"Jacks

"Jacks! You're back!" Pete said, hurrying into the front hall as Jackie Tyler opened the front door of the house.

"Yeah…" Jackie gave him a tired smile, flicking the light switch on.

"How did it all go? Rose? What happened?"

Giving her husband a hug, Jackie was silent a moment. "Tony?"

"Asleep upstairs. So?"

"I'll let Rose talk. She'll be along in a minute."

Pete Tyler stepped back. "What happened?"

"Oh, don't worry, luv, she's fine. She's not hurt at all. She's—"

"Stop it!" Rose said, yanking her arm away from someone as she walked in the door.

"Rose!" A smile bloomed on Pete's face. "What happ—What are you doing here?" He asked incredulously, the Doctor coming into view, Rose brushing passed him, heading towards the stairs.

"Pete Tyler!" The Doctor smiled. "Hullo! Great to see you again! I—Rose! Wait! It looks like I'll—oh bugger…" He ran a hand through his hair, falling silent.

"What—Jacks? What is he doing here?" Pete asked, looking very confused.

"Rose darling, wait up a minute, sweetie!" Jackie called to her daughter already half-way up the stairs. She looked at Pete and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Pete. We'll have to explain it all tomorrow. We're tired, and it's nearly twelve thirty. We just hitch-hiked all the way back from Norway."

"Norway? What the hell were you doing in Norway?"

"What, mum?" Rose looked over her shoulder at her mother.

"I think I need to know what's going on," Pete said authoritatively, taking Jackie's hand.

"Tomorrow, Pete, tomorrow. Doctor, we don't have anywhere for you to stay, so go ahead and stay with Rose. She's got a nice big bed."

"What?" Rose cried. "With me? Mum! Are you mental!"

"Don't argue with me, sweetheart. We'll figure it out tomorrow. Doctor, go ahead and share with Rose."

"Oh. Well, are you sure? I mean—" He rubbed the back of his head to cover his surprise. "I could just as easily sleep on the floor—well, I mean, a couch would be fine, well—"

"Doctor, shuttit. Don't argue with me, and go ahead and follow Rose to her room."

"Jacks, are you mad? What are you thinking?" Pete burst out.

"Hush! Tony's sleeping. We're all tired. Just listen to what I say, and we'll figure everything out tomorrow. Right? Well, go on." She gave the Doctor a push towards the stairs, putting a comforting hand on her husband's arm.

Rose hurried up the stairs, unshed tears burning in her eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to end up. This wasn't the way that it was supposed to be! She was supposed to stay with the Doctor. This man… this other person wasn't him. Rose Tyler, I love you… He'd said. She knew he loved her, but hearing him say it… She kissed him happily. But… It hadn't felt right. And then her Doctor left. He left without ever saying anything, without letting her ask him all the questions that she had… Damn it!

"Rose!" The Doctor whispered loudly. "Rose, wait!"

"Leave me alone!" Rose hissed, turning to face him from the doorway of her room. "Don't talk to me!"

"Rose, please just listen. I—"

"No, you listen, Doctor," Rose said lowly. "I don't want to talk to you. Please leave me alone. I'll give you a pillow and a blanket and you can sleep on the floor. I am not sharing my bed with you, and I—" She broke off, the broken look on his face heart-wrenching. "Doctor…"

"No. No, you're right. I'm not… I'm not him. But I am. Rose, I'm still the same!"

"No you're not." Rose turned away towards the darkness of her room so he wouldn't see her face. It's true he would grow old with her, and he loved her. But where was his tardis and sonic screwdriver? What would he become, living, growing old, day after day, living the one adventure that he was never able to have. Until now? How would that change him? She heard him sigh heavily into the darkness.

"Rose, we'll talk about it tomorrow, alright?"

"Get out."

"What?" She could hear the blatant surprise in his voice.

"Get out. I need to change."

"Oh. Right." He turned sharply and left the room.

"Doctor."

"Yes, Rose?"

"Go ask my dad to borrow a pair of pajamas."

"Ah. Right. Of course."

Rose shut the door, the tears slipping down her cheeks as she tried to keep her sobs quiet, sliding down against the door to the floor. Why did he just leave? He couldn't have stayed? And what about that Donna woman? What was she to him? Rose curled in on herself, leaning against the closed door. It wasn't fair! She'd spent so long looking for him, and she'd just found him! Why did he have to leave again? Why did she have to leave him again! It wasn't fair! She could have just… stayed on. She had been committed to leaving her family behind before. Her mum would understand… She would…

"Rose?" There was a light knock on the door. "Rose, are you finished?"

