It was a blustery November afternoon and Kate was absolutely exhausted. She had spent the past fourteen hours on the edge of a large crater waiting for her team to excavate and examine the cause of the huge hole. As she strode back to the car that was waiting to take her back to the Tower of London, her mobile rang. Groaning softly as she read the name on the display before answering, she gritted her teeth and did her best to reassure the Prime Minister that the possible incursion was being dealt with in the best way they possibly could.
"Martin? Drop me off on at the top of St Katharine's Way, would you?" Kate requested tiredly as she climbed into the back of the UNIT vehicle. Seeing her driver's wary look in the mirror, she smiled tiredly. She appreciated his concern, but wasn't about to acknowledge it. "I need a coffee and, to be perfectly honest, some time to gather my thoughts before dealing with the Prime Minister again."
Smiling with understanding, her driver nodded and guided them expertly back through the dark streets towards the Tower. He indicated and pulled over at the top of the street Kate had requested, pointedly ignoring the blast of the horn from the car that had been driving far too close behind him. As the man in the red saloon sent him a very rude hand gesture, Kate frowned.
"Did you get the licence plate number?" She asked Martin quickly.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Good… Pass it on to our friends at the Met… I'm sure there's something they can find to have a little chat to him about."
"Yes, Ma'am." Martin agreed with a small smile of amusement.
"Inform McGillop that the excavation team will be with him shortly and if anyone from Downing Street calls tell them that I'm in a meeting." Kate ordered, before opening her door and swinging her legs out. Glancing over her shoulder at the woman sitting beside her, who had stayed silent through the whole journey, she arched an eyebrow. "Coming?"
"Oh, I… Oh. Yes." Osgood fumbled with her seatbelt in a way that Kate found far too endearing to be allowed, before managing to free herself and get out of the car. "What do you need, Ma'am?"
"I don't need anything." Kate informed her bluntly, pushing her hands into her coat pockets as she wandered more casually along the road than someone in her position of power had any business doing. "Like I told Martin I need a coffee and a break. I was hoping you'd keep me company."
"Oh, of course." Osgood nodded eagerly, before mentally kicking herself for acting like a teenager with a crush.
"So? I haven't had a chance to ask about your date with Captain Carter the other night." The blonde stated, forcing her tone to remain light. "Did you enjoy yourself?"
"I couldn't stop thinking about the analysis of the data on that star fragment we found." The younger woman admitted sheepishly. "I think he could tell I wasn't completely focused on him."
"Did he say anything?"
"Well, no… but he did make a comment about how much time I invest in the job."
Kate frowned. "You make it sound like it was an insult."
"I… I don't think it was, exactly." Osgood mused, thinking it over. "I think it was more… I'm not sure… like he didn't understand why I would possibly be thinking about something work related out of work hours."
"Dedication; that's why."
"Mmmm…"
"You don't sound sure?"
The brunette shook her head. "No, I… I just wonder whether I should try and be like everyone else. Leave work at the office, that sort of thing."
Pulling open the door and ushering the younger woman ahead of her into the very welcome light and warmth of Starbucks, Kate arched an eyebrow. "Why would you want to be like everyone else?"
Their conversation was put on hold while they queued and placed their orders; a skinny latte with an extra shot for Kate and a hot chocolate made with soya milk for Osgood. The blonde refused to let her subordinate pay, pulling rank and reminding her that she earned far more than the scientist. Gratefully, Osgood went to claim a table for them in the back corner, sighing deeply as she sank into the comfortable armchair after hours of being on her feet at the freezing cold site of the crater.
When Kate appeared moments later, she realised that the younger woman had fallen asleep. Taking a moment to appraise her carefully, the blonde was struck by just how beautiful the scientist was. Osgood had pulled her hair out of its neat ponytail and placed her glasses on the coffee table. She was leaning back in the armchair, with her head tilted back against the cushion and her eyes closed.
Placing the mugs on the surface of the table, Kate settled herself into her own seat, not having the heart to wake the younger woman. She sipped her coffee slowly, her eyes never once leaving Osgood's face as she finally forced herself to confront her feelings for the brunette. She could no longer fool herself that what she felt was the natural result of taking the young woman under her wing and attempting to nurture her talent. That wasn't why she felt so strongly for her at all. While she was proud of Osgood and her achievements, it was from a far more personal perspective than as a mentor.
"Sorry…" The woman in question blinked several times and pulled herself into a more upright position in her seat and blushing crimson. "Was I asleep?"
"You were." Kate agreed, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "And I'm not surprised. How much sleep did you get last night?"
Osgood rubbed her forehead tiredly after replacing her glasses and picked up her hot chocolate. "Two hours… three maybe? I stayed late to try and get a fix on those readings we were looking at yesterday and then I got the call about the crater so… well… you know the rest. I don't suppose you got much more?" She looked appalled at herself for making such a personal comment. "I'm sorry, that was–"
"Perfectly true." Kate replied with a shrug. "I got a couple more hours than you, it would seem, but not nearly enough sleep to be considered a healthy amount. The cost of dedication to our job, apparently." She looked carefully across at the younger scientist. "Which brings us back to our previous conversation. You never answered my question. Why would you want to be like everyone else if it meant being less like you?"
The brunette shrugged. "It's just… it's what people do, isn't it? You conform."
"Why?" Kate was genuinely interested in the answer.
Osgood looked stumped. "I… I'm not sure. To have what everyone wants, deep down… to have a normal life, I suppose. To be able to go home to someone at the end of a very long day and just… be understood and wanted and loved." She looked a little embarrassed as she realised who she was having the conversation with. "I don't know… I'm probably talking rubbish. I am overtired, remember."
"No. I think you're right."
"But?" Osgood smiled. "There's always a 'but'."
"But," Kate chuckled at the triumphant grin on the other woman's face as she was proved correct, "why should you have to conform, to change who you are, to have that?"
"Because where am I going to find someone who's willing to put up with me as I am now?"
Kate felt her heart clench as she released that Osgood genuinely didn't believe that anyone would, could, want her the way she was. Almost without realising what she was doing, she reached out and placed her hand over the one that was curled around the almost empty mug of hot chocolate. She squeezed it gently, trying to reassure Osgood without speaking, not trusting what might come out if she opened her mouth.
Osgood returned her weak smile, her heart thudding in her chest at the warmth of Kate's hand over hers. She hated herself for opening her mouth, cursing her exhaustion for making her spill her guts to the one person she needed to hide her feelings from the most. Her boss was looking at her with an expression in her eyes that Osgood couldn't make out. It seemed, to the brunette at least, to be something remarkably close to pity and that was something that she really couldn't handle, especially coming from Kate.
"Anyone would be lucky to have you in their life." Kate told her firmly, causing Osgood's gaze to shoot up from her their conjoined hands and meet the blonde's. "You're special, just the way you are. I–"
A shrill ringing interrupted the moment and both women seemed to realise where they were and what was happening. Retracting her hand quickly, Kate snatched up her mobile and answered it hastily. Standing up and sending Osgood a weak smile, the Head of UNIT started walking towards the doors, assuring the Prime Minister that yes, she was taking his concerns about the possible alien incursion incredibly seriously.
Following her hurriedly, Osgood sighed deeply, wishing that Kate had finished her sentence before they had been interrupted and dragged back to the situation at hand. The Prime Minister really did have the worst timing.