Disclaimer: Look familiar? Then it's not mine.

It had been a long day.

Not that the sun lingered longer to taunt her. Though she did glare at the sky, imagining a sentient ball of flame laughing at her impatience. No. The problem plaguing her thoughts simply came in the form of a metronome of ticks. Rose felt every bit of time squeezed out of her since the moment she struck the snooze at 10AM.

Currently standing, the hour turned 11AM.

She tossed a throw pillow at the old grandfather clock as it dutifully chimed, once again cursing time as, at that exact moment, her mother entered the lounge. Rose squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation.

"Rose Marion Tyler," her mother chided, "That grandfather clock is older than you are, lord knows how many times we've gotten the ruddy thing fixed. I'll have you know your father got it passed down from his father, who-"

"Yees!" she groaned, rolled over to bury herself in the couch cushions, and mumbled, "S'older than dirt. Sensitive. Not a toy. Don't touch. S'expensive. I know. I knoooow." she whined next, "goo awaaaay."

Her mother, Jackie Tyler, picked the pillow off the ground and swiped at Rose with it. Rose frowned at her, snatched the pillow back, and hugged it protectively against herself.
Jackie stared down at Rose, "Don't speak to your mother that way. Now up you pop. Can't have you sitting up here all day." When Jackie reached the doorway she added over her shoulder, "again."

Rose groaned louder in protest, kicking her feet out along the length of the couch.

An unattended gas leak two weeks ago resulted in her work, Henriks, exploding. The damage was so extensive that no repairs could be made. Considered unstable, they quickly demolished the building the next day. Rose stood frontrow, watching her work destroyed before her very eyes.

Of course, Rose's family is well off. Her father manages an important company called Vitex. Successful for it's tonic that tastes like pop... that's actually pop. Rose doesn't need a job, just a distraction. And there it went, down to rubble not even a few days after she landed the job.

Longing for something to occupy her time she rang Mickey.

"Tell me your free," she begged the moment the ringer ended.

"Actually for you I'm half-price," he replied.

She glared at the wall in reply.

He seemed to feel her icy stare over the line and amended his statement, "I'm free to talk."

"You've got a car in the shop, haven't you?" she paused upon noticing an echo, "Am I on loudspeaker?"

"Hiya Rosie!" Jack jovily greeted.

"Jack?" Rose raised an amused brow, "Cardiff having a slow day?"

"Sort of," he drawled. "Our company van broke down nearby, Mickey's giving us a good deal to fix it up, so what the hell." she could picture him shrugging. "I'm gonna leave it, and hope your boy doesn't make a Henriks out of it."

"Oi," Mickey yelped, "'m doing you a favor!"

"Very funny," Rose replied in monotone. Ignoring Mickey she spoke a bit friendlier, "soo, Jack," she purred, "does this mean you've got nothing on your plate today?"

"Sorry Rose," Ianto's voice suddenly filtered through her cell, "he's coming back to Cardiff even if I have to tie him down."

Jack huskily replied, "only if you tie me down."

Suddenly the line went silent till-

"No," Mickey's warning voice raised in volume, "no! Outside first, out- oh, god, get a room!"

A clatter of metal, followed by a "sorry" from Ianto got Mickey to calm down.

Mickey sighed, "what's the occasion, babe?"

"Nothing. S'just Mum wants me out of the house, but I don't feel like job hunting again... Not yet, anyway."

"Why not visit the hospital?"

Rose faltered, "m'sorry?"

"Yeah, Martha said you can visit people, strangers. Cheer 'em up. Charm an old codger, weasel your way into his will..."

"Stop it," Rose grinned.

She tossed a bit, then sat up properly to contemplate his suggestion.

Finally she relented, "yeah, that's... yeah. Remember when I was stuck in one of those blasted beds? I went barmy. Must be torture for the long-terms, and-"

"Rose! I swear. Are you still up there?!" Jackie's quickening footsteps forced Rose to sneak out the window.

Not rushing this like I do Don't Fear the Reaper, so good people -nice good people- remember patience is a virtue. Kinda hard to forget actually with all these authors who crawl at updates. I'm looking at you vinteuils-sonata. And while I'm at it Krazy Ky-Sta Hatter get to The Invisible Rose PLEASE, LovelyAmberLight I need my Nine fill, -Montana's getting there too huh? Parallax, chop chop. ...There's more than this, I know there is... I need a list, I'm making a list. What? No, I'm not writing fanfiction to yell at authors more, I love them. ...Now it feels a tad creepy. Disregard me.