Yes, I know! This chapter is long overdue. But I have a confession in that it's been written for a long while now, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't painting myself into a corner. So I held onto it while I wrote the next chapter (which you'll be happy to know is already in the hands of my beta). And the next chapter is what I had loads of trouble with, so everything got pushed back.
I knew where I wanted to end up, it was just the middle parts that were giving me trouble. So many rewrites... (you should see all of the discarded drafts in my google docs!)
Oh, and I broke down and finally made a Tumblr... Same name as here, Penandpaper83. So check it out if you wish and watch me try and navigate it! I figured it'd mainly be a place to communicate between chapters, and Tumblr seemed to be the most straightforward blog platform at startup. But, if anyone has another idea, I'd be open to hear it!
"Come in," Pete called without looking up from his screen.
"You busy, Dad?" Rose asked as she nervously looked over her shoulder to the empty cluster of desks where the Doctor and Jake normally sat.
"Not at all." Pete smiled before assuring her, "They aren't here. One of the teams got a call about some odd looking slime, so I sent the Doctor out to provide some insight, and Jake is on escort duty."
"How did you..."
Pete laughed. "You always look over there when you come up here."
Rose bit her lip and fiddled with her ring while inquiring, "Did you get a chance to look into what we talked about?"
"I finally got a chance to this morning." Pete leaned back as he watched Rose carefully. "Are you sure this is what you want? What does the Doctor say about it?"
"He doesn't know yet," Rose admitted with a cringe. Pete's look of surprise made her rush to add, "I'm gonna tell him! I just don't know how he'll take it."
"You know he'll back you up regardless, Rose. He's already supported your plan of going half time since you're about to start your degree program come fall."
"But this is different, yeah? I won't be going out on missions unless absolutely required. If I stay as an agent, then me and him could be in the field together when you send him out with our team."
"I think we both know that he'll be okay," Pete said as the phone rang. When he leaned over to answer he added, "Plus, we both know that he prefers you to not be in the field."
"So I've heard." Rose playfully rolled her eyes.
"Slow down, Doctor," Pete said into the receiver as Rose shook her head, imagining the Doctor going rapid fire as soon as the call connected. "Alien slugs? That's what the call was about? Slugs that got lost on their way to visit Trafalgar Square in the mid March sunshine…" he repeated with a groan as his fingers rubbed at his eyes. "No, I really don't need the description."
"Why not? Well to be honest, despite being as exciting as you claim, I have enough weird shit on today's agenda as is. Plus, not a lot surprises me anymore to be honest." Pete scratched at his cheek, trying very hard to remain patient. "Yeah, I'm sure it's brilliant and all. Yes, I completely agree that it's good the slugs are no longer frightened, because no one wants to detox venom from unsuspecting bystanders. I'm glad you thought they were beautiful, Doctor. No, I'm not patronizing you… Listen…" Pete sighed as he tried to interrupt the Doctor's extremely detailed description of not only the slugs, but of the slime trail and its extra gooey consistency. "For the love of… Just tell the team that they're authorized to help the little buggers along to their destination and then to report back to base. No, I'm not being testy… I'm just extremely busy. Yes, your translation skills just shined today, although I didn't know slugs could talk."
Rose leaned in with a bemused expression in her eyes as Pete smacked his palm against his forehead. He could be heard chiding himself for opening his mouth, while the Doctor corrected him in that slugs don't have vocal cords. Instead, he had to translate their head bobs and feeler movements to get the story from them. After another 'that's completely fascinating,' Pete finished his conversation and hung up the phone. "That man sounded a bit too excited about giant slugs if you ask me. And I'm sorry, Rose, but Jackie might just throttle him if he tells Tony about them the next time you guys are over. Because that will be the only thing my son will talk about for a week."
"Do I want to know?"
Pete waved a hand as he turned back to his task. "Some elderly lady went to water her garden plants this morning. When she discovered a trail of glowing slime coming from her flower bed, she apparently screamed her head off so loud that the neighbors came running - fearing she was being attacked before calling the police."
"Oh no," Rose groaned, knowing all too well what probably happened next. "I'm going to guess the poor responding officer found the culprit and sounded like a nutter when he called it in."
"Nail on the head," Pete laughed and looked over to Rose again. "When I got the request to have the Doctor go along, I only had to say the words 'mysterious glowing slime trail,' and the man was all too eager." He shrugged after leaning back with a wry grin on his lips. "He said something about not seeing one in centuries as he was running out the door."
Rose sighed as her own smile emerged. That was something she was all too familiar with. They'd be exploring something, and he'd start rambling off every known fact; sometimes you could understand him completely, and other times it came out as a string of excited mashed together syllables.
"Well, maybe he'll tire himself out by the time we're ready to go home."
Pete crooked an eyebrow with a snort. "Not likely when it comes to him."
"I did say maybe," Rose rebutted as she backed towards the office door. She held up her mobile when it began buzzing in her pocket. "I need to see what Phillip wants."
"Did you forget that pesky last space again?" Pete laughed and turned back to his paperwork. "If I knew that he'd be this by the book when I gave him the job…"
"Tell me about it," Rose agreed as the buzzing stopped. "It's almost like he's trying to make a name for himself as a no nonsense leader or something."
"Well, let me know if he gets to be a bother. Because he knows full well that you know what rules can be bent and what rules have to be followed."
"Now you know why I asked you about—"
"Speaking of which, you know that he'll have to sign off on it," Pete cut in as Jake popped his head into the office to announce his return.
