The next several weeks were interesting to say the least. By the end of the first weekend, she had settled into her flat, even recruiting Jack and Gwen to help her do some painting to liven up the bare white walls. A fun Sunday afternoon was spent away from the office painting random colours on different walls. The flat looked much more hodge podge than before, but it seemed much more her style. Gwen declared she liked the eclectic décor and Jack simply remarked it was different, but if Rose liked it, then he liked it. Peter said nothing at all when the next morning she showed him into her flat before work, expecting him to comment, and instead he immediately launched into a discussion about the latest alien sighting Torchwood was dealing with. Rose felt oddly disappointed in his lack of reaction.

She found she enjoyed all of the Torchwood Cardiff team. Jack was of course her one link to her past with the Doctor, and yet, it didn't take her long to realize that while he was similar to the man she knew, he wasn't the same either. He seemed less driven by the loss of his past in this world. When Rose had asked him about it one night, he explained that for now, he was satisfied with working for Torchwood. He knew someday he would continue his quest to find out about his missing years and make those responsible pay, but until an opportunity to leave this time presented itself, he was determined to make the best of things.

Gwen was the female friend she used to have in Shareen before she left with the Doctor. Of course, they had much more adult conversations than she used to with Shareen, but they still had fun going out to pubs with Jack and the rest of the team. Gwen claimed she missed having female companionship at Torchwood, because Toshiko rarely left her lab during the work day and dealing with testosterone-driven constantly men got on your nerves after a while. Several times she and Gwen would order some take away and sit in front of the telly to just relax. Occasionally, Jack would join them, and he'd amuse them with his hilarious commentary on the broadcast shows.

She didn't know Toshiko or Owen as well, but often the two of them along with the rest of the core team would get together at local pubs after finishing a case, watching football on the telly and generally getting to know one another in a more social setting. Rose enjoyed these nights tremendously, as they gave her a sense of camaraderie she had missed since leaving the TARDIS.

Peter was the one mystery of the bunch. He rarely joined them for pub gatherings, choosing to stay late at work instead. When Rose questioned Gwen about his absence, Gwen stated that Peter had always been like this since she had been at Torchwood, and that she doubted he'd be likely to change anytime soon. Rose even tried to invite him over for a simple night of telly once and a while, convinced that all the time at work couldn't be good for a person. However, each and every time she asked, Peter always replied that he had too much to do. She was slowly becoming determined to make him have a little fun. Every so often she'd force the Doctor to do the same when he got too serious, and it always did him a world of good, so she figured it wouldn't hurt Peter to do the same.

"Come on, Peter," she cajoled, giving him a pleading look. "Every time Jack or Owen bring up going down to the pub, you've come up with some excuse not to join. It's a Friday night, we've just wrapped up an alien threat, and the gang wants to have some fun."

"Rose, just because we've wrapped up the Zathora problem, doesn't mean we don't have paper work to complete," he replied, not looking up from his desk.

"Damn it, Peter!" she said, frustrated with his attitude. "You bloody well know that paper work can wait until Monday. I'd like to go tonight and I'm not leaving you to finish it up on your own."

She and Peter had fallen into a semi-routine together. Every morning, they'd share coffee and discuss the latest findings. She'd then return to her office, leaving him to his organized mess as she liked described it. At times she wanted to just file everything away so she wasn't always stepping over files, but she knew that was how he preferred it, and if it worked for him, so be it. Sometimes they were called into the field on an investigation or to contain some sort of alien threat. Those were times Rose enjoyed the most, as the thrill of the investigation reminded her of the adventures she'd had with the Doctor.

She did like working with Peter a lot, contrary to what people warned her about in the beginning. Sure, he was surly and sarcastic, but he had an intelligence and intuitive sense about him that was rarely wrong. Another thing she liked was that she found she could keep up with his intelligence and frequently match it with her own. Many times with the Doctor, she felt naïve and stupid because of his blinding intellect, but she knew Peter respected her opinions and ideas.

