Chapter Nine:

SORRY FOR THE SUSPENSE IN THE LAST CHAPTER. Like seriously the reviews were amazing and heart breaking because everyone was so distressed over the poor doctor and poor Rose. But I'm here to fix it don't worry! Also, Jack in this chapter because Jack is fab.

It was a whole other week until Rose woke up.

The Doctor hadn't left her side much, but had caved around seven days in, and called Jack.

"Hey doc, what's up how's Rosie and the little one?" Jack said, cheerful tone as ever

"Jack... It's Rose, she- she's…"

"What is it doc? Where's Rosie? Is she okay?"

"No Jack, she isn't okay at all. Do you mind coming on the TARDIS for a bit? I'm outside torchwood."

"Shit, of course. I'll be there."

And that was the story of how Jack came to stay.

oOo

Around five o'clock, earth time Jack calls The Doctor to eat something. "You haven't eaten for a while doc, you need to keep your strength up for when Rosie wakes up!" Jack calls.

And then the doctor enters, and Jack's heart breaks every time he sees him. The usual cheerful glow in his eyes and his bright smile have long since faded, his hair is gritty and floppy all over his face. His skin looks pasty and his suit is all wrinkled. He hasn't even shaved in the past week or so, so a small collection of stubble has gathered around his chin. He has no drive at the moment. Without Rose it's almost like he doesn't have a purpose in life. Jack really hopes that Rose wakes up soon.

So they sit in companiable silence eating the dinner that the TARDIS prepared for them, and The Doctor doesn't even take a second to recognise what it is. He just sits eating it blankly, glancing at the door every few minuets, just in case Rose comes through. In case she wakes up. Jack notices this and sighs inwardly; The Doctor is really losing it without her. He's convinced that if he does certain things it means Rose will wake up. Like if he watches her favourite TV show, eats chips, reads that book that she was reading, and then she'll wake up. Jack just has to agree.

The Doctor finishes his dinner, and grunts thanks at Jack, before getting up and leaving. Jack doesn't even have to look up to see where he's going. Rose's room of course. He watches him in there sometime, sitting there chatting to her, telling her what he did that day. Trying to put on a brave face for her, but Jack always catches him crying at the end, before curling up next to her and falling asleep.

So Jack's time on the TARDIS is pretty lonely. He wanders around, discovering rooms that he has never seen before when he was an occupant. He sleeps in his old room, and spends the rest of his time doing repairs and making sure the TARDIS is okay. She doesn't seem too bad, if he's honest- but repairing and tinkering gives him something to do. He talks to her sometimes to, and even though she can't talk he can feel her listening to what he's saying, which is nice.

"Hey girl," he says today, patting the console. He knows The Doctor's asleep now, so the TARDIS is his only company. Not that The Doctor is much company either. A light flashes in response, the TARDIS's way of saying hello and Jack smiles.

"Enough with the act TARDIS," he chuckles "Are you going to tell me what's wrong with Rosie?" silence "Because I know that you know…" he continues, but is greeted with more silence. "Oh the silent treatment is it? Come on TARDIS, The Doctor is driving himself insane. What is wrong with her?"/

The TARDIS sighs and Jack can feel her presence in the back of his mind, which is weird. He knows that he isn't telepathic. "Whoa, what are you doing?" he asks. But he can't stop her now. Suddenly images and words and sounds and voices are flowing through his head at a thousand miles per hour, and when the eventually stop he has to clutch his head and wait a minuet to get his breath back. Once he can stand up straight, he tries to comprehend the information that has been provided, and soon enough the random thoughts string together to form the answer to the question.

"Oh my god, she's…?"

The TARDIS grunts in confirmation. And Jack only knows to do one thing. He runs, as fast as he can to Rose's room and as promised The Doctor is sitting there by her bed recounting the abysmal day he's had as Jack bursts in.

"Jack, do you mind?" the doctor asks, a little embarrassed.

"Doctor I know what's wrong with Rosie!"

The Doctor immediately stands up, a serious look in his eye. "What, what is it?"