"Sign off on what?" Jake asked curiously.
"Nothing," Rose replied quickly with what she hoped was a neutral smile. "Just something I've been mulling over."
Jake tilted his head to the side as Rose excused herself when her phone started buzzing again. "I should go and see why Phillip keeps calling my mobile."
"What's that about?" Jake motioned towards the door as they both watched Rose quickly walk away. Which was strange as she normally lingered to wait for the Doctor to come back.
"Just something she's fretting about," Pete answered simply, leaving it for Rose to tell Jake her business. "You know how Rose can be. Tough as nails on the whole, but once she starts worrying over something…"
"Gotcha."
"Plus, I think Roan is on a slight power trip now that he's team leader."
Jake's eyebrows raised in surprise. "That's odd. Because normally he's a good bloke."
"Rose said the same. Which is why he was so high on her recommendation list." Pete briefly glanced at his second in command for their team. "I agree with Rose's suspicions that he's trying to make a name for himself."
Jake cracked his knuckles. "Maybe I should have a private chat with him."
"Let Rose handle it, Jake," Pete warned. "I know that you care about her, but you know that Rose can fight her own battles. Besides… Even if she does run into any problems, we all know that the Doctor will want first crack."
"Fine," Jake relented before giving a wry grin. "Speaking of the Doctor, what's this I heard from Mary about him and slime trails?"
"Next time, just come out and say what you're really thinking, you old cow," Rose grumbled as she pulled the door closed behind her. A small part of her was somewhat pleased when it was on the loud side, undoubtedly making the professor startle while sitting on her self-righteous perch.
She could accept the woman's skepticism with the advanced terminology in the essay, and she was proud to admit that the Doctor helped where she may have gotten stuck. That was of course, after he tried to distract her just like he promised almost a year ago.
But what Rose was not fine with however, was the vague insinuation that the Doctor had written the essay himself! And when she challenged her professor on that very claim, the woman had balked and tried to backtrack her words. Because Rose knew that there would never be any proof to support such a preposterous claim.
She threw her bag onto the cement half wall next to the entrance, muttering under her breath as she angrily searched for her rail pass. She couldn't wait to get home and unwind as the Doctor told her all about his day.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist as a voice said into her ear, "Hello, beautiful." Rose shrieked in shock as she spun around - prepared to fight off an attacker. Although who would really be bold enough to attack someone right out front of this universe's version of the University of Westminster.
"Doctor!" Rose let out a nervous laugh as she smacked his arm. He was looking rather gleeful at catching her completely off guard. "Don't sneak up on me like that! Especially if I'm in my own little world!"
"I didn't know that!" the Doctor replied before stealing a kiss. "You're normally on your guard, so I would have thought you'd recognize my voice."
Rose sighed while resting her cheek against his chest as he wrapped her into an comforting embrace. She closed her eyes while listening to his steady heart beat. The steady thumps beginning to lull her into a state of calm. "I had a rough class," she answered his unasked question before looking up at him with a questioning glance. "Even though I'm extremely pleased to see you here, as opposed to the tube station, why aren't you at Torchwood? You're normally not finished until half past four."
"I may have had a hunch that you were having a rough day." The Doctor squeezed her once more. "So I asked Pete if I could sneak out first chance. Then, I planned out a few diversions to get your mind off whatever was bothering you and," he finished proudly, "all while working on my newest project."
"Another one already?" Rose asked as the Doctor took her bag onto his shoulder before holding out his hand. His fingers wiggled invitingly as he nodded with his own smile. Their fingers intertwined while she huddled in close as they started down the street.
"So you want to tell me what's up?"
"What do you mean?"
"All afternoon, I've been getting hints of frustration and hurt coming across our bond," the Doctor said as they made it back to the car. They dumped Rose's stuff in the back before the Doctor locked it up again. "You want to walk? Because who knows where we'll find parking."
"It's nice enough to walk," Rose replied as the Doctor nodded once and reached for her hand once more.
"I want to know what's bothering you," the Doctor insisted sincerely. "And don't try and play it off as nothing, because you've obviously been trying to keep it on your side of the link."
"It is nothing," Rose asserted. This made the Doctor sigh and halt. He gently turned her to face him, ducking his head down so that their eyes met. "Hey, don't shut me out, love. I can see it's bothering you, so let it out already."
Rose took in a deep breath when they resumed walking. "Samson kept me after class. She commented on the rather advanced terminology used in my essay, before asking how much of the essay was written by me personally."
"What?" The Doctor's voice was incredulous as they reached the chippy. "She hinted at a suspicion that parts of your paper were plagiarized."
"More or less," Rose admitted. The Doctor only scowled as they joined the queue. "She thinks the special program for Torchwood employees is a load of rubbish. That has been made perfectly clear. She thinks that despite the nature of our jobs, we should be held to the same schedule and sacrifice as everyone else. So, I think she's looking for any reason to get this program made redundant."
"But you're still held to the same standards as everyone else," the Doctor cut in. "You've been working your arse off on your class work, especially for that woman's class!"
"I know," Rose insisted as she rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. "All my other instructors know it too." At that admission, the Doctor seemed to settle slightly as Rose continued, "Samson is the only professor who hates the program for some reason. Everyone else thinks it's a great solution to the problem with students who kept missing class because of Torchwood duties."
"Still doesn't give her an excuse to..." the Doctor trailed off as Rose rested her chin on his shoulder.
"I know, Doctor. Yeah it hurt and pissed me off enough to inadvertently pass it along to you. But I realize now that I've never been one to let a single person bring me down. Although the looks I get when I am late to class because of a mission are getting old."
