Not Enough

Disclaimer: I don't own it!

Summary: Alternate Ending to "Age of Steel." What if the Cyber-Controller was a bit quicker? What if Jackie hadn't responded so well to the TARDIS' appearance in her flat? A bit of Doctor abuse and an angry Jackie, because those are great combinations.

Previously:

Jackie's phone rang and she smiled as she saw that it was Rose. She answered quickly, asking if Rose had found the Doctor yet. When Rose said that she hadn't, and that she'd been calling the TARDIS with her mobile almost constantly, Jackie's heart broke for her daughter. Reluctantly, she told Rose to head back to the flat and wait there.

"But Mum, I can't just give up looking for him," Rose cried over the connection.

"You won't, sweetheart... But what if he heads back there and we're not there?" Jackie offered. "I'm gonna check a couple more streets and then head back to meet you, okay? We'll think of something."

Rose agreed, though Jackie could tell that she was miserable. They hung up and Jackie looked around desperately. Doubtful that she'd actually find anything, she meandered to the next street. She stared through the rain and thought she saw a box-like shape perched near the next corner.

Jackie jogged towards it and smiled in relief when she saw the familiar blue color. Upon reaching it, she pulled at the door but it didn't open. She shoulders fell when the doors didn't budge and she leaned against the TARDIS, now thoroughly soaked.

'Figures that he'd lock it,' she thought with resignation. 'And there's no way he'd open the door for me after what I said to him.'

She sighed and told herself that at least he hadn't gone somewhere or someplace out of reach. She pushed away from the box to head back to her place when she noticed a figure sitting on a bench not far from where the TARDIS was. It barely took a second for her to recognize the long jacket that covered the skinny frame. She could barely see his bare feet below the pajamas before they were hidden by the jacket. The clothes clung to him in the rain, and his hair had literally wilted as well.

Jackie was immediately thankful that he was facing away from her since she had no idea how to proceed from here. She wondered if she shouldn't just call Rose and let her daughter deal with him. A small part of her wanted to turn around and leave before he noticed her, but her guilt over her previous words froze her to the spot.

Feeling more nervous than she'd ever admit to, she stepped towards the bench. He didn't move at all, even as she walked around the bench and stood in front of him. His eyes were closed, his hands resting at his sides idly. If she didn't know any better, she'd guess that he had managed to go to sleep even with all this rain pouring over him.

Wringing her hands, she leaned forward and whispered, "Doctor?" There was no response. She started to wonder if he had indeed fallen asleep. Jackie moved to sit next to him and reached out to touch his hand. His skin was cooler than it usually was, and she remembered with another pang of guilt that he had been injured. "Doctor?" she asked again, lifting his hand and holding it between hers. He still didn't respond, so she did what she did best: become upset.

"Oy!" she said sternly. "I come out all this way in the pouring rain and you go all unresponsive on me! I just want..." at this her momentum failed and she paused before continuing in a calmer voice. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm an idiot. Though I suppose you already knew that," she added wryly.

Still there was no response. "I just... I get so worried about Rose and my mind runs off on me. And I-" she stopped there, considering her words and not liking them at all. "No, tha's not right. There's no excuse for wha' I said to you, an' you deserve more than that."

She barely felt his hand twitch beneath hers, and that small reaction prompted her to continue. "I'm sorry. I do know you care for Rose and that you'll do anything you can to keep her safe," she said, not realizing how true those words were and how much she believed them until she actually spoke them. She trusted this man with her daughter. "And Doctor, she really lives when she's with you. I don't like to see it, or maybe I jus' don't like to admit it, but it's hard for parents to see someone else be their child's everything."

At her words, the Doctor's hand turned to grip hers and she saw his face morph into a pained expression. Though she desperately wanted to question him, to pry loose his thoughts, she forced herself to stay still and silent.

Through the still-falling rain, Jackie was able to hear his breathing pick up. For a long moment, he didn't move or say anything, but neither did he remove his hand from her grasp. Jackie never had been all that good at keeping quiet and, quite frankly, it made her nervous that the Doctor had yet to say something to her.

