Because I haven't done a Doctor Who fic before. And due to my overwhelming obsession with both the show and David Tennant, and my severe tramautic mental scarring of MATT SMITH AND HIS STUPID DURONAMO I will write thousands of 10Rose fics.

Because they are the best bloody ship in the world.

So that's that cleared up.

PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review :)

This is set directly after Age of Steel.

'I don't understand. What do you mean Mickey went home?'

Rose just cried a little more, holding onto her mother tighter. The Doctor let the door to the TARDIS close and stepped forwards, just as Jackie mouthed, 'what the hell is going on?' to The Doctor, who just shook his head and looked away.

Once Rose had calmed down a bit, Jackie refilled the kettle to make some tea, leaving Rose in the living room as The Doctor disappeared inside the TARDIS – Jackie suspected this was just because he felt awkward to be around her for so long. At least when Rose wasn't completely feeling up to defending him – but Jackie would have a word with him later. He was not getting away with this one. He was not just swanning off with her daughter, then coming back every few weeks with her in floods of tears, before waiting for her to recover and disappearing off again to Mars or something!

OK – so it had happened once or twice. Three times at the most, in those two years they had been travelling together. It wasn't like Jackie didn't trust the man – or Martian, whatever you wanted to call him (Rose had taken the time to explain what planet the guy came from, but she had had a busy week that week, what with Howard grovelling around the estate, begging her to take him back.)

As she poured the steaming water into three different mugs – surely the alien drank tea? – there was a loud creak and The Doctor appeared back in the kitchen, closing the TARDIS door behind him. Jackie raised her eyebrows, forcing a mug in his direction. He looked a little wary, but took the mug anyway.

'What the hell happened?'

The Doctor opened his mouth and stuttered. Jackie frowned at him and walked into the living room. Rose was sat on the sofa, leaning her head against her hand as she watched some pointless chat show, where an arrogant looking man shouted at the audience. She wasn't really paying attention, Jackie knew, as she passed the mug to her. Rose glanced up at her, mouthed a silent thank you, before looking back at the television.

Jackie straightened back up to see The Doctor leaning against the door frame, watching them. Her eyes narrowed as she stared back at him before heading back to the kitchen, pushing him in too.

'Now tell me what happened,' she hissed in a low voice. 'This is my daughter, and your average, every day trip to Jupiter does not upset her this much, so tell me what happened!'

'We didn't go to Jupiter,' said The Doctor. Jackie put her hands on her hips. She was not in the mood for this at all.

'Well where did you go?'

'London.'

'London? London?' exclaimed Jackie shrilly. 'Somebody does not cry their eyes out after going to London! Now tell me –'

'Sssh!' said The Doctor. 'OK, fine, I'll tell you.' He glanced around the doorframe at Rose again. Jackie felt herself soften a little bit. He actually did look worried.

'We didn't mean to, but we fell through a crack in the time vortex, and ended up in the parallel universe . . .'

***

'Oh my God, Mickey . . .'

The Doctor had spent the last ten minutes explaining just what had happened. Jackie was supporting herself on the counter, her tea on the side forgotten and cold. She took a deep breath and glanced round the corner, into the living room. Rose had fallen asleep, draped against the arm of the sofa.

'She'll be OK, right?' said Jackie, turning to The Doctor with an almost desperate expression on her face. 'Rose, she'll be OK?'

The Doctor didn't answer for a moment.

'Yes,' he said finally, staring at the ground. Jackie gave a sigh of relief.

'I guess I have to thank you.' The Doctor looked up, confused. 'For bringin' her back,' explained Jackie. 'You promised to. I dunno if you actually remember – do you remember being your other self?'

The Doctor nodded.

'Well thank you.'

There was silence before the phone rang. Jackie darted across the kitchen, ignoring the tears prickling in her eyes as she answered it.

'Hello? Oh, it's you, Bev, hi!' She glanced up at The Doctor. 'No, no, it's fine. No, Rose has just popped home for a visit, that's all. Nah, 'course I got time to talk. She's asleep.' There was a short pause. 'No, she's fine. Erm . . . . . . Just a rough flight, that's all.'

She gave The Doctor a warning look before jabbing her finger in the direction of the living room, where Rose was still fast asleep. She turned away before disappearing down the hallway to talk to Bev.

***

'OK. OK, I'll talk to you later, Bev. See you.'

Jackie hung up with a grateful sigh. She threw the phone onto her bed before heading down the hall and back to the living room. She paused just beyond the doorframe. She could hear the soft mumbling of voices.

'. . . You're OK. Mickey will be OK. I promise.'

Jackie looked around the corner of the door. Neither The Doctor nor Rose realised she was there. She knew she should probably give them their privacy, but she had always been a stickler for gossip. Well, not that she was planning on spreading around the fact that her daughter and her nine hundred year old . . . boyfriend? were basically cuddling on her sofa.

'M'sorry – I'm being stupid,' muttered Rose. The Doctor gave her a meek smile.

'No you're not. You're in shock. You're taking this better than most people would.'

Their voices were quiet, muffled, as if they didn't want her to hear. But she couldn't walk away. She had never seen this side of The Doctor before.

Rose leant her head against The Doctor's shoulder, and he kissed her hair reassuringly. His arm was around her shoulders and she closed her eyes.

'Where to after this?' asked The Doctor quietly. Rose moved and looked up at him, smiling a little cheekily and making Jackie smile too.

'The chippie. I'm starving.'

'Good plan. But you're paying.'

'Time Lord's got no cash?'

'Time Lord's got no nothing,' said The Doctor, grinning as though this was some sort of inside joke between the two of them. Rose laughed and leant up to kiss him softly before she lay back against the sofa, resting on The Doctor's arm. Jackie made to move away. The Doctor was looking down at Rose in a way that made Jackie suddenly happy Rose had found him.

As Jackie made to walk away, suddenly The Doctor glanced around and looked at her, looking both scared and confused. And in love. Jackie just smiled and turned away.

She didn't really know what The Doctor and Rose were. Friends. Boyfriend and girlfriend. In between. But she did know whatever they were, she was happy with it. The past years, she had thought Rose had been madly in love with some guy who could never love her back . . . but she had been wrong. More than wrong. Completely wrong.

The Doctor loved her just as much.

Maybe even more.

The Doctor stared after Jackie before looking back down at Rose, brushing her hair out of her face with a small smile. So she was human. So what.

He was not giving her up for the world.

Review or die :) *allsaidinsicklysweetvoice*

:)