"You know," the Doctor offered with a cheeky smile on his lips. "If they knew how you saved the world, they'd be kissing your feet."
Rose crinkled her nose to his amusement. "No, ta! I don't need any pedestals to stand on. The solid ground is good enough for me."
The Doctor hummed as he kissed her hair after nuzzling her ear with his nose. He could tell there was something else on her mind, but seeing how long it took to get her to tell him about her professor - who he was definitely going to phone later on with a few strongly worded tirades - the Doctor figured that when Rose was ready to talk, then he'd be ready to listen and provide support and comfort.
"Place is filling up quickly," Rose noted after a curious glance around. "Maybe I should save us a table?"
"Sounds like a plan," the Doctor agreed and watched her go off on her search. He hated when there was something bothering her, and he couldn't really do anything about it – outside of providing moral support.
But that wasn't the case here. Because first chance he got, he would make things right for her.
Rose sighed as she plopped into a table by the window. She watched the Doctor stand in line, occasionally conversing with someone either in front or behind him. And it caused her to reflect on the past year. He had come so far in adapting to the slow path while they waited on their TARDIS, and a small part of her wondered what his previous incarnation - her first Doctor - would have said to the little life they've carved out.
"I don't do families," he had declared the first time he took her home. And then after the regeneration, he seemed to be slightly more tolerable to the fact that she and Jackie were a package deal. Maybe he had decided one night that if he wanted her to travel with him, then he had to be willing to bring her home for visits lasting more than a few hours.
But then Canary Wharf happened, and Rose's life changed forever. Her mum had Pete Tyler back in her life - even if was in a foreign universe. Then from that reunion came her adorable little brother Tony. Who, Rose had been relieved to find, was adored and doted on by the Doctor.
She joined Torchwood to try and regain some sense of normalcy in the regards of helping innocent people and chasing the bad guys. And given that they were non-terrestrial made it all that much more normal for her. She put her entire life into Torchwood once it was looking like the cannon might actually work after the stars began to go out.
But after succeeding in her mission and being returned here with the Doctor that had a matching forever, Rose began to embrace the idea of slowing down a bit. She would be able to allow herself days off. She would begin to allow herself a life with the gift that they had been given.
But a year later, Rose was considering the prospect of giving up being an agent completely. No… More like wrestling with the idea. She wasn't going to completely leave Torchwood, she loved the place too much. But the uncertainty that comes with being an agent began to weigh on her conscience. What if she missed too many classes, and failed a course because of it. What if when she and the Doctor started a family, she missed a key milestone because of some bloody alien wreaking havoc half way across England.
She longed for a normal schedule at Torchwood, but not going out on missions would be the cost. Pete was right when he said that the Doctor wouldn't have an issue knowing that she was safe on base her entire shift. However, was she ready to give up the thrill of jumping feet first into the unknown?
Maybe she wasn't truly ready, if she was this uncertain about this decision. Perhaps once she and the Doctor were having non-stop adventure in the TARDIS, then she'd be ready to relinquish agent status.
Even if that meant dealing with fickle Phillip Roan for another year.
Three weeks later however, Rose found out that the decision had been made for her. "What's this?" she asked after spying an empty box on her desk one morning.
The agent in the cubicle mirroring hers only nodded her head towards Phillip's office. "According to Sam, the Director himself came down earlier this morning and went into his office. All I know is that when I was starting up my computer, Roan came out and slammed that box onto your desk before stomping back into his office."
"I see," Rose replied before dropping her bag onto the chair and went for answers. "Want to tell me what that box is for?" she asked after walking into his office.
"You got your wish," Phillip grunted, not even bothering to look up from his screen. "Your transfer to OP support is effective as of forty-five minutes ago." He glanced at her briefly. "I've informed your new supervisor that since you report in at zero nine, she can expect you half past. She has your official papers already, so kindly relinquish your agent credentials so I that I can fill your spot with someone who wants to be here."
Rose stared at him. "You know why I asked for the transfer."
"I don't care for your excuses."
"Do us all a favor and quit taking the arse pills." Rose leaned on his desk and stared him down. "You stepped over the line the other day by calling me an inept agent when you knew that I had experience in taking down a Hoix. You should know that I would never, ever deliberately put anyone on my team in danger."
Phillip continued to type. "You still disobeyed a direct order from your team leader. Then when faced with disciplinary action, you went running to daddy. Who then blindsided me by coming into my office this morning 'requesting' my cooperation on a transfer that I had no knowledge of." He turned to face her and leaned forward. "Requesting that transfer behind my back was a low blow, Lungbarrow. How do you think I felt when it looked like I have no idea what my team members are doing?"
"I hadn't submitted any formal request yet, Phillip!" Rose shot back. "I admit that I was considering it, but I hadn't actually started to fill out the form until we returned from the Hoix incident. Secondly, yes... I mentioned it to Pete twice. He's my dad for cripes sake! Once when I initially entertained the idea, and then again when you pissed me off. But it was only because I was letting off steam when he asked me if I was okay. So perhaps he took action for me since I was indecisive about it."
"Regardless, it's done. So go ahead and run on down to your new position. And hopefully when you decided to move on from OP support, you'll give Gina the courtesy of following proper transfer protocol instead of going over her head." Phillip's tone was a tiny bit less curt after Rose's explanation. He looked up as the door slammed before returning to his work, still begrudging the fact that he looked like a fool.
