Title: Settling In
Author: Shen
Rating: NC-17 eventually, PG this chapter
Characters: Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Torchwood
Setting/Spoilers: Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at http://shengirl dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html
Teaser: Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.
Author's Note: This one goes out to my kind reviewers. :)

"So," she squeaked, going for matter-of-fact and achieving only well-shagged, "what was that thing you said needing discussing about Cardiff?" To her alarm, his hearts kicked up a faster beat.

Chapter 3: We Need to Talk

Rose lifted her head from the Doctor's chest and looked at his face. His expression was miserable, almost ill. Alarm immediately shot through her body.

"Doctor?" He opened his mouth but said nothing, apparently at a loss to verbalize his thoughts. Rose gently prodded, "Doctor, is it bad news?"

"No! It's actually good news, objectively. Just... go along, get cleaned up and dressed, and I'll take you to see something you'll like." His voice was gentle and quiet, the one he only used with her, and he forced a smile. However, Rose could see the anxiety in his eyes and even feel it through their link, open as it was after lovemaking. And was that guilt? She eyed him worriedly but realized it would be no use to badger him. Instead, she kissed him briefly and began pulling on pajamas for the trip to her room, asking him to please find the clothes that hadn't made it from the med bay to the bedroom.

"Um, your shirt didn't make it. But your jacket and... gun things remain unscathed." His lip curled in ill-disguised distaste at her weaponry, but Rose ignored it. He would have to get over the idea of her shooting things; defending the alternate Earth had required it.

"Good; pictures of my family are in that jacket. I was going to put them up in my room later, if we can pick up some frames."

"Why not put them in here? Er, if you like. I mean, you can stay here at night, when you want. As often as you want. And, as much ridicule as it would generate were I to admit it to them, I miss Jackie and Mickey." There was a bashful little boy manner about him. He was nervous! But Rose smiled broadly. More than just sleeping in his room from time to time, he wanted to make it their room again, going so far as to suggest added domesticity. Next thing she knew, he'd be offering his jealously guarded closet space (endless trainers on the floor).

"Okay!" She giggled happily and walked back towards him. "We can find some frames after this surprise of yours." The Doctor's hopeful smile faltered as she spoke, but she kissed him anyway, palm to his cheek. It was only when she turned around that she allowed her face to fall a bit. How could something be positive yet worry the Doctor sick? Absolutely no realistic options presented themselves. Especially not anything in Cardiff.

The Doctor got dressed and set about collecting Rose's discarded clothes and shoes from the infirmary. All the while, his mind spun in circles. Yes, that made perfect sense, inviting her to move into his room when it was entirely possible she'd hate him within the hour. Her first look at Jack would ensure that, or at least when she figured out that he'd knowingly abandoned him on the Gamestation. The Doctor sighed afresh, thinking of the time they'd just had. He was grateful for the closeness, the sensation of being at home in body and mind as he moved inside her, but it could well be the last time. It was disgusting of him, an unacceptable betrayal, to accept her love while hiding something so monumental. It would be a miracle if she forgave him for doing something that the harshly realistic part of him could only call using her. But she was so wanting, willing, insistent, so Rose and, without protest, his...

He'd gotten carried away, and he could only hope Rose could forgive such a monster.

"This looks like Torchwood Cardiff," came an alarmed and confused voice. Jack looked out the window of his office and saw Rose half out of the TARDIS door. Even at first glance, something struck him as different about her, observable now that she was conscious and alert. Her posture bespoke discipline and combat experience, an obvious consequence of belonging to a paramilitary organization, to his trained eye. Then there were her eyes, efficiently taking in details even as she reeled with shock. Beneath that soldierly aspect, there was something else as well, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Suddenly, her searching gaze alighted on Tosh, and she actually looked frightened. Tosh and Owen, the only members of the team in the main office at the time, indulged in a rare moment of shocked silence.

"Got it in one," Jack interjected before anyone else could speak. He climbed down the stairs to greet Rose while she just stared at him, slack-jawed. He grinned at her, and she made a strangled noise in her throat. Giving her head a vigorous shake, she cleared her throat an tried again.

"Jack?" He stopped a step in front of her, eyes twinkling.

"The one and only!" That was all it took to launch the blonde into his arms with a grip that might've strangled a lesser man.

"Oh my god! I thought I'd never see you again," she muttered into his shirt. He held her close, unbelievably grateful to feel her in his arms again. In ways that would upset the Doctor, partially, but also with a sense of relief at regaining a long lost friend and confidant. They had been like family, once, and hugs were an integral part of the equation. Then, without warning, Rose pulled away from his embrace, grabbed his head with both hands and kissed him. Jack's eyebrows flew up while his eyes closed, and his brain shorted out.

