"But if I regenerate…"
"It won't heal your womb Rose." Jack told her. "If those elements escape during the regeneration – even for a nanosecond – they'll kill you. Those chemicals will be reincorporated into your DNA having a similar effect as aspirin. Your body has done the only thing it can to save you."
"I can't have children even if I regenerate?"
"When you regenerate, yes every cell in your body changes but in those few seconds as your cells started to transform those chemicals would release and severely affect the rest of your body…it would kill you." Jack trailed off.
"So I can't regenerate either…" Rose continued, Jack shook his head slightly. The Doctor moved to pull her into a hug; she relaxed briefly before yanking herself away from him.
"Rose?" He was confused at her reaction. Rose stood up and moved away from them.
"What's the point in being a Time Lady if I can't regenerate? I might as well have stayed human!" Rose yelled, her upset was being replaced by anger.
"Don't say that Rose!" Theta part shouted at her, moving towards her.
"Don't touch me!" She shouted at him, he halted suddenly. "Face it!" She paused. "You would never have married me if I didn't become Gallifreyan." The Doctor's eyes clouded with pain, unable to believe what he as hearing from his wife. "You would have found a way to leave me to avoid watching me die!"
"Rose…" He warned, Jack stood back and grasped Martha's hand.
"I think we'd better leave them to it." Martha nodded, quickly being led out of the room.
"You know that's not true." He told her whispering slightly.
"I forgot, I was carrying your only child at the time. The only child I can ever have." Rose spat at him. His eyes glowed slightly as the Oncoming Storm came forth.
"Rose Tyler!" He shouted, he came forward and grabbed her arms, ignoring her efforts to back further away from him. "I married you because I love you, regardless of whether or not you were Gallifreyan and whether or not you were pregnant at the time."
"You can only tell yourself that lie for so long…" He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. Rose shoved him back hard making him hit the wall, breaking the kiss. "This is all your fault." She snarled as she walked out of the room. Theta leaned back against the wall and slid down it, close to losing his battle with tears.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Jack landed the TARDIS in the living room of Jackie's flat.
"I hope you don't mind going through that." Jack asked as they heard the yelling echoed through the TARDIS. She smiled sadly.
"I understand." In truth she really did understand everything. "Where are we?" Martha asked.
"Rose's mum's flat." Jack looked at Martha. "Rose doesn't come from a rich family." Jack added afraid of Martha's reaction she simply nodded.
"I'll talk to Rose." Martha offered.
"I'd talk to the Doctor but I want to have a word with Jackie for a minute before I do."
"Okay. I'll see if I can calm Rose down a bit." Jack looked confused. "Sometimes its easier to tell another woman something than your own husband." Martha explained. "It happens in medicine all the time, I don't think this situation is too different."
"I'm sorry it's been like this."
"Its fine, I think I would've done the same in their place They're hurting too much to talk to each other." Martha smiled sadly again before walking down the corridors to see if she could find Rose's room.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Martha knocked on the door she assumed the sobbing was coming from, when the sobbing stopped she realised it was the right room. Gingerly she opened the door. Rose was sitting on the bed, complete with smudged make up and a red face.
"Oh…" Martha sighed pulling her into a tight hug, rocking her gently. Rubbing her back as Rose sobbed harder. "I'm sorry." Martha told her sincerely, not wanting to encroach on the subject.
"It's his fault." Rose told her as she pulled back slightly.
"Is it?" Martha asked looking into Rose's eyes. Rose let out a shuddering breath and looked down at her hands.
"No, not really."
"You've still got each other and your daughter."
"How am I supposed to live the rest of my life never having another child?"
"People do it all the time." Martha told her.
"I was supposed to live for another few centuries with Theta, and now I can't even do that." Rose's speech was halting as her sobs began again. Martha didn't want to question, Jack would explain it to her later. "He'll carry on, on his own with the curse."
"It'll be alright."
"Will it?" Rose asked, "I love him." Rose's eyes widened as she realised what she'd said to him in the med bay. "He'll never forgive me after what I said."
"He loves you." Rose eyes began to tear again.
"Not for much longer."
"He loves you Rose." Martha repeated. "He'll understand."
"The Doctor doesn't give second chances." Martha rubbed her back softly.
"I think in your case he will. He loves you Rose, no matter what. You wouldn't have gotten this far if you didn't love each other." Rose nodded slightly.
"Thank you." Rose told her.
"For what?" Martha smiled.
"Talking with me."
"Anytime."
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
The one thing Jackie Tyler didn't expect to see when she stormed onto the TARDIS was her son-in-law on the floor of the med bay curled up into a tight ball. All of her initial thoughts having a stern talk with him concerning her daughter vanished as she saw the sobs racking his body.
She had never seen her usually cheerful son-in-law cry before so Jackie did the only thing she could – she pulled him to her, gently stroking his hair as she whispered soothing words to him.
"Come on sweetheart, it isn't that bad, you'll be alright." After a short while she noticed him calming down. "Jack told me what happened." She explained. He nodded, watching her through petrified blood shot eyes.
"You're not going to hit me?" He asked, reminding Jackie of a small child, making her wonder further about his past.
"No sweetheart." She felt him relax in her arms. "This isn't your fault, don't blame yourself." She whispered.
