Aneres slowly moved further into the Tardis, still completely focused on what she had received from Victoria. "What's that there?" The Doctor asked, gesturing at the letter in Aneres' hands. The Time Lady looked up, "Victoria gave me this when we were leaving, told me to read it when I got back home," She explained, holding the letter out for him to inspect. Rose scoffed, "You liar, Queen Victoria wouldn't write to the likes of you." Aneres let out a sigh while ignoring the blonde. The Doctor slowly brought the letter closer to inspect it. "Yep, that's her official seal." The Doctor affirmed while he passed it back to Aneres. The Time Lady grinned at her Tether while sending a smug glare to Rose, who looked positively vile. "I'm going to go read this, I'll see you later," Aneres excused herself from the room and made her way down a corridor.
The Doctor turned to stare at Rose, "You really need to stop this attitude of yours towards Aneres." He stated, his voice ice cold. The blonde choked on air, in shock, "She's constantly leaving me out of the loop, insulting me, monopolizing you, showing off, how am I supposed to be pleasant around that?!" She demanded, her words steadily growing into an indignant shriek. The Doctor sighed and took to steps towards her, "Rose, you're my companion, and my friend, but Aneres is also a friend, and I won't tolerate you treating her this way for much longer," Rose glared up at him, his words igniting a deep, jealous fury. With a snarl, she quickly turned on her heel and stormed from the console room, ignoring his shouts for her to come back.
TEotOS
Aneres continued to make her way down the corridors, keeping an eye out for her door. Once she had rediscovered its place in the Tardis she opened it and ducked into the safety of her room. She then removed her shoes, leaving her feet clad in stockings while she climbed into bed and made herself comfortable. The Tardis let out a soft hum and locked her door, much to the Time Lady's amusement. "You can leave it unlocked," She called out, frowning at the Tardis' discouraged hum, but deciding to ignore it. With a click the door unlocked, and Aneres turned her attention back to the envelope in her hands. She slowly opened the wax seal on the letter and unfolded the paper gently, taking great care not to rip anything. Once it was unfolded, her green eyes slowly focused on the words in front of her, and a soft smile rose to her lips.
"Dear Aneres, I hope that you and your husband have returned to your home safely, and that you have begun to put our shared events aside in your memory. In light of said events I have created the Torchwood Institute, and based it in that same estate as Sir Robert and Lady Isobel have decided to depart from there. This is my protective measure against those that would harm my subjects, as they are my all-consuming concern as the reigning monarch," Aneres chuckled at her seriousness, the maternal care she had for her people, "This does apply to your husband, with his otherworldly knowledge, and ability to bring great harm to Britain. I know that this will bring you great pain, to know that he is an enemy, but rest assured child, there are some exceptions to this decree. Should you be with him, your kindness towards me during that fateful night shall protect him from any attacks. While I can infer that you possess a similar knowledge to your husband, you never left the rest of us in the dark, spouting out facts and theorems we could only dream of. You cared enough to ensure that my company made it out of that house alive, and with minimal injuries to our bodies and minds," Aneres wiped her eye as a lone, thankful tear ran down her face. She had always been someone to care for those that the Doctor was helping, especially since he often forgot that they were as equally terrified and in need of comfort as he was, even if they didn't show it. "My thanks are everlasting for that care from you, and in honor of it I am extending an open invitation in your name. Should you ever need a friend to confide in, a place to reside in times of distress, my doors shall always be open to receive you. I also would like to extend a warning, for I fear you have an enemy in your midst even as you leave this place. That Rose Tyler has many an eye for your husband, and I urge you to be watchful of her troublesome actions in the presence of your husband." Aneres rolled her eyes, "You didn't need to tell me darling, she already makes it pretty bloody obvious," she murmured before continuing to read the letter. "Should these actions achieve the worst of accomplishments, write to me and I will do everything in my power to remove you from that situation. Once again, my sincerest thanks for your assistance, your care, and your kindness, and I hope to see you in the near future."
