For Bria, the Tentoo advocate, who was once, a million years ago, very excited about this story idea. 3
After a crazy, life-disrupting move to a new city, I'm finally back to writing! For those of you who care, this takes place immediately after the events in "Had It Right the First Time".
It was tough to get the angle right whilst maintaining the ruse of texting, but Rose was nothing if not determined. Leaning slightly left for an unobstructed view, she tilted her mobile, this time framing him perfectly in its tiny lens. She snapped the picture. Perfect.
As the line shuffled forward Rose focused on her toes, pressing her hand to the back of her mouth so she wouldn't laugh. Oh, the Doctor was gonna love this. With his narrow face, shaggy hair and pointy hipster chin-beard, the barista taking orders was an absolute dead-ringer for Pan, the goat-like alien prince who'd bought her a drink once, in a pub on a market asteroid. How, in the hundreds of times she'd come in here, had she never noticed the resemblance before? It was uncanny, the only thing missing was his long fuzzy ears.
(Okay, so the Doctor might not love it, per se, but it would certainly elicit a reaction.)
Rose had the photo message all ready to send when like a jolt, it hit her: this was a bad idea. After insisting the Doctor start off on the right foot with Torchwood today by playing nice with Pete and HR, no matter how much paperwork to slog through, why would she chance interrupting and winding him up? What in blazes was she thinking?
Had to be post-engagement insanity. Rose's thumb found the band of her new ring, owned for scarcely over thirty hours, and she thought about the whirlwind of events that had led to her having it. Just over two weeks now, since the Doctor had returned to her life. Two weeks of tiptoeing around each other, and the first real conversation they have, this is what comes out of it.
All right, so maybe the insanity went back a bit further than she thought. Could probably be pinpointed down to the moment she laid eyes on him again, and devolved right back into giddy nineteen.
"What can I get for you?" the goat-prince's doppelgänger asked her, and she made eye contact, and- oh no. Nope. Nope. Don't look at him.
"Um, grande dark roast, one shot of vanilla, ta," she managed to say, eyes up on the menu, lips pinched tight like a little kid who's been told it's not funny.
She needed to get a grip or she'd be dragging this sugared-up childishness into Torchwood and oh, she could hear the whispers now. Tough Tyler has finally snapped.
Her reputation was well-earned, as the last few years had left her very little to giggle about. But in that time Rose had grown. Had been forced to prove herself to people who didn't believe she was brilliant, the way he always had. Her innate boldness and impetuosity were honed into nerves of steel, making her slower to action, even less afraid. Wandering off was unheard of; Rose Tyler planned.
Impeccably.
"Name?"
She gave it to him, heard the squeak of a marker as he scribbled on her cup. Just then, her mobile buzzed in her hand. A text from her dad.
SOS.
Not a Torchwood distress code. It would be better if it was; this Pete, after all, was not a man who often needed help and even less often asked for it. So, only a couple hours in, and apparently the Doctor was already too much for her dad to handle.
She should be upset by this. He knew what this job meant to her, that underneath all its rigidity and protocol and unwanted supervision hid mad adventure, the closest to their old life that they were going to get for the time being. And if he ruined it all by being too...well, himself, Rose wasn't sure what she would do about it.
Thumbing a hasty "be there asap", she worried greatly when the only feeling making itself known was disappointment, and not disappointment in him. Over missing the fun.
"Anything else?"
There were crumbs in the barista's chin-beard and Rose faked a cough, turning her face into the crook of her arm. "A tea," she said suddenly, gaze happening upon the glass bakery case. "Chai. And a banana muffin."
Rose didn't regret the extra purchases until it came time to fish her badge card from her purse. The security agent waited patiently as she swore under her breath, shuffling cups of hot liquid from arm to arm.
"Need some help, Tyler?"
Jake was on the other side of the checkpoint, grinning widely and poking his arms through the bars of the metal barricade. Rose grinned back, gratefully stretching to hand him the drinks.
"I'm assuming one of these is for me," he said as soon as she'd joined him, sniffing at the holes in the lids. "The tea?"
Not about to miss a good opportunity, Rose didn't contradict him, smirking as he took a swig and instantly grimaced. "Oi- is this a prank or something?"
Rose did an evil laugh, snagging the cups back and sipping from her own as they headed for the lifts. "Got a mission this morning?"
"Nah, nothing's come up. But that meeting takes precedent over anything less than a Code Blue anyway."
