Chapter 4

Rose was trying to adjust her wet suit.

"Mum."

Why does it have to be so tight? She tried pinching a portion of the material on her leg and ended up pinching her leg.

"Mum?"

"Stupid, sodding, suit, fit!" Rose commanded through gritted teeth, as she drew the zip up.

"Rose!" Red's voice broke through her concentration, and she looked round to see her daughter (depending on how you looked at it) sitting on a crate full of books and frowning at her. The caravan was Alan's and it looked a lot like she remembered the workshop where she had met Adam in her other universe, looking. Strange gadgets and a pair of trainers shared space on the tiny dinette, and the sink was full of muddy pottery shards.

Red sat near the door, and held her blue bunny on her lap. Rose gave her a smile.

"Yeah…what's up?"

The little blond girl gave her an exasperated look.

"I asked, when we are going home."

"Home?" Rose repeated, blinking.

"The bay," Red clarified. "Once we find the Time Lord Pocket watch, will we be able to go home."

"Norway," Rose bit down on her tongue. "Blimey." She looked at Red who seemed very small amongst the piles of archeological detritus, and considered her answer.

"What about the traveling, Red? That's fun. Doesn't it seem like a bit of adventure?"

The girl on the crate shrugged, and looked down.

The knock at the door startled them both

"Rose, are you ready yet?" Alan's voice carried easily through the thin skin of the caravan.

"The Doctor's already started down."

Rose growled, and guessed that that sound carried as well, because Alan was suddenly very quiet.

"Yes, I'm ready, just give me a second." She grabbed her mask and hurried toward the door. "Come on Red."

Outside, Alan stood in his wet suit, looking impatient.

"This way."

He led them down to the muddy beach, and into a tiny motor boat.

"Here put this in your ear," he said, handing her a tiny earpiece as they chuffed through the brown water of the inlet toward the open sea. "There is a microphone in the mask, and plus this we can all communicate with each other down there." He waggled the hand that wasn't operating the tiller.

"Of course, reception is terrible around the ship, so make sure that you keep someone in eyesight at all times, just to be on the safe side."

Rose nodded and popped the thing into her ear. Immediately, she heard the Doctor's voice, mid-gab

"…Bit dim down here. Need a light. Rose? Have you got your earpiece in yet? Blimey you are taking a while."

Oy, enough of that!" Rose interrupted. "We're almost to the staging area. You were supposed to wait for us."

"Could you bring an extra light down with you, when you come?" The Doctor's voice chirped in her ear, and she rolled her eyes. "I'm almost at the ship, but it's so dim I think it will be hard to do much searching."

"Fine. Light. Check." Rose glanced around the boat and spotted the mesh bag full of exploring gear, and especially heavy duty, underwater lights.

"Not a very patient bloke." Alan observed frowning down at the water. Rose shook her head.

"You don't know the half of it."

"Now stop that. I can still hear you." The Doctor complained.

"If the shoe fits mate." Alan's voice was a mutter, but Rose had to smile as she turned to Red.

"You can wait up here okay. We shouldn't be very long." The little girl sat in her bright yellow safety vest and looked at her with an expression of mixed trepidation and resentment.

"I want to go with you."

"We don't have any gear in your size, Red. It's not safe." Rose bit her lip. "But look, you'll be up here with Alan, and you can help him monitor everything."

Red's only response was a frown.

The motor boat tied up against a larger boat, with a crew of a couple scientists looking at bits and water samples. Rose grabbed the mesh bag and helped Red climb over the side of the bigger boat. Alan followed them.

"He already went down." One of the scientists, a woman grabbed the mooring line for the motor boat, and began tying it up. "The Doctor said to tell you, he'd see you down by the Untempered."

"The what?" Rose asked.

Alan turned to her and smiled. "There's lettering, like a name, or something on the side, and the words…well, the closest translation we have is "untempered".

Rose shrugged.

"Bit weird, but okay." She hefted the mesh bag. "So, how do I get down there?"

"Here," Alan led her over to the other side of the boat and pointed to a florescent pink nylon rope tied to a ring on the side. "This goes all the way down to the wreck, and ties onto a hatch. If you just keep your hand on the rope, you can't get lost."

"Got it; don't let go of the rope." Rose nodded, fighting down a swift surge of anxiety.

"Don't worry, "Alan reassured. "We also have a locator build into your suit and oxygen setup, so we won't lose you. It's just easier to work with the rope."

"Yeah, I get it."

Alan nodded, and then gestured to the bag.

"You've got lights in there, extra oxygen cells, and shark sticks."

Rose whirled from where she had been looking at the water to look back at him.

"Sharks?"

"Umm, yeah." The young man was trying to smile reassuringly, but he didn't have much talent at it. "Grey sharks swim in this area, and the occasional Ray."

"How occasional?" Rose asked.

He looked down at the bag, and then back up at her, trying for another smile.

"Hardly ever. Just keep the Shark sticks close." He knelt and pulled out a slender wand of metal. He showed her a button on the side.

"If an animal gets too close, just point this at them and push. It releases a burst of kinetic force that almost always drives them off."

Rose gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Almost?"

The look on Alan's face finally made her laugh.

"Oh, never mind. If I can handle Dalecks and Slitheen, I think I can handle a few fish."

"If Sharks are just fish, I don't even want to know what a Daleck or Slith-thing is." She heard Alan mutter, but just smiled and clipped the bag to her utility belt.

"I'll see you in a bit, Red." She smiled at the little girl who was still pouting. "Don't get into trouble."

Then she went over the side of the boat into the brackish, green water.

Sorry for how short this is. I just haven't had time to write, but the reviews and things do motivate me to find time, so thanks.