"No, I'm—um…" Rose stood quickly, moving to her dresser, grabbing a pair of pajamas. "No, I'm not. Just a minute. Just wait a minute." She stripped and threw the pajamas on, flipping the light on and examining her face in the mirror, using a tissue to wipe away the smeared mascara and eye-liner. "Alright. You can come in." She smoother her hair back from her face, planting her hands on her hips with the thought to look casual as the Doctor opened the door and walked in hesitantly.

"Ooh! I like it! Nice room. It's very… It's very you."

"What's that mean?" Rose asked, harsher than she meant.

He looked over at her, putting the little figurine back down on her dresser. "Mean? Oh, nothing. It's just very you. Full of your… personality. Your you-ness. Your being. Your—"

"Alright!" Rose took a deep breath. "Alright. I get it. Go to bed. I'm tired." She looked at him, her eyebrow arching slightly at the sight of her father's pajamas on the Doctor. She'd just noticed. He still had his other clothes tucked under one arm, balled up.

"What?"

"God, you're hopeless. Give me those." She grabbed the clothes, dropping the bundle on her bed, shaking them out and refolding them. "It's a wonder your clothes isn't wrinkled all the time…"

He opened his mouth to say something in protest, but shook his head, leaning back against her closet doors, deciding now wasn't the time.

"How you even manage without someone…" Rose said quietly, trailing off.

"I guess I need you more than I thought," he replied quietly, his eyes watching her carefully.

"Alright. Enough of that. Go to bed. Here's a pillow, and there's a blanket on the window seat." She tossed him the pillow and then turned away, setting his clothes on her desk chair before climbing into her bed and tucking the covers up to her chin.

"Good night, Rose," the Doctor called quietly, stretching himself out on the floor rug.

"Good night," she answered almost grudgingly.

"Rose! Get up, sweetheart! It's nearly one o'clock!" Her mother's voice carried through the walls and floorboards to her room.

Rose sighed, pushing the heavy covers aside, pulling the pillow over her head.

"Doctor! You too, sweetheart!"

Rose sat straight up, her eyes going wide. Was she stupid!? How had she forgotten! Where—

There was a groan next to her. "'s morning already…?"

"What are doing in my bed?" Rose shrieked, pushing the man. "Are you mental! Get out! Get! Out!"

"Alright—I'm, I'm going!" The Doctor mumbled, rolling out of the bed, still half asleep. He stumbled around, bumping into her bed-side table in the process, several things clattering to the floor.

"Oh, now look what you did, you great lout…" Rose groaned as she got out of bed and walked around to the other side, crouching next to the Doctor. She picked up her brush and the pencil, putting them back on the dresser. "What you got there?" She peered around the Doctor's arm to see what he held.

"You've still got it," he said quietly, touching the object in his hand, his expression soft.

"What are you—Oh…." Rose fell silent. "Well of course I kept it. I…"

The Doctor turned to her with a soft smile. "Good. I'm glad you kept it.

Rose took the key from his hand, wrapping both of her's around it. "It was the only thing I had… It was the only connection I had, to that world, when I was trapped here." She touched the TARDIS key, much in the same way the Doctor had. "And now…" she continued on a sourer note, "I'm still stuck here."

The Doctor held his hands out in appeal "Rose, come on—"

"ROSE! Come down for lunch! Doctor!" Jackie's voice cut through their conversation.

"Alright! I'm coming, a'right!" Rose shouted causing the Doctor to lean back from the noise. She looked at him, her face blank. "Well, let's go."

"Awrighty then, allons-y!" He gave her a grin.

Rose smiled sardonically. "You're not going to win me that easily."

"What if I pouted? You always accused me of pouting, but I wasn't really pouting—that was just brooding, because Timelords most certainly do not pout, you see. Would that—"

"Doctor."

"—work?" He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "Yes, Rose?"

Rose sighed and shook her head, the harsh words she'd had for him dying. "Let's go." She led the way down the stairs to the kitchen. "Good morning, mum."

"It's bloody afternoon, darling! 'Good morning,' my arse!"

"Jackie!" Pete covered Tony's ears quickly.

"Oops… Sorry. Oh, I'm so sorry!" Jackie rushed to her son, picking him up and nuzzling him as she cooed.

Rose shook her head, an affectionately amused smile curving her lips. "Oh, mum… You're ridiculous."

"What? I haven't had a baby in twenty years! It's exciting! I'm allowed to be a mum!"

Rose laughed, her father joining in. "What's for breakfa—lunch? I mean lunch."

"Help yourself," Jackie said, taking Tony from Pete. "You're old enough to fix yourself something."