"Meeting?"
Jake shook his spiky head like he was surprised at her. "What, you haven't checked your email? Usually stuff barely gets a chance to drop down in your inbox before you're all over it like-"
"I've been busy, okay? Gimme the cliff notes?"
"I just did," he replied, shrugging. "Mandatory meeting at nine-thirty- a mysterious mandatory meeting, no less- main conference room on level five, all department heads and team leaders. Which, in case you've forgotten, now includes you. So if you had other plans, they are a changin'."
"Did Pete call it?"
"Yep."
Rose smiled and jabbed the button to call the lift. Should she tell him? Oh, he'd be mad at her later, but blimey, would it ever be entertaining to watch his reaction as the meeting's purpose became apparent. It was to introduce the Doctor, of course. Which meant things couldn't be going too badly with him this morning. The part Rose didn't quite get was why Pete had arranged for his introduction already, when it would have been a thousand times easier to show him around and let him get used to things without everyone knowing who he was.
She kept quiet about it as they rode to level five together, but didn't join Jake when he stepped off.
"Whaddya mean, 'see ya there'?" he asked, holding the lift doors open with a hand. "Yeah, it's a bit early, but one thing you won't know yet, Tyler, is that where there are department heads there are also bound to be doughnuts. And I, for one, intend to have something better than jelly-filled, so let's go."
Rose played with the sleeves of her oversized blue cardigan, tugging them over her fingertips. "The Doctor's here, Jake," she revealed with a small smile, feeling suddenly shy of talking of him. "That's what the meeting's about. He's up in Dad's office."
With a slow, sly grin, Jake got back on the lift and slapped the button for the doors. "Oh ho, decided to persuade him, did you? Lord, it's about time. Now, be a good girl and tell Jakey all."
Rose glared, mostly to try and throw him off the scent.
It worked; Jake's smile fell and he let out a dramatic groan. "Oh, come on. That 'will they or won't they' crap is still going on? Haven't I been through enough? All the mutual pining when we're hanging out is one thing, but now you're telling me I'm gonna have to see it all at work-"
The urge struck, and Rose acted on it. Her left hand flew up, fingers slightly outstretched, and she yanked her long sleeve to her wrist. Her ring's gemstone caught both the light and Jake's stunned attention, his hazel eyes going wide as he fell silent, sharp tongue for once utterly failing him.
Such a stupid move, but Rose couldn't totally regret it. Not when his reaction was this good.
"Are you serious?" he stammered, a bit of color beginning to return to his cheeks. "You're engaged? But he's only been here a couple weeks!"
Although this was an echo of her earlier thoughts, Rose got defensive. "I thought you wanted us to get together."
"Well, yeah, but usually people date first." His eyes searched hers. "And jumping into something so quick is very unlike you."
It's exactly like me, came the unbidden thought, though she didn't voice it. "This thing between him and me," she said quietly, "it isn't exactly new. I mean, the acknowledging part is, but still... I would've given up everything to go with him, if the meta-crisis hadn't happened. You know that. He's it, for me."
Jake's face softened, and he nabbed Rose into a hug. "Well then, Tyler, my only other piece of advice is that you might want to make your official announcement a bit less..." -he waved a hand at her- "...in your face."
Horror filled Rose. "'M not announcing- can you even imagine, how mad that would be? We'd need to escape the planet!"
Jake laughed at her. "What are you wearing that ring around for, dummy, if it's such a big secret?"
Rose cradled her hand close, tugging her knit sleeve back down over it. "I'm gonna take it off. I just...didn't want to, quite yet."
"Aw, so sweet."
"Shut up." Leaning past him, she hit the door button again. "Now will you get out? Pete's been waiting for me, and that bloody meeting starts in twenty minutes."
As the doors slid open, Jake inched back to stand between them, his freckled face thoughtful. "Is it primarily the gossip you're worried about? Cause that's gonna be bad no matter what. Even if you wait a bloody year to tell people."
Rose sighed. "It's way more than that Jake, think about it. All the company higher-ups are about to find that the Doctor, better known as the universe's saviour, has just joined our ranks. There'll be lots of excitement, and it'll be so positive and overwhelming that he'll probably hate it, but as soon as that dies down the questions will start. And the biggest one'll be why. Why would this person, who is brilliant and amazing, who had everything back in his own world, decide to give all that up? To live here of all places, a universe that's not even his, for a salaried position at a company that will watch his every move?"