"Rose—" he warned, becoming annoyed by her insistence.

"No, you are coming with," and with that said, she reached over and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of his chair. She grabbed his trench coat and held it out for him to put on.

"You're going to bother me about this until I give in, aren't you?" he said, heaving a sigh and giving one last defeated look at the pile of paper work.

"Nope," she grinned, as she watched him pull his coat. "It'll be good for you to relax. Have a bit of fun. You do remember what fun is?"

"Of course I remember what fun is," he growled as he stalked out of the office. Rose followed behind him, flipping off the lights and closing the door behind her. She caught up with him in the corridor near the exit.

"I'm glad you decided to come," she said, glancing up at him. "All work and no play makes Peter a very dull boy."

The evening was hopping at the Crown and Anchor. Jack looked around, seeing that the usual Friday night crew was present, minus one Rose Tyler. He had stopped by her office after returning from the field earlier to share the plans for the evening. She eagerly agreed to join in the festivities, but wanted to try to talk Peter into joining first.

Jack didn't understand her need to get Peter to socialize more. Jack had known the man for nearly two years now, and he as a workaholic if he ever saw one. Of course, Rose would just laugh and say it takes one to know one. He could see her getting frustrated over Peter's remoteness, and hoped it wouldn't interfere with their working relationship.

He was surprised at how well the two of them complimented each other. Rose was cheery while Peter was irritable. Rose could talk non-stop, while Peter would comment when he felt it necessary. They both were extremely intelligent and quick thinking, and for whatever reason, Rose seemed to put up with Peter's crap the way no one else could. Jack had asked her once how she put up with his attitude and she just replied, "oh, I got used to that kind of thing dealing with the Doctor."

Jack still didn't know all the details about Rose's Doctor, but he was slowly drawing them out, piece by piece. In a way, he felt like Rose's therapist, letting her talk through her relationship at her own pace. He was pleased that he seemed to be the only person Rose truly opened up to about her past. Even Gwen, whom Rose had made fast friends with, knew little about how Rose gained all her knowledge about alien life.

"Well, well, well," Gwen's voice said beside him. He turned to her, wondering what was going on. She tilted her head towards the door of the pub and continued, "look what the cat managed to drag in."

Jack looked towards the door and saw Rose enter the pub with Peter holding the door open behind her. She made a beeline towards their table, Peter trailing behind her.

"Jack, Gwen!" she said, pulling out a chair for herself. "I managed to get this old lump out of the office finally." She angled her head towards Peter.

"Wonders never cease," Gwen muttered, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Nice to see you join us, Peter."

"Likewise," he replied, not really paying any attention to her. He turned to Rose, "What would you like?"

"Oh, I don't care," she said, giving him a smile. "Surprise me." He nodded and moved towards the bar.

"Rose, how'd you manage to get him to come tonight," Gwen asked, leaning over Jack to get closer.

"I just asked nicely, Gwen," Rose replied. She must have noticed the expressions of disbelief on both their faces. "All right, I begged and pleaded with him. Doesn't matter how I got him here, though. He's here now."

A few minutes later, Peter returned with two beers for him and Rose. He sat them down on the table, then took off his coat and settled in. Rose took an appreciative sip of her glass. "It's good, Peter, thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied, taking a drink himself.

Rose turned to Gwen and asked, "So Gwen, is Rhys joining us tonight?"

Gwen nodded back. "He should be here soon. I think he's bringing a friend along with him."

Jack looked at Gwen in surprise. Gwen was very happy with her boyfriend Rhys, and Jack liked the man a lot. "Why's Rhys bringing a friend?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Oh, I mentioned that Rose hadn't had a chance to date anyone since coming to Cardiff," she replied, giving Rose a wicked grin. "And as Rhys likes Rose, he thought his friend might be a good match up."

Rose groaned beside him and took a large drink of her beer. "Gwen…"

"Rose, just meet the guy," Gwen said, reaching across Jack to touch Rose's arm. "It's just a drink."

