Ok, please forgive me everyone, this was supposed to be the last chapter but I've sort of gotten carried away with the fluff. So now I'm thinking there will be one more chapter after this one and then probably an epilogue.

Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed the last chapter, I'm so grateful and I hope I managed to respond to everyone!

I'm sorry this took rather long. I've been seriously swamped with my work at university, it's unreal, but I'm at an exciting junction in my life right now and it's taking up all my energy.

Previously: "And now for you." She said pointedly.

The Doctor groaned. "I'm okay. Really."

"I know you're not. You look like you're about ready to collapse."

The Doctor shook his head and dragged his feet to the console. He walked around it, pulling different levers.

"Now where are we going? You need rest!" Rose said, hands on her hips.

"Powell Estate." He responded. "We all need rest. And though I don't fancy Jackie's reaction to our… situation, I think you need your mum."

Chapter 18: Mothering

The TARDIS shuddered to a halt and the Doctor stumbled back against the foam seat beside the console. He leaned back against it, his eyes half closed. The swelling from his black eye had travelled to puff up his cheekbone and his split lip was tender and so red that its contrast with his white flesh made Rose flinch when she approached him.

"Mickey's still sleeping." Now dressed in grey pajama bottoms and a white camisole, Rose slipped a knee on to the seat, pulling herself up and on level with the Doctor. She put a hand to his forehead and pulled his bangs up. "You're warm. You're never warm like this."

The Doctor glanced at her then looked back at the console. "My body is healing itself. The temperature is the byproduct of the amount of energy it's requiring to heal, not to worry."

Rose drew one hand through his bangs and her other through the hair at the back of his head. She dragged her fingers with gentle pressure in patterns across his head. Perspiration caused his hair to stand on end when her fingers preened him.

The Doctor closed his eyes and groaned. "Why haven't I made you do this to me before? Should have been your number one rule aboard the TARDIS: always play with the Doctor's hair whenever possible."

"Oh but you know I always break your rules." Something in her low, breathless voice caused him to open his eyes.

She raised herself onto her knees so she could take his head in her arms. She pressed him to her breasts and the Doctor wrapped his arms around her, inhaling her scent in deep even breaths.

The pressure of her hold and the feel of her flesh against his cheek delivered an overwhelming sense of calm that seemed to radiate from her loving hold. She firmly kissed his head and he stroked a hand down her back more to keep himself awake and moving than anything else. "Mmm…Have I told you, you will be a fantastic mother some day? You've got the motherly instincts." He pressed a kiss to the flesh that began the curve of her breast. "Blimey."

Rose shuddered as his breath ghosted over her and suddenly wished fervently for a lewdly low neckline. Better yet, she corrected herself, no shirt at all.

"Said someday will be here sooner than I thought it would." The Doctor continued. He stiffened suddenly and pulled away from her, looking up into her eyes with barely concealed fear. "An alien has abducted and impregnated you."

"Come again?"

"Your mum will have a field day!"

"Don't worry about mum, she'll come around."

The Doctor paled visibly. "Rose."

"Don't worry!"

He clutched her shoulders firmly, his eyes intense. "Rose!"

"Well, okay, she might be a bit surprised at first but—"

He lowered his voice dropping his hands down to cover his pride. "Rose, she'll castrate me before she comes around! I'll never be able to reproduce again in this body, I'll have to die before I can, and who knows, maybe I'll regenerate with out the proper equipment, it's a dodgy enough process as it is. I could regenerate with no head or legs! I'll probably end up dying from Jackie's inflicted pain then regenerate…. Rose." He stared at her seriously. "I am going to die and regenerate as a blob with no balls."

Rose couldn't help the laugh that pushed through her tightly clamped lips but the Doctor still stared at her seriously. She put both hands on his shoulders. "My mum won't castrate you. It's probably against the rules of conservation of endangered species." She slid off the seat and took his hand. "Come on!"

"Do I have to come?"

"I won't tell her yet. You can't turn down good old fashioned motherly care, can you?"

The Doctor took her waist with both hands and drew her into another hug. "But I can get that right here, Mummy."