"Easy. Oldest reason there is."
"But we can't tell them about us yet, Jake, not now when people have finally started to respect me. They'd believe that the real reason I campaigned so hard for the Dimension Cannon project was because I wanted to go find my long-lost boyfriend!"
Amusement gleamed in Jake's eyes. "Wasn't it?"
Glaring, Rose shoved him into the corridor.
"It was a joke!" he protested through the rapidly narrowing opening, and jammed a foot in. "Okay, my two cents. First, being handed a team of your own was not near enough recognition for what you pulled off. You found that crazy alien, and together you brought the stars back. And yes, he's still here because he's in love with you, which they should just be happy about because they get the bloody Doctor on staff, don't they?"
"I wish it were that simple."
"It is. They make any sort of a fuss, just threaten to walk and take him with you. That oughta shut 'em up."
She gave him a wry smile. "And if they fire us feel free to tell them the truth; how Donna was the real hero anyway."
"It's nice to see you happy."
"Go get your doughnut."
Her adoptive father's cavernous office was so empty and quiet that Rose thought she'd missed them, until she noticed the attached conference room's door was shut tight. Shifting the to-go cups to her left arm, she had just gotten hold of the knob when a voice at her back made her jump.
"Oh, Rose! Oh dear, please don't disturb- your father's in a very important meeting."
The voice was sweetly feminine but with a bossy edge that Rose knew well. Forcing a smile, she turned to Pete's personal assistant. "Good morning, Victoria."
Glossy pink lips tugged into a fleeting but perfect smile as the woman acknowledged her greeting, heels clicking as she strode to place a fancy basket of baked goods on the desk. Scones today, nestled in layers of tissue, golden-brown and delectable. Rose's stomach growled audibly at the sight.
When disapproval stiffened Victoria's thin shoulders Rose bit the inside of a cheek, shaking with stifled giggles. Funny; normally she'd have been mortified to have such a thing happen in this woman's presence. Yes, she and Jake might have a laugh later on, declare it as further proof of the PA's planet Stepford origin, but in reality? Rose was intimidated. Beautiful, blonde and accomplished, her accent posh and polished, Victoria would not have been overawed by seventeenth-century French court. Of course she was far too classy to admit the existence of stomach gurgles.
And strangely enough, Rose found herself wishing she could cue up another one on command. "Pete's expectin' me," she said abruptly, dropping the g as a buoyant defiance filled her. "So I'll see ya later."
A tiny frown appeared between Victoria's brows. "But-"
Her objection was lost as the conference room door flew open and the Doctor burst out, trailed by an unsmiling, heavyset HR rep that Rose knew by sight -Steven?- and a weary-faced Pete.
Rose's heart made a joyful little leap. It was the first time she'd seen the Doctor today, and in the many long hours since she'd bid him goodnight she had almost forgotten how handsome he was. All decked out just as she liked, in a proper shirt and tie, hair a perfectly coiffed disaster, specs forgotten on his nose, the fact that he was hers- all together, it had a potent effect. Clutching the two cups closer to her chest, Rose braced herself in anticipation of meeting his eye and prayed she wouldn't give herself away.
He didn't see her, immediately zeroing in on the scones on the desk and bounding toward them with all the enthusiasm of a puppy. "Vicky! You brought more!"
His hands were full of rumpled papers which he promptly tossed onto a chair, turning to the blonde, all disarming charm and mega-smiles. Victoria, for her part, was not only allowing the "Vicky" to go without bloodshed, but actually looked pleased, pink-cheeked and more girlish than Rose had ever seen her.
"They're Mr. Tyler's favourite too." Fingering a pearl earring, she stood at his side as he poked through the basket of goodies. "I bring them every Monday."
"Well, I'll be popping by on Mondays, then." Choosing a scone, he took a huge bite. "Mmm, I can tell they're home baked!" he raved, mouth full.
In spite of his manners Victoria's smile widened. The Doctor smiled back, and sipped from a large white mug Rose hadn't noticed him carrying. Something hot and ugly filled her chest, and she abandoned his tea and muffin to a bookshelf.
"...sure you won't mind if I take another one or two for the road," he was saying, turning around with more scones already in his hands. "We have some meeting to go to, bound to be boring, I get hungry when I'm-"
His rambling died with a tiny gasp as, at last, the Doctor's eyes fell on Rose. Stunned surprise quickly gave way to softness, his gaze so full of love that she instantly forgave him. "Hi," he said, swallowing.