Aneres slowly folded the letter back into its envelope, smiling softly while tears leaked down her face. "Oh, Victoria," She whispered to herself, "You are truly a magnificent woman." She then swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up, pausing to stretch her sore muscles. The sound of her door opening caused her to pause and turn around, a frustrated sigh escaping her at the sight of Rose standing in her threshold. "Do you believe that you can simply enter someone's room without knocking first?" Aneres demanded, her hands resting on her hips. "Oh you want to talk about being entitled?" Rose demanded, crossing the room to get in her face, "How about we think back on the fact that you've been showing off just because you're a Time Lady?" She snapped, glaring up at the woman, who merely laughed right in her face.
"Oh Rose, this isn't me showing off," Rose scoffed, about to respond, "This is me being a caring individual for the victims of horrible events and reaping the benefits while you give the Doctor puppy eyes and fawn over his every word, being completely and utterly useless in the meantime," Aneres continued, stopping Rose in her tracks. The blonde gaped at her, fury blossoming as her cheeks darkened and eyes narrowed at the raven. "I understand, better than anyone, that the Doctor is absolutely gorgeous in mind, body and soul, but I somehow still have more humanity than you when I'm in the same room with him," Aneres smirked, watching Rose stumble back slightly. "How dare you!" Rose snarled, lunging forward, only to fall on her face. Aneres chuckled, having moved out of the way only a second before.
"Poor, poor Rose," She murmured, beginning to leave the room, "If you want to dish it out you better be able to take it," Rose sniffled, hate-filled tears streaming down her face while Aneres departed her room and made her way down the corridors. The blonde quickly got back up, moving to chase the woman, only to find herself being directed to the console room. A frustrated shriek escaped her as she continued to try and find that bloody woman.
TEotOS
Aneres walked briskly, her tattered dress flowing in the slight breeze she was creating with her movements. Eventually she found herself in front of the wardrobe, an insistent hum from the Tardis forcing her to go in and change her clothes. Upon entry she discarded the dress, and made her way through the racks, completely nude. The Tardis let out a scandalized sort of shriek in her mind, badgering her endlessly, while Aneres merely cackled. "Oh darling, this is certainly not the first time I have been naked here," She drawled, running her fingers on the various fabrics. The Tardis continued jabbering in her mind, growing more and more frantic the longer Aneres took. Finally, Aneres found the drawer where undergarments were kept. She retrieved a matching set of lacy, blue undergarments which consisted of a bra and panties, nothing too extravagant. A squeak drew her eyes back up, where they locked on the chocolate orbs of the Doctor. The Tardis gave a defeated hum before departing her mind and lurking somewhere.
"You-You're," The Doctor stammered, looking straight up at the ceiling. "Naked?" Aneres asked, slowly moving over to him. "Y-Yes," He whispered, his mouth dry as he avoided staring at her figure. "Not entirely," Aneres suddenly said, moving away from him and down another aisle, "I was earlier though! You should turn up the heat in here by the way, not exactly a great environment for being nude," She jested, cackling at the blush that rose on his cheeks. The Doctor gulped, images floating across his mind of what she looked like completely nude. He hadn't seen her fully in this regeneration, but it was clear this one was equally as bold as her previous ones. "Oh relax Doctor, I'm about to pick my newest outfit, and I'm going to need an opinion on whether it's flattering or not." Aneres explained, frowning at the clothing in front of her. "You always look delightful," The Doctor called, trying to regain control of himself, "You could wear a bin bag and still be gorgeous," He said, his words completely sincere as they made eye contact.
"Flattery will get you nowhere darling," Aneres shouted with a playful smirk on her lips. "It isn't flattery if it's true!" He called back, making his way down the aisle just to the left of hers. A delighted laugh left her and brought a smile to the Doctor's face, thoroughly enjoying their playful banter. She then turned back to the clothing and grabbed a black and silver striped sweater, a pair of blue distressed jeans, green leather ankle boots, and a green headband. "Let me try this on, I'll be back for your verdict," She called while walking over to a cubicle. Her body quickly wiggled into the outfit, grinning at her reflection in the mirror opposite her. The sweater clung to her figure but was still warm, the jeans showed up her sculpted legs and ass, helped along by the slight height that the ankle booties were giving her. For a final touch, she slipped the headband in, her curls puffing out around it and framing her face delicately.
