Since the last incident with the Zygon population of Earth, and Kate's latest bout of amnesia, the UNIT boss had realised that there was a huge difference between the two Osgoods that she saw in front of her. Kate was convinced that she could, now, tell them apart; which was Human Osgood and which was Zygon Osgood. They still, however, refused to answer her, both stubbornly announcing that they were simply Osgood.
Kate wasn't sure what it was, but she knew instantly which Osgood had walked into her office, just by the way they looked at her. Before the latest incident that had led to blank memories, she hadn't ever been able to spot a telling difference between the two women. Now, though, there was an almost cocky smirk constantly in place on the face of the woman who the blonde was sure was Zygon, whilst her sister seemed to shift nervously from foot to foot in her presence. The Human Osgood never seemed completely at ease with her, anymore, something that made Kate inexplicably sad.
A knock on her office door drew the blonde out of her daydream and she jumped slightly in her seat, the movement dislodging her glasses from the end of her nose. They clattered onto the surface of the desk and she scooped them up, calling for whoever was waiting outside to come in. Osgood pushed her way inside, the smirk on her face broadening as Kate replaced her glasses and peered questioningly at her over the rims, giving the older woman a hint that it was the Zygon version she would be addressing.
"I've got the results of those tests we ran on the meteor that fell in Swindon." Osgood told her slowly, her head tilted slightly to one side.
"And?"
"It's composed of a completely new compound. Early indications suggest that it could be from a whole different galaxy altogether."
"Right… so why are you looking at me like that?" Kate asked, leaning back in her chair and arching an eyebrow.
"Like what, Ma'am?"
"Like there's something you know that I don't."
Osgood smirked again and shook her head. "I'm not sure what you mean, boss." She tilted her head again, her eyes roving over the blonde's face. "By the way, I'm loving the glasses… I'm not sure if I've mentioned that before."
Kate rubbed her forehead agitatedly, not having time to play games with her assistant at the moment. "Whatever you're thinking, Osgood, please spit it out."
"It's not me who's thinking anything." The other woman replied cryptically, sending her a suggestive wink as she left the office.
Osgood, formally Bonnie, chuckled as she caught sight of Kate's totally bewildered face before she closed the door firmly behind her. She had only made it halfway back to the lab where she had left her sister, when the woman in question appeared in front of her. Pulling her inhaler out of her pocket and taking a quick puff, the human Osgood sent her sister a furious scowl, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her to the side of the walkway to let another scientist pass them.
"What have you just done?" She demanded in a low voice, uncertainty and concern flashing in her eyes.
"Nothing!" Her sister replied innocently. "I took Kate the test results she requested."
"And? What else did you do? I know you did something you knew I wouldn't approve of because you blocked me out."
The more mischievous of the pair shrugged. "I may have complemented her choice of eyewear." At the sound of an incredulous splutter from the other woman, she chuckled. "What? I'm in your head, remember? I know exactly what you're thinking and I know exactly how dirty your thoughts are every time you see–"
"Stop!" The Human Osgood almost pleaded; terrified that someone would overhear what her sister was saying.
"You've gotta tell her sis… I think she's far cleverer that I gave her credit for. I think she's worked out which of us is which…"
"How?"
"Probably because you can't look her in the eye without turning crimson and needing your inhaler." The Zygon pointed out with a chuckle. "Your crush is absolutely adorable, but it does make this whole 'which of us is Human and which is Zygon' thing incredibly obvious."
Osgood huffed. "Why couldn't the Zygon Osgood have a crush on Kate?"
"Ah ha!" Her sister laughed triumphantly, turning and heading back towards their lab. "You admitted it!"
"There seems little point trying to deny it." She groused, following along the corridor.
"Besides, it wouldn't be the Zygon Osgood because I have far more sense than to lust after humans…"
"How do you know that Kate knows which of us is which, anyway?" Osgood continued, unwilling to let the topic drop.
"Well… I'm guessing that there wasn't as much of a difference between you and the last Zygon-Osgood as there is between us. Everyone always seems surprised by how different we are." She reasoned. "Then there's the fact that every time Kate wants one of us to accompany her anywhere she asks you. Literally. The only time I get to leave this lab is if Kate's not going or someone else asks, otherwise it's always you."
"That's not…" Osgood trailed off as she thought about what her sister had said and realised that she was right. "OK… but that's not… Do you think she knows I…?"
"Either Kate is prejudiced against non-Humans or she just wants to keep you, specifically, near her." The Zygon scientist let out a long sigh and turned to face the other woman sympathetically, leaning against the workbench behind her. "Look… to be honest with you, I think Kate is as clueless about the whole thing that's blatantly going on between you as you are."
"What thing? There isn't a thing? Kate's our boss and I–"
She stopped speaking abruptly and turned a deep shade of crimson as the woman that was at the centre of their half-argument peered in at them through the glass in the door to their lab. She smiled as she caught their eyes, a flicker of confusion entering them as one Osgood smirked and the other looked terrified.
"Now's your chance, sis. Tell her how you feel. Or, at least, ask her out for coffee or something… anything so that I don't have to put up with the constant 'Kate is so great… she's so smart and so beautiful and I think I love her' monologue that rattles around in your head."
"It does not."
"It really does." The Zygon chuckled at her sister's petulant expression. "You'd better see what she wants before she realises we're talking about her."
As a flash of panic flitted across Osgood's face, the other woman headed to the other end of the lab, blocking the link between them in order to give her sister and Kate some privacy. She watched surreptitiously, pretending to be checking the contents of several glass flasks and boiling tubes. With a shake of her head, she cringed inwardly as the other brunette leant against the workbench in, what she guessed was supposed to be a casual movement, knocking a rack of test tubes to the ground in the process.
"Oh God!" Osgood mumbled, crouching down and starting to pick up the shards of glass. As Kate bent to help her, she held out a hand. "No, don't… you might cut yourself."
"So might you." The blonde reasoned, raising an eyebrow and sending her subordinate a crooked smile.
"Yes but I… well… I'm not you, so…"
Kate frowned. "What does that matter?"
"Well, I'm not the Head of Scientific Research, am I? I'm just me…" She chuckled nervously. "Just Osgood… well, not even the only Osgood. I'm an Osgood."
"Osgood, stop." The blonde ordered. "You are not just an Osgood. You are…" She trailed off, unsure where she was heading with her statement… or confession. All Kate knew was that she wanted to completely remove the self-doubt and insecurity from the woman who was peering at her as though she was the answer to everything. "You're you."
Kate almost winced as the words left her mouth. They were nowhere near enough express what she really wanted to say, but she wasn't completely sure what that was either. If she was totally honest with herself, Kate hadn't worked out exactly what it was that she felt every time that she was in Osgood's company and she was long past fooling herself into thinking that the brunette was on her mind so often because she was her protégé. It went deeper than that, but the UNIT Head wasn't quite ready to examine her feelings just yet.
Instead, she straightened up and smiled at the younger woman. "I've asked McGillop to bring the samples down as soon as they arrive from the site."
"Thanks, Ma'am." Osgood nodded, looking slightly deflated.
As soon as she was out of the laboratory, Kate closed her eyes for a moment and let out a deep breath. Then she pulled herself together, marching back to her office to take out her frustration on whoever was behind the email she had received just before she had left to speak to the Osgoods. It was not a good day to request UNIT tightened their budgets.
So... I've become a little bit obsessed with Kate/Osgood and it exploded out of me like this! The more stories about them the better, in my opinion!
It's set a short while after the Zygon Invasion/Inversion, if you hadn't already realised that! :)
I hope you enjoy it!