It's bad. I can see it in your eyes, you can't hide anything from me." She tried to smile a little, but only winced in pain. "I need you to know, no matter what happens, I wouldn't change a thing." He shook his head "Rose. Don't. You're going to be alright." She smiled at him. A gentle smile full of the love she had for him, then sighed and closed her eyes.

Chapter 11 Deliverance

"Rose?" He quickly checked her breathing and pulse, she was just asleep. He sat on the floor next to the bed and began to weep silently. The stress of the past few days taking its toll. His red eyes became focused. The Time Lord made a decision.

He got up, took her hand and closed his eyes. Suddenly his hand began to shimmer with a golden glow, and then hers. The light went up her arm to her chest and through the rest of her body. A halo forming around her head. The light lasted for several minutes and then faded. He swayed with the effort.

She took a long deep breath as her eyes fluttered open. "What happened?" Rose felt warm and relaxed as if she'd had a glass of wine. Most of the pain was gone. She just felt a little bit of a headache. He helped her to sit up. "That's better then?" He smiled. Rose was suspicious, "What did you do?" "Well," he said, trying to find a way to say it, "I sort of, regenerated you."

"You what?"

"I have the ability to use my regeneration energy to heal." She thought for a moment, nodded her head, "And what does that do to you?"

"I'm fine."

She knew he was lying. "You know we can't lie to each other." "I'm fine!" he said again. "And", she said angrily, insisted on knowing it all. He tried to joke and lighten the mood.

"Well I won't be moving any furniture for a while, and if there's not enough, I might lose a small appendage next time. After all, I don't need all those toes." He saw her start to object, but he shut her down, "I love you, and no matter what happens, I wouldn't change a thing." She had to be silent when he used her own words against her. She wasn't happy that he had spent something so important on her, but she was glad the pain was gone.

"How long was I out?"

"Three of the longest days of my lives," he said wearily.

She felt well enough to try and get out of bed and pulled the blankets off to put her feet on the floor.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, you are not going anywhere." She looked at him, he was pale and exhausted. "Oh yea, I'll bet you're too weak to stop me." He growled, displeased with her for being right. Rose edged over and put her feet on the floor. It felt good, and she wanted to do more. Grabbing the bedpost she rose up and stood, for about three seconds, and then blanched and landed back where she started.

"That'l teach you to listen to me. It's not a miracle cure. You're still very weak from not eating and being in bed for three days with a fever." She was dizzy and trembling and decided he was right. Getting back into bed she sighed and looked at him, surrendering. "What do you want me to do?" He said more gently, "For starters, let's get some food into you."

The Time Lord left her to go to the kitchen and bring her some tea with toast and jam. She ate them quickly and with pleasure, surprised at how hungry she was. He was overjoyed to see her getting back to normal. After the tea she felt much stronger, but he wouldn't let her push it. "Tomorrow you can get up after breakfast" He was adamant that she stay in bed.

"Alright." Rose finally conceded. "But, please, for my sake, go and take care of yourself. You know I'm much better, and you need some food and rest yourself. I feel like having a nap after the tea anyway." He was unwilling to leave her side, but she was right. The sonic showed she was doing much better. "You promise to stay in bed?" His words were stern, but he smiled after he said it. Rose yawned, "Go! I promise." He kissed her gently, the relief in his eyes very apparent, and left the room.

He went downstairs to the Tardis and went inside, seeing the blood stain on the floor where Rose had lain. She greeted him with the usual gurgles. "Yes, I know, I need rest. I'll get some, I promise." He needed the comfort of the familiar to decompress. Touching the console buttons and switches gave him a feeling of control he hadn't had in three days. "She'll never know how close she came. How close we came." He leaned against the panel, shoulders slumped, aching inside from the stress and worry.

He decided a hot shower was just what he needed. He went to his old room, and remembered how long it had been since he had been there. All the things in the room were familiar, but part of another life. It was like looking at his things after a regeneration. Familiar but strange.

After the shower he sat relaxing in his comfy chair for a few moments. It felt good not vibrating with worry anymore. Not wanting to be away from Rose for too long, he dressed, left the Tardis and went up the stairs. The sonic showed the infection gone and she was sleeping peacefully. He laid down next to her. He hadn't slept since bringing her back to the house and was out in moments.