"Bad Wolf." Jack says. The Doctor raises his eyebrows.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me, bad wolf. That's it!"
"I don't understand?"

"Okay, a little background. So on the gamestation, Rose held the heart of the TARDIS within her for a good three or four minuets, I mean look at me- I'm living proof. Ha. Anyway, the power killed you almost instantly…"

"Jack where are you going with this?"

"Think about it doc! How could Rose hold it for so long without dying if she was just a human? It killed a time lord, instantly. And then you told me all about how you don't know Rose's species. Maybe you just weren't looking hard enough?"

"But she- well I guess… but that's imposs- but then again, Rose has never been one for impossible has she"

"Exactly. So Rose is a being more powerful than a time lord. A whole new species, all of her own, because to keep her alive the TARDIS changed her but the genes weren't reactive against her human DNA, but then you couldn't keep it in your pants and knocked her up- and the time lord DNA took over from the baby and reacted with the other two DNA types already inside her! Don't you see?"

"Take the three most powerful creatures in the universe and combine them… I am so thick! Human's ability to have such compassion and emotion, the timelords hungry ambition and genius minds and then the TARDIS- the most powerful being in all of time and space, of course it would be too much for her, like a giant chemical explosion happening inside her."

"The TARDIS knew this from the beginning, but she couldn't tell you, because apparently it would mess up the time lines or something. But because I am a fixed point, my timeline is woven around everyone else's, so she could tell me, who could tell you- and everything would go to plan."

"Oh Jack you are brilliant!" The Doctor exclaims, kissing Jack hard on the forehead.

"Jeez doc, save it for Rose!" Jack laughs "The TARDIS says she should be up within the next twenty four hours, but she will be very powerful. All of her senses are going to be heightened, and she will have the time vortex flowing through her and her mind will have expanded a lot more as well. She's going to need some looking after."

"She's going to live as long as I will..."

"Oh yeah, maybe even longer doc. Maybe I'll have some company."

"My Rose, with me forever. Imagine it, my beautiful, impossible pink-and-yellow girl until the very end. But you Jack, you'll never be alone. You're too easy to be friends with."

"Aw and here's thinking it was just my good looks."

"Yeah, they won't last forever."

"What?"

"Jack, you are unfortunately, still aging, ever so slowly."

"Goodbye vanity then. Better get as much action as I can, while I can."

"Wouldn't want to turn into… say… a big floating head. Or anything." The Doctor says, trying to act casual

"Doc? Don't lie to me! Oh my god am I going to turn into a big head? Have you seen my future?"

"A story for another time Jack, Rose will be up soon. Better get ready."

Jack just rolls his eyes. "You better have a shave and get showered and maybe get the TARDIS to give you a haircut or something then. If you want to look your best for her."

"Good idea!" he says, before bouncing back down the hallway, and Jack smiles watching him. The sparkle is back.

oOo

The Doctor sits in Rose's room anxiously, he knows for sure this time that she is waking up soon. He can feel it, something in the air. Something different. Not good different, or bad different just…different. Jack knows to give him some time alone to be there for her when she wakes up because there is going to be a lot of explaining to give her, so Jack sets off exploring again. The TARDIS will lead him back when he's needed.

The Doctor doesn't know how long he watches Rose until she wakes up. Minuets, hours… maybe longer? He isn't sure how long it has possibly been of him just sitting here, eyes focused, hands so tightly together that he thinks they might implode quicker than his heart from the tension sitting heavily in the room, when suddenly he hears it. A tiny whimper, so quiet that he almost didn't catch it, but he can hear it. Doctor.

And then she whimpers again and again, calling his name and he quickly moves closer to her- hearing her say it slightly louder and clearer each time- until she's thrashing around inside the covers chanting his name. he clutches her tightly, one hand smoothly stroking the hair from her forehead, stuck there with sweat. "Rose, Rose it's okay. I'm here."

And then her eyes fly open, shimmering gold, a gold so rich and so bright that he can hardly keep his eyes open too wide.

And he knows that nothing will ever be the same again.