"She really cares for you, you know," Jackie said quietly. "I'd even go so far as..." she hesitated. She wasn't sure that she could, or even that she should, say what she'd suspected for a while. His hand tensed again and she spoke before she could stop herself. "I'd even say she loves you." She could swear that she felt it when he stopped breathing.

"An' Doctor... My Rose could never love someone who would do all the horrible things I accused you of. I don' know wha' made me say all that... but I am so sorry," she said, her eyes stinging as she felt warm tears mix with the cool rain on her face. Too emotional to add anything else, Jackie stared out into the space before them and listened to the sound of the rain falling. When he spoke, she turned to look at him, but he didn't turn to face her.

"I don't... How could she?" the Doctor whispered, his voice sounding smaller than she'd ever heard before. "How could she possibly... after all I put her through..."

Jackie smiled sadly at his disbelieving tone. "Doctor?" she said, and he finally turned to face her. "Would you say that I'm a stubborn person?" she asked plainly.

He must not have been expecting such a question, because he snorted in laughter and tilted his head down. She smiled at him and said, "Then you probably should know that Rose has inherited that particular gene. She's not going to let some little disaster or some argument between you and me change the fact that she loves you. Trust me. It would've happened long ago if that were the case."

The Doctor sat still for a few moments, gazing out into the rain. With a sigh, he leaned forward a bit and said, "She deserves better."

Jackie rubbed his hand between hers, amazed that it was still so much cooler than it ought to be. "She deserves better than getting the chance to see the universe?" she asked with a smile, knowing that her daughter wouldn't be able to live without it now that she'd seen so much of it. "She deserves better than getting to go on all these adventures? Or are you sayin' that she doesn't deserve to smile like she does whenever she's around you?"

The Doctor shook his head faintly and said, "She doesn't deserve to be faced with such horrors. She doesn't deserve to be around someone who can so easily kill..." He leaned forward as he trailed off, his free arm propped on his leg as the hand gripped his hair. "And in the worst possible..." his voice caught and his grip on her hands increased.

Her heart ached for him. He'd already been anguished by all of what happened, and what had she gone and done? She'd practically accused him of doing it all – of killing all those people – as if he'd wanted it. She wondered briefly if he would choose not to be in those situations, or if he would endure them regardless because in the long run those difficult decisions did help people. "Doctor," she said, wanting to fix this in any way she could, but having no idea how to do so. He interrupted her before she could continue though.

"We saw them all when we left. They were all in such pain..." the Doctor said, burying his hand further into his hair. "And I did that to them," he whispered, and Jackie felt his hand go limp in hers.

Nearly twenty years of parenting Rose hadn't taught her nothing. She didn't care if it should be different because he was an alien, or because he wasn't hers to fuss over. But right now her instincts were screaming at her to do something. Before she let herself think it through, Jackie pulled the Doctor towards her.

He didn't pull away, but instead he let himself be drawn down into a hug. The hand that had been tangled in his hair fell uselessly onto his lap. Jackie kept his other hand tight in her grasp and worried as she felt his thin frame shiver against hers. She brought her free arm up to wrap around his shoulders and held him to her tightly. His voice broke as he muttered apologies into her shoulder and she whispered back anything she could think of to console him.

He stayed like that, limp in her arms, for several long minutes. After a little while, Jackie was startled to find that all she could hear was the continuous pour of the rain. She wondered idly how long they had been sitting in that position for her to forget that it was still raining. She glanced down at the Doctor, whose head was now resting on her shoulder, and was surprised by what she saw.

He'd fallen asleep.

Jackie smiled and rested her head on top of his for a moment. A trickle of water ran down her back under her jacket, and she finally realized how cold she was. The Doctor was still shivering, though not as much as before. With a sigh, she lifted an arm to nudge the Doctor's uninjured shoulder. Though she knew it'd be good for him to sleep, it wouldn't do either of them any good to stay out in this rain.