A little finger wave. "Hello."
Eyes dark and intent, he took a step her way, like he meant to grab her and drag her off. Rose's breath caught. It was a look she'd come to know quite well as of late.
Memories of yesterday poured over her. Stairs warm under her bare feet as she rushed down to breakfast, childlike in her eagerness to see him. Eating with her left hand, unwilling to remove her right one from where it was clasped in his, even for a second. Letting him steal kisses whenever her mum and dad weren't looking, and giggling with the fun of getting away with it.
(There'd been less giggling later, once out on the mansion's grounds, out of everyone's sight. But only because their mouths were more pleasurably occupied.)
Rose was proud when she managed a tiny shake of her head. The Doctor halted, tugging an earlobe uncertainly.
Pete came up beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder, and Rose met his eyes. There was frustration there, and she wondered anew what exactly she'd missed that morning. "I sent a memo out to a few people about the Doctor joining our ranks," he said, "wanted to get them a bit used to the idea beforehand, and you wouldn't believe the number of calls and emails I've had to ignore. Instead of responding to them all I've called a meeting instead, down in the big conference room on five. Starts in twelve minutes, so we'd better go."
"Sorry I didn't make it here earlier."
"It's okay. To be honest," he eyed the Doctor (who was shoving his scones in a suit-coat pocket) and leaned close to her ear. "I don't think it would've made a difference." And with that intriguing and somewhat frightening statement, he herded them out the door.
The five of them made their way to the lift, Pete delegating a few tasks to Victoria, the HR rep staring at his mobile. The Doctor was quiet, hands jammed in his pockets, but Rose was certain it was for the same reason she'd crossed her arms; to keep from touching him. He wasn't upset, like her dad was. Which could only mean that if battle had indeed been done, the Doctor had come out the victor.
But battle over what? As far as she knew, they hadn't been discussing anything particularly controversial. Get the ball rolling on establishing the Doctor's legal identity and residency, an absolute requisite not only to the hiring process, but also to a life in this world. The Doctor, while not quite understanding why he couldn't simply go by his actual name, had been mostly fine with the whole deal. He'd made more fuss over the idea of a badge card than he had about choosing a name to go on it, honestly (a fuss which was placated, easily, once Rose pointed out how said badge could get him things from the cafeteria).
It was a mystery, one that wasn't about to get solved until she could get Pete or the Doctor alone. Rose decided to put it out of her mind. Not hard; the lift was taking forever as usual and the Doctor stood so distractingly close that the air buzzed electric between them, the scent of him tingeing her every breath. Not daring to look at him, Rose kept her eyes fixed on the digital lift numbers, which climbed with maddening slowness toward their floor.
Out of nowhere her wrist was seized, the Doctor loudly announcing something about scones to burn off as he hauled her into the nearby stairwell. As the door slammed shut behind them, Rose caught a glimpse of Victoria's startled eyes.
"Doctor," she hissed, heart pounding, "this isn't fooling any-"
His mouth caught hers, urgent and hot, and her back hit the door with enough of a thud that if anybody outside of it had been fooled, they certainly weren't anymore.
No longer caring, Rose slid her fingers into the velvety-soft hair at the back of his head, tugging him closer. This was all that mattered; the Doctor and his warmth, the rough scrape of his chin, his lips and his tongue. The reality of him put years of fantasy to shame.
It wasn't just that he was a good kisser, though that was true; always passionate and mindful. But it was more that this was the man she loved beyond reason, and having such intimacy with him, being the singular focus of his intense, forthright love- it was intoxicating. Verbal confessions were thrilling enough but this, to feel it, the hunger in his kiss proving how badly he wanted her, had longed for her, how hard their separation had been on him...
Rose whimpered, her knees giving out, and as his arms instantly circled her in tight support she could feel his lips quirk. The smug git. Ever the quick study, he'd gotten awfully good at turning her to jelly, and she was fairly sure he'd just beaten his personal best.
It was really a good thing her parents had chosen to join them in watching that film last night, frustrating as it had been at the time. Rose could barely remember the plot as it was, snuggled into the warm cocoon of his arms and distracted by the way he'd nuzzle her hair, his nimble fingers stroking her ribs. She'd been counting the minutes until she could drag him off into some darkened hallway, but when the credits rolled all her plans were derailed by Pete and talk of work. Eventually it had gotten so late she'd left them to it, bidding the Doctor goodnight with a peck that they both felt was a poor consolation prize.
