A/N: So sorry for not updating last weekend, I was rather busy and this week's been nothing but frustrating. But I'm back, and have a week off of school so I'll be able to write more! Also, if you have the time that is, I do enjoy reading your feedback on this, so please take reviewing into consideration! Thank you. :)
P.S. As the days go by while The Doctor and Oswin are still working for the school, you'll begin to see a developing ritual of them spending their lunch breaks together. Just a cute little thing I'd thought I'd throw in there. ;P
Chapter Four
She awkwardly walked behind him, trying to keep up with his fast pace. Osgood never had a fair chance at being comfortable around people, and she figured that would never really change. The ritual had been going on for a few months now, and Osgood knew that she was practically committing a crime, but it was either committing one, or getting her brains blown out by the shot of a gun. Osgood didn't have a choice, with the poor bravery she held in her stomach. She was doing something wrong, something terribly, horribly wrong, and being the daughter of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, that made consequences even worse.
Now before any inappropriate assumptions are made, let the truth be told that Osgood's felonies were under the criteria of hacking. Though she may be a socially awkward and ever so vulnerable pariah, Osgood was smart, hell, she was brilliant. Her brain revolved around mathematical calculations and unexplainable science, quite the connoisseur at computer hacking, yet Osgood had never known that it would be used for such a pessimistic use.
He used her. The Editor; an intimidating threatening man who looked a little bit to much like a ghost, yet a hint of charm to convince one that he wasn't the slightest bit of devious. He seemed like an ordinary history teacher to an ordinary student eye, though Osgood had to keep her mouth shut about every single lie she'd known about him. Every other day of every week, he'd come and collect her from lunch, what was known to others as advanced placement classes, and he'd take her to the computer technician lab, and, well, she'd hack. Nothing but hack. And so you may ask, what shall happen if Osgood rejects to such illegal requests? Well, let's just state the fact that The Editor knew of her weaknesses.
The Editor and The Doctor. They seemed a hell of a lot similar. Osgood thought to herself while pacing down the hallway; it would have been amusing to her if the circumstances hadn't been so horribly terrifying. She pondered at the assumption that the two had some form of similarity or somewhat connection, she could find that on her own at a later time. The Editor opened the door to the empty classroom, and Osgood hesitated a moment before stepping in;she did that every time. She sat herself down at the first computer at the first row; the computer she had acquired a strange attachment to. He locked the door behind him as Osgood breathed in and tried to control herself. "W-what are you going to make me do this time?" she tried to snap at him, her voice coming out weak and fragile.
He grinned at her immorally. "You know me too well, Miss Stewart." He'd have something new for her to hack into every time, and every time he'd forced her to do it. He'd threatened her. He smoothly slid into the teacher's revolving chair at the front desk, spinning around a few times, almost as if he was thinking."What shall we hack today?" he muttered to himself in content. He obviously already targeted his mind on a decision. He spun the chair around to face Osgood and simply smiled. "What the hell...let's hack Torchwood."
Osgood sat up straight in her chair, for her mind had never really thought about hacking into Torchwood archives. No, it was too dangerous, she couldn't do it. Torchwood was a reliable ally with UNIT, the main security company her mother worked for, and if anyone found out about her hacking into its system, do you know how disgraceful consequences like that could be? "...no." Osgood mumbled to herself, for it brought her to shame at how easily he could convince her to follow his orders. Her voice was tiny and scared, but The Editor heard it just fine.
"What was that?" he asked her in a mocking surprise, his blue eyes narrowing. "No?" He raised his eyebrows at her response."Well, we can't take that for an answer, can we now?" He asked suspiciously, standing up from his chair and walking over to her. He stared at her coldly, lowering his voice as if someone were to hear. "I don't care if your the daughter of UNIT's commissioner, you don't follow orders, consequences will be obliged. Violent ones I might add." he growled lightly, his hand clenching her shoulder. Osgood flinched in slight pain, for he had a strong hold of her. "And besides, by school rules, you're supposed to do as you're told. Especially teachers." he lightened up a bit, flicking the bone underneath her collar. Osgood squirmed, for she had broken her collarbone when she was twelve, and though the injury didn't require surgery, it sure as hell hurt. Even now. The pain surged through her, and it told her that she'd better do as she was told unless she didn't want to break her clavicle. Again.
Osgood turned to face the blank computer screen and saw her reflection and in all honesty, she didn't know what to do with herself. She didn't care whether she was an honors student, she didn't care if she was called 'unbelievably talented in academics.' She cared about the fact that no one was there for her to tell. She couldn't even tell anyone. Her mother was either too busy or too tired to merely acknowledge her presence, and Osgood didn't even have a decent friend, and besides, what sort of a teenager would believe such an insane story about her psycho history teacher? It was then when the reality broke in. Osgood was alone. So with a shaky hand, Osgood turned on the computer, and thought to herself, I'm hacking Torchwood.