"It is my fault though – I took her there."
"But you didn't know what could happen. You didn't know they would put a patch on her." He looked at her unsure how to answer. "Doctor, you love her I know you'd never hurt her intentionally."
"But she doesn't love me, not anymore." Jackie felt her heart break slightly at his defeated expression.
"She loves you, more than anything."
"Wish I could believe that." He muttered. "There's something I could do, but it'll only work in terms of regeneration I can't give her another…I can't fix…"
"I know, I know." Jackie pulled him to her again.
"She wouldn't let me explain." He sighed. "Even she said that it was all my fault." He cried into her shoulder and Jackie knew what the problem was.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
"ROSE!" She yelled down the corridor, Martha's head popped out from around the door. Jackie spotted it and walked towards that room.
"Martha Jones." Martha held her hand out in greeting to Jackie, Jackie shook it.
"Jackie Tyler, Rose's mum." Martha nodded. "Is Rose in there?" She asked pushing past her slightly, not intending to seem rude but in a hurry.
"Yes but she's…" The door slammed shut leaving Martha outside. "Upset.
"Mum?" Rose squeaked, seeing her mother's angry face.
"In all my time of knowing the Doctor I have never seen your husband so upset, and so defeated, let alone crying." Rose felt a lump forming in her throat. Rose had never seen her mother defending the Doctor before.
"Let me explain…"
"My son-in-law has just been crying in my arms because of three reasons, two of them I know you're both angry and upset over but the third…." Jackie shook her head. "The third is just unforgivable." Jackie paced slightly. "Telling your husband that this is all his fault…do you have any idea what that did to him?" Rose shook her head, unable to speak. "You always tell me to consider his past before I say anything but you Rose, you went and did the opposite!"
"I know mum, and I'm sorry…"
"Do you really think your husband would do this on purpose? That he would chose to lose you and any children you could have had?"
"No…"
"Tell him that then."
"I can't, it's complicated."
"Nothing is complicated if you love him, do you love him Rose?"
"Yes." Rose answered immediately.
"Then tell him that then."
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Rose quietly stood over her husband as he worked on the TARDIS, obviously trying to take his mind off her. He seemed to notice her presence.
"What do you want?" He asked coldly as he climbed out form under the consol.
"I love you." Rose told him quietly he turned to face her.
"What?" He asked shocked.
"I…love you." She said slightly hesitantly.
"Do you though?" She nodded. "Really?" She nodded again. "I thought that since…" He as cut off as Rose pressed a kiss to his lips, he pulled back slightly only to have Rose fall into his arms. He pressed gentle kisses to her hair.
"I'm so, so, sorry." She rasped. "I didn't think, I just, I was so angry I didn't…"
"Shh, shh. I love you too." He whispered his own tears falling as he crushed her to him.
"How can you be so forgiving? After what I said and everything?" She felt him shrug.
"Because I love you." He told her sincerely.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
"You didn't mean it." He told her his voice shaking, unsure of whether he meant what he said.
"I swear I don't mean it." When he didn't reply Rose lifted her head and looked him in the eyes, gently she placed her fingers on his temples and rested her forehead against his, immediately he felt Rose's guilt wash over him at what she said, he saw she didn't mean it. He breathed a sigh of relief at realising she still loved him. He sent his own love for her through their link and Rose smiled.
"There is one thing I can do…" He began; Rose gave him an encouraging look. He pulled back and took Rose's hands in his own. "I might be able to confine the chemicals to your womb permanently…" He trailed off.
"I don't understand."
"I can give you the ability to regenerate, but we won't be able to…" Rose placed a finger over his lips.
"What is this procedure?"
"Originally it was used as a method of execution for Gallifreyans who committed treason or other extremely serious offences, it was nearly used on me once." He mused, "It stops a Time Lord from regenerating permanently, it was a slow execution method, nothing like beheading, the person could then live out a life under strict surveillance until they died."
"How does that help?" She asked.
"I can concentrate the procedure on your womb, it should prevent that area of you regenerating,"
"So my womb will always contain my original DNA?" He nodded. "It'll be like having a transplant then. So what if my new body rejects…" She asked worriedly.
"It won't trust me." He studied her. "But I won't do it if you don't want me to."
"I want you to."
"But you won't be able to have any more…"
"We'll adopt." Rose joked trying to lighten the mood. "We can adopt Jack." She smiled slightly through her tears. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. He reached down and took her hand, leading her towards the sickbay.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
The Doctor gently helped Rose sit up; she felt some slight tingling in her stomach.
"It'll tingle for a while." He told her, knowing what she was thinking.
"It feels strange."
"It will for a while." He refused to look her in the eye. She gently lifted his chin up so that their eyes met.
"We'll work through this." She assured him. He smiled slightly, but it never met his eyes.
"Yeah, we will." Rose pulled her top down slightly further, only succeeding in lowering her neckline making her pull her top up again. The Doctor pretended not to notice her discomfort.
A screaming jolted them out of their thoughts.
"I'LL GET TALA!!" Jackie's yell echoed round the TARDIS.
"Well I'll go have shower." Rose told him, not quite meeting his eyes.
"Me too…" He paused. "Well not at the same time but after you." He babbled, she nodded, hopping off the bed and walking off down the corridors.
TBC