Apparently, he was determined to make up for that now, shifting his body ever more firmly against hers and prolonging the kiss, like he was settling in for the long run, like making out with Rose in a Torchwood stairwell was the workday's first priority.
Unbidden, the image of him campaigning for that during his early meeting popped into her mind, and Rose grinned against his mouth.
He broke the kiss, all offended eyes and wild hair. "Am I amusing you in some way, Ms Tyler?"
"Yes, and be happy, cos I should be so upset with you for giving us away like that." She backed up her statement by pressing another kiss to his lips, and then took his hand. "C'mon, we've got ten minutes to make it ten floors down."
"Bah, what's to be upset over; nothing will come of it," he replied, their footsteps echoing in the stairwell. "Pete already knows about us, and old Steve was so enthralled with the football scores that a huge Slitheen could've gone stomping by for all he'd have cared." Pausing, he peered over the railing, looking down. "And Veronica's a good sort," he added. "She won't say anything."
"Veronica?" Rose snorted, enjoying that, and did the next six stairs two at a time.
The Doctor easily caught up. "Vivian? No? Violet? ...Verruca?"
Oh, she was too out of breath to laugh so hard. "Oh my god, yes, please call her Verruca. Though I'm not sure what convinces you that she'll keep quiet about us."
He shrugged. "She was nice. She likes me."
"Of course she likes you," retorted Rose, pausing them on landing seven, two floors above their goal. "You're the Doctor. Even the nastiest people here are going to like you. At least," she added, teasingly tugging his tie, "till they get to know you."
His brow furrowed, and he gazed at her like he was trying to solve something. "Rose, why do I get the feeling that I'm about to be marched into a den of wolves?"
Rose played with a hoop earring. "Den of fans, more like. We do pretty well defending the Earth around here, but you, well, you single-handedly saved the universe. Bound to earn you a fair bit of respect."
The crinkle between his brows deepened. "But I didn't single-handedly save the universe. There were many, many other hands involved, including yours. So why do I get all the fans, and not you?"
"I don't want it, Doctor," she said truthfully, and ran the toe of her shoe along the edge of the stair. "And I know you don't really either, but it's a bit too late to change the story now." Rose went to step down, but he gripped her elbow and turned her to face him.
"What story?"
She slumped, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "You have no idea how hard it was, convincing the board to approve the Dimension Cannon project. Here Pete and Mick and Jake and I were, only a couple years after the whole debacle with the Daleks and Cybermen, asking permission to muck about with the walls of reality again. They were skittish, to say the least. Pete even showed them security footage from that night at the mansion, explained how you were the person who'd figured out how to defeat the Cybermen, then the Daleks, and that you were brilliant enough to bring the stars back too. Only..."
"Only...?"
"Only that wasn't good enough to convince them, and we couldn't tell them the truth, that you had the power because you were alien, because that would've gotten us a 'no' quicker than-" Rose shook her head. "Anyway. So we told them whatever they needed to hear."
"You made up stuff about me?" The Doctor gaped at her, like he wasn't sure whether he should be proud of her creativity, or horrified that he wasn't amazing enough to convince them on his own merits.
"And then it went further," said Rose. "See, details of a mission like that are generally classified, revealed only on a need-to-know basis. But this was different- the stars were going out, the whole universe at stake, and everybody here knew it. People were terrified, they needed hope. So...we gave it to them."
"You told them you were finding a saviour," he concluded, his eyes old and wise. "And let me guess- only the board and your team knew it was you doing the jumps."
"It had to be that way," she repeated, stubbornness creeping into her tone. "No one else needed to know. And they wouldn't have understood if they had- as far as most people were concerned, I was a lowly field agent, and the only reason I was here at all was because of my dad. If people heard I was doing the jumps it would've looked like nepotism of the worst kind."
The Doctor nodded, understanding, though he still looked grim.
"But it doesn't matter," she said, taking him by the hand and starting them down the stairs again. "I got a promotion out of the deal, all along I've been doing the job I want to do. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, the attention I get out in public is bad enough. Why would I want that at work too?"
"Oh, but it's fine for me?"
