The Truth in Time

1. Goodbye

It hadn't been long since John had passed.

The idiot! What was he thinking?!

Rose didn't understand why she couldn't stop him.
Really, she did know; she just didn't want to accept it.
He wasn't the same as her Doctor. John Smith was the same war filled risk taker that she knew those many years ago, but he was human. She knew he couldn't love her the same and she knew he would never be okay with being human.

If only she had been with John when he went on that mission...

No, I can't think that way. I had someone way more important to take care of.

Rose looked down at the bed with reverence before realizing that it was getting late. She smiled, closing the curtain and walking to her own room.

As she crawled into bed, Rose let a few tears slip from her hazel eyes, fearing for the moments to come and mourning the past.
When she decided to stay that day she lost her best friend and half of her heart. Then he died before her eyes again tearing open that wound that was still so fresh. Now she realized that the end was so close for the other half of her heart.
Wanting anything but to cry more she fell asleep quickly, tossing and turning thru the night as usual.

She woke the next morning to the sound of a very unhappy two-year old little boy down the hall. She smirked sitting up at the sound. He was most defiantly a Tyler. She ran a hand though her now, oddly, naturally blond hair and walked down the hall to see what he was crying about.
She pushed the door open to see a flustered Jackie Tyler covering her ears and trying to shush Tony. Rose walked over and picked up the boy, shushing him and singing a lullaby. He nearly instantly calmed down, sticking his thumb in his mouth and let Jackie take hold of him.

"My God!.."

Rose was quick to correct her mother. "Mum! Language! He is going to be worse than Pete."

She still hadn't gotten quite used to calling him dad.

"Right, sorry. I don't remember you being this bad when you were his age. You were quite the docile child." Jackie said with annoyance.

"Well two things: 1. He's your child and when I was that age you were more docile. 2. He is a male and males are much more fussy."

Jackie shook her head as she dressed Tony, "How did you become such the expert?"

Rose smiled slightly. "Well I did live with a giant toddler for 2 years, and I've also lived with you." She turned and hurried out of the room to avoid a Jackie Tyler rampage about disrespecting parents.

Shortly after Rose had finished her morning bathroom routine she heard the stirring of a small child on the baby monitor and she rushed to the child's room. The child called out as she reached the door, "Memma...?"

Unfortunately, that was the closest the child could come to saying 'momma' or 'mum'.

"Right here baby." Rose walked in and knelt by the side of the small girls' bed. "How are you this morning Janie?"

Janie nodded with a small unsure smile and reached out a clenched hand to Rose. Rose stuck her finger into Janie's hand to sooth her before picking her up and holding her against her shoulder. Janie curled her head under Rose's chin and let out a content sigh.

"Alright, let's go downstairs and say hi to your uncle and gana so we can eat, yeah?"

She nodded her head against Rose's chest telling Rose that she could start down to the loud table.

Janie was, if nothing else, a miracle.
No one could figure out how Rose had become pregnant in the first place.
Her first thoughts ran to the man she loved, the only man she ever might let near her, not even Mickey had any standing in the possible time. But there was one problem with that; she was pretty sure that the Doctor didn't feel the same way. He never even kissed her; intentionally that is.
Then again it seemed like John had at least some feelings for her even if deep down. So there was hope... No he wouldn't bother. Not with a human.
Then there was the fact that she was pretty sure she couldn't even have kids. Between family history and the abuse from Jimmy her body shouldn-... couldn't support creating a child. It was a pure miracle Jackie even got pregnant with Tony.
None of it made sense, but it didn't matter. This little girl in her arms was hers and only hers and a pure honest to god miracle.

This little miracle had short dirty blond hair that was wavy and pretty unmanageable most of the time and bright brown eyes that, no matter how sad or in pain she was, shone like the stars. She was almost always pale as a result of her condition and she didn't weigh much more than 8 kilos, but she was quite beautiful for being so sick.
Something reminded her of the Doctor though... that made Rose uncomfortable, but it also helped with John's death.

Tony was in his highchair, half-dressed for the funeral that morning, threatening to throw cheerios at Jackie but instead receiving some very firm scolding.
Rose was surprised to see Jackie there instead of the nanny on Pete's day off. Those two couldn't keep their hands off each other lately, though he was probably working to give the family some privacy at the funeral.
She shook her head at the thought, sitting down with Janie in her lap as usual.

Jackie spoke gently towards the little one, "Good morning beautiful. I made you some breakfast."

Janie looked up to see her favorite plate of food; fruit loops and orange slices with milk. She smiled and tried to speak, "'ank ou gana."

Rose look gratefully towards her mother before helping Janie eat her breakfast.

"Some of that is for you Rose, you need to eat." After saying this Jackie was promptly hit in the cheek with a cheerio making both Rose and Janie bust out laughing. "Anthony Michael Tyler! You say you are very sorry right now!"

The toddler reacted as though Jackie had put the fear of 10 gods into him. On the verge of tears, he apologized. "Sorry mummy..."

She was pleased with his response and went to silently eating her breakfast.
Not long after, everyone had left the table to go get ready and they met at the car.
The ride was silent except for the occasional "Are we there yet?" from Tony.

The service short and sweet, Rose mostly focused on Janie.
The only noticeable thing was the one young man, still a little beat up and bruised, who got up and spoke about how John died saving his life.

At least he did it for noble reasons. I guess that came from Donna...

Then they buried him. She never thought she would be the one to bury the Doctor. He was a Time Lord, he would outlive her and her daughter.
Though, even Rose would outlive Janie at this rate.
He wasn't a Time Lord though, he was human. He was her chance to live and love the man who stole her heart those times ago. She could have grown old with him if he had been just a bit more Donna..

No! I won't regret his heart. He was who he was and it was perfect, just not for me.

Her attention was stolen when the little girl in her arms went rigid for a moment, then began to shake violently. Another seizure. At least it was the first this morning. She laid Janie on her side in the grass and used the magnet to stop the seizure.

Luckily she was able to go to the Torchwood doctors and have them help Janie. They put a Vagus Nerve Stimulator in her brain that could be activated using a magnet to stop the seizures caused by the Periventricular Leukomalacia.

Rose had a worried look on her face holding Janie on her side and keeping her head from smacking down on the ground too hard.
The seizure slowly stopped leaving Janie weak and tired. Rose picked her up and cradled her so she could sleep it off, receiving looks from a few of the Torchwood members.
She didn't care, this was her daughter and if they didn't want to accept it, they could go to hell.

Her focus was lost turned towards her daughter and she didn't notice as everyone said their goodbyes and left.

Jackie put a hand on Rose's shoulder, "Come on, it's time to go."

Rose looked up, a few tears on her face and nodded, resting Janie against her shoulder and walking to the car without looking back, a church bell chiming the stroke of 4 p.m.

"Goodbye Doctor." She whispered.