The Doctor bounced on the balls of his feet as the lift crept closer to Rose's floor. Pete had surprised him by giving him leave to wander the archives as there was no work for him that morning. Which was odd, because there was always a pile of papers on his desk each morning. A task that he always cringed at before trying to sneak away and procrastinate.
Because who wants to do paperwork at nine in the morning?
But never mind that! Because now he was on his way to find Rose and invite her to the archives with him. There was a section in the way back that he had been watching the last few days, but never found time to look at thanks to Gell's obsession with distracting him from that area. But since discovering that Gell was on holiday, the Doctor decided this was the perfect opportunity to explore at their leisure.
His stomach did a back flip when he spied the box on Rose's desk. "Where's Rose?" he asked the woman across from him.
The slam coming from her old office caught his attention. A frown grew on his lips as he watched her storm across the room.
Rose huffed out a breath as she kept her eyes down while moving back to her desk. When she caught sight of a pair of converse trainers attached to suit trousers, she felt a tiny bit of tension lift from her shoulders as the Doctor always seemed to cheer her up.
"What's going on?"
Rose quickly began packing her things into the box. "Apparently Dad made the decision for me in regards to department transfers."
The Doctor exhaled in relief as he initially feared that she had gotten the sack for something. "Where are you being transferred to? And what do you mean 'Pete made the decision for you?'"
Rose sighed after carefully arranging the photo frames so they wouldn't break. She could feel his eyes on her every movement. "I've been debating a transfer for a few weeks now. Especially after my adviser told me that since I was doing so well during this probationary semester, I could be confident that I'll have a seat in the regular program this fall."
"Why didn't you tell me you were considering the transfer?" The Doctor didn't hide the slight hurt in his tone at her secrecy. "I could have helped you decide."
Rose kept her eyes on her old desk. "I didn't know what you'd say. Plus, you've been so preoccupied with... Well, you know..."
The Doctor reached for her now full box as her fingers wrapped around the handles. He watched her finally raise her eyes and give a last look around the area that had been home away from home since she started Torchwood. His thumbs rubbed the back of her hands before picking it up so that he could carry it for her. Was this why Pete gave him a free morning? Pete must have suspected that he would go searching for Rose when given the chance.
He would have to remember to thank him later on. Because Rose was clearly upset with something, and it wasn't because she was moving departments. Right... Better get to work on doing what he does best: Getting Rose to smile and laugh in that oh so infectious manner.
"All you had to do was say something, Rose. You are the most important person in my life. Yes, the growing TARDIS is being fickle, nothing new there, but there wasn't anything pressing that demanded my attention." He set the box down in the hall and rested one hand on her shoulder while the other guided her chin upwards. "I could have put off scans and whatnot for a night if you needed my sole attention. Or you could have come with me – you know I never mind it." He grimaced for a second while adding, "Although, I don't know if that would have been wise. Given how vocal your mother has been recently about us holding a "proper" wedding… She really loves when she can get both of us in the same room while on a tangent."
"I wouldn't mind a small wedding," Rose admitted to herself before shaking that private wish to the back of her mind for now. "You're right. And I'm sorry that I kept it from you. I was going to mention it when I started filling the form out, but I came across Dad first. I was so angry at what happened with Phillip, that it came out and all Dad said was that he was going to take care of it. I just didn't know that meant putting the transfer through for me."
The Doctor was about to ask what was said in the office when Sorina spotted them. Her voice echoed as she ran towards them joyously. "They're going to keep me on when I graduate!" She was waving a piece of paper around as she skidded to a halt before them.
When the Doctor and Rose gave small smiles in response, Sorina paused. "Well try and tone down the excitement! Or are you two disappointed that I'm not going anywhere?" she jested with a hint of playful annoyance.
"Like there was any concern of you not being kept on… Honestly though, we're thrilled that it's official now. I promise, Sorina," Rose spoke up. "It's just been an eventful morning for me."
Sorina watched her friends carefully, trying to figure out what was going on when she spied the box at the Doctor's feet. "What's that for? You didn't get sacked, did you?! Oooo, give me five minutes with that tosser of a team leader and..."
"She wasn't sacked," the Doctor promised. "Pete went over Phillip's head to transfer Rose, and I'm guessing that he said something hurtful to Rose when she got in."
"What did he say?"
While Rose replayed the short conversation, both the Doctor and Sorina had shocked expressions. Sorina spoke first as she pointed towards his jacket pocket. "How about I push him into the toilets and you lock the door with that sonic thing in your pocket? He'll scream like a little girl! He hates public toilets. Always goes on about the amount of germs under the seats."
"It's not a 'thing' or a 'do-dad,' or whatever non committal word you could use," the Doctor protested while pulling it out. "It's a sonic screwdriver. What's so hard about that?"
"It locks doors, yeah? Like where they'll have to call in a locksmith to get him out." Sorina ignored the rant with a pointed glare.
"Oh yes!"
"Good, it'll work then." Sorina rubbed her hands together and started to make her way towards Rose's old department. "You get him out into the halls, and I'll sneak up behind him."
"Sorina, no." Rose called down the hall. When her friend returned, Rose continued, "I appreciate you wanting to avenge me and all, but he isn't worth it in the end. He's just extremely ambitious, and he lashes out when something happens that he suspects could block him from an advancement opportunity."
"Doesn't excuse him," the Doctor replied darkly. "No one talks to you like that. You taught him everything he knows. You helped him get that job, and he repays you like this?"