She patted him in sympathy. "I know, and I'm sorry, but remember...well, we weren't supposed to be living here afterward. Possible repercussions were the last thing on my mind."
They were on level five now, but the Doctor stopped her from opening the door. "You still haven't said what you told them, Rose. About me."
"It'll keep, we're going to be late-"
"I don't care."
She winced. Oh, he was going to be insufferable about this. "Well, it had to be good... big, but not alien-"
"Yes, yes, everyone's xenophobic, got that bit. Spit it out, Rose."
"So we went the superhero route," she mumbled, wrinkling her nose. "For lack of a better term. Said they were real in that universe."
His eyes got big and round and shiny, like delighted dinner plates. "They think I'm a superhero? Like Superman?"
Rose huffed. "No, I was trying to avoid the alien comparisons, remember?" She exhaled, long and loud. "You're human, just... a brilliant billionaire with extensive knowledge of aliens who can also build the best tech they've ever seen."
He blinked rapidly, visibly recoiling. "Wait, like Batman? But...that doesn't fit me at all! Everything that makes him cool comes from scary outfits and body-building, and, and money! And he's violent!"
"You used to have the tech," retorted Rose, crossing her arms.
"Not because I bought it," he said, sulkily. "Why...okay, what about Spiderman? Only," -he stared into the air, eyes going unfocused- "only instead of a radioactive spider, we could say I was bitten by an alien bug, endowing me with an enormous intellect and knowledge of the universe. And a few mysterious alien powers." He turned gleaming, hopeful eyes on her. "Oh, that's a far better story, Rose. I'm certain it's not too late to change it."
Rolling her eyes, Rose shoved him aside and opened the door. "I'm sorry, Mister Wayne."
The Doctor trotted after her down the corridor. "Bruce Wayne. What a rubbish superhero name, no alliterative effect at all. Peter Parker is loads better, or Clark Kent, Bruce Banner...not that I was told about this in time to pick any of those names before I signed about a million papers this morning. I might never forgive you for that, Rose Tyler."
Rose shuddered, grateful for her narrow escape.
If this was the cause of Pete's distress text, then Rose hadn't missed any fun at all. Only stupidness. Why didn't he suggest they all sit on this issue for a week or two, until after people got to know the Doctor a little? Just to give them some perspective.
"You can't use that name," stated Gerald Hinkel from his seat far opposite, without a hint of the warm friendliness that had been shown to the Doctor upon his arrival. The CEO adored important people, until they defied company policy. "It sounds like an alias."
"Of course it does; it is one." The Doctor rocked back in his chair, the blue of his suit especially bright amongst drab brown and grey ones surrounding the huge oblong table. "Though now that you point it out," he went on with a sniff, "it's not very original, is it? Too bad we didn't have this little chat before the paperwork was signed, sealed, and delivered. I've come up with loads of better ideas since then but I'm none too keen on taking up a pen again. Me carpal tunnel's acting up."
He raised his left hand, feigning a wince as he flexed it, and Rose stifled a snort. His right hand was occupied, twined with hers and hidden from sight. His thumb found her ring again.
A few titters went around the table, which reassured Rose. Hinkel was dumb to pick this battle. Despite some initial surprise over the Doctor's manner (less somber than they'd perhaps imagined), Torchwood's leaders were thrilled to have him here. Nobody was about to risk losing him over a name.
"It's a small issue, in the scheme of things," Pete said quietly, casting his lot in with the Doctor, though his foreboding words made Rose tense up. Why, oh why, had she let the Doctor do all the questioning in the stairwell?
Hinkel leveled the Doctor with a hard stare. "Any person who desires a position at this company must use their real name."
The Doctor tapped his lips. "Oh, but that's just it. I don't want a position at this company."
If this had been a roomful of students (instead of distinguished managers and agents and geniuses), there would've been a scandalised ohhhh. Her dad, who'd obviously known this was coming, looked unhappy but resigned. Rose, who was decently upset herself, gave the Doctor's hand a sharp, admonishing squeeze. He responded with a gentle return squeeze. Wait.
After a long beat Hinkel voiced it, the most dreaded question. "Then why are you here?"
Rose carefully stomped the Doctor's toes, a reminder not to say her.