Rose entangled herself from his arms and found that he was leaning heavily against her. "Are you hugging me because you want to, or because you can't stand on your own?"

"Both?"

"Come on!"

"Mum, open up!"

Jackie Tyler, clothed in a dressing gown and a befuddled expression, threw open the door. "It's half three in the bleeding morning! You've got a time machine!"

"Mum, the Doctor's not feeling well, we got here when we got here." Rose hugged her mother and pulled the Doctor in after her.

"Not feeling well?" Jackie took the Doctor's face with both hands, squishing his cheeks. "What's happened to you sweetheart? You're all banged up by the look of it!"

The Doctor tried to speak but found he couldn't form coherent words while Jackie treated his face like Time Lord putty.

"Mum, quit it!"

"I'll get you some tea! Oh you poor man." She pinched his cheek then turned to the kitchen. "Where's Mickey?" She shouted from in the kitchen.

Rose shut the door and gave the Doctor an apologetic smile. "He's in the TARDIS. He's sleeping, didn't want to bother him. Left him a note."

The Doctor found the sofa quickly and flopped onto it with a sigh while Rose fetched the first aid kit.

"Here you are." Jackie settled the cup before him and the Doctor smiled his thanks. "No witty remark about my tea? So quiet! You must not be well, Doctor!"

"Leave him alone mum!" Rose dabbed a cotton ball in iodine and approached his cut lip. "Hold still." She leaned over the back of the couch and held his forehead with one hand.

"Rose, no, really, I'm fine-ah!" He yelped as she pressed the stinging solution to the cut.

"Not finished yet!" Rose reprimanded when he squirmed.

"There's no where to go, big fella, you're between two Tylers now." Jackie held his knee from her position on the couch beside him.

"Talk about a rock and a hard place." Muttered the Doctor before cringing when the cotton ball moved to the inflamed region around his cheekbone and eye.

"Almost done." Rose found a moist towel to clean his face.

"I'm not a child." The Doctor grumbled as she scrubbed blood and dirt from his face.

"You know you love it." Rose said with a grin.

"Oh, I know just what you need, back in a jiffy!" Jackie bustled from the room and Rose took her spot. She reached a hand up to touch her finger tips to his face.

"I like taking care of you." She said softly. "You look so tired."

The Doctor brushed her hair back behind her ear and made to lean forward when Jackie's voice broke the silence. "Here you go, Doctor, drink up!"

Half asleep, the Doctor reached obediently for the glass, his eyes full of trust.

"Wait! Doctor, don't!" Rose shouted and the Doctor paused. "It's not aspirin, is it?"

"Well, yeah, it's pm in hot lemon water, help him sleep well."

"Mum, he's allergic!"

"Well how was I supposed to know that?" Jackie tore the glass from the Doctor's bemused hands and poured it down the drain. She returned with her hands on her hips. "You're all out of sorts, Doctor! I've never seen you tired."

The Doctor's eyes closed and his head slowly sank onto Rose's shoulder.

"Oh my God," Jackie gasped. "He didn't drink my tea."

Rose stroked the side of his face as he leaned on her shoulder. "Doctor?" She said quietly, aware of how close she was to his ear. "Do you want to go back to the TARDIS to sleep, love?"

He mumbled something incoherently and shook his head.

Jackie put a hand to the Doctor's shoulder. "Bless. He can have the spare room again. I'll go tidy up!"

"You don't need the TARDIS? Are you sure?" Rose persisted.

"Just sleep."

Rose was satisfied to get two syllables from him. She felt his even, heavy breathing ruffle the hair on the back of her neck and draw goose bumps on her skin.

"Here you are, same ones from Christmas." Jackie handed over the pin-striped pajamas.

"Howard's not still coming over, is he?" Rose said, taking the pajamas with one hand and stroking the Doctor's hair idly with the other.

"Well, first he just walks right in, uninvited mind you, with his dressing gown folded over his arms, then he goes over the fridge and pulls out a couple of grapefruit, says they need to feel heavy in the hand when ripe and I'm sure he's suggesting—"

"Help me with him, mum? Before he's completely asleep?"

"I am completely asleep." The Doctor opened one bleary eye.

