A/N: Okay this chapter tones down the violence some what but don't worry all you fans of gore, the next couple of chapters will return to form. Will Rose choose to remember or forget the events on the bridge? Read on.

"You've been gone a while," said Rose as Susan came back into view.

The scene around her had changed and she recognized one of the lounge rooms from the TARDIS. It was her particular favourite, the place she and the Doctor had spent many cosy nights watching strange alien television or just relaxing in each other's company. Rose had enjoyed pottering about the room waiting for Susan to return but her mind kept forcing its way back to her ordeal. She wanted to cry when she thought of it, all the wrong hands on her body. All she wanted was to curl up into the familiar leather jacket and feel safe.

"I had things to do," said Susan, "Grandfather needed to talk to me. Your body is healing well, Rose. You can go back to them soon."

"I'd like that," said Rose, "What will happen to you when I'm gone?"

"I will leave, go back to wherever it is I came from if I can," said Susan taking Rose's hands and sitting her down on the comfy leather sofa, "Rose I need to ask you something. Do you remember what happened to you on the bridge last night?"

Rose paled, the memory all too vivid in her mind, and nodded. Susan ran a hand up her arm, lending her some comfort.

"I can help you forget if you want me to Rose…"

"Please…"

"Let me finish," said Susan, sitting beside her, "I can help you forget. Your physical scars the Doctor can heal and you will forget all the events but I cannot just erase everything that happened in Whitechapel."

"Why not?" said Rose, "How far back do I have to forget?"

"Mickey is the reason the TARDIS crashed, he is the catalyst. I need to go back to the time you and the Doctor landed on the Powell Estate for the wedding and met up with him. I know your mother wants you to forget, she doesn't want you to bear the pain of it."

"And I'll forget everything?" said Rose, tears forming in the corner of her eyes, "Will I forget about the Doctor?"

Susan nodded solemnly.

"I need some time to think," said Rose pushing off the chair and heading to the fireplace.

The Doctor pushed open the door to the kitchen and saw Mickey sitting alone in the darkened room. It had been many hours since Susan had gone back to Rose but the Doctor knew the memory wipe would take a while. He had gone to his room after a short while, tried to calm himself at the prospect of Rose not remembering anything from before. He had set his mind, as soon as she was well enough and the TARDIS was fixed he would send her home. Push the pain away as he always did.

"You know this place does have lights," said the Doctor, trying to be cheerful but failing miserably.

Mickey looked up mournfully from the cup of tea in his hand, regarding the Doctor now back in his traditional black clothes, armoured up once again in his trade mark jacket.

"Didn't much feel like sitting in the light," he said, "How is she?"

"Getting there," said the Doctor, "She should be waking soon, you should be there. She needs the people who care about her around her now, she'll need you."

"You and Jackie are with her," said Mickey, turning back to his tea. He felt a strong hand grip his arm and pull him to his feet.

"I said she needs you, now get moving," said the Doctor shoving him out of the door and towards the med suite. When they got there Jackie looked up at them hopefully. Rose moaned softly in her sleep and her body moved, relearning all its muscles.

"She's waking up," said the Doctor, checking several of the monitors he had attached to her, "And Susan has left her, I can't feel her anymore."

Jackie lay a hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently, "Could she not say goodbye?"

"She would have had to leave as soon as the memory wipe was complete so as not to frighten Rose," said the Doctor, "I have lost them both in one day."

Jackie went to speak but he cut her off.

"She is holding her own. I've given her something so she isn't in pain when she wakes, shouldn't be more than ten minutes now. I'll be in the control room if there are any problems, someone needs to get this machine working again."

"She'll want to see you," said Jackie, not pressing him too hard to stay and suddenly wishing Rose's memory could not be erased, "Why don't you stay?"

"She needs the people she loves," said the Doctor turning to the door, "I'll see her later."

Jackie held Mickey back as he moved to follow the retreating Time Lord, "Let him be," she said, "He's in a lot of pain. Now come on, smiles for Rose when she wakes up. Don't tell her what happened, we just need to tell her that she fell and bumped her head when the TARDIS landed. No wedding, no Whitechapel, no monsters."

Mickey nodded, his eyes blinking back the tears.

The first thing Rose felt was the cool sheets against her skin, followed by the brush of familiar fingers in her hair. The TARDIS hummed gently around her, a welcoming sound that filled her with happiness, she knew she was home. She forced her eyes to open and focused on the two faces above her, concerned and joyous in an instant.