Rose took his hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "I know, and you're right. But to be fair, this was thrown onto him unexpectedly." When the Doctor opened his mouth to protest, Rose stopped him. "Still doesn't make it right. But we're better than pettiness, yeah? We'll be the better party and not let it bother us."
Sorina snorted. "I still owe him for embarrassing me when he showed up to a date that I was on. I tried to reiterate that it we were never officially a couple when I broke it off. But still, he started telling my date all these lies about me."
"Sorina…" Rose warned, "you don't want to go getting into trouble before the ink dries on that offer letter."
"Who said I was going to do it now?" There was a hint of mirth in her eyes. "I'm gonna make it a good one. One that will get him all good and flustered, then maybe he'll think twice about trying to act like some hot shot. Especially at work."
She then pivoted on her heels to head back to the lab. She looked back over her shoulder as if another thought just crossed her mind. "Oh, and think about where we should go celebrate! Girls night out!"
Rose bit her lip as the Doctor picked up the box again and began to walk towards the lifts. While she appreciated the invitation, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Especially knowing what 'girls night out' entailed when Sorina was involved.
"But I was told to report by half nine," Rose huffed after she and the Doctor were shown to her new desk. A quick glance around showed identical stations with a terminal in the middle. Presumably to analyze the pre operational reports emailed down from the agents no less than two days prior to the commencement of an operation.
"You would be correct. But we had a small issue crop up with the servers. Our techs are on it now," Gina assured her before beginning her quick tour. When she caught a glance of the Doctor, she said, "I didn't see you come in, Doctor Lungbarrow. Was there something you needed? I'm afraid that if it isn't urgent, it'll have to wait until I finish showing Rose around."
"I came in right behind her," the Doctor trailed off while pointing to the door behind him. "How did you not…" He shook his head as he quickly decided not to argue with Rose's new supervisor. Especially when getting on the woman's bad side would make it harder for him to slip in for visits when he wanted to see his Rose.
And if he had his way, Gina was going to be seeing plenty of him since Rose was only half time at Torchwood now. So there would be fewer chances to see her during the day before heading off to classes.
"Ahh, well. If you'll excuse me, I can quickly finish getting Rose settled. Then I can see to whatever you came down here for."
The Doctor nodded his head towards Rose as he shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. "You and I are doing the same thing actually."
Gina blinked before her brain put it together. She recalled Rose's last name on the transfer form as her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh! You two are…" She gushed, "I get it now. You helped her move her things. Oh how sweet!"
The Doctor grinned widely as he followed Rose and Gina around. He appraised the area while Rose was introduced to the small team that she would be working with during operations. Even given one of the prime seats before the monitors. But once one of the male team members, Leeham if he heard correctly, got a little too close and friendly for the Doctor's comfort while showing her all their tools; a small growl emitted from his throat while stepping forward to wrap his arm around Rose's shoulders.
"You have some great tech here!" the Doctor pulled on his specs and leaned in between the two. "I could give it a little bump if you want. Special perk for working with my wife." He sniffed after Rose tugged him back. She flashed him an annoyed glance at his display of possessiveness after Rho Leeham apparently got too close to her.
And she had thought he would have toned that down after almost a year.
"What?" the Doctor muttered after Rose excused them.
"You're doing it again."
Doing what?"
"You know what you were doing." Rose crossed her arms. "Rho was trying to be nice and welcoming. He was not trying to, as you've put it before, 'infringe on your turf.' So cut it out! I don't pull that stuff when other women try and flirt with you."
"He can be nice and welcoming from across the table," he retorted. When Rose glared at him with one of her typical warning glances, the Doctor quickly tried to redirect the conversation into his favor. "You know… That would definitely turn me on." He waggled his eyebrows. "Because you get this look in your eyes when you get territorial. It's all primal and sexy and, where are you going?"
"Getting to know my new work mates."
"No no no, I have a better idea." The Doctor swooped in and took her hand, addressing the three people sitting at the table. "Sorry, but there is something I need Shiver for, and this is a prime opportunity since she can't do anything down here for another hour or whatnot. So with that said…"
Rose's new team mates looked at each other while trying to figure out why their new co-worker was called 'Shiver.' They presumed it to be a nickname, but none of them had the chance to ask for clarification from the man before he gave a mock salute and headed towards the doors. One thing for sure though: her husband was completely strange. Maybe just short of mental.
"I'm really sorry," Rose apologized to her new co-workers. "He's a sweet guy when he isn't being rude or territorial."
"Come on!" the Doctor returned and took her hand again. "We're wasting time!" He then looked to Gina with a grin. "Just give Rose a call when her stuff is ready, and I'll have her back when we're finished."
"Just wait until you see this stuff, Rose!" the Doctor enthused as they passed through the first section of the artifacts archive. "There's stuff that even I've never seen before."
Rose grinned. "Not often that I get to hear those words come out of your mouth." She tried to keep up with him as he tugged her along the numerous rows of packed shelves. "Is there where you've been getting most of the parts for your little projects?"
"Yep!" the Doctor confirmed before stopping short. He let out a delighted sound as his free hand reached for something on the shelf. "A reminiculator! How did I miss this before? Oh, this will work perfectly for the new detector I'm working on."
"Oh? What will this one sniff out?"
"Shape-shifters!" The small part disappeared into his pocket as they moved on. "I'm trying to build all the tools we may need for when we start traveling in the TARDIS. Never know when we'll run into a Zygon or some weird looking mist that can take on someone's appearance."
