Jack had a pounding headache. Ever since the Doctor had found out that Rose loved him, the pair had been slightly uncomfortable round each other. The slightest thing could spark an argument and, though they always made it up afterwards, there was still something amiss, as though someone had driven a wedge between them.

"It's your fault!" Rose shouted across the console.

"My fault?" The Doctor asked incredulously. "You're the idiot who messed with the TARDIS!"

"Only because you were too busy hiding away! What do you do in the depths of the TARDIS, Doctor?" Rose asked her fists clenched into tight fists. "Must be something important since you never tell me!"

"I don't do anything!" The Doctor replied his shoulders rising and falling quickly as he breathed deeply. "Anyway that's beside the point! I've told you before not to mess with the TARDIS! You don't know how to give her directions!"

"Then show me!" Rose spat through clenched teeth. "You're always saying I know nothing, then teach me!"

"I do not say 'you know nothing'." The Doctor said slightly hurt. "And I would show you if you had any patience!"

"I've got more patience than you!" Rose looked directly at the Doctor as she said this. "At least I don't ignore people when they tell me they love me."

That struck a nerve. Not only did the Doctor pause but Jack sat bolt upright on the chair he was lying on.

"That's enough!" Jack shouted. The Doctor and Rose both looked at him. "For god's sake! You're like a pair of children! Would you just get over things and go back to the way you were before? I came to this ship when you were the happy-go-lucky pair that I made friends with, but if you're going to be at each other's throats like this then I'm going to leave. Got it? Now give it a rest!"

Jack stormed out to see if he could find a bed to lie on in the depths of the TARDIS. Rose looked up at the Doctor scowling.

"That's your fault." She muttered.

"Don't start, Rose. I've had enough of this." The Doctor began to pace around the control panel occasionally flicking a switch or pushing a button.

"Yeah, well I've had enough of you." Rose replied nastily.

"THEN WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE?" The Doctor shouted. Rose took a step back, startled by the sudden outburst. The Doctor put his hands to his face. Rose felt the lump in her throat grow, tears threatening to fall.

The Doctor sighed and bought his hands back down to the control panel.

"I can't keep doing this, Rose." He didn't meet her gaze. The tears really did fall now. Rose looked down at her hands and saw she'd dug her nails an inch into her palms and they were now bleeding. She started whimpering to herself.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." She rubbed her hands together but it just made the stinging worse and she dripped blood everywhere. The Doctor looked up when he heard her mutterings.

"Oh, Rose," he walked towards her and took her hands in his own. "What've you done?"

"What have I done?" Rose looked up, yanking her hands out of the Doctor's grasp. "Why don't you ask yourself that, before me?"

She stormed off into the TARDIS, heading for the sickbay. Jack was lying on one of the beds, a wet flannel over his forehead. She took out some strips of bandage and antiseptic wipes.

Rose tried to clear her hands up alone, but couldn't quite do it. Jack opened his eyes and glanced over when he heard her talking to herself.

"Crap, crap, crap. Damn it…" Rose dropped the bandages again as she tried to patch herself up. The tears were still rolling down her cheeks so Jack stood up and wandered over.

"Here. Let me." He took the bandages from her and wrapped it gently around her poor palms. "You really stressed?"

Rose shrugged, the tears still falling down her face.

"Oh, Rose. The Doctor's just finding it hard to adjust. I mean I think he's more scared of what will happen to you if someone finds out about your feelings is all." Jack murmured gently.

"I know," Rose sniffed. "But… I… I just love… him so much… why does he keep ignoring me? He won't even… take my hand anymore…"

She was sobbing almost hysterically. The pain was too much. Not her hands, but her heart.

"C'mere." Jack opened his arms to her and she accepted the hug gratefully.

"He asked me why I didn't just leave if I was so fed up with him… and I think he's right. I should leave." Rose whispered. "I've destroyed my friendship with him; I don't want to destroy yours!"

Jack felt a lump rise in his throat. As much as he knew Rose loved the Doctor, he loved her as well. He would even stretch as far as to say he loved the Doctor, and he couldn't bear to think that any one of them would leave.

"Rose, don't. It's not your fault. It's not anybody's fault." Jack said. He felt the first of his tears roll down his face.

The pair let go of each other.

"Oh, Jack, don't cry." Rose said crying harder herself at the thought she'd upset Jack.

"Hey, you're not the one playing gooseberry." Jack smiled through his tears and even Rose chuckled.

They heard a noise from behind them and turned to see the Doctor standing in the doorway. When he saw their tear-streaked faces it was almost too much for him. The Doctor couldn't stand putting the pair of them through so much pain. But at least they were all alive this way.

The Doctor went up to Rose and Jack and hugged them tightly. They both hugged back, understanding it was an apology. The three held each other, tears rolling down their faces, the TARDIS humming gently in the background.