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Chapter 2- Forgotten Dates

Ding-dong!

The sound of the bell echoed noisily round the large house. Harry Saxon waited patiently on the door-step of the Tyler Mansion, he knew all about Pete Tyler and his fortune, so the luxurious abode did not faze him at all. He had done his research.

After a while the door was opened by a woman in her forties with very blonde hair wearing a pair of designer jeans and a fitted shirt. Jacqueline Tyler, no doubt. She looked at him with a suspicious look and said a short,
"Hello." With his charming smile Harry held out the huge bouquet of roses and lilies tied with a white ribbon,
"Hi," he said cheerily and confidently, "I'm here to pick up Rose," holding out his hand he introduced himself to Rose's mother, "Harold Saxon." Suddenly Jackie's face lit up and she grinned broadly, taking his hand she shook it firmly,
"Jackie Tyler. Come in Mr Saxon," she moved out of the doorway and allowed him to enter the huge hall, his shoes clicked coldly on the hardwood floor but the yellow paint was warm. "ROSE!" Jackie bellowed up the stairs, "You've gotta visitor!" There was no reply and Jackie offered him a supportive but also apologetic smile, "Would ya excuse me?" She asked politely, to which Harry nodded, and she vanished into one of the adjoining rooms hurriedly.

"HARRY!" Came a shocked shout from Rose, who was stood on the landing looking down at him (and the flowers) in a pair of cut-off jeans and a t-shirt, she looked exhausted and like she wasn't quite sure why he was there. Suddenly it seemed to come back to her and she clapped her hand over her mouth with a gasp, "Oh my...Crap! I'm so sorry. I completely forgot! I'll...I'll go get changed." She said hurriedly and then sprinted up the stairs, leaping three steps at a time as Harry laughed warmly. Humans and their scatter-brains.

Placing the flowers down on a nearby cabinet he began to follow her up the stairs and was just in time to see her disappear into a room, slamming the door firmly shut behind her. Saxon rested his head against the cool wood of the door,
"Rose? You okay?"

Inside her room Rose scowled. Why on earth had he followed her up here? She didn't understand him one bit and he was certainly different from the last Time Lord she'd known. Not that was a bad thing.
"Yeah," she said with a smile, he may be brash and bold, but she found herself quite enamoured by it, "I've just been so busy and it slipped my mind. I was really looking forward to it too." She cursed; she hadn't meant to say that, it made her sound desperate. Glancing quickly down at his watch Harry caught sight of the time and sighed,
"Well I think we've missed the reservations now, I was running a bit late myself." Rose's head peeked out from her room, her body still hidden by the door and she looked at him guiltily,
"I'm really, really sorry."
"Oh it doesn't matter," he said dismissively with a wave of his hand, "Just have to re-arrange it, that's all," he winked at her mischievously and Rose felt her breathing flounder, that smile was enough to melt her frozen heart in an instant, "I'm more upset that I won't be able to wine you and dine you this evening Miss Tyler." Even the way he said her name made shivers shot through her warm flesh. Then Rose's eyes brightened, she smiled, poking her tongue out from between her teeth in an adorable manner,
"Maybe ya still can," Mr Saxon gave her a probing glance, making her smile widen, that glint in her eyes intrigued him immensely. This human female was amazing. "Let me get changed and I'll take ya to my favourite restaurant, just around the corner from 'ere." Harold shook his head,
"But then you'll be taking me out."
"Nah!" She replied quickly, "Coz you're still payin' Mr Saxon," and she winked back at him before chuckling musically and then vanishing to go and get ready.

Rose clutched the two scorching bundles of paper as Harry flicked two coins into the cooks hand with a roguish smile and a word of thanks. Then he followed her out into the chill, night air. The pair leaned back against a nearby wall, unwrapped their chips and began to tuck in, the greasy slithers of potato offering welcome warmth. She observed him with keen, trained eyes whilst he chewed rhythmically, apparently oblivious to her stare. Her conclusion was concise. He was good-looking and extremely nice.

"I like your choice of cuisine," he teased nicely between mouthfuls, causing her to smile again for the hundredth time this night. She couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled so much.
"The best chips in London these are," she retorted surely, "You like 'em?"
"Delicious," he licked his lips and ate another one, Rose could not tear her eyes from his oily mouth, "Although not as delicious as what I'm looking at right now." Rose's eyes dropped embarrassedly to the pavement and a faint blush rose in her cheeks when she noticed his soft gaze was fixed on her face, she hadn't received a compliment like that in ages. He was most certainly flirting.
"What's your name?"
Harry scowled, "I've told you. Harry Saxon." Rose gave him a scolding glance; she was not convinced and clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
"No, your name. I mean the Doctor sometimes called himself John Smith but he was still the Doctor." With an impressed grin the Time Lord nodded and rested his head back against the bricks,
"All right. I'm the Master."

For a while there was silence. And then Rose burst out laughing, her laughter was beautiful and it sounded like music in his ears, although it was annoying him slightly.
"What?!" Rose shook her head as she carried on laughing, unable to control herself, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she chuckled, the look on his face making her laugh even more, "It's just...The Master. Sounds a bit psychotic to me." The Master could not believe it, here he was, a Time Lord stood besides a human female, and she was giggling at him. No one ever giggled at him. No one would dare. She should cower in fear at his name. He was the most powerful being in the entire universe. Rose Tyler was certainly different to anyone or anything he had ever met before. And what made it worse was the infectiousness of her laughter, he had to chuckle too. The two of them stood laughing so hard tears of happiness trickled down their cheeks and they had to lean on each other to remain standing.