Rose raised an eyebrow as he kept rambling on about it will most definitely go 'ding,' because a proper detector needs a 'ding' while they walked deeper and deeper into the archives. She wasn't down here often, normally whenever the Doctor talked her into keeping him company. Which was fine - just like old times in the TARDIS. He'd be working on something and she'd sit on the jump seat. Usually to keep him company or hand him tools, mind. But she never complained, as he always had some interesting tidbit or story to tell her.
And it seemed that it was during those times that whenever his home planet had come up in one of those stories, he didn't seem to look as pained compared to other times. Rose never knew if it was because he felt as though it was a happy memory, or if he did feel pain but kept it close to his hearts for her sake.
But she never asked about it, and he never volunteered the answer.
Rose's train of thought was halted when she walked into a perplexed Doctor. "What?" he asked while his head was darting around.
The entire section was empty! Completely devoid of any of the objects that he knew were there previously. This was impossible! "What?" he squawked as he dropped Rose's hand and walked down the first aisle.
"Sure we didn't take a wrong turn, and this was always empty?" Rose asked lightly, as it wouldn't have been the first time that the Doctor tried to cover up the fact that he took a wrong turn somewhere.
The Doctor's head peeked around the corner. "We're exactly where we were headed. This place was chock full of stuff last week! But I never got to look around because Gell always found some way to chase me off or give me some menial task."
"Okay, so what happened to all of it?"
"I don't know..." there was disappointment in the Doctor's voice as he scratched at the back of his neck. "I figured that since he's on holiday this week, it would be the perfect opportunity for us to peruse at our leisure. There was so much to look at! Gadgets I've never seen before, just begging to be taken apart and explored! That strange text Sorina and I found on that wall my first day?" The Doctor tapped a shelf near the front of the first aisle. "There was at least one tapestry that had similar writing on it. What if there is some ancient alien language that hasn't been seen in centuries, and those tapestries held clues to unearthing it!"
Rose came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso in comfort. She rested her chin on his shoulder as his fingers interlaced with hers. "I'm sorry it didn't work out how you hoped. But maybe it's just one of those things that's meant to stay a mystery, yeah?"
The Doctor sighed and let go of her arms as she drew back. "Perhaps… But I'm still going to keep an eye out." He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked through the aisles. A small grin at a sudden idea replaced the disappointed frown while nodding his head in another direction. "Well, guess I have time to show you something else!"
"So you never did tell us when your birthday is," Jake said.
It was a week after they celebrated Rose's transfer and Sorina's job offer at the pub, and this morning's discussion over Tony's recent birthday party brought up the topic of birthdays in general. Since Jake knew Rose's birthday, he was curious as to what date the Doctor had chosen for his birthday.
The Doctor mumbled something quietly. So low that Jake had to lean in and request that the Doctor repeat it. "He's claimed before that Time Lords don't celebrate birthdays," Rose explained with a grin.
"You guys celebrated Rose's. And he came to Tony's birthday party last Saturday."
"My favorite pair of trousers will never be the same again," the Doctor groused while making a face at the recollection. "All that cake and juice mashed in along with the paint from the activity that I got stuck supervising after everyone took off!"
"Because it was your turn as the newest in the family, love," Rose chimed in as the Doctor gave her a smile before he continued, "and I made sure to remember Rose's birthday because I've been wisely advised: you forget your wife's birthday and that's it. You are so far in the doghouse, you might as well get comfortable."
Jake barked out a laugh at this after nudging the Doctor's shoulder. "They have you well trained, don't they."
"No," the Doctor grumbled, "I've traveled with enough women over the years to know one mistake, and you never hear the end of it!"
"So not true!" Rose exclaimed after swatting his shoulder. "Well..." she conceded after a moment's consideration, "not all women are like that. I save the doghouse and couch for the big reasons."
"Depends on your definition of big," the Doctor mumbled. When Rose asked him to repeat that, he only squeaked out, "Nothing."
Jake watched as Rose and the Doctor stared at each other after Rose tried to get him to repeat what he said. He snorted when the Doctor quipped, "I'm an expert in not blinking, Rose. So don't expect to win a staring contest with me."
"You know… You've never explained that whole not blinking thing, Doctor," Rose cooed as she slowly inched forwards.
"And you've still not told us what date you picked for your birthday either," Jake added.
"Because it doesn't ma— Oi!" The Doctor jumped as Rose's hand dove into his back pocket. "Rose! What did I say about groping in public? I know the suits accentuate the..."
"Ha!" Rose crowed triumphantly as she finally got a good grip on his billfold and plucked it out. A sly smile on her lips as she went searching for his license. "He won't tell me either."
"Give it back," the Doctor requested as he stood up. Rose shook her head as she took a few steps back when he advanced towards her.
"Jake, catch," she called out while tossing the plastic card in his direction as the Doctor grabbed her around the waist after she fished it from its slot. She held out the billfold towards the Doctor with her tongue poking from the corner of her lips.
"I'm so going to get you back for that later," he murmured in her ear after gently snatching it back.
"Promise?" She winked in reply before kissing his cheek.
"On the 5th of March, according to this, Theta Lungbarrow came tumbling into our world," Jake proclaimed while reading the card. "And nothing has been the same since."
"What a shame," the Doctor mocked while reaching out and grabbing the card back. "We missed it. Besides, I didn't tumble into this world. I was dropped off with little more than a 'have a good life.'"
"Why didn't you say anything like two months ago?!" Jake crossed his arms.