"How do I look?" The Doctor spun around at Aneres inquiry, his jaw promptly dropping at the sight of her. Aneres blushed, moving closer so he could inspect her better. His eyes scanned the outfit, from the curve of her breasts against the stretchy fabric of the sweater, the dip leading to her hips, the slope of her thighs and calves, leading to her dainty shoes, and blushing when his eyes lingered for a shade too long. "See something you like?" Aneres asked, taking another step forward and smirking up at him. "You're going to be the death of me," He whispered, grabbing her hips and pulling her to him. "Ah ah ah," Aneres scolded while pulling away, "If you want to get handsy the least you could do is make me dinner," She whispered, watching his eyes darken with restrained hunger for her. "Very well," He husked, linking his arm with hers, "To the kitchen we go!" He cheered, brightening up and skipping down the hall with her.
TEotOS
Aneres grinned when they entered the kitchen, hoisting herself up onto the island while the Doctor gathered ingredients. "Are you still as abysmal as you were back home?" Aneres asked with mischief in her eyes. "Excuse me dear, I happen to have become quite proficient in the culinary arts," The Doctor replied, his voice in a posh accent while he giggled. The Time Lady watched her Tether in amusement as he started cutting up some meat and vegetables. "So, who taught you to cook?" She asked, moving to sit with her legs tucked under her body. "Around a century ago, the Tardis underwent a major energy surge, it caused her to have a consciousness for a period of time, which lead to her teaching me how to properly cook for myself," The Doctor explained, wincing as the Tardis let out a pained hum, remembering that experience. Aneres cackled, "I don't think it was a particularly pleasant experience for her," She whispered conspiratorially, delighting in the Doctor's embarrassed blush. "I did get better you know! It only took about… five fires?" Aneres descended into a giggle fit at The Doctor's words, hiding her face in her hands. The Doctor smiled, chuckling along while he threw the meat and vegetables in a wok and swirled them around.
TEotOS
Rose let out a shriek, furiously kicking the walls of the console room when she arrived back there for the fifth time in a row. "Let me go!" She shouted, walking out of the room only to return once again. "God, stop defending her!" A furious growl resonated from the Tardis, unable to stand the slander and threats of violence that Rose was making towards Aneres. Rose glared at the center console, "She doesn't mean anything! All she is to the Doctor is a reminder that his people are gone!" Rose screeched, smacking the console with her fists. "I'm the one that matters. Not her, not anyone else, just me! I fixed him, I made him better!" She continued, crying tears stained black with her cheap mascara. "He'll see," She suddenly whispered, "I'll show him how much she doesn't matter," The Tardis let out a sigh before letting her go down the hall, only to end up in her own bedroom. Before Rose could react the Tardis slammed the door shut and locked it.
TEotOS
Aneres took a small bite from her meal, staring at the man across from her, "This might just be better than my cooking!" She exclaimed, smiling at the Doctor with pride. "Nothing is as good as your cooking," The Doctor replied as he returned the smile, "You fed both of our families every weekend, remember?" Aneres laughed, memories of their families coming over for dinner, kids playing in the fields behind their home, and she and The Doctor playing cards with their old schoolmates running through her mind. "You always tried to hide the desserts from my Nan and Pa, and you'd cheat at nearly every game of poker," She remembered fondly, taking another bite of her food. "Well your old Dad and Nan never left anything for me by the end of dinner!" He replied, beaming at her, "And I only cheated because Lori was counting cards and helping Wryanim win." Aneres cackled at his words, "Those two were the best mates," She murmured, smiling fondly. The Doctor nodded, "I still remember when they found out we were Tethers and nearly bludgeoned me," He whispered with a chuckle. "If you hadn't decided to do it by kissing me in public they might have shown you mercy," Aneres said, smirking at the Doctor.