After a full three minutes of gut-wrenching hysterics the two managed to get their giggles under control and they stood up straight.
"I think we should walk," Rose suggested and so they set off at a leisurely pace down the street, beneath the yellow street lamps and the white moon, still munching away at their dinner. They rounded a corner in silence, not an uncomfortable silence mind you, but the Master had never enjoyed quiet. He liked booming noise and shouting because it made the loud drumming in his head slightly more bearable.
"So you and the Doctor..." he began slowly, watching her expression intently.
"I don't really wanna talk about him tonight," she interrupted quickly, her face passive and unaffected by the proposition that they talk about him. She clearly had moved on. The Master was overjoyed. "Some other time maybe, but not our first date," she added. The Master gave a little half smile,
"You mean you might go out with me again?" Rose looked at his beaming face; that disclosure had seemed to make him happy. She nodded plainly.
"Why don't you tell me 'bout yourself?" Rose asked politely, she looked genuinely interested and cheerful about spending time with him. He shook his head dismissively,
"Not much to tell."
"Come on," she drew out the words playfully and he pulled a face,
"I'm a Time Lord," he said tiredly, "Childhood friend of the Doctor, that's all." Rose gave a sad smile and looked up at him with large eyes,
"He'll be pleased to know he's not the last." The Master stared at her with lowered eyebrows and a questioning look, he didn't understand. What did she mean by last?
"The last?" He asked, probably sounding really stupid, but he needed to know what was going on.
"Well yeah," she said as he took her hand and halted her in her steps, spinning her body round easily to face him. She waited for him to let go, but when he did not she continued, "With Gallifrey destroyed and all the Time Lords and whatever dead. He's not alone anymore," she paused, her voice became harsher although she chuckled as she talked, trying to make it sound like a joke, "That'll stop his whinging." Looking up into his face she was horrified to see a shocked and pained expression on his face and a dark light in his eyes, "You didn't know!" She blurted out with the realisation, "I'm makin' a mess of everything tonight! I'm sorry. I assumed..." She stopped, stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around him in a comforting hug. She spoke into his shoulder as she apologised again, "I'm so sorry, really I am." Her tone was sincere; she really meant was she was saying.
"It's okay," he muttered, snuggling his head into her hair and breathing in the sweet smell of strawberries and cream, she felt great in his arms, like two pieces of a jigsaw clicking together, "I thought space felt a bit empty."

Eventually the two let go of each other, although it was reluctantly, Rose met his gaze bravely,
"You've got the Doctor." Harry laughed loudly which surprised Rose,
"We...ummmmmmm...had a falling out, centuries ago. Never quite made up."
Rose nodded compassionately and then she shrugged, "Oh well. You've got me."
"I do?"
"Yeah," she said surely with a heart-felt, lop-sided grin, it felt a little weird saying such a thing to someone she'd known for only a few days.
"Thanks," Saxon aka the Master murmured. He took the empty wrapping from Rose's warm hands and screwed it into a tight ball before chucking both of their bits of rubbish into a nearby bin. Then he placed her hand in his, squeezing it tightly and then tugged her closer into his side, she smiled at the feel of his skin next to hers.
"S'okay," she answered.
"I couldn't ask for anything more."

And then they walked off hand in hand in the darkness, making small talk together with large smiles on their faces and real joy in their hearts for the first time in many, many years.

Harry and Rose stopped on the doorstep of the Tyler Mansion their hands still entwined.
"Ya really didn't ave to walk me home," Rose said confidently, she'd quite liked it though, he was a true gentleman. He answered simply, "I wanted to." With a large, bright smile Rose blushed slightly again and flicked her eyes embarrassedly to the floor, Harry Saxon was the only man in a long, long time to make her so nervous.
"Thanks for a fabulous evening," and it had been marvellous, she thought to herself, "I really loved it. Can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much." With a slight bow of his closely-shaved head and a glowing, insane grin, he spoke perfectly,
"Glad to be of service. And I loved it too. Thank you Rose," he said her name with passion. She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek warmly. In a flash he moved his head to the side and captured her retreating lips with his, snogging her as if it was going out of fashion, their lips straining and teeth nipping on tender flesh sensually. They could taste the oil and potato in each other's mouths. The intense kiss lasted for so long that they both had to draw away so they didn't pass out from lack of air, their cheeks flushed and lips numb. She looked at her shoes and then back up into his face breathing heavily,
"Well I'll see ya then," she eventually managed to murmur just loud enough for him to hear. Her smile was larger than it had ever been before and so was his.
"Definitely," he replied swiftly, leaving no room for any argument.
"Bye then," she said stepping away from him slowly and slipping her key into the door, looking back as he waved furiously and said,
"Bye."

She watched his retreating back with soft, loving eyes as he half walked, half skipped up the gravel driveway, only entering the house when he had disappeared from view.

She woke up the entire house with her insane, whooping laughter when she found the huge bunch of flowers discarded carelessly on the side table.

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