Rose just dropped her head into her hands. Jack looked at her in amusement, then caught sight of Peter's face. While he'd be hard pressed to describe his expression as jealous, he could certainly tell Peter was less than pleased.

A commotion by the door caught their attention and beside him, Gwen called out, "Rhys, Colin…over here."

Rhys and his friend weaved their way through tables, finally coming to stop by their table. "Gwen," Rhys said, greeting her with a kiss. He looked around the table to the others. "Jack, nice to see you again. You too, Rose." He stopped at Peter. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met."

Peter stood up and held out his hand. "Peter Carlisle. I work with Gwen."

Rhys nodded and shook his hand. "I think I've heard Gwen mention you a few times." He then gestured towards his friend. "This is Colin. Colin, this Jack and Peter," he said, pointing to each of them. "And this is Rose, the one I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you," Rose said, taking another drink. Jack noticed it was nearly empty. He had to wonder why she was drinking so fast. Maybe it was because this was the first potential date she'd had since leaving the Doctor

Colin noticed the nearly empty glass, "Want another, Rose?"

"Why not?" Rose said, getting up and moving over by him. "I'll come with you to the bar so we can talk a bit."

Colin grinned at her, and led her away. Next to him, Peter stared after the two. "Are you just going to let her go off with him?" he growled softly, his eyes never leaving Rose.

"She's a big girl, Peter," Jack replied, surprised at his outburst. "He's a friend of Gwen's. I'm sure he's trustworthy."

The next few hours were interesting to say the least. His original plans included finding someone to flirt with and maybe take home later on, but instead, he was faced with an increasingly intoxicated Rose and a very irritable Peter. Gwen and Rhys had abandoned the table early on, not wanted to deal with Peter's attitude. Jack looked longingly at their table, wishing he could join them, but didn't want to leave Peter on his own. While he was amused at Peter's annoyance, Jack was beginning to tire of his never ending comments about the suitability of Rhys's friend.

"Don't know why she invited me," Peter muttered to himself. He eyes were set on Rose, who was sitting a couple tables away with Colin, laughing loudly at some joke he must have told.

Jack heaved a sigh. He had no idea what was going on between the two, but this was not a reaction he would have expected. "You could go over and talk to her, you know."

"What?" Peter said, looking at him. All the sudden a loud crash carried across the room. They both looked up to see Rose sitting on the floor.

"Damn it," Jack swore, getting up along with Peter to see what happened.

Colin reached down to pull Rose up to her feet. "I's think I had too much to drink," she slurred, wobbling a bit.

"I'll take you home," Colin said, a bit too eager for Jack's taste.

To his surprise, Peter stepped forward. "The hell you will. She's my partner, I'll take her home."

Jack didn't like the expression on either of the men's faces. Deciding to step in, he moved forward to gently pull Rose away from both men. "I'll take Rose home." He gave Peter and Colin a look that said, back off. Colin very wisely left to go to sit with Gwen and Rhys.

Peter just nodded, and stalked off, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair before he left the pub. Beside him Rose looked up with confusion, "where's he goin'?"

"Home, Rose," Jack answered, wrapping one arm around her waist as he started to lead them to the door. He only paused briefly to grab both of their jackets. "That's where you're going right now."

"Okay, Jack," she said, following him sedately to his car. He helped her in, hoping she didn't get sick before they got back to her flat. Thankfully the drive back was uneventful.

He got Rose back up to her door with little problem, though she dropped her keys several times, before he sighed and took them away. "Let me, Rose," and led her into the flat.

He flipped on the lights, intending to take her to the kitchen to give her some water, when he noticed her pale color. "Rose?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said, weaving slightly. Jack quickly rushed her to the loo, where she promptly vomited all the contents of her stomach. He sighed, thinking to himself, the things friends do. He reached over to the sink and filled the glass on it with water, handing it to Rose when she wearily raised her head from the toilet. Reaching over to flush, he said, "Rinse your mouth with the water." She did as he asked, then shakily stood up.