Heaving a long breath, as if gathering all his patience, the Doctor began to tick off his fingers. "Let's see. Daleks, Lumic, Cybers, being invaded every other week and twice on holidays; admit it, you lot need my help. I -along with my other super-compatriots- put a lot of work into my home world, even got the streets of G-" he oofed a little as Rose elbowed him, having heard the 'Gotham' coming from a mile away- "London all cleaned up. I was dead bored till the stars started disappearing. Was even considering going rogue for a bit, just to give everybody something to do."
Numerous sets of eyes widened, alarmed glances were shared across the table, and oh, her dad was definitely going to kill him later.
"But I won't be pinned down," the Doctor pressed on. "If you want my help, then you can phone anytime, but I want the freedom to do whatever needs doing, whether it's in a lab or your archives or out in the field. Also, if I am in the field, it will be with Rose Tyler. Those pretty stars in your sky are there because of her, as much as me. She's brilliant and I hope you've recognised that."
Scrutinising gazes fell on her then, and sweet as the Doctor's declaration had been, Rose wasn't sure whether she'd kiss him for it later or scold him.
"I don't think," said Pete, drawing everyone's attention, "that it would outright conflict with policy for us to use the services of a consulting expert whenever necessary. Discussion?"
Slowly, hands began to raise, but before anyone could be called on Pete's mobile buzzed. "Oops, we've got a five-nine-six just come in, resistant and somewhat hostile," he said, reading from the screen. "Humanoid once the shimmer's off, blue skin and hairless with a long neck. Hisses, so probably aggressive. Anybody seen one before?"
"Yes," said the Doctor, a tick in his jaw that Rose did not like the look of. "What are they doing with it?"
"Standard procedure- they're placed in a holding cell till they've cleared quarantine, and then moved to longer-term accommodations until we can learn more, properly assess the potential threat level."
"'They're' placed- there's more than one, yes?"
"Five."
"You've caught the whole family, then. They like to travel in families, the Redali do, just like you humans. And," he sat straight, voice hardening, "they're a peaceful people, they don't need quarantine, and the hissing is polite, them probably informing you that you've gone and ruined their holiday. So I move you drop the 'procedure' and let them be on their way."
A few uncomfortable moments passed as the two stared at each other in silent battle, and then another hand lifted tentatively. "Your thoughts, Margo?"
Pete continued to lead the discussion without another glance toward the Doctor, silently placing limits on what he'd be allowed to disrupt. A cold chill rolled over Rose, along with utter clarity.
They weren't going to listen, and they were wrong.
At length the Doctor squeezed her hand, quick and tight. As in sync with him as ever, she gave a tiny nod, knowing her role, and didn't even breathe as he slipped from the room.
"Where's the Doctor?" asked Pete with extreme concern, interrupting someone.
All innocence, Rose blinked at the empty chair beside her as if just noticing it.
Her dad squinted at her. "How long has he been gone?"
"Dunno. But he hates it when aliens are mistreated, so I wouldn't be surprised if he refuses to come back."
Rose folded her arms, satisfied to see regret instantly cross a dozen faces. By the time that meeting ended, the Doctor was not only an official consultant, but he'd been given clearance for every department he might have the slightest whim to spend time in, including accounting.
It was a small victory, and, Rose was fairly sure, it would also be a short-lived one.
SOS, read her dad's text, the one she'd been waiting for for hours. Sub-basement.
She typed back, rushing to the lift. Need clearance to get down there.
HE didn't even need a badge card.
It was Rose's first time entering the Dungeon, and she'd certainly remember it. Red emergency lights flashed, and the shouts and screeches of irate captives, along with dozens of booted feet stomping, echoed in the concrete space so loudly that Rose flinched and covered her ears. Carefully making her way down the main corridor, she tried to stay out of the way as armed agents swarmed all over, bolting up and down rows, dashing around corners. Random cell doors hung open, and if Rose had to guess, every nook and cranny of each cellblock was being combed for loose aliens.
She was pretty sure they wouldn't find any. The Doctor'd had a decent head start, after all.
As she neared the end of the corridor she caught her first glimpse of him. He stood outside the guard station, hair on end and his gestures wild as he spoke to the small group of people clustered in front of him. Her dad was one of them; thankfully Hinkel was not. It was a little quieter down here, except for the vicious roars being screamed out at frequent intervals from the nearest holding cell.
