A/N:Hmmm bit of a mixed bags when it comes to Grace helping Rose. Most of you want her to as she is a doctor and her patients come first but will I decide to be cruel? Guess you'll just have to keep reading.

Rose could barely take in the information Grace was telling her. The medical language was going right over her head and the information about her chances of survival was running through her head at a million miles an hour. Grace had explained that her heart had begun beating in an irregular rhythm and one of the valves had been damaged, hence her oxygen starved hallucinations. Her blood wasn't flowing right and the recent stress she'd been under had aggravated the situation to a dangerous level. The Doctor seemed to be taking all the information in, occasionally adding his own opinion but Rose knew if she couldn't understand Grace she'd never understand him.

Jackie's grip tightened ever so slightly on her daughter's hand as Grace mentioned that Rose would need an operation in the next few days and the dangers that it would present. Rose was so concerned by her mother's reaction that she barely heard the Doctor speak.

"But do you know what caused this Grace?" he asked, "Her family has no history of heart problems and she's bound to be fit with all the running we do."

Rose flashed him a pained smile at his comment, she loved all their running, "Perhaps I've done a little too much Doctor," she said softly.

"Its nothing to do with running," said Grace, her tones clipped as she watched the gentle glance between the Doctor and Rose, "The only explanation I can see is that Rose's heart has undergone some great physical trauma. Almost as if she'd received a high voltage electric shock for a sustained period of time."

Rose felt her stomach sink as all the colour drained from the Doctor's face. He cast his eyes to his lap, picking again at the imaginary fluff on his trousers. Rose could hear him muttering in his own language, somewhere between praying and berating himself by the tone of his voice.

"Time vortex," he muttered, "Oh no Rose!"

Rose reached over and took his hand, "What about the time vortex? Did the TARDIS do this to me?"

"No, not the TARDIS. She'd never hurt you, she loves you," said the Doctor, "I…I never told you what happened on Satellite Five after I sent you home. I thought it was all forgotten but I was wrong. Rose, you absorbed the Time Vortex and humans…no one is meant to do that. I thought I'd got it out of you before it had done any damage but clearly I was wrong, oh Rose I'm so sorry. This is all my fault!"

"This is not your fault," said Rose harshly, getting to her feet, "I chose to come back for you…it was months ago…why now?...Doctor!"

The Doctor caught Rose as she collapsed, struggling for breath, "Easy, calm down! Just breath Rose, don't excite yourself. Whatever caused this we're going to get it fixed and then we'll be off again like normal, you hear me?"

"But Grace said I only had a fifty, fifty chance."

"When did you…"

"I heard you talking when I was getting that MRI thing. I heard what Doctor Holloway said about my chances," said Rose as the Doctor eased her back into her chair.

"What do you mean fifty, fifty chance?" cried Jackie who until that point had been deathly silent, "You're meant to be the best heart surgeon on the planet!"

"The operation is difficult, Rose's heart needs a lot of repair and her body has undergone a lot of stress recently both mentally and physically," said Grace as calmly as she could manage, the talk of Time Vortexes and satellites making her feel slightly out of her depth, "I'm sorry that you over heard me mention the chances to the Doctor, you shouldn't have received that news like that. Perhaps it best if Rose gets some rest. Jackie would you be able to see Rose back to her bed, I need to talk to the Doctor, I may need his assistance in Rose's operation."

Jackie took a deep breath to calm herself and helped Rose out of the chair, supporting her around the waist as the younger woman's legs refused to co-operate. The Doctor came over the help and Rose released her mother to fall into his warm embrace. She clung to him, burying her face in the warmth of his shoulder.

"Don't be too long," she said softly, "Promise me."

"I promise," said the Doctor tilting her face up to his and pressing a soft kiss to her pale lips, "Now go my angel, get some rest and I'll come and see you soon."

"I love you Doctor. Sorry this hasn't been the start we wanted."

"Hey, don't you worry about anything like that. As far as I'm concerned loving you means taking the highs with the lows and I'm going to be by your side no matter what. Now go on Rose Tyler, get to bed."

With one final kiss Rose left the Doctor's embrace and leaned on her mother for support as they left the room, closing the heavy oak door behind them.

The Doctor looked after them a long time after the door had closed, feeling the tears pricking the back of his eyes but refusing to fall. At first he thought the small sob he heard had escaped from his own lips but then released that it in fact came from the woman standing behind him. He turned to see Grace with her hand over her eyes, shielding her tears from his gaze. Automatically he headed round the desk and pulled her into a tight hug but Grace pushed him away.

"Don't…I don't deserve your kindness," she said flopping back down into her chair.

The Doctor crouched down before her, taking her hands, "And why is that?" he said softly, "Because I left you? Because I brought Rose to you? You're trying to help the woman I love despite our past, if anyone deserves my kindness its you Grace."

"But I don't…I was…I had it all planned in my head Doctor, when you first arrived and said Rose was ill. I wanted to give you an ultimatum, one night with me and I'd save her life," said Grace unable to look him in the eye as he swiftly pulled his hands away.

"What?"

"But I can't, not now. I've seen it now, how much you love her. The looks, the gestures, the way she hangs on your every word and you on her's. And I feel wicked and wretched for ever entertaining the idea and I'm sorry."

The Doctor's eyes softened at her words, "Oh Grace! I never…I shouldn't have left you the way I did but please, please promise me you'll help Rose now. She's my life, all my life. Gallifrey's gone and she's all I've got."

"Gallifrey's gone?" said Grace looking up at him.

The Doctor nodded sadly, "Gone. Please help her."

"I will, I'll help her but I'll need you to help me too. Do you think you could stand beside me in theatre and treat her?"

"Of course."

"Thank you Doctor."

The Doctor smiled gently and pressed a small kiss to her forehead, "No, thank you, doctor."