"Osgood!" A familiar voice called out to her. She snapped out her daydream to realize that the certain voice had belonged to The Doctor, and that she was sitting half-asleep in his first period physics class. "Huh?" she slightly mumbled to herself in embarrassment, then hoping that no one had heard. She turned to face The Doctor who was sitting at his desk in the front of the classroom. "May I please talk to you, Osgood? After class?" he asked her with that slight conviction that all teachers had. Osgood stared at him for a moment, taking a small respite to search her brain for any recall of her doing anything wrong. She couldn't find anything, so she didn't see a reason for him to feel the need to talk to her. "...okay." she responded nevertheless, The Doctor flashing her a small smile just as the bell had rung. As the students filed out of the classroom, Osgood arranged her books neatly on her desk for her convenience when she was to leave, then tiredly sliding out of her seat to toddle over to his desk. The Doctor had probably realized that Osgood was rather lethargic on that particular morning, so he motioned for her to have a seat in the desk directly in front of his.
Doing as she was told, Osgood asked suspiciously. "What did you call me in here for? Did I do anything wrong...?" she asked apprehensively. The Doctor shook his head.
"Oh, no, this is nothing about that, don't worry." He assured her, much to Osgood's relief. "I just have a...um...a small concern." He nodded his head slightly, Osgood keeping quiet to allow him to continue, at which point he did. "I've been informed by a few certain people that you've been acting kind of...off lately I should say, and I know that it's your personal decisions on whether to keep to yourself or not, but I've scheduled you for an appointment with the school counselor today during your advisory time." he took a moment's respite to allow Osgood to take it all in. "Not long, just a few minutes to get acquainted with her, she's a very attentive young woman, so don't hesitate to ask her anything." he smiled kindly, handing her a piece of paper with the times and the room number. Osgood looked at it blankly. She'd never heard of the school having a counselor, and she sure had never considered talking to one.
"Um...okay I suppose." Osgood whispered quietly, taking one last glance at the slip of paper before stuffing it into her pocket. "Thanks Doctor." she said shyly, and turned back to retrieve her books before heading out the door. But before she did, she turned back to take a good look at him, The Doctor, in suspicion. "What's her name?" she questioned him, wondering if he'd know the answer.
He looked up from the book on his desk and stared back at her. "Her name's Oswin."
Oswin bit into her apple during her lunch period, the bitten piece just a tiny bit to big for her mouth to obtain. The Doctor stifled a laugh at the sight of her. "I must look so attractive right now." Oswin mumbled with her mouth nearly full, attempting to chew successfully. He laughed even more so as she lightly swatted him in the arm. She turned back to stare at the crowd of adolescents before her in the cafeteria, for it wasn't hard to realize that the place was certainly loud. "Oh yeah, Osgood's seeing you today, one thirty." The Doctor added. Oswin nodded her head as if to say Okay, the word obviously not being able to come from her mouth considering the fact that an abnormally large amount of food was blocking her ability to speak. She continued to chew for a few blissful minutes before finally swallowing. "So," she started, neatly placing the apple on a napkin. "Who do you think he is?"
"Who's 'he'?" The Doctor asked.
"That...guy that took Osgood yesterday, you know, too much pride in their stride, sort of like you when you're walking?" she said nonchalantly, The Doctor glaring at her playfully. "Ruffian? Raider? Technological brainiac?" she shot a few suggestions towards him.
"Why would he need Osgood if he was a technological braniac?" he pondered, Oswin nodding her head slightly to show that she was paying attention. It wasn't obscure, he could tell that Osgood was somewhat into computers, judging by her grades in that particular criteria. (He had hacked into the school's grading system the night before, then realizing that he didn't really have to, he had the rights considering that he was a teacher after all.) "Could be a ruffian, couldn't see why not, but a raider?" He scoffed lightly. "What's to steal from a secondary private school?" The Doctor folded his hands and set them on the table. "That guy...he's not here for the school, I think he's here for Osgood's smarts of sorts." he muttered to himself. "I mean, what else?"
"But why couldn't he just find someone who works in his own agency to do all of the technician matters?" Oswin asked suspiciously.
"I don't know, he either works alone or everyone he works with are idiots." The Doctor snapped, slouching over a bit, thinking to himself. "But maybe..." he suddenly found a realization. "Maybe it's not just for Osgood's acumen, maybe it's for her mother's work."
Oswin felt a tiny bit enlightened for a mere moment. "Yeah..." she trailed off, thinking about it for a few moments. "Osgood's mother is the head of UNIT, owns a set of exhibition displays, maybe..." she trailed off. "Maybe he wants something from her." Her mind was carefully taking mental notes.
The Doctor, on the other hand, was feeling rather exuberant. He always had that feeling when something was up. "Ah, brilliant!" he exclaimed, coming to the attention of the next few tables or so. He simply waved back at their odd looks. "Oswin," he said in a hushed voice. "You need to find out what Osgood's been doing, might take some time though, have to admit, you can be a little hard to trust-ow!" he yelled as quietly as he could as Oswin practically stomped on his foot underneath the table with her heel."Okay, let's just say you have minor yet understandable trust issues." he said slowly, his temporary injured foot serving as proof. "Alright?"
Oswin glared at him for a moment before nodding her head. "Yeah...alright."