Jackie Tyler was not a happy woman. "Here he is! All smiles and happiness, while Rose cried herself to sleep almost every night. What kind of a husband are you, abandoning your pregnant wife, only to swan in at the end, do you have any idea what you put her through!"

"Now, Jacks…." Pete tried to calm her down, but Dr. Harper chimed in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Tyler and whoever you are," Dr. Owen Harper started, giving the Doctor a suspicious glare. With the Doctor there, it looked like all chances with Rose Tyler were off. "Rose and the baby appear to do be doing fine. Call me if there are any complications; heavy bleeding, difficulty breathing, whatever. She will be very tired for a few days. Labour went very quickly, quicker than usual for a first baby, but it went smoothly. I'll be by to check them out again in a few days. Otherwise, congratulations!" With that, Dr. Harper and his team quietly left the Tyler mansion.

In the short time that it took Dr. Harper to go, Jackie's anger had cooled slightly. She gathered her grandson from his father's arms and held him tenderly and told him how wonderful his mother was.

The whole scene was overwhelming. He was here, with his family, the family he missed so much. His wife just gave birth to the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. He needed to sit down.

He pulled a chair next to the hospital bed where his love was beginning to stir. "Hello." He said as he brushed a lock of hair away from Rose's face.

"Our son…"

"Is safe in his grandmother's arms."

"I missed you."

"I did, too." The Doctor leaned in to do one thing he longed to do for more than three years, kiss Rose. His mother-in-law had different ideas.

"This little boy needs his Mummy and I need to talk to his Daddy."

Jackie turned the baby over to his mother and led the Doctor into the kitchen. In a calm voice that frightened the Doctor more than the prospect of any slap, Jackie started talking. "What's the story, Doctor? You swan in after almost a year, your timing was perfect, I'll give you that, but she mourned you for ten months and now you're here. What are you planning? Do you still want her, or are you going to leave her behind again? She told me that you are married. Are you going to live up to those promises you made to each other, or are you going to leave her behind and shattered all over again? If you are, then I suggest that you slip away into that blue box of yours and leave now. We might be able to convince her that you were an illusion. What will it be, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked at Jackie, anger simmering just below the surface. Through an amazing feat of self-control he said calmly, "What I do now is entirely up to Rose. I want her to be happy, Jackie. I made a promise to a mutual friend that if I found her happy, I would leave her here and go back alone. If she wants to, I will bring her home with me.For once, what I want doesn't matter. It's Rose's decision. Now excuse me, Jackie, I need to see my wife and son."

He returned to Rose's bedside and he found Rose nursing their son. The love he felt threatened to rupture both of his hearts. The boy was content, at peace. Rose was tired, but happy.

"How? You said that it was impossible."

"It took three years to do the calculations and almost a year to manipulate the equipment I had and borrowed, but there was this feeling that I wasn't alone. I had to find out for sure." His voice was tender, loving. "Love, why did you lie to me? Deny the existence of our son?"

"I didn't. I didn't know. I realized that I was pregnant a week or so after Bad Wolf Bay." Rose was remembering the fear and pain in her heart that she felt the day the pregnancy test came back positive. How would she raise a child on her own? Would there be anything different that she needed to know? What would she tell him about his father? That he would love him if he knew? That they really had no choice in being separated? What? A single tear flowed down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Jackie…."

"…Was pregnant. She miscarried a month after Norway." The tears were flowing freely now, remembering the little lost niece of nephew that never had a chance to live. Rose was also afraid the Doctor would reject her and their son; after all, this was very domestic. Instead he sat on the edge of the bed and gently embraced them both, mother and son.

"Tell me, tell me what's making you cry, Rose. I know your hormones are all out of line, but is there something else?"

Silently, she nodded her head. "Is this real? Are you really here? Can we come with you? I'll make sure that the baby is no trouble. Please, I've missed you so much. I love you…." She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Are you sure, Rose? Your mum is here, your family, your life."

"YOU are my family, YOU are my life. I told you that on Praxataurious V. I don't want to raise this little one on my own – we have to give him a name, by the way – we need you, Doctor. I need you."

As happy as he was to hear her words, he was afraid that things would change in a few days. The heady feelings of their reunion would give way to resentment that she felt forced to leave her family and friends at a vulnerable time. He loved her and decided to give her a few days to decide. The connection between the TARDIS and the rift manipulator in the Torchwood was stable and not damaging to either universe. They might even be able to return for visits. They could stay a few days or more. He planned on bringing her to the TARDIS infirmary to help her heal quickly after giving birth. His ship could heal her in hours rather than the months it took for healing normally. Again, that was up to her.

For now, Rose Tyler-Sigma was sleeping in his arms, cradling their son gently in her sleeping arms. There was no place he would rather be in any universe.