The Doctor jolted upright and stared into the rain for a few seconds as if he'd forgotten where he was. She squeezed his hand briefly and he turned to look at her.

"Come on, Doctor," she said, smiling. "Rose is probably back at the flat now and worrying about the both of us." She stood up and lifted her purse back up onto her shoulder, eyeing the Doctor as he too made to stand up.

He shook his coat out a bit from around his body, but both it and the pajamas below itwere completely soaked and hung limply. As he stood in front of her, dripping wet and with rain plastering his hair down, he grinned tiredly at her.

Jackie looked at him curiously and he explained, "Well, I'd offer my jacket to you, but I'm afraid it wouldn't do much."

She laughed at him as he stuck out an elbow to escort her with. As she put her arm through his, she said, "Oh, I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done about us."

He smirked and turned with her towards the TARDIS. She didn't comment on how he used her arm to steady himself as he still limped slightly on his ankle. She felt a twinge of guilt strike her again at the fact that she'd sent him out like this, but she was stirred from her thoughts when he suddenly stopped just before the doors to the TARDIS.

The Doctor turned to face her and pulled her in for a hug. She quickly returned it and found that she might just understand why Rose enjoyed hugging him. He may be a skinny alien, but he certainly made you feel welcome when you hugged him.

"Thank you, Jackie," he said near her ear. She smiled as he pulled back and she brought a hand up to rest on his cheek.

"You just take care of Rose like you always do, and ignore me when I say something particularly stupid," she instructed. He smirked at her and she added, "And take care of yourself. I want both of you happy and safe. You both deserve it." She leaned forward to hug him again and when she pulled back, he opened the doors of the TARDIS for her.

The TARDIS materialized back inside Jackie's flat after she demanded that he take it right back where it had been. Barely a moment had passed before Rose flung open the door and rushed in. She stopped just after running in and stared at her mum, who was leaned up against the console. The Doctor moved around it to see Rose and the three stood silently for a moment.

"You..." Rose started, but paused as she actually looked at them. "Why are you both soaking wet?"

"It was raining, dear," Jackie replied kindly and the Doctor snickered quietly behind her.

"I was out in it too, but I'm not totally soaked," Rose said. Turning slightly to gaze at the Doctor, she asked sarcastically, "Did you accidentally fly the TARDIS into a lake again?"

The Doctor's calm expression changed into a look of mock outrage. "Oy! I'd like to see you fly her better than me!"

"You still haven't denied it," Rose commented, smirking at him.

"Come on, it was one time! Besides, I seem to remember you enjoying that," the Doctor quipped back at her.

Jackie shook her head and rolled her eyes at the pair before saying, "Alright you two, tha's enough." She turned to look between the Doctor and her daughter and smiled. "I think it's time for some dry clothes an' hot chocolate. Come on!"

The Doctor turned to head away from the console room, but not to the door of the TARDIS. Jackie spun and grabbed onto his jacket and said, "That included you, you crazy alien."

He held up his hands in surrender and said, "I was just going to get a set of dry clothes!"

"And then you're getting your skinny self inside and having hot chocolate!" Jackie exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him. Behind her, Rose snickered and bit her lip to try and contain her laughter as the Doctor was scolded by her mum.

"Yes, Mum!" he said, grinning cheekily at her. As he limped down the hallway, he called, "I won't be long!"

Jackie nodded to herself and turned to pull a now giggling Rose out of the TARDIS and into her kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Rose let her laughter loose and sank into a chair while Jackie went to get changed. When she got back to the kitchen, she started getting the hot chocolate ready while Rose opened a few bags of cookies.

"Well, it looks like you two aren't ready to kill each other anymore," Rose said, smiling and sounding relieved at the prospect.

Jackie nodded with a smile and filled the kettle with water as she said, "I want you to do somethin' for me, Rose."

"Yeah? Wha's that, Mum?" Rose asked.

She turned and looked at her daughter. "I want you two to visit me more often. An' not just more often for me, but more often for you as well, if tha' makes any sense..." she trailed off before shrugging. Rose looked at her curiously, so she explained, "I've always worried about you, sweetheart, and I just realized that I'm gonna worry 'bout him just as much. An' I wanna be able to know that you're both alrigh'."