"Alright, alright." Rose disappeared into the cupboard, returning with a box of cereal, holding it up so the Doctor could see. "This good for you?"

The Doctor looked at her with a grin. "Sure! You know me, I love to eat. I'll eat whatever you give me."

Rose's expression was almost amused. "Riiight…" She poured two bowls of cereal, handing one to the Doctor along with a spoon. "So what's the plan, Dad?"

"Well, I think for one, I ought to hear the whole story."

Rose sighed. "It's a long one."

"Well, we've got the day. Come on; let's go sit in the family room." Pete stood, putting his dishes into the sink and heading into the other room.

"Oh yeah! That's mmm a gweat i'ea!" the Doctor agreed around his mouthful of cereal.

Rose rolled her eyes and followed with a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long day…

"So you see… I'm rather stranded—well, I wouldn't say 'stranded' as that implies that I'm completely left behind, which I really am not—well, I kind of am left behind but, well. I would say I'm sort of stuck, left, deposited, yes deposited, here. I'm deposited here." He gave Pete a large smile, sticking the last bite of his third bowl of cereal into his mouth.

"Rose…?" Pete said, looking to his daughter of another universe in confusion.

"Yeah, it's all true. That's basically how it happened. So he's….gone off, and this Doctor his here with us. I'm to look after him… To… 'make him better' is what he said." She looked out the window, her arms folded across her chest.

Pete nodded slowly. "Right." He sighed and mirrored Rose's pose. "Well, I guess we'll have to find a place for you then." He looked to his wife who gave him a bright smile and nodded. "Oh good. Well then." He chuckled suddenly. "We can probably give you a job at Torchwood, since—"

"Torchwood!" The Doctor cried, nearly dropping his cereal bowl.

"It's different than on Earth, Doctor," Rose added. "I work there. It's not so bad."

"As I was saying, since you're quite qualified to identify alien technology, and such," Pete finished.

"Hah. You'll have a job!" Rose said smugly.

The Doctor stared at her in horror. "Blimey, that's frightening. Well, so long's I don't have to get a mortgage." He shrugged, watching her reaction from the corner of his eye, pleased by the small tender smile she gave.

"Right. Well. I'm off to shower," Rose announced, hopping to her feet. "And don't even think about coming near the bathroom." She glared at the Doctor, violence flashing in her eyes.

"Yes, mum!" The Doctor gave her a solemn salute, relaxing as soon as she was out of view and up the stairs. He sat back down with a sigh. "Thanks for the jim-jams, Pete. 'Preciate it."

"Of course." Silence fell over them, the sound of water running through pipes sounding overhead.

"Well, we'll have to go shopping," Jackie announced. "You'll need a wardrobe. We can set you up in the guest room. It's right next door to Rose's room." She smiled at him, bouncing Tony on her lap.

The Doctor made a face.

"What?" Jackie asked, confused as usual.

"I'm becoming domesticated…"

"Oh that happened a long time ago, darling," Jackie assured him. "Don't worry about Rose. You'll work it out."

The façade slipped and the grief came through. "Yeah… Yeah." He gave her a lop-sided smile twisted with sadness. "Yeah, I hope so."

Pete stood and walked passed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Doctor. She'll adjust."

"What do we call you now? I mean, should we still call you 'Doctor'? I'm fine with that, I just didn't know if you wanted to go by something else," Jackie said, pre-empting the Doctor's words.

"Oh." He said instead. "Well. I never thought about that." He leaned back in the chair, grateful for something more inane to think about. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I guess I'll just go by 'Doctor' like I always have. Or well. You know."

Jackie nodded. "Right. Oh, Tony…" The boy slipped from her lap, half-walking, half-crawling over to the Doctor, pulling himself to his feet by the Doctor's pant-legs.

"Oh. Well. Hullo there." The Doctor smiled down at the small child.

The boy looked up at him and gave him a large grin.

"Ha! Lookit that!" He looked over at Jackie who laughed and shook her head. "Whoever knew you'd be good with kids!"

"Oi! Wait a minute! This does not mean that I will be babysitting!" The Doctor protested with a look of panic on his face.

Jackie grinned as she stood and headed out of the room. "Well, Doctor, since you're here, I think you would make a wonderful babysitter! Be back in a moment!"

The Doctor looked down at the boy with a morose sigh. "Being domestic is going to be rougher than I thought…"

"Doctor! Doctor!" Jackie's voice called from elsewhere in the house. "Here's some clothes for you to wear, since your things are dirty! Come and put them on and we'll go out shopping!"

The Doctor groaned, and stood dutifully.

"Oh, and grab Tony for me, would you? Bring him up! Rose, get yourself ready; you're coming too!"