"Never mind your old mum chatting away." All the same, Jackie helped Rose lift the Doctor to his feet.

"Use your legs, Doctor, just a couple steps." Rose coaxed, pulling his arm around her neck.

"I'm asleep!" he insisted.

Rose muttered into his ear. "Oh, well then if your asleep, I can just have my mum get you into those pajamas and tuck you in bed, then, shall I? I know you're commando—"

"I'm awake, I'm awake."

"Oi, I helped with that last time," Jackie helped Rose lead him to the bedroom. "Nothing I haven't seen before, you look human enough!"

"I think I might be sick." The Doctor squirmed out of their hold and flopped face down on the bed.

"He's not being sick on that bed, I'll—"

"Mum, he's asleep." Rose knelt down beside him. The Doctor gave her a surreptitious wink.

"Do you need help with him?"

"No, Mum, he's fine, I've got it."

"All right, all right, I know when I'm not wanted." Jackie kissed Rose's cheek. "Nice to see you love, get some rest, yourself, your sheets are clean."

"Thanks mum."

Rose waited until the door closed.

The Doctor opened his eyes and reached to pull his coat off. "Thank goodness for that. I know she means well but, blimey."

Rose helped him out of his coat and jacket and he rolled over onto his back with a moan.

He stared up at the ceiling while Rose removed his tie and fussed with the buttons of his blood stained shirt. "This should be a…thing. We should do this more often, you slowly undress me while I lay here not moving and making it more difficult."

Rose smirked and pulled his tie out from under his neck, continuing to unbutton his shirt. She hesitated, then swung a leg over to straddle his hips.

"Oh." The Doctor stared at her in surprise as she released another button of his shirt and softly kissed the newly exposed skin. "What are you doing?" He said stupidly as she pulled his shirt out of his trousers and began to deliver the same treatment to the lower buttons.

Rose ignored the heat that began to burn in her cheeks, determined not to let her embarrassment show. She released another button and slicked her tongue down the trail of hair that led south.

The Doctor squirmed and his breathing hitched. "Rose… Please."

She grinned to herself and opened another button.

"No, seriously, Rose, stop. Stop!"

Rose pulled back, mortified at his rejection. "I'm…I'm sorry." She was shaking as she drew her leg over him and sat away from him, staring at the door.

"I… just not now, okay?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's not that I don't want to."

Rose whipped around then narrowed her eyes, her vision darting from his face to the remaining line of buttons on his shirt. Faster than blinking, she spun and tore the remaining buttons. She gasped. "I knew it. You're hurt. I knew you were hiding something. You didn't want me to find out."

She traced her hands an inch from the horrific bruising he sported over one side of his ribs, unsure of how to proceed. Beneath the skin, the blood of the bruise had spread nearly across his midline and stretched far over his side to his back. "Oh, Doctor." She whispered as she carefully drew his flaccid arms from the shirt. She felt tears prickle the corner of her eyes and rubbed at them furiously.

He let her draw his weak arms free of the shirt, his eyes trained on her as she stared at his ribs. "Only a few broken. I'll be fine."

"How?"

"Mickey gave a good beating while I was down."

"You weren't going to tell me." She accused him, tearing her eyes from his ribs and delivering a piercing glare.

"I…Well, I didn't think I needed to." He winced as he tried to sit up but Rose held a firm hand to his shoulder, pushing him back onto the pillow.

She was all business and cold determination suddenly. She unfurled the folded pajama shirt and pulled his arm into it. He stared at her with large eyes as she picked his upper body up slightly, one hand up and around the back of his neck to support his head and pull the shirt around him, then pushed his other arm into it. She fastened two buttons near the center than unzipped his trousers and pulled them off. She continued to ignore his gaze as she tugged the pajama bottoms up and over his hips.

"Rose… I'm sorry."

Rose turned her back on him as she folded his clothes into an unnecessarily neat pile at the end of the bed.

"Truly, I am."

She folded his tie and smoothed a hand down the silky fabric, staring at the faint paisley pattern. "You promised me you would tell me when you were hurt. You nearly died before, Doctor, and you wouldn't tell me until it was nearly too late." She turned to face him and was ashamed to feel a tear on her cheek.

