Jack didn't know how long they sat together like that with chippy life continuing around them but eventually he grew stiff from sitting in the same position. It was clear that Rose wasn't going to be the first to move so it was his job.
"All right then. C'mon. Time to get out of here," Jack said, his voice full of false cheeriness.
"Where're we goin'?" asked Rose, snapping out of her frozen position and making the first sounds she had made since finishing her story.
"We've got to find you someplace to stay, Ms. Tyler," Jack responded, bowing to her slightly and gallantly holding her jacket out for her to put on one sleeve at a time.
"Stay? But I thought..." Rose trailed off, confused. She figured he would want her stay at Torchwood so he could keep an eye on her. That's what she would have done. Much as she hated it there, she was willing to brave through it for Jack if that's what he needed.
"Rose, it's obvious that you have a rough time being anywhere near Torchwood and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I meant what I said about not letting anyone hurt you but you're not going to get any rest in a place where you're constantly cataloging exits," he responded.
Rose blushed a bit at his observation. Guess she hadn't been subtle enough about all of that. She refused to be too embarrased by it, however. It was who she was now, good or bad and not an awful habit to have in the long run.
"I don't have any money, Jack. Pete's world used different money an' I didn't have much of that, anyway," Rose said quietly. She didn't want to ask charity from Jack, he'd already given her so much with his presence and his love.
"Aw, c'mon! What are friends for? I've got loads of money!" Jack replied, genuinely delighted. "I've been around for quite a long time and being from the future gives you a hefty leg up in the stock market," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.
"Ah...once a freelancer, always a freelancer," Rose laughed. Jack led her through the streets of Cardiff, pointing out various buildings and statues to her as they wove their way through the city.
They stopped in front of a mid-range hotel with a spacious lobby and gleaming elevator doors and Jack led her up to the counter. "One room for milady, please," he said, flashing a winning smile at the clerk.
"Will you be needing two twin beds or one king size, sir?" asked the unfazed young man.
"Oh, just one bed," Jack let his voice drop an octave and he gave Rose his best seductive smile. She laughed and hit him on the shoulder and he responded by tickling her. The stoic clerk watched all of this with a bored expression and cleared his throat to hand over their keys.
Key cards in hand, Jack accompanied her up to the twentieth floor and walked in with her to collapse on the couch.
"So, I should get back to my team because I'm sure they're all absolutely DYING with curiosity about you," Jack said, watching Rose carefully again. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and looked exhausted. She kept flexing her right hand and her left leg was stretched out a little awkwardly, as though she were trying to find a position that didn't hurt it. He noticed she had been limping slightly, favoring the other leg and again he wondered what happened immediately before she fell into his world.
"Ok. Guess I'll see you in the morning then?" she said, her eyelids already beginning to droop..
"Yeah. I'll stop by tomorrow morning to collect you and then, Rose Tyler...we are going shopping!" If anything would snap her out of this funk, he knew those were magic words.
"JACK. I can't let you spend money like that. I'll make due with this until I figure something out," she protested.
"You can and you will, Rosie. It's not everyday a fellow gets his best gal back from another universe and certainly not everyday that he gets to spoil her with clothes shopping. Shopping, chips and then maybe some dancing? There's a great little big band club around here...reckon we could find some Glenn Miller if we look hard enough. Can't have you running around in a borrowed hoodie for the rest of your immortal life," he joked. "No complaining, no objections. I'll come back and get you in the morning. Still got your phone?"
Rose shook her head. She'd carried her "superphone" around for years even when the charge ran out and it was merely a bulky, boxy reminder of her past life. Torchwood had discovered they could use it to track her movements, however, and she'd been forced to dispose of it. It had almost been like cutting off her hand to let it go.
She still kept the tarnished, beaten TARDIS key on a chain around her neck, though. She had risked life and limb to get it back from Torchwood after they captured her but there was no way she was letting it go.
"Ok, then. I'll write my number down and you can call me on the hotel phone if you need me for ANYTHING. This is the number for Gwen, too. If you can't get me for any reason, she'll come help you." Jack leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, gathering her into his arms again. She sighed and returned the embrace but he could tell she was fading fast.
"Good night, Jack. And thank you for everything. I'm so glad I found you again," she whispered and curled up into a ball on top of the covers.
He pulled the corner of the blanket down and covered her body with it.
"Good night, Rosie. Sweet dreams," he said softly and slipped out the door.