"Jack—"

"It's okay Rose, I don't mind a bit," he soothed, reaching out to brush some hair away from her pale face. "If I go to the kitchen, can you clean up after yourself on your own?"

She nodded, and giving her one last glance, Jack left her to her own devices. He headed towards the kitchen, knowing that at least drinking some water would make Rose feel a hell of a lot better in the morning. He waited patiently for Rose to appear and a few minutes later, a subdued Rose returned to the kitchen. While not exactly sober, she certainly was less intoxicated than she was before.

"Rose, can I leave you alone?" Jack asked, looking at her intently. He didn't want to leave her if she was going to be sick again.

"I'll be fine," she said, accepting the glass of water he handed her and taking a sip. "Thank you, Jack."

"No problem," Jack smiled, getting up and leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Just don't do this again."

"I won't," she promised, holding her head in her hand.

Jack headed to the door. "I'm leaving now, Rose. Make sure you lock up behind you." He waited until he saw Rose nod. Praying he was doing the right thing in leaving, he left Rose's flat. He heard a door slam behind him, but when he looked, he couldn't see whose flat it came from. He waited a few moments, until he heard the snick of Rose's lock. Shaking his head, he headed for his flat. This had been one unusual night.

"Fuck!" Peter growled as he stalked out of the pub. Why had he allowed Rose to talk him into this? Because you're a weak-willed bastard who can't say no to a pretty girl, a nasty little voice inside his head said.

"God damn it," he said, bending his head against the roof of his car. He wasn't going to do this again. Hadn't he learned this lesson in Blackpool? Last time he let his heart get in the way of his good reason, it had cost him everything.

Natalie. He had managed not to think about her for months, doing all that he could to suppress the painful memories thinking of her inevitably brought. Getting into the car, he began his ride home, but the memories of what happened in Blackpool came rushing back to him, no matter how much he wanted to stop them.

He had been so cocky back then, positive that Ripley Holden was guilty of killing Mike Hooley and covering up his murder. He intended at first to use Ripley's wife, Natalie, as an unwitting source of information, but as he got to know her better he started to fall under her spell. Soon, he was ass over teakettle in love with her, conducting an affair right under her husband's nose, and doing his damnedest to send Ripley Holden off to jail, no matter the consequences.

And the consequences were steep. Mike Hooley's murder was never officially solved, due to Ripley blackmailing Peter because of his affair with Natalie. Peter was forced to silence his long suffering partner, Blythe, with the threat of framing him with a false drug charge, so that he wouldn't go after Ripley's family anymore. Peter did manage to get Natalie away from Ripley, but it didn't last like he'd hoped.

All it took was a few whispers from Ripley's friends in the right ears in Kendal about his affair with the lead suspect's wife, and his career as a Detective Inspector was in the toilet. His suspect conduct on the case and lack of closure led to him being placed on permanent desk duty.

When Natalie discovered the extent of Peter's deception and the lengths he was willing to go to destroy Ripley, she wanted out of their relationship before it barely began. She claimed she had just left a man that was deceitful and dishonest, and she didn't plan to make the same mistake twice. She couldn't live with a man who went to those kinds of lengths to destroy her family.

So, he was left with a dead end job and the love of his life had just walked out on him. He would have gone mad if Jack wouldn't have walked into the station and offered him the job in Cardiff. Peter jumped at the chance to have a fresh start on his life, a new life where all aspects of it wasn't tainted by the stench of Blackpool.

He had been doing so well, not allowing himself to get too close to anyone; just focusing on the job. For the most part he loved the challenge, though he was annoyed at the constant stream of partners forced down his throat. He didn't know why Jack couldn't accept he was better off on his own. Or at least that's what he thought until he met Rose Tyler.

"Damn it," he swore, throwing his trench coat onto the floor of his entryway. Why in the hell was this bothering him so damn much? Why should he care what Rose Tyler did on her free time?