"...of course it's up," the Doctor was saying as she approached, and though he sounded calm, storm-clouds brewed in his eyes. "It's the start of summer tourism. Probably goes up this time-" -another roar, though unlike the others her Time Lord didn't cringe or even pause- "and you lot just haven't noticed, or paused to wonder why. These are people, Pete, families, parents and children, and you can't-"
He paused as the alien roared again and Rose could see it now, a muscular shark-faced monster with glittering black eyes, lunging at the bars of its cell. Now that it had managed to interrupt it wasn't about to give up, hardly pausing for breath between bellows. The Doctor's gaze flickered ominously in its direction, and she held her breath.
The creature got one last roar out before he turned on it, blazing-eyed, his answering roar menacing and thundering, yet staccato like speech. The thing instantly deflated, slinking backward into the darkness of the cell.
His audience of higher-ups deflated too, losing their crossed-arm defensiveness. Turning back to them, he continued on as if nothing had happened. "Anyway, your 'if it's alien it's ours' type policies are wrong, so until you know what you're doing you'll have to trust my judgement-"
He saw Rose then and faltered, as if it had just occurred to him that he might be in trouble, and that was that. The champagne warmth that'd bubbled in her veins all day rose up and expanded and burst.
There was the Doctor and his sheepish smile, his hand finding its way to the back of his neck. The big-wig executives staring at him. The guard station at their backs, officers knocking at its windows and patiently waiting for someone to unbarricade the door. All the noise and the motion and the chaos, the fact his first day at a proper job was probably going to end in a prison sentence- the way that none of it was wrong, but just and right and normal.
So the laugh burst out, long and loud, and she was helpless to stop it, vaguely aware that a bunch of people she used to care a lot about pleasing probably thought she'd gone mad, when she was really just herself again.
Oh well. They'd get used to it.
Wiping tears away, she took a deep, cleansing breath and met her dad's eyes. Though he didn't smile, his eyes twinkled. "I thought I called you down here to help him see reason, not encourage him."
The Doctor looked amused, obviously unaware of how bad this was. All right, then. Time for her to take his shovel away and use it to haul him out of the hole he'd dug way too deep again.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to laugh. 'S just...none of you are getting it. By letting these people go, the Doctor saved us. I know he didn't explain it well, but what we've been doing...it's like taking foreigners hostage. Like, what would Britain do if France started tossing our citizens in prison just for visiting?"
In their eyes Rose could see they'd reached that halfway point between dubious and horrified, so she drove her point home. "That's the sort of thing that starts wars."
"With the Redali, especially," the Doctor tacked on, gazing at her with a heat that made her toes curl. "When their people are in trouble, they strike first and never ask questions. The way you lot have been carrying on, locking up every poor creature you come across, I'm surprised that this planet isn't a charred out husk by now, in fact..."
He was gearing up, ready to pour it on really thick, but Rose didn't altogether like the look of those execs. She'd seen it before on countless faces, and it said "yes you've just saved us, but it was needlessly jarring and if your obnoxiousness continues we will lock you up anyway."
And well, Rose knew exactly what to do in the face of that.
"You probably have lots to discuss," she said, shooting Pete a meaningful look as she marched forward and grabbed the Doctor by the hand. "So if you need the Doctor for anything, just phone."
They wouldn't answer of course, not until all of this had completely blown over, but hopefully the offer sounded good. Nobody protested as she pulled him away.
On rounding a corner, he spoke in her ear, all cheeky. "Is this the running bit, Lewis?"
"Yep." Grimacing a little, she began to jog. "For real. They might actually come after us."
By the time they ducked into a lift, the Doctor looked somber. "I'm sorry. I just...I keep forgetting that you and I have to live here, we can't just swan off in the TARDIS, and maybe now I've blown the best job prospect-"
An impatient sound came from Rose. "No, no, you made it so we could go back. You broke them in."
There was genuine confusion on his brow. "Sorry?"
"We broke them in," she modified, her tongue in her smile. "At Torchwood. Things'll be so much more fun now, because if they decide to let this go, anything else we do in future will seem small in comparison."
His eyes lit up. "Ooh, like nicking a spaceship? I saw a nice Messier cruiser, sitting entirely unsupervised."
Rose hummed non-committally, slowly crowding him against a wall. "Maybe another day. For now, I say we chance getting caught snogging in this lift."
The Doctor acquired a wicked grin, his hands finding her waist. "Well, Rose Tyler, you know my policy on precedent-setting."
His head dipped, her eyes closed, and his lips brushed hers with a hot whisper. "Go big or go home."