Rose smiled at her mum and nodded. They were interrupted from saying anything else when the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and made his way into the kitchen. In one hand was a bright blue bag that looked similar to a bag of coffee beans. He grinned at the two of them and held up the bag.

"Ah, you wonderful Tyler women, allow me to introduce you to the most glorious hot chocolate in existence! It's from the planet Six-Cee, you know, the sixth planet in the Cee system. Absolutely wonderful place – we should go there, Rose. Anyways, they spend an equivalent to a hundred Earth years perfecting each bag of cocoa powder and each sample tastes different! It's brilliant and it makes you feel fantastic!"

Rose started snickering again and asked, "What's the name of it?"

"Well, they haven't really given it a name, which is odd since it's one of the only thing that brings in trade from other systems," he explained, staring at the ceiling as he thought about it. "You'd think they'd market it better. But everyone just refers to it as the Six-Cee Powder. You'd be amazed at how many people would travel there to get some!" At that, Rose burst out laughing.

Jackie closed her eyes and shook her head before asking, "You're wanting us to try..." she paused at the name, which the Doctor interpreted as a sign for him to keep talking.

"Six-Cee Powder, yes. Go on, scoop out a few teaspoonfuls and we'll try it together!" the Doctor encouraged, handing her the bag. As he turned to sit down, Jackie and Rose shared a look and nearly died laughing.

The Doctor just stared at them as he sat down at the table across from Rose. "What's so funny? You haven't even tried it yet, don't laugh at it until you've at least tried it!"

"Doctor!" Rose gasped. "You're offering me and my mum some sexy cocoa?"

Jackie burst out laughing again and said, "My, I never would've thought you aliens were so feisty!"

He opened his mouth to respond when it finally made sense to him. He smacked himself on the forehead and then laid his head down on the table. "That's it. I give up."

Both Jackie and Rose laughed some more and Rose reached across the table and grabbed one of his hands, choking out, "But Doc... Doctor, I'd love to try some of your sexy cocoa!" He snorted in laughter but didn't raise his head up even as Jackie walked up and grabbed the bag while ruffling his hair.

The three continued to laugh as she got the alien cocoa ready. She smiled as she glanced over at Rose, who was still holding the Doctor's hand across the table while he kept his head hidden under his arm. They'd be just fine. A bit absurd, but that was to be expected.

A month later found the Doctor and Rose finishing up yet another exciting adventure. The two walked back into the TARDIS, smiling about having survived yet another near-death experience, when the ship's phone beeped from the console.

"Wha's that?" Rose asked, glancing over at the new sound.

The Doctor bounded up to the phone and pushed a button while saying, "Must've had a call. And we've got a message!"

A moment later, a very familiar voice echoed through the ship. "Doctor, this is Jackie. I hope you and Rose are alright. I'm calling 'cause I've run out of that sexy cocoa an' I need some more. Go get some and then you and Rose can come for a visit. I'll make shepherd's pie for dinner! And I picked up some more cookies! Give my love to Rose! Buh-bye!"

Rose was laughing silently at the message even as the Doctor walked around the console, pushing buttons and pulling levels here and there. Remembering her mum's request, she asked, "So can we go for a visit, Doctor?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed, using his left foot for one of the levers. "We'll just make one quick stop..."

Rose stared at him before grinning with her tongue poking out at him. "What for?"

He grinned back and said, "I wouldn't want to show up at Jackie's without sexy cocoa in hand."

She laughed and then winced before saying, "Doctor, please don't ever use the word "sexy" in the same sentence as my mum's name... ever." He grinned at her and she shook her head playfully as they departed to get the aforementioned necessitie

Wow so was that last part lame or what?! :) Thanks for reading, and if you've read to the end, please take the time to leave a quick note in a review! I hope the story was alright :) To all those that favorited and reviewed, thank you so much! Have a great summer, everyone!