"I know." He drew his legs up slowly and painfully, his bare feet dragging pleasantly against the soft material of the comforter. He raised his body to draw the sheet back, but fell back with a gasp of pain.

Rose hurried to him and helped him draw the covers out and over him.

He sighed contentedly as he settled into the soft mattress. "Stay with me?"

"If my mum sees us…"

"She's going to find out eventually." The Doctor pointed out.

She couldn't resist the invitation. With an automatic glance at the door, she nodded and slipped in.

As soon as she was under the covers, the Doctor clung to her, kissing her shoulder, then her neck. He drew the strap of her tank down and slipped a hand beneath it to grasp her breast firmly.

Rose gasped. "Doctor… you can't possibly want to. You're exhausted, you're in pain, and my mum is next door."

The Doctor gyrated his hips against her and slung a leg over her in a half-hearted attempt to mount her. "Then we'll be very, very quiet."

"Doctor, no." She put a hand to the center of his chest and pushed him back.

He fell back against the pillow and groaned.

"Lets wait until you're healthy, yeah?" She adjusted her camisole and settled on her side against him. "Go to sleep, you need it." She laid her arm gently against him and stroked his chest soothingly.

She watched as his eyes closed.

"I love you." She whispered as she felt his chest rise and fall slowly beneath her hand. "I know you won't answer that, maybe never, but I want you to know that I understand why, and I don't need to hear it." She kissed his chin lightly and settled her head down to sleep.

She felt his hand stroke her arm before coming to rest on her wrist.

When Rose woke, she was initially confused as to her location. The rattling noise that woke her persisted and she raised her heavy head to find herself staring blearily at her mother.

"Came to bring the Doctor a cuppa. Didn't expect him to have company." She raised her eyebrows and Rose looked down to see the Doctor's pajama clad limbs tangled with hers, and his face pressed into her neck. Something cold slid down her neck. "He's drooling on you. If that's not love, I don't know what is." Jackie put the mug of tea down on the bedside table and turned to leave.

"Mum, wait." She disentangled herself from the Doctor and gently replaced his head on the pillow. His mouth closed reflexively as he swallowed, then opened again against the pillow.

The Doctor shifted half sleep and vaguely registered a nearby door closing, shortly followed by breaking glass and Jakie's shrill voice. He was so sleepy he couldn't have cared less. He rolled over and fell back into sleep.

When the Doctor finally woke he felt centuries younger. He stared up at the ceiling with a satisfied smile. Drawing his arms above his head he stretched from head to toe before wincing slightly at the pull at his healing ribs. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes.

"I actually think he's perfect for it. I mean, who better?"

The Doctor's ears pricked and he looked to the door, hearing snatches of the conversation.

A male voice muttered something in coherent.

"Oh shut it Mickey."

"But he's not human." Jackie's voice sounded finite. "He's an alien, Rose. An alien abducted and impregnated you. Doesn't that worry you a little, sweetheart?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I trust him, mum. I trust him more than anything and he's the only man I could ever imagine wanting children with anyway."

"Only he's not a man, he's an alien." Mickey's voice interjected.

"Mickey, just because he's an alien doesn't mean he isn't a man." Rose's voice was exasperated.

"Yes, and Rose should know." Jackie's voice was testy.

"Mum!"

The Doctor groaned and swung his legs over the bed. "Time to face the music." He muttered and stood. He wiggled his toes in the carpet for a moment, adjusting to his bearings. He grinned slightly as the thick carpet tickled his toes and crossed the room the door. When he opened the door, Jackie stood beside the couch in the living room, Rose and Mickey seating on it.

"Speak of the Devil." Jackie glowered at him and the Doctor wiped his carpet induced smile from his face as she marched toward him. He gulped.

A/N So there it is for now! Sorry for the slow chapter. I hope you guys are ok with fluff. I like writing it but I really hope you enjoy reading it. I had planned for the final chapters to be pretty fluffy to make up for all the trauma I've given 10/rose haha. Please let me know if you'd like more or less of it because I can certainly adjust.

Please review!