Author Note: Hey guys, sorry I haven't been posting as regularly recently, but I've been working on a new story. Anyways, as it turns out, I could only use one of the two chapters I'd written, for reasons I shall explain at the end. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter!

Jack returned later with the tube full of amber sap, which the Doctor added to the paste, mixing it vigorously. To one side, a beaker of clear blue liquid was boiling away on a camping stove and every now and then Blon would stir it a few times with a glass rod.

Just as the Doctor had finished mixing the paste, there was a shrill beeping sound. The Doctor and Jack ran to Rose's side and saw that she had minutes to live.

"Her entire body's shutting down and the antidote's not ready!" the Doctor exclaimed. "The liquid's still too hot. It'll burn her."

"Would you rather burn her, or let her die?" Blon asked as she handed the two parts of the antidote to him. It only took a fraction of a second for the Doctor to make his mind up.

He scooped some of the paste onto his finger, then smeared it across Rose's forehead and the wound on her shoulder. He glanced at Blon, who nodded to show that he was doing it right, then she held out the boiling liquid. There was a look of pain on his face as he tilted Rose's head back, opened her mouth and drizzled a little of the contents in.

"No, she needs all of it," Blon said, as she watched over his shoulder, with Jack. The Doctor groaned and reluctantly emptied the rest of the contents into Rose's mouth, then gently closed it and stroked her neck a little to encourage her to swallow.

Then they all waited with baited breath.

Ten seconds passed. No change.

Twenty seconds. Still no change. Jack started to pace about, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

Thirty seconds. The Doctor was starting to doubt whether he'd ever see Rose open her beautiful brown eyes ever again.

Forty seconds. They were preparing to give in.

Fifty seconds. Even Blon was starting to tap her claws together anxiously.

Then, at last, after one long and painful minute of silence and waiting, Rose swallowed the burning liquid, groaned, gave a huge gasp as though emerging from underwater, and then began coughing and choking. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, coughing and spluttering.

The sound of her rasping, breathless cough caused Blon to laugh with joy. Then the Doctor and Jack began laughing too, and finally, when she could, Rose laughed aswell. Her eyes were flooded with tears and her throat burned, but she was alive and well.

"Next time, don't do that!" she gasped, causing them all to laugh even harder.

And then, without warning, the Doctor threw himself forwards and almost crushed Rose in the biggest hug Jack had ever seen.

"Whoa! Air! Need air!" Rose cried, and the Doctor released her with a grin. Then Jack leant forwards and hugged her too. He was a little more careful than the Doctor though. And when he stood back, Rose saw Blon, standing there patiently.

She looked wildly from the Doctor to Jack and back again, searching for an explanation as to why there was a murderous alien, who almost killed her, standing beside her bed.

Indeed, Jack looked just as worried and confused now that all the excitement was over and he could think properly again.

So while they listened patiently, the Doctor explained his deal with Blon. He thought Rose would have been angry with him, but she wasn't. Infact, she seemed totally grateful.

Well, I did save her life, I suppose, he thought to himself happily.

He was a little reluctant to leave Rose and Blon alone together, but Rose assured him that she would be fine. After all, Blon needed her alive to keep up the deal, so eventually he and Jack left them to it while they went and set a course for Raxacoricofallapatorious.

oOo

At first, Rose felt a little awkward being left alone with the Slitheen. But as she'd assured the Doctor, Blon needed her alive to make sure she was taken home, so there was no danger there. And after all, she'd already been poisoned once. If Blon poisoned her again, the Doctor would know what to do. He would be able to save her again.

With this comforting thought in mind, she turned to Blon, who was holding out a bandage.

"You should dress that wound. Don't want it to get infected," she said and Rose glanced at her shoulder to see the burned scar. She studied it curiously for a few moments, wondering why she couldn't feel pain, and then she nodded and took the bandage, which Blon helped her to wrap round her shoulder and over the wound.

"Thankyou," Rose said after a while, and Blon looked up, startled.

"For what, my dear? For poisoning you? For almost killing you?"

"Well...yeah, thats kind of hard to forgive...but you did save my life. I know the Doctor wouldn't have been able to do it by himself."

"That's true. Well, it was my pleasure. Besides, I needed you alive so that he'd take me home."

"What's it like on Raxacoricofallapatorious?"

"Its been years since I was last there, but it's beautiful...well I think it is anyway. My cousins live there. I believe you and the Doctor have met them before. Dram Fel Fotch and Ectosca Fel Fotch. They were in jail during the Downing Street incident when we first met, so they survived, and then they had to share a room with the Doctor when there was that prison mix-up."

"Don't remind me!" Rose groaned.

"I'm hoping they'll let me live with them," Blon carried on, as though there had been no interuption.

"And what will you do?" Rose asked curiously as she sat up properly and swung her legs over the side of the bed so that they dangled freely.

"I don't know. I would say that I will live a quiet life and not draw any more attention to myself, but you and I both know that that's impossible."

"Not necessarily," Rose said kindly. Then she saw that Blon's broken claw was still all gooey and messy, so she jumped off the bed, paused for a moment to letthe dizzynesssubside, then wandered over to the Doctor's supply cupboard and pulled out another load of bandages.

She helped me...it's only fair that I return the favour, she reasoned.

So while Rose awkwardly dressed the claw with one hand (because her other was now in a sling and she still hadn't regained full use of it yet), the two talked about things that Blon could do to keep out of trouble, and how their two home planets differed.

A/N: Ok, so the reason why I couldn't kill Rose - simple. Way back at the beginning of this story, I said that it was set between Boomtown and Bad Wolf. Rose is in Bad Wolf, so how the hell can she still be in Bad Wolf if I kill her off before then? Mind you...she could be a ghost which could explain how she managed to survive the Time vortex in her head, because if she's dead, she can't die again...oooh, plot bunny!

No! Not going down that road! Too complicated!

Anyways...1 more chapter to go, and just what have Rose and Blon decided? You'll have to wait and see.