"Hey," she managed to squeak, her voice scratchy and dry.

"My little girl," said Jackie, still stroking Rose's hair, "Welcome back darling. You gave us quite a scare."

"I…"

"Hush. You bumped your head when the TARDIS landed this morning. We missed the wedding but that's ok. You've been out cold ever since."

Rose smiled weakly, "I feel really achy," she said, "You two look exhausted."

"We were just worried," said Mickey, moving to press a kiss to her lips but only managing her cheek as Rose turned her face slightly, "You'll feel better soon."

Rose tried to sit up but thought better of it as a wave of nausea hit her, she glanced round the room before laying back down, concerned about the person missing from the group.

"Where's the Doctor?"

"He's fixing the TARDIS, she took a bit of a bump," said Jackie, "He'll come and see you later."

Rose bit back her tears at his absence, he was always by her side whenever she was ill or injured. He'd never broken a vigil before. She took a deep breath and forced a smile, "I'll wait till later then, can you go and tell him I'm awake?. If you wouldn't mind I'd like to get some sleep, you know, recuperate."

"Of course love," said Jackie, "Come on Mickey, let's leave the patient to her rest. Shout if you need us."

"I will," said Rose, turning over onto her side, away from them. It was only when she heard the door close that she began to sob.

It had been several hours since Jackie had informed the Doctor of Rose's waking. The TARDIS had taken more of a beating than fixing but he felt a little better. He had to rise above his own feelings, Rose had made the right choice for her sanity and whatever the sacrifice he would bear it for her. He stopped at the med suite door and squared his shoulders, running his fingers over his cheek once again to ensure that the dermo-regenerator had removed all signs of his battle with the Hatrevic. He pushed the door open and walked into the dimly lit room. The Doctor could tell from the rhythmic hum of the TARDIS that Rose was resting, the ship always sympathetic to the girl's needs. He sat down in the chair beside her bed, facing her back as she lay on her side. The sound of her voice made him jump.

"I've been waiting for you."

"Sorry," said the Doctor, trying to keep the quiver from his voice, "Had some emergency repairs to do."

"You had to do a lot of emergency repairing today haven't you?" said Rose still not turning to face him, "The stitches are very neat."

"You…err…you caught yourself on one of the support bars when you fell, had to patch you up a bit," said the Doctor, finding little comfort in lying to her.

"Right, yeah, I must have done," said Rose, "You need to drive a bit more carefully in future."

"I'll make sure I do," said the Doctor, only slightly relieved when she turned to face him but he knew the smile she gave him was forced.

Rose was silent for a second, waiting for him to continue speaking but for once her Doctor was uncommonly quiet. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"I want to sleep," she said.

"Right, ok, I'll leave you to it," said the Doctor, "I'll see you later."

She waited until the retreating boots had reached the door before speaking again. Deciding to use something of interest that she had learned.

"Oh Theta," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper but she knew he had heard her, heard her use the name so long forgotten by everyone else, "Susan said she was sorry she couldn't say goodbye."

The Doctor turned with an incredulous look on his face that made Rose giggle despite herself. He crossed back to her bedside in two strides and sat before her once again, grasping her hands in his own. Rose watched the tears silently running down his face and released a hand to brush them away. The Doctor turned his face into her palm, pressing desperate kisses to each of her fingers.

"You remember?" he said barely able to speak through his emotions, "But I thought…"

"Susan gave me a choice," said Rose, now crying herself, "Remember the most painful event of my life or forget the most beautiful. I know you Doctor, you never would have told me about us and I couldn't let you go."

"But the attack…"

"I will remember it, it will haunt me," said Rose easing herself up to sitting, "I will wake screaming in the night as I remember everything they did to me."

"Rose, stop," cried the Doctor but was silenced as she pressed a finger to his lips.

"But each time I wake there will be someone beside me, to hold me, to comfort me. Someone with the right hands, someone who can make everything alright again," said Rose wrapping her arms around him and snuggling into the familiar warmth of the leather he wore, "It won't be easy but with you beside me, I'll get there, I'll forget."

"Oh my Rose, my love," said the Doctor, pulling back slightly to press a small chaste kiss to her lips, "I thought I'd lost you."

"Never," murmured Rose, "My Doctor."