"Because as I've previously mentioned, birthdays were neither noted nor celebrated on Gallifrey. So I figured why start now? I felt no desire to celebrate a lie. Pete needed a date to put on my birth record, and I couldn't put that I was born a week or two prior, could I?" The Doctor sniffed while straightening his tie. "Would have looked suspicious. So I picked the first date that came to mind."
"So that brain of yours just randomly chose the 5th of March..." Jake was now convinced that he was being fed a bollocks story.
"Yep. Well..." The Doctor tugged at his ear with a warm smile in Rose's direction. His eyes never leaving hers, he continued, "I received a new lease on life that day. Born anew as some may say. Oooo, that rhymes!"
Jake smiled, watching the couple in front of him for a moment. At the Doctor's statement, he figured out the meaning behind the date, and it increased the level of awe held for the unique relationship between his friends. He deliberately tuned out the whispered words of love between them as the wheels turned in his head. When one of his more brighter ideas surfaced, his smiled stretched into a grin.
"We'll just have to hold a belated celebration then!"
"What?" came a yelp from the Doctor. A quick look at the matching expressions on Rose and Jake's faces told him that he was about to be ganged up on. "No. No no, haha... No!" He backed up while pointing a finger at the obviously scheming pair. "There will be no—"
"Just a simple pub night, Doc!" Jake reasoned, "you, Rose, Pete, Jackie, Tony, Sorina and myself. We'll get a cake and take you out for dinner."
"No! No pub night. What is it with you guys and pub nights for celebrations anyways? And certainly no birthday dinner or cake!"
"Not even banana flavored?" Rose tapped her finger against her chin. She stepped forward and threaded her arm through his.
"That is really not fair, Rose," the Doctor complained as she rested her chin on his shoulder. He could see 'the eyes' forming, and he called forward every bit of self control he had in him to not cave. Because they were starting to bring out the big guns: his inability to deny Rose 98 percent of the time, and his love of anything that could be loaded with bananas.
"Hmm?" Rose tried her best to keep an innocent look in her eyes. "What isn't fair, Doctor?"
"What you're doing right there." The Doctor motioned towards Rose's face. "Stop it!"
"Doctor," came Pete's voice from his office door. "If you could join me please?"
The Doctor internally cheered the timely arrival of the cavalry in the form of one Pete Tyler. After pecking Rose's cheek, he hurried towards the office. "Sorry to cut our conversation so short!" he called out before ducking inside.
Rose huffed in irritation as she plunked herself onto the corner of the desk. Next to her, Jake had a happy hum as he reached over and plucked up the receiver on the Doctor's desk phone. After dialing an extension, he sat back and waggled his eyebrows in her direction while swiveling the Doctor's chair back and forth, tapping a tune against the handset.
"What's that satisfied look for?"
"He never said that we couldn't plan something. Just that he didn't want a pub night or a dinner," Jake reasoned before sitting up straighter. "Sorina! No, it's not the Doctor. It's Jake using his extension. Listen, I found out his birthday. No… We were both way off."
A few floors down, Sorina rolled her eyes at Duston's glare. She had been helping him catalog a few new pieces of equipment discovered on a recent mission when her phone rang. "Doctor, this really isn't… Jake? What are you doing on his extension?"
"How did you find that out?" Sorina leaned forward gleefully. "Summer, right? It's July or August isn't it." She frowned before saying, "Well, how off were we? March?! And that prat didn't say anything?"
"We were in the middle of something, Ms. Bradley!" Duston leaned back in his chair. His annoyance at the interruption clear on his face.
"And we're taking a small break," Sorina retorted before returning her attention to her conversation with Jake, "So what's up? Gotta make it quick, because Duston's starting to get that look again. Yeah… The one resembling one a kid makes when they're on the verge of a tantrum when no one is paying attention to them."
"We're gonna plan something to celebrate," Jake said while waving off Rose's attempt to stop him. "He said he didn't want a pub night or a dinner, but maybe we'll plan a surprise party at my flat for when he least expects it."
"Jake, I don't think that's such a good idea. You know how he gets sometimes, and we don't want a scene," Rose quietly warned.
"Alright, I'll let you go before Duston pops his top. I gotta let Rose in on my plan, because you should see the look I'm getting from her right now," Jake laughed lightly. "We'll talk at lunch then."
When Jake hung up the phone, Rose shook her head. "He's not going to go for it."
"Let me worry about that later. You know he won't get angry with you. But who knows? Perhaps he'll just go along with it and actually have a fun night out."
"Yeah well, don't mope when I do my 'told you so' dance later," Rose sing-songed while preparing to leave. "I've got to get going. I have a meeting about the progress on my final paper and then class. I just want to get to finals at the end of this month and be done with them!"
"Have fun," Jake called out over his shoulder.
"Alright, Mr. President. I have my best expert here, so go ahead and explain what has been requested of us."
The ego rush of being referred to as Pete's 'best expert' couldn't erase the bad feeling the Doctor had about this phone call. Something in the pit of his stomach saying that whatever the man on the other end of the line had to say, it was going to severely push his comfort levels to the brink and back. Pete didn't look harried or worried, so it wasn't anything urgent. "What can I do for you, Sir?" he offered as he fingered the ring on his pinkie nervously. A small habit that he undoubtedly picked up from Rose.
"I'll be straight to the point, Doctor Lungbarrow, as I'm sure Director Tyler keeps you extremely busy," the man began without preamble. "What do you know about the Hactanx?"
The Doctor inhaled. "Nice lot... Somewhat pretentious at times. And by at times, I mean most of the time. Why?"
"They've reached out to us and requested a treaty setting up trade."