"It's not my fault you were, and still are, absolutely breathtaking," The Doctor said, blushing a dark red at the memory. Aneres smiled and took some more bites of her food before standing up and moving to stand beside him. "Do you remember the time when my mother walked into our house, completely unannounced, and you walked into the living room wearing nothing but a towel and some shaving cream?" She asked, running her hands through his hair idly. "Oh god," He groaned, covering his face at the thought, "I thought she was going to pass on right then and there," He murmured, shaking his head from side to side while laughing. Aneres smiled, kneeling slightly to wrap her arms around him. "She really liked you, thankfully," She whispered, squeezing him tightly. The Doctor smiled and squeezed her arm gently, "My parents adored you," He whispered, "I remember when I came home from our graduation and they immediately dragged me right back out the door to go to the party your Nan had organized," Aneres chuckled at the memory of him showing up at the party, his mum dragging him by the ear.
"God, things were so simple back then," He whispered, turning to stare at her face. "Yes, but if everything was simple there would be no adventure," Aneres replied as she pressed a soft kiss to his temple. "How very true," The Doctor murmured before slowly standing to hug her properly. "At least we still have each other," He said while he rested his head atop hers. Aneres nodded slightly as she breathed in his scent, listened to his hearts, and stood in his embrace.
TEotOS
Rose raised her head from its place on her pillow, the sound of her mobile having woken her from the sleep all of her crying had induced. She quickly fished the phone from her pocket, relieved at the name showing up with the call, and opened it. "Hello Mickey," Rose said, smiling as his happy voice piped up. "Hey Rose, how's life with the Doctor?" He asked, beaming at the sound of her voice. "Not that great, to be honest," Rose murmured, drawing her knees up to her chest. "Talk to me, what's wrong?" Mickey demanded, closing his laptop and giving her his full, undivided attention. "The Doctor found another one of his kind," Rose began, "A Time Lady, called Aneres. We found her about a week or so ago, on a different planet. She's been, horrid in all honesty," Rose murmured, a familiar resentment bubbling up in her heart. Mickey frowned, "How so?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair. "Well, she constantly leaves me out of conversations with the Doctor, makes incredibly snide comments, and is completely entitled around me just because she's a Time Lady and I'm a human," Rose explained, huffing in annoyance. "I honestly don't know what the Doctor sees in her, she's really quite awful," She continued as she inspected her cuticles and played with her hair.
"She does sound pretty terrible, and I have just the thing to distract you," Mickey said, his voice secretive but cheerful. Rose grinned and sat up, "Oh? Do tell," She demanded while sliding out of bed. "Well, there have been a lot of UFO sightings in the area surrounding this one school, and some of the students have been going mysteriously ill or missing," Mickey explained, leaning back in his chair while he spoke. "Seems like the perfect mystery for you and the Doctor!" He finished, smiling at the the thought of Rose coming back home. "I'll ask the Doctor if we can go, but I think he'll be pretty intrigued," Rose answered, grinning as she was finally able to open her bedroom door. She made her way down the halls, searching for the Doctor while she and Mickey continued to talk. All of a sudden the Doctor's laugh resounded from the kitchen, causing her to turn around walk over. However, the sight within the room made her want to be physically ill. "I'll call you back," Rose whispered before hanging up.
Aneres smiled up at the Doctor, having pulled from the hug ever so slightly to look up at his face. Her hands rose up and cupped his cheeks, her fingers brushing against her sideburns. "Am I interrupting something?' They jumped apart as Rose's voice rang out from the doorway. "No, you're fine," The Doctor said, his voice significantly higher than normal. Aneres giggled while picking up the plates from their meal together. Rose glared at the food and dishes, realizing exactly what had happened while she had been hidden away by the Tardis. "Mickey just called, says there's something going on at a school," Rose said, schooling her expression as best she could. The Doctor turned to look at Aneres, who smiled and nodded, "Well then, guess we'll go and investigate!" The Doctor said, bounding out of the room towards the console. Aneres watched as Rose hurried to follow, chuckling to herself as Rose tried so very very hard. "This will be interesting," She murmured, widening her stance as the Tardis went into motion and she washed the dishes, humming to herself.
