Warning for this chapter: Angry!Jackie and Emo!Doctor.

Two months later …

Jackie Tyler watched unhappily as Jack led her daughter out of the apartment and guided her carefully down the stairs. It hadn't been a good day, and Jack thought that some fresh air might do Rose some good. She had to admit to herself how incredibly grateful she was to have him around. She watched out the window as Jack led Rose to where his car was parked. Her hair – now brown since she no longer dyed it – was a droopy, tangled mess. She didn't wear makeup anymore either. Jackie supposed that since she didn't go out much, it probably didn't matter. But they were all just little things that reminded her that her daughter wasn't the same person anymore.

Rose still talked of the Doctor. The moment Jackie found out the Doctor hadn't been captured along with her, all of Jackie's affection for the man had died. He hadn't saved her, possibly hadn't even looked for her. She tried to see hope the same way her daughter did, but she couldn't. He truly was alien, leaving her in the clutches of monsters and never looking back. Either that or he found out how damaged she was and didn't want to face the guilt or travel with her anymore. She didn't know how to see it any other way. Especially not since he had apparently abandoned Jack as well.

Jackie dropped her mug of tea, hardly noticing as it shattered on the kitchen floor. She knew that sound. The TARDIS was materializing nearby. Despite her shock, she leaned against the counter and forced herself to wait.

It was fortuitous timing that Rose and Jack has just left; she didn't want Rose to see what was going to happen.

The doorbell rang, and she went to the door in a daze.

Before he could get one word out, she punched the Doctor square in the face. He cried out as he stumbled backwards, raising a hand to his bleeding nose.

"Jackie!"

"You rotten bastard! How dare you even think about coming back here! You have no idea what you've done!"

The Doctor stood back up; he looked repentant but surprised. "You already know?"

"Don't you dare play games with me –"

"No, Jackie, wait." He wiped his nose on his sleeve. "How could you know? Tell me what's going on."

"No. I'm not gonna waste my time talking to you. Get out of here before they get back. I'm not gonna let you do any more damage."

"They? Who?"

"Cap'n Jack has been staying with us most days, taking care of us. And what've you been doing? Off gallivanting? Conscience finally get to you?"

"I was searching!" The Doctor was going pale, and it wasn't from blood loss.

"Oh really? For what?"

"For Rose, Jackie! Who do you think?!" the Doctor burst out, tears rolling down his face. "I came to tell you I was sorry for breaking my promise! I looked everywhere, I …" He stumbled.

"What … you mean … you really don't know?"

"Jackie, please, forgive me …"

"Rose turned up after an alien spaceship crashed outside Cardiff about two months ago. Torchwood found her and brought her back to me. Jack's just taken her out for a drive."

The Doctor looked up, his face even paler. "What?"

"You 'eard me."

"Rose … is alive?" And then he was crying and hugging her in relief. She rolled her eyes and shoved him off.

"So, you lost her. You've been searchin' for a year."

"Yes!"

"Meanwhile, she's been kidnapped by aliens that raped and tortured her, leavin' my baby blind and brain-damaged. You're all she lives for, the only word she could even say at first. So, I'd say you've done quite enough, Doctor. I don't want you to go near Rose ever again. She needs to get on with her life. Here. On Earth. Do you understand me?"

The Doctor was shivering when she'd finished. He nodded mutely.

"Good. Then get back in your ship and get out of here. And, if you're feeling particularly nice, leave a message for Jack. He's been searchin' for you nonstop, too. He deserves some answers."

The Doctor nodded once again and turned away.

Jackie bit her lip. "Doctor! Wait!"

He froze.

"Can you help her? Maybe … give her back her sight? Use some kind of advanced technology?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful. "It's possible."

"You're not just saying that?"

"No I'm not. Please, Jackie, I owe her at least that much."

"You won't take her away again?"

"No I won't. It's too dangerous. I should travel alone from now on."

"I'm glad we agree."

Jackie was just getting around to cleaning up the broken mug when Jack and Rose returned.

"We're back!" Jack announced as they entered.

"In the kitchen," Jackie called back. She heard the door to Rose's room slam, which didn't surprise her.

"What happened?"

"Clumsy, is all."

"You're a terrible liar, Jackie. Your hands are shaking. Let me get that." Jack knelt down and swept up the mess, dumping the broken pieces into the trash. "So, what's up?"

Jackie sat down at the kitchen table, looking terribly small. "He's here, Jack."

"What? Who's here?"

"The Pope. Who do you think?!"

"Shh!" Jack joined her at the table, bringing his chair close to hers. "The Doctor?!"

"Yes. Apparently, he's been searching for Rose for a year. I let him have it, let me tell you. I told him to get lost, but … then I asked him if he could help Rose. He said he might be able to. But Jack … I need your help. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. She can't go with him again, even if he can help her."

"Jackie, that's not your choice to make."

"She's my daughter, and she's poorly. That makes it my choice! What if something like this happens again?"

"Rose would still choose to go with him, no matter what."

"Well, it doesn't matter. He won't take her. He feels horrible over what happened, and he says he should travel alone. I need you with me on this, Jack, please. We'll have to convince her to stay, to let him go."

Jack stood up. "I can't do that, Jackie. I'm sorry. Rose may still be having a little trouble communicating, but she can make decisions just fine. If he won't take her, it has to come from him. She won't accept it any other way."

Jackie opened her mouth to argue and abruptly shut it again. "I should just tell 'im to go. After he's talked to you, of course."

"Jackie, don't. Please, you don't understand what this is like."

She stood up, getting in Jack's face. "What I understand is that my daughter is never going to recover from what happened to her on HIS watch! She is physically unable to travel with him, Jack. Don't you think it would be better if she didn't have to come to that conclusion or have him tell her?"

Jack took a deep breath. "Jackie, I'm telling you, you don't understand. Your life changes from the moment he steps into it. Rose isn't adjusting well anyway. Maybe if she gets some closure, she finally will. Or maybe she won't, and she'll spend the rest of it striving to get well again, so she can go with him. Aren't either of those options better than how she is now?"

"Let me think: my daughter, moping for eternity, because he rejected her? I don't think that's better than how she is now. That's worse."

"Okay, you know what? This isn't up to us," Jack stated.

"I knew I should've had him leave while you were out! I should've known you'd side with her!"

"Damn right I would! Someone's got to speak up for her when she can't speak for herself! Jesus Christ, between you and the Doctor, you'd have her whole life written out for her!"

"What the hell is he doing out there?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"No, really! What is the Doctor doing?!"

Jack looked out the window and saw a man in a long brown coat and pinstriped suit. He didn't look the least bit familiar, and yet, Jack knew it was him. The Doctor had tears pouring down his face. Without another word to Jackie, Jack went out the front door and approached him slowly.

"Doctor?"

The Time Lord wiped his eyes. "Captain."

"Look, if I'd known how to contact you, I would've told you about Rose –"

"I know. I … I saw you two return. I almost didn't recognize her."

"I didn't, at first. Not 'til she started screaming for you."

"What've I done?" he whispered.

"Wasn't your fault," Jack said simply. "I'm sure you did everything you could to prevent it and everything you could to find her."

"Jackie's right. I should go."

"Can you help her?"

"Jack –"

"You're really going to condemn her to this life without even trying?"

"She can't come with me, Jack. She said she wanted to stay forever."

"Yep. It's going to break her heart. But at least you might be able to leave her a parting gift. Do that much."

The Doctor nodded, wiping away a few more tears that had escaped.

"And then, once you're done with that …"

"I know. We need to talk, Captain."