A/N: Thank you everyone for reviewing, and sorry about this really short chapter! The next one will be longer, promise. May even be up later today!

Ch 5: Invasion

The Doctor stared at her. "That is a problem." He sighed, "And I'm most certain that you are."

"Is it possible?" She asked. "I mean, technically, they're just in my head, right?"

He was silent.

"Doctor?" She called his name like a colleague asking his advice on a patient. It was uncommonly formal to him.

And his mind was racing. The thought of them implanting Rose with something, touching her delicate skin was too much for him to stand. Instead, he nodded to her arm. She looked down and saw a shining gold handprint with three fingers. He ran his hand softly over it.

"When I was trying to fight them off…" She whispered.

"I'm sorry, Rose. This is all of my fault…" He sighed. Would there ever come a day when he didn't have to apologize to her? How many times had it been that he had said he was sorry, only to put her in harm's way again?

"As long as I don't sleep, they can't hurt me, right?" Her question intensified with desperation, her eyes searching his for an answer to this problem, any answer.

Again, he was silent. He had fooled himself into believing the myth that she was safe with him, and now the worst possible thing had happened. He supposed she had believed it too, the whole 'nothing can hurt me when I'm with the Doctor' line. He was clever, yes; could think quickly on his feet, sure; but save people he loved from dying? He hadn't managed to grasp that yet. It had happened to his people, it had happened to Runette, and now it was happening to Rose.

"Doctor!" Her voice was now a cry for help, like a frightened abandoned child. It was a tone he hated hearing in her voice, something he never wanted to hear again.

"I should have picked up on their sign… something!" He kicked her bedpost in frustration.

"I can't be a mother to an alien baby, Doctor… I just can't… I won't!" Tears leaked out of her eyes.

It wasn't the first time he had seen her cry, but it was the first time he had felt solely responsible. Each tear that fell was a pain in his chest. "Hey," The Doctor said softly, "Rose, we'll fix this. I promised to take care of you, and I will." He cupped her face, his dark eyes melting into hers. "No more tears, okay?"

Rose buried her face into his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her. If only he could believe his own words.