Author's Note: I've been going a little Doctor Who crazy lately, when not going crazy over work, which has ended for the moment. So basically I decided to write this. The prologue isn't absolutely necessary to the rest of the story, but the rest of the story is better understood if you read the prologue first. So here you go. I'll try to get more out soon. Enjoy!

Disclaimer (for the entire story): I only thought of this particular plot. I'm too young and poor to own the world and characters of Doctor Who. So, sue only if you want my many bills and school loan debts.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Rose stared as she watched the Doctor being steadily forced back to the edge of the platform. She fought against the clawed hands that held her and screamed for them to stop. One of the hands slipped, tearing her shirt. Rose lunged forward, but was pulled back again and the hand regained its hold.

The Doctor looked sadly at her, his eyes seemingly taking in her torn shirt. The new hole had ripped from the shoulder seam to her collar and lay curled downward, exposing her bra strap and the top of her breast. His sad look suddenly turned into a frown. Then he grinned.

"Well, I don't think we need to be hanging around here any longer, do we, Rose?"

Rose blinked in slight confusion then shook her head.

A bright light and sudden, loud boom rocked through the room. Rose let out a small scream before she could stop herself. Then she let out an even louder scream as one of the creatures' long nails scraped over her collarbone, slicing through the flesh as though it was little more than butter.

"Rose!" She could hear running footsteps as someone she thought to be the Doctor ran toward her.

She let out a pained gasp as something soft was pressed to her chest. Then the sonic screwdriver's blue glow appeared and was thrust over her shoulder. The hands fell away and she was pulled forward into a strong chest. The Doctor's scent enveloped her and she realized they were going to win.

"Back off! This is over now!" The Doctor's chest rumbled under her cheek as he yelled. She smiled and squeezed her arms around him. "Rose?"

"Sorry, I'm all right. Just glad you are."

The sonic screwdriver was still pointed at their former captors. The Doctor began backing away from them as he answered. "Come on, then. We have to get back to the TARDIS. I can take care of you there. And them."

Rose nodded and pulled away from him. She could feel her wound peel away from his suit as she went and hoped he wouldn't be too upset over it. She looked behind the Doctor and could just barely make out the lift that would take them to the level the TARDIS was on. "Way's clear. I can't see anyone between us and the lift."

"Good…" the Doctor said. Then he spun her around and towards the lift, screaming, "Then run for it!"

Rose ran, her chest burning as though it had been poured acid on it. She felt her strength leaving her as she went, but she managed to stumble into the lift, falling to the ground and panting.

The Doctor got in after her and immediately used the sonic screwdriver to close the doors and start it up. Once it was moving, he glanced down at her. It scared Rose how suddenly his determined look took on one of almost pure anger. He tried to hide it, but his narrowed eyes and thinned lips never quite went back to normal. The Doctor dug into a pocket in his trench coat and pulled out a huge white square of cloth. Rose wondered how he could have fit it in his pocket in the first place.

"Here," the Doctor said, throwing her the cloth. "Press this to your wound."

Rose nodded and folded it neatly before looking down to see where she'd be pressing it. It was hard to tell in the dim light of the activated lift, but she was at first struck by how clean the wound was. A perfect line running from just under the start of one side of her collar to just under the other side, in total a half foot long. However, it must have been deep. Her once light blue t-shirt was now entirely soaked crimson with blood. Rose swallowed and pressed the cloth to her wound.

"If this is respect for the female sex, then I don't want to know what constitutes disrespect," Rose told the Doctor weakly.

The Doctor sighed, "That was probably an accident. Normally, the Tronch would rather die than harm a woman. Except under certain circumstances."

"Certain circumstances?"

"When the lift stops, I want you to run straight to the TARDIS. I'll take care of any obstacles there may be." The Doctor examined the control panel. "And this should happen any second now. Get ready, Rose!"

Rose stood with some difficulty. Her feet kept slipping out from beneath her; her free hand too, where she used it to lean on the wall for support. Her body was weak and sore all over and she couldn't seem to catch her breath.

"Rose?"

Rose nodded, smiling at the Doctor's worried look. There were times that reminded her just how much he did care. She stumbled over next to him and leaned again the door frame. "I'll be fine, Doctor. Might be a bit slow though."

The Doctor didn't even crack a joke and Rose knew he was really worried about her. A warm feeling flared in her chest that had nothing to do with her wound.

"Run," the Doctor snapped, just before the door slid open.

Rose tensed and threw herself out. But she no longer had the strength to make it far. She tripped before she'd gone more than a foot. Rose gave a cry as the Doctor's arm wrapped around her waist, stopping her from hitting the floor, but also knocking her arm that held the makeshift bandage against her wound.

"Shh…" The Doctor lifted her gently into his arms. "It's deserted. That distraction was even bigger than I'd hoped for."

'Typical,' Rose thought as she cuddled up to the Doctor and inhaled his scent. She tried not to think about how heavy she must be for him. She clenched her teeth against the pain as the Doctor's already slow speed slowed even further. Then he stopped altogether and put her on her feet. He held her close to him for a moment as she got used to standing again, then reached out and unlocked the door.

"Better carry you in. We've got to get out of here fast," the Doctor said, sweeping her back into his arms.