A week later she was almost completely recovered. "There's no point in you hovering over me." Rose was on the couch in the den with a blanket and a book. "I know you must have left much undone while you were babysitting me. Go and get that solar panel before the power goes out again. And I want my window back. I can't see the river."

He was still fussing over her, not wanting to leave her alone. Rose rolled her eyes, "If you wait until I'm any better, I'll insist on going with you. I don't like you going alone as it is, with the buildings falling over."

He gave her a look as if he was never going to let her out of the house again. "What does that face mean?" she chided. He shook his head innocently. "It was a freak accident and partly my own fault. I heard it creaking and ignored it." He wasn't listening. "You can't keep me in bubble wrap for the rest of my life!"

"I can try" he replied simply.

"Get out!" she cried exasperated, throwing a pillow at him. "Go do something before you drive me mad." He threw the pillow back at her. "Alright! You don't have to shout." He grinned at her attitude, knowing she was near normal now. "It will be lunch in an hour. I'll be back before then. Stay inside!" He kissed her and got into the Tardis for a quick jump to the village to pick up the replacements.

When he got to the village his heart sank. Most of the buildings were in ruins now, felled like dominoes. He had already put his replacement parts in a safe place before Rose was injured. They were still there waiting. But he would be hard pressed to find anything usable now in the ruins. He loaded the parts and left, wondering if he should tell Rose about the devastation. Not much point in that. He would see to it she didn't come back here.

The cleanup at home took the rest of the spring and into summer. The new solar panel worked like a charm, but the window needed a little persuasion. The broken trees and brush were difficult to remove but were managed with a little help from the Tardis. They had even used some of it as accent pieces around the perimeter. As they were starting from scratch in the yard, it made it a little easier to create Roses garden plan. She had worked on it all winter long. It looked great. Not bad for a city girl who had never planted a thing in her life.

She was completely healed now but had the odd ache in her leg now and again. He still had the habit of watching over her to be sure she wasn't in pain or over tired. Rose decided to make it her mission to prove to him she was ok. She would go out of her way to pick up something heavy knowing he would be right there to take it from her. She would laugh and tell him to sod off, and that she could do it. The look on his face would be priceless. A mix of pride and consternation.

When it was all done, they stood back and looked on with self-satisfaction at their home. A proper English cottage with a flowering vine over the door and large beds next to the house and in the yard. A stone patio and path that led to the door, and a lovely set of wicker lounge chairs with a table under the last remaining large tree. It would make for a great spot for coffee in the morning and afternoon tea.

They didn't know the original names for anything, so they began to name things themselves. The blue flowers on one plant were the color of her mother's eyes, so Rose named it Jackie Blue. A wild bush with tendrils that went in all directions and small red flowers was dubbed Dad's Dreams. As pink is her favorite color the climber over the door with fragrant pink and white pedals, he simply called Rose's Delight.

They had worked hard and deserved a break. Rose had suggested a picnic in the meadow on the other side of the lake. She packed a basket and they set out. It was a lovely day. Sunshine and a few clouds to offer shade now and then. A fair wind and a comfortable temperature. The walk only took about 30 minutes.

They had to thread their way through much of the devastation the storm had wrought. There were already signs of new life springing from the old. Where large trees had fallen, the sunlight could reach the forest floor and wildflowers were already growing. Broken branches would enrich the soil and fertilize the ground for the next tree to thrive.

When they got to the meadow they spread their blanket in the soft tall grass under the shade of the rocky outcrop. After lunch he leaned against the basket and she put her head in his lap. He was lazily stroking her hair, about to doze off for a nap, but Rose wanted to talk. She started off tentatively. "Husband?" He murmured in response. "The pictures of the people on your bedroom wall in the Tardis." He rolled his eyes knowing he was in for a session of twenty questions. "I realize I'm not the first companion you've ever had. Will you tell me about them?" He chuckled, realizing he had lost all chance of a nap. "What do you want to know? Wait, let me guess, Everything."