I hope so…"

Tom shook his head, "Keep that hope alive Rose Tyler, it's a rarity these days"

"I can't do this Tom, I'm sorry" and with that Rose turned and ran into the house. Mickey went to follow but Tom held him back, "Let her be, she needs time alone"

Mickey sighed, "Its hard to see her upset and unable to do anything about it"

"You love her?"

Mickey chuckled, "Always"

Tom nodded in sympathy, and placed a hand on Mickey's shoulder

"It's okay," Mickey said shrugging off Tom's hand, "I know she doesn't love me, I was never enough for her anyway"

"And yet you stay?"

"She and Jackie are my family, the only family I have left and they need me now"

Tom nodded thoughtfully, "You are a good man Mickey"

Mickey shrugged,

Tom smiled, "You take care of yourself, Alex and the girls"

"When you get back I'll buy you a drink, seems I owe you one after you all that help you gave me"

Kirsty came over, "We're leaving now Tom"

"Yes, well it seems its time I got going"

"Take this with you, just in case…" Mickey thrust a gun towards Tom and Tom took it with a smile, "Thanks, where'd you get it, If you don't mind me asking?"

"Momento from another world"

Tom tried to give the gun back, "You might need this more than me"

Mickey shook his head, "I got others, after all the stuff I've seen I've learnt to be prepared at all times"

"Goodbye Mickey"

Mickey nodded, "Tom"

Tom walked over and climbed into the van and gave Mickey a wave.

Mickey waved back, "Good luck Tom!"

Mickey watched as the van drove off into the distance, he turned to enter the house but stopped as he felt the cold hard steel of a gun being held against his back,

"Hands up, and turn around slowly," said a harsh male voice.

Mickey went to get the gun he always carried, but cursed silently as he realised he'd given it Tom, he turned around cautiously raising his hands in the air;

"Don't shoot" he muttered desperately. Five soldiers stood surrouning him, each pointing a gun in his direction. The man closest to him nodded to the house, "Get the girl"