"You can put me down now," Rose told him in a breathy voice. "We're practically in the TARDIS."

"And you can't stand you've lost so much blood." The Doctor carried her inside and sat her down in a chair by the console. "Just sit there. I'll get the TARDIS ready while we wait for—" A couple of high beeps and bleeps filled the air and the Doctor smiled grimly. "That's got it!" He pressed a few buttons and pulled a lever.

Outside the Tardis, Rose could hear more explosions and the low, guttural scream of the Tronch. She glanced at the doorway, then back at the Doctor. "Doctor?"

"And here we go," the Doctor cried, not acknowledging her unspoken question. He pulled a few levers, pushed a few buttons and the core of the TARDIS began to make its customary noise as it hurtled them through time and space.

Rose shook her head, feeling lightheaded all a sudden. She took a deep breath, then another and another. She felt as though she couldn't breathe. She pressed the cloth tighter to herself, trying to use the pain as a means of staying awake. She barely felt it now though. She wondered if she should worry about that. Maybe she'd ask the Doctor…

"Doctor?" Rose's voice came out thin and breathy. He didn't seem to hear her, lost as he was in directing the TARDIS. She gulped and tried again, "Doctor—" It came out with more sound and urgency this time, but it had cost her. She could feel herself falling, without the strength to stop it. The last thing Rose saw before consciousness left her was the Doctor, a look of horror on his face as he turned in time to see her hit the floor.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

When Rose woke up, everything around her was dark. She blinked the fuzz out of her eyes and flinched at an aborted yawn. Her chest was refusing to expand for more than a regular-sized breath, and even that burned somewhat. She groaned and shifted where she lay.

The alarmed voice of the Doctor immediately floated to her out of the darkness, "Rose?" The light snapped on and she winced at the brightness. "Sorry." The light obligingly dimmed for her and she simply closed her eyes until they could finish adjusting.

"Doctor," she asked, her voice still weak, "what happened?"

The Doctor moved to stand over her. He placed one cool hand on her forehead and smiled sadly down at her. "Your Tronch guard was frightened a little much by the core's delayed reaction to my chemicals. One of his claws sliced you pretty deep across the chest…"

Rose raised one hand and felt about her collarbone. It was covered in gauze, but it didn't seem to hurt. She pressed down on it a bit and winced as pain shot through her. The Doctor's hand quickly covered hers and lifted it away.

The Doctor continued to hold her hand in a tight grip. "Tronch claws seem to secrete a poison, which, when introduced directly into the body, will slow and hinder the natural healing process. I've healed it as much as I could, but it's still very raw."

Rose squeezed the Doctor's hand, "Will I have a scar?"

The Doctor averted his gaze. "I had to make up an antidote. Too much time elapsed. I think I was in time to keep it from being too bad though."

"Guess it's high-necked shirts for me from now on…" Rose sighed, but smiled up at the Doctor. "It's not your fault you know."

The Doctor smiled down at her. His thumb began to gently caress the back of her hand. "Still, I rather liked some of your lower cut shirts."

Rose grinned at him. Her eyes, though still pained, seemed to light up with happiness. "Well, maybe if the scar's not too bad…"

The Doctor grinned at that, though it was still tinged with sadness.

"Were you afraid I would die," Rose asked him. The look had made her curious and she figured now was as good a time as any to see where she stood with the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded. "You were bleeding badly. And Jackie would kill me and all my remaining regenerations if I let you die!" The Doctor shuddered as he spoke of Rose's mother.

Rose giggled, and raised her free hand to entangle it in the Doctor's lapels. "Well, it would have been my choice. I choose to go with you, to stay with you. And I've never been happier in all my life as I am with you."

The Doctor's smile turned a bit sadder, but he nodded. "I'm glad, but I still failed at keeping you safe. That's my job." The Doctor lost his smile entirely as his hand opened to release Rose's.

Rose tightened her grip and stared straight into the Doctor's eyes. "I told you it was my fault!"

The Doctor shook his head and dropped his eyes to stare at Rose's hand clinging to his.

A wave of terror swept through Rose as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Y-you're not going to leave me, are you? You won't just drop me off with my mother and disappear, will you?"

The Doctor's eyes shot to her own and she knew he'd been thinking about it.

"You can't! You can't! I don't want to leave you! I knew what might happen when I first joined you! You can't just-just-"

Rose gasped as her air supply ran out. Her chest felt like it was on fire, when had that started? She gasped and panted and clung to the Doctor's hand.

The Doctor bent over her and reached across her panting chest. When he drew back, he had settled a mask over her mouth and nose. "Breathe, Rose, just breathe. I won't leave you this time. And I promise I won't ever just disappear. You'll know when it's time for us to part."

Rose stared up at the Doctor, her eyes wide. Her chest began to loosen and her breathing became easier. She felt the Doctor pet her hair just above her forehead. She wanted to tell him he'd better keep his promise. She wanted to shake him until he promised he'd never leave her period. But she still didn't have enough breath for it, so she stared up into his kind brown eyes. He smiled down at his companion.

"Sleep now, Rose," he encouraged her. "I'll be here when you wake up."

She didn't want to, but a few moments later she found herself enveloped in the hazy darkness of sleep.