A.N: This chapter is dedicated to Psigen and RavenSkyCostello, my RPG buddies.

Jack had headed back to the space ship under the Doctor's orders with a Time bomb that would eradicate the ships entire existence. The crew would return to whatever planet they'd come from and they'd remember nothing. Only Rose's scars would be a reminder of what had happened.

Jack took less than ten minutes to plant the bomb and get back to the Doctor and the TARDIS. He set the TARDIS in flight as the Doctor had told him and then headed back to the infirmary.

Rose was in a bad condition. The Doctor was desperately trying to heal what he could. He'd set her broken ribs, tended to the many wounds on her body and was now checking her water levels.

"How is she?" Asked Jack tentatively. The Doctor was very quiet as he worked on Rose and Jack found it almost scary.

"Bad," the Doctor replied, trying to keep his temper and knowing that Jack was only worried about his friend.

Rose's injuries were indeed extensive. The Doctor and Jack spent the good part of three days caring for Rose. She was still unconscious even when they'd healed most of her wounds. The scars were still visible and the Doctor doubted whether they'd ever fade completely.

They didn't sleep, they didn't eat, all they did was wait by Rose's side, hoping, praying that she would wake up.

After five long days Rose finally began to stir. Jack and the Doctor who had each of her hands in theirs looked up expectantly.

"God my head," she murmured.

"Is it bad?" Jack asked quickly, fearing the worst.

"Mmm," Rose mumbled opening her eyes. "Feels pretty much the way the rest of me does."

"Awful?" Asked the Doctor. She smiled weakly.

"That's not the word I would've used," she replied. "But yeah, awful is how I feel."

Jack looked at the Doctor concerned, but the Time Lord just shook his head. Rose would feel bad for a while before she was ready for any more adventures.

"How long have I been out?" She asked shifting in the bed and groaning.

"Five days," The Doctor replied. Rose looked at him carefully as though sure he were joking.

"What happened to that spaceship?" She closed her eyes, trying to get comfortable.

"We dealt with it," the Doctor said swiftly.

"Do you want anything?" Jack asked. "Water? Something to eat?"

"No," Rose replied, hissing in pain as she shifted. "I'm just really tired."

The Doctor and Jack let Rose sleep, but they didn't leave the room. They tried in vain to eat and drink, but neither could manage much.

When Rose awoke sometime after that, it was the dead of night. The TARDIS had dimmed its lights, Jack had fallen asleep and only the Doctor remain vigilant in his watch over Rose.

"What're you still doing up?" She asked pulling herself up higher in the bed so as to look at the Doctor properly.

"Making sure you're ok," the Doctor replied gently. He moved the stool he was sat on closer to the bed. Rose smiled.

"I'm alright," she replied. "I'm gonna have to get up in a minute though."

"You're not going anywhere," the Doctor said firmly.

"I need the loo!" Rose protested, shifting uncomfortably. The Doctor went pink and Rose couldn't help grinning, some her old demeanour returning.

"Ok," the Doctor said after a minute. "D'you want a hand getting there?"

Rose pushed herself up onto her elbows gingerly.

"Yeah," she said, wincing and clutching her side. She looked under her top and found bandage wrapped around her chest, keeping her ribs in place. "Those…."

She tried to find the words to express her feelings towards her tormentors.

"Idiotic humans," The Doctor supplied quickly. He took her hand and arm and helped her sit up further. "Ok? Just tell me if it hurts."

The Doctor waited until Rose managed to stand, her face set with determination. He put his arm round her waist and carefully the two of them made their way across the room to a door in the opposite wall.

"Will… will you…err…" The Doctor was unsure of how to put it.

"I think I'll be able to go by myself," she whispered smiling at him gratefully.

Once the Doctor had got Rose back into bed he looked at her concerned.

"Rose," he began, taking one of her hands. "What happened isn't your fault. I want you to know that. But the reason they wanted you, was because of how important you are to me."

Rose smiled slightly and looked down at the Doctor's hand. The bite mark was still visible.

"Sorry," she said quietly.

"I know you didn't mean to," he replied. "But the thing is…"

He paused; knowing what he was about to tell Rose would probably put her in danger. But after what had happened on the space ship, the Doctor didn't think things could get any more dangerous then they already were.

"You know… a few weeks ago…" he cleared his throat. Rose looked at him, a hopeful glint in her eye.

"You don't have to say it," she whispered. "I know that back on the planet I wanted you to admit it, but I can wait."

She smiled weakly and the Doctor was at a loss of what to say. He stared at the injured blonde girl in the bed and found he was overcome with human emotion.

"Rose, I love you," He said before he had time to think about anything else.

"I know," she replied. He bought one hand up to her face, brushing her hair out of the way.

"I promise we'll find somewhere quiet when you're better." The Doctor said firmly. "Somewhere we can deal with all this properly."

Rose nodded slowly, yawning.

Several days later Rose was on the mend, though not completely recovered, and Jack was in the best mood he'd had for a long time. The Doctor had confided in Jack that he had told Rose the truth, which meant that most of the bad feeling was gone from the TARDIS.

Jack watched the pair as they laughed about this and that. He couldn't believe that this was the same couple that just a week before had almost stopped talking to each other. He grinned as Rose giggled, her blonde hair flying about as she shook with laughter.

Jack set about making them a cup of tea and as he found three mugs the Doctor approached him.

"You seem happier," Jack commented glancing at Rose who was watching them.

"I'm fantastic," the Doctor grinned manically back.

"You told Rose why they wanted her?" Jack asked, hating to turn it to this nasty note. The Doctor glanced down at the mugs Jack had just put down.

"Not the whole truth," he replied.

"She deserves to know," Jack said carefully.

"I know," the Doctor looked up at Jack seriously. "That's why I'm going to land on another planet, similar to Wilopsy, but where we will have no interruptions. We're going to talk over everything. I need to let her know what she's setting herself in for, and… I… I need to make sure I can cope with the consequences… after all, Rose is human… I'll outlive her."

Jack nodded, knowing just how much the Doctor was going to risk.

"Do what's right, not what's easy, and you'll be fine." Jack said placing a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

"Thanks Jack," the Doctor replied genuinely. He was thankful for Jack's company, if he hadn't been there when Rose was injured, the Doctor was not sure he'd have been able to cope.