Chapter 10

Rose woke from her dream with a start. It had seemed so real! She smiled to herself as she gently rubbed her belly. So, is that your name, Arianna? She could swear she felt a warm glow in response. She looked at the clock, almost lunchtime. What do you want to eat, little one? An image of a peanut butter and banana sandwich popped into her head. She laughed. You're definitely your father's daughter!

Just then Martha came in to check on her. Seeing Rose's smile, she grinned and asked, "Enjoying your stay?"

"I swear, Martha, the baby is communicatin' with me. She wants a peanut butter and banana sandwich for lunch!"

"And what do you want?" Martha asked as she took Rose's blood pressure.

"Hmm... I'll have that sandwich, and some fruit salad with cottage cheese, and..." she hesitated as another image popped into her mind, "... and a banana smoothie!"

"Is that you or the baby talking?" Martha smiled as she reached for a thermometer.

"Both." Rose admitted, then opened her mouth for the thermometer. Martha studied her chart as they waited for the thermometer to beep, then took it out when it did and studied the reading with a slight frown. "What is it?" Rose asked.

"It's been slowly falling all morning. It's a bit below normal." Martha answered. "How do you feel?"

"Fine right now. Much better than this morning."

"OK, well we'll keep an eye on it then. I'll call your secretary and ask her to get you your lunch."

"Thanks, Martha. That'll give me a chance to get caught up on some stuff with her."

Just as Martha was leaving Jon popped in. "How is the most beautiful woman in the universe?" he asked, sitting on the bed and leaning in for a kiss.

"Better than this morning. Cooler, too, aparently. Martha says my temperature is a bit below normal."

Jon leaned in for another kiss. "Hmmm... yyeesss... it is, and your chemistry tastes a bit different, too. When I see David or Martha again, I'll have them do a blood chemistry workup on you, too."

Rose smiled ruefully and shook her head. "Y'know, it takes some of the fun out of kissin' when you're bein' analyzed."

Jon grinned and shrugged. "Can't help it, occupational hazard and all, bein' a Time Lord." Then he leaned down and snogged her properly, with no analysis. "Just wait 'til we get home," he promised, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, "and I'll do a much more thorough analysis."

"Ooooo... Doctor!" Rose murmured huskily, grinning with the tip of her tongue peeking out at the corner.

"Alright you two, this is an office, not a hotel!" Dr. Johnson had stopped in at Martha's suggestion.

"Oh c'mon David, don't be such a prude!" Jon laughed, but did get off the bed. "Just a suggestion, but you might want to do another blood chemistry workup on Rose, she's feeling better, but tastes a bit different."

Dr. Johnson rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I almost wish I could do that, but with my luck, it'd be your mum who'd need analysis," he said, winking at Rose.

"And the problem with that would be...?!" Jackie Tyler's voice came from behind him. She'd brought Tony in to see his big sister.

After a round of good-natured laughter, Jon and David stepped out of the room to talk and Jackie let Tony sit on the bed and hug his sister.

"What do you think is going on with her?" Dr. Johnson asked Jon.

"Well... I've never dealt with a human carrying a Time Lord baby before, but I suspect that her temperature and chemistry are adapting to the baby's needs. That's likely why she got so sick this morning. I'm a little worried." Jon admitted.

"That sounds like a reasonable explanation, I'll send someone in to collect a blood sample and we'll check it out." David promised. "Meanwhile, I think she should be kept under observation rather than going home."

"She's not going to like that," Jon advised, "and I can monitor her better than most people."

"Yes, but what if she has a critical episode? She'd be better off here." David insisted. "You know I'm right about this."

"Yeah, I know you are. It's just convincing Rose that's going to be a challenge."

"Convince Rose of what?" Jackie stood behind them, worry creasing her brow.

Jon heaved a big sigh and turned to face her. He really didn't want to have to try to explain this to Jackie and worry her, perhaps unneccessarily, but at the same time he knew she was his biggest ally when it came to Rose's well-being.

"Rose seemes to be going through some... unexpected changes... we think she's adapting to the baby's needs, and we don't know what to expect or if she's in any real danger. We'd like to keep her here in the Torchwood facility for monitoring."

"For how long?" Jackie asked.

Jon shrugged. "Unfortunately, we have no idea. I've never dealt with this situation before, and I have no idea what to expect."

Jackie gave David a pointed look and, smart man that he was, he took the hint and went off to arrange the blood test, leaving the two of them alone in the hallway.

"Is that why she was so sick this mornin'?"

"I think so."

"But she seems fine now."

Jon sighed. "Her temperature is dropping and her body chemistry is changing. I don't know how much, or why for sure, or if it will hurt her." Jackie saw his eyes fill a bit.

"Is there somethin' you're not tellin' me?"

"No," he assured her, "that's as much as any of us know right now."

"But somethin' else is troubling you, isn't it?" Jackie searched his face. In all the time she'd known him in his various bodies, the only time she'd ever seen him this worried was in the Crucible.

"I'm just a bit frustrated is all," he admitted.

"'Bout what?"

He studied Jackie for a moment, wondering if he should share this with her. Well, why not? he thought. The longer he knew Jackie the closer they got, and the more he respected her. He had grown to realise she was a lot smarter and stronger than he'd ever given her credit for. No wonder Rose was so marvelous.

"If I had just two things," he began somewhat bitterly, "my sonic, and the TARDIS, none of this would be a concern. The TARDIS would be able to monitor Rose constantly, and if I needed to, I could take the baby from her and the TARDIS could provide a loom for it to grow in. Without the TARDIS," he concluded, "I'm just so... hamstrung. Helpless, even." With that, a lone tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.

Jackie knew someone who needed mothering when she saw it. She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Jon, and hugged him tightly. "Listen you plum," she began, "you're the man who can always figure things out. You'll figure this out, too, I know you will."

Jon hugged her back with his chin resting on her head. "Never in a thousand years would I ever have thought Jackie Tyler would be talking sense into me."

"That's more like it!" Jackie released him and punched him gently in the arm. "Now get back in there with your wife, Tony's askin' about ya."