He heard a commotion in the hall, and before he could stop himself, he was opening the door to peak out. In the hallway stood Jack and Rose, trying to open her door. Finally, Jack took her keys from her and led her into her flat. Peter just stood there, staring at the door in disbelief.

Closing the door, he walked over to his sofa, sitting down without turning on any lights. He was positive there was nothing going on between Jack and Rose. He knew this because he had been suspicious of their relationship from the first time they met. No stranger greeted someone like Rose did Jack at the train station. So he had watched and observed, looking for any signs of impropriety. He thought nothing was happening between them, but maybe he had read the relationship wrong. Or maybe Jack was going to take advantage of Rose while she was intoxicated. Jack's reputation as a playboy was famous at Torchwood. Would it be so hard to imagine Jack taking Rose up on an offer of sex while she was drunk?

Peter heard a door opening, and he rushed over, quietly opening his own to watch what was happening. He could make out Rose in front of Jack as he said his goodbyes. Sensing Jack was about to turn, Peter quickly shut his door, closing it harder than he intended.

He went back over to the sofa, oddly thankful that Jack left when he did. There was no way Jack could have done anything with Rose in that short amount of time. But was Rose all right? She hadn't looked very good when she left the pub earlier, and maybe she shouldn't be alone right now. Should he go check on her?

He spent the next 15 minutes debating whether or not to check on Rose. He got up and headed for his door, opening it slowly. I'm just checking to see if my partner's okay, he told himself as he made his way down the hall to Rose's door. He knocked softly, just in case she was asleep. He was just about to leave when he heard Rose fumbling with the locks on the door.

The door opened to reveal Rose in a hot pink cotton chemise gown that ended somewhere mid thigh. "Oh, it's you!" Rose exclaimed, surprise written on her face.

Peter swallowed as he took in the sight of Rose's messed up hair and barely covered body. "I—uh—I just wanted to check to see if you were okay," he stammered, turning his head and trying desperately to look anywhere but at Rose.

"Oh, how sweet," Rose said, walking forward to turn Peter's face towards her. "You're a very nice partner, Peter. You even look like my Doctor, but you're not…" she got a far way look in her eyes for a moment, the looked up at him with determination. "I never got to kiss him, you know? I don't want to lose that chance with you, too."

Reaching up on her tip toes, she placed her lips on his. Surprised, his arms automatically went around her back, as he gave into her kiss. Her lips parted and he could feel her tongue tracing his bottom lip, begging for entrance. Opening his mouth to hers, he stroked his tongue against hers, pulling her closer to his body so she molded against him perfectly. Her hands when to his hair, pushing into it as she tried to pull herself even closer.

He broke his lips from hers, trailing his mouth along her cheek to her ear, sucking one of the lobes into his mouth and pulling gently. He began walking them into her flat, intending to explore this new avenue of their relationship when he felt her go slack in his arms. Pulling his mouth away from her throat, he saw Rose had passed out in his arms.

Laughing weakly at the irony of what just happened; he bent down to pick her up, and then began carrying her towards her bedroom. He walked into the dark room, noticing the bed with its thrown back covers. Laying her down gently, he smoothed back her hair, kissing her once softly on the forehead, then another on her slightly opened mouth. She shifted against him, murmuring something he couldn't make out.

He reached for the covers, pulling them up over Rose's form. She immediately turned onto her side, curling her fists under her chin. He stood over her, watching her sleep for a few minutes, then walked out of her bedroom.

Peter drew a deep breath. He had done it again. He had allowed romance to interfere with his work once again. He turned around to glance back at Rose one last time. Should he pursue Rose? Would she welcome that kind of relationship with him? Maybe he'd test the waters a bit from now on. Flirt a bit more with her to see how she'd respond.

Smiling to himself, he let himself out of Rose's flat, making sure to lock it before he left. As he walked back to his own flat, he thought to himself, Rose Tyler, I hope you know what you've just got yourself into.