"Sorry," came Rose's sheepish voice, ending the snog all too soon, "I always thought I didn't do that right last time." And was that a trace of smugness in her tone? He opened his eyes to see her orbs shining but her mouth grinning with just a trace of smirk.

"Huh?" he asked intelligently. "Oh! Right." He gave his signature smile, regaining his normal, suave manner.

"That definitely made up for it, sweetheart. But why so shocked? Didn't the Doctor tell you?"

"Oh, you know me," came a resigned voice from the TARDIS door, "Not much for words when actions do better justice." Rose did a half turn to look at him.

"Doctor, I thought I'd pulled the TARDIS back to Pete's World," she accused, put out. The Time Lord wouldn't even meet her eyes. And now that he had a closer perspective, what had changed about Rose Tyler became clear. Beyond her slightly military bearing, there was a new confidence. This was not an uncertain teenager anymore. Rose had rarely been hesitant in the face of danger, but now it looked as though she knew any bravery was warranted. Preparedness, one might call it, and along with that a new depth of... wisdom? What had she been through on the other side? His scrutinizing was interrupted when Rose turned her gaze on him.

"Why do you feel... weird?" she asked. Jack's gut clenched, and he could only hope he didn't look too stricken. Not Rose... The Doctor, for his part, had replaced his guilty expression with surprise.

"You mean wrong?" Jack asked roughly, trying not to sound too bitter. Rose gave him a "What the hell is wrong with you?" look.

"Of course not! Why on Earth-"

"Sorry to interrupt the reunion. It's very touching, but we've been waiting patiently to find out what the hell is going on," griped Owen.

"Hello!" came a bright voice from the door. Everyone turned.

Ianto, as he let the door close behind them, explained, "Ms. Noble is back from shopping. Oh look, the glowing girl's out."

"You saw me glowing? I apologize if it was a shock."

"No, happens all the time," Ianto assured her with a smile. Rose laughed.

"Ah, Torchwood. I'm Rose Tyler, and if you're trying to look me up over there, you should know I'm legally dead," she announced, generating a guilty look from Tosh.

"Did you work for Torchwood One? Or perhaps Four? We haven't heard from them for well over a year," Ianto asked.

"No, sorry. I got stuck in an alternate universe and worked for their Torchwood. I have an ID here, see?" No one knew what to say to that, so a quick round of introductions began.

"...and this is the Doctor," Jack finished. Owen snorted, killing the Doctor's friendly smile.

"An alien with a random human title for a name?"

"The Doctor," Ianto repeated, nonplussed. Suddenly, he jolted with shock. "The Doctor? Not Sir Doctor?"

Preening a bit, said alien answered, "Yep, that's the one. Sir Doctor of TARDIS and Dame Rose of the Powell Estates. And you're welcome, by the way, since without us your job wouldn't exist."

"What are you on about?" Owen demanded incredulously.

Jack just sighed and asked, "Ianto is the only one to ever read the charter, isn't he?" Most of the team gave him guilty looks while Ianto practiced his endearingly smug ceiling-glance.

"Well?" Tosh prompted after a moment.

"Just look it up. Anyway, I traveled with these two for a while."

Gwen spoke archly, "The right kind of doctor, eh? This fellow is the secret you've been so jealously guarding?" One look at her expression told Jack she was less than impressed with his reasoning.

"Uh..."

"Oh, don't be too hard on him. I have a lot of embarrassing stories about the poor man, and I bring nothing but trouble wherever I go," the Doctor assured her seriously.

"Truer words ne'er spoken," intoned Donna. "Blowing things up, inciting revolutions, getting arrested, draining the Thames-"

"That was you?" exclaimed Gwen.

"Donna, that was not my fault! Blast it, you were there!" The Doctor looked distinctly put out while Donna smiled, apparently pleased with herself for winding him up. Jack got the sense it was a hobby of hers.

Rose, who had been resting her forehead in her palm with exasperation, looked up and cut in, "If you all don't mind – I hate to be rude – but we need to borrow the Captain for a bit. We have some catching up to do." She shot the Doctor and Jack ominous looks that brooked no argument. The mercurial switch in mood caught him off guard. But of course, the questions must have been driving her crazy; it was impressive that she kept up the pleasantries as long as she had.

"Um- can I look inside your ship?" Tosh interjected meekly. Looking at her, Jack felt a little pity. For such a phenomenal piece of technology to be sitting in front of the techie but unable to be touched must be torture. Like placing a banana split behind glass would be to the Doctor.

"I'll show you the inside later," he promised politely but distractedly. He was looking at Rose with something like fear, but Jack couldn't see her face from his present angle. He found himself glad for it.