The Doctor blinked. Both of his eyebrows raised as he asked, "Have you ever seen a Hactanx?"
"No..." the President trailed off.
"You've seen common house flies right?"
When the President scoffed that of course he's seen a fly, the Doctor calmly offered as he rocked on the balls of his feet, "Let's just say they share a branch of the family tree. But they have legs, and stand at the height of a common dwarf."
"You're not serious," Pete groaned while rubbing the back of his neck. "Mr. President, if I may interject here. People are still adjusting to the idea of aliens visiting earth regularly, and while they've been accepting for the most part, I can't promise they'll accept bug people setting up shop next to a Tesco or schools."
"They're not bug people so to speak," the Doctor interjected as the president responded, "Director Tyler, I can appreciate your concern. However, they aren't looking to set up shop in London. Their ambassador mentioned that it's too populated for their comfort."
"Where are they looking to set up shop?" Pete wanted to get straight to the point.
"A semi-populated area, preferably in the countryside, with temperatures ranging in the 20 to 25 degree Celsius range," the President sounded as if he were reading from a notation. "Something about it being the closest to the atmosphere on their planet."
"Speaking of which, why aren't they doing this on their own planet?" the Doctor cut in with a visible amount of confusion. While their home planet had been a casualty of the Time War; in this Universe, there was no Time War to destroy planets who just happened to be in the cross fire.
"They claim that while their atmosphere is perfect for them, it's seen as inhospitable to the sort of visitors they want to attract. So, they've set out to find a good spot for a satellite marketplace."
"He has a point, Doctor." Pete glanced in the Doctor's direction. "I've been told by many that our environment is seen as favorable in a destination spot."
"So have I." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "But I still don't understand what you need me for. This sounds like a standard meeting to set up parameters and guidelines."
There was silence for a moment before the President offered, "Director Tyler mentioned that you were somewhat of an expert in diplomacy with these matters."
"Diplomatic?" The Doctor cocked an eyebrow while a giggle escaped his throat. "Me as a diplomat? No one's mentioned my track record with that, have they? I don't know what they've told you, Sir, but I mainly consult on customs and what to expect when dealing with a certain species."
"That's why I'm requesting your presence, Doctor Lungbarrow. I need your expertise on this matter," the President retorted. "You will accompany me to the meeting, and provide advice every step of the way."
"Ah well, that I can easily do." The Doctor grinned. A wave of excitement passed through him at the prospect of meeting another species. Maybe Pete would get Rose excused from her duties for the day so she could join him. Maybe she could bring Tony along, because he would definitely get a kick out of this. His first alien encounter! Well… Aside from himself, but that was another story indeed. It was great way to get him used to meeting other beings for when he went on trips with him and Rose in the future. And Jackie would have no reason to argue, because Hactanx weren't dangerous at all… And if you happened to have a sugary drink on you, then you'd be their best friend.
"Good. We've already set the meeting for early June up in Edinburgh at your Scotland office."
"Oh no," the Doctor inwardly cringed as his plans came screeching to a halt. He had been waiting for the other shoe to drop the entire conversation. And it just came down with a mighty thud. "Sir, I don't know if I can do that."
"Which part? Next month or Scotland?"
"I really don't like spending extended periods of time away from my ma… Wife. Just ask Pete! He's always dragging me out of her part of the building just as we get here in the morning. When I said that I could easily do this, I thought the meeting was going to be here. Why do we need to go all the way to Scotland for a simple meeting?"
Pete hit the mute button after asking the President to excuse them a moment. "What's wrong, Doctor? This is a great opportunity. Especially when being asked by the President no less!"
"Yeah, I get that." The Doctor tugged at his hair. This was a great opportunity. An honor at that! "But I promised Rose that I wouldn't go on any long distant missions without her after I got dragged to flippin' Morocco!"
"Mr. President," Pete took the call off mute. "Could I perhaps send a small team up with the Doctor? Because he likes to wander at times, and it would be easier to keep him where he's meant to be if there were people to keep an eye on him."
The Doctor glared daggers at Pete. "I don't wander for the hell of it!," he defended himself to Pete's brief amusement.
"We haven't announced any of this to the general public, Director. Hence the location being in one of the smaller branches of your organization. I had considered London at first, as it is the most convenient for us; however the Scotland office has fewer agents there, so we can better keep this under wraps. Furthermore, this is extremely closed door, so I must decline your request."
"You do realize that every employee signs confidentiality agreements annually," Pete argued, "no one would dare leak it to the press if they want to remain employed the following day."
"I hear you, but my decision stands," the President firmly replied.
It was the Doctor who reached over and hit the mute button this time. "I can't do it, Pete. I won't break my promise to Rose. Especially not for some paranoid President who wants to control how this thing goes down."
"I think she would understand if you were being told that you must go on this trip by yourself."
"Pete, you don't understand."
"Mr. President, might I call you back with the Doctor's answer?" Pete took the call off mute again after a pointed stare in the Doctor's direction. There was benefit to having the Doctor attend this meeting, and he was going to pull rank if he had to in order to achieve it - even when he despised having to do so.
The Doctor would shine and be of great service for the situation at hand.
"Why the hell can't you go?" the Doctor paced after Pete ended the call. "This is something that sounds right up your job description."
"More like your job description." Pete crossed his arms and leaned against his desk. "Besides, I'm already scheduled to receive the Ambassador of Thrace the week before, and she won't be leaving Earth until the second day of the conference."
The Doctor grumbled as his hands dug deeper into his pