His eyes popped back open suddenly and it took him a moment to realize why he had woken up, and then he remembered that it was the change in Grace's breathing. At first he was panicked but as he listened and felt her back move with each breath he knew that this wasn't the change of someone who was leaving, but of someone who was coming back. He pulled away, rolling her to lie back on the bed and when he did she rewarded him by opening her eyes.
"Oh, Grace," he murmured, fighting the hug he wanted to pull her into.
He was still worried about what damage there may be within that beautiful, brilliant mind, but he forgot those worries when she gave him a tiny grin. He started to move from the bed but she looked panicked so he held up a finger and she just nodded. He went to grab the glass of water on the bedside table and then returned and helped her sit up slowly. She took the cup and drank in large swallows.
"Dad," she spoke, after she had finished the glass, and handed it back.
"Grace," he tossed the glass in the direction of the table and pulled her close to him. He wanted to tell her how scared he had been but with her head over his hearts he was certain that she knew.
"Leggo," she told him after a moment with a little laugh and he released her with a frown.
"Sorry."
"Silly, Dad," she told him fondly. "Thank you."
He didn't know which part she was thanking him for but he didn't really care. Whatever she thought he had done, whatever he had done would never be too much to save someone he loved. Never too much to save his child, and Grace was his one shot to love someone like that, his gift that he never thought he would have again. Donna was right to call her their miracle because she was the only child that had come from them, and not for lack of trying. And if she was his only child, forever, he was so glad that it was her.
"I'm just so glad your back," he told her truthfully. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she told him, and he couldn't help the tears that rose from the familiar sparkle in her eyes. "Really, I was so lost though. And so scared, but you found me. You didn't leave me there, all alone."
"You remember that?" He wasn't sure that she would as she was so far gone.
"You said that you loved me," she told him, "I love you too, Daddy."
It was then that Donna and Jack burst into the room and Donna pushed the Doctor out of the way, and he was rescued from a fall to the floor by Jack who had found a smile again, and pulled Grace to her with a force that made the Doctor's hug seem like a feather touch.
"Oh, Grace," she spoke into her daughters hair in between kissing her on the forehead. "I love you, honey. I'm not mad, but if you ever try anything like that again, I will ground you to the TARDIS until you are one hundred. You hear me?"
"mmm," was the only response Grace could get out with her head wrapped in one of Donnas arms.
After another moment Donna let her pull back and Grace smiled at her, bright and innocent, "Somebody had to save the day."
"Let your dad," she told her and tossed a smile to the Doctor, who couldn't help but smile back. "He's had a lot of practice. Not that you didn't do a great job. How did you do that, Grace?"
Grace looked around the room and seeing Jack she gave him a wink and the Doctor thought that for a moment Jack looked a little weak. When had his daughter become a flirt, it's not as though he had ever done that sort of thing…well…still. "I don't really know, it was just like I could hear them, feel them trying to get into my mind. So I kind of reversed it." She shrugged of the importance, and the strength it had taken to do it.
Donna just shook her head, and the Doctor thought when Grace was feeling better he would like to hear more about it, but not now. Now was a time for celebration. "Honey," the Doctor pulled her away from Grace gently, and very slowly, because in this moment Donna was protecting her cub. "I think maybe Jack would like to talk to her for a minute."
He wanted to resist this moment, but there was no point. He could see it already, and though it was only a shimmer, there was love in the way they looked at each other.
Jack gave the Doctor a grateful nod but as he stepped to the bed, Grace leaped up and jumped into his arms. He pulled her to him and her feet dangled above the ground but Jack held her strongly. "I love you, Grace."
"Love you too, Jack," she agreed and wiggled enough that he let her down, and she frowned. "Got to go."
The Doctor chuckled as she ran into the bathroom. He was very thankful that she was a Time Lady as it saved him from having to put in a catheter, which he would have done if she had gone too much longer without waking. They all waited until she returned and she blushed. "It's kind of weird to stand outside a bathroom door. Like an audience."
Donna smiled patiently and the Doctor held her hand to keep her from smothering Grace in another hug. "You should just be glad no one followed you in there, honey. I think the three of us might be a little clingy for a little while."
"Is there room in the space between hugs to have something to eat? Ohhh, like banana bread."
Donna looked to the Doctor and repeated the statement she had at the very beginning of this adventure. "That's all you." And the Doctor just beamed. She was his. His and Donnas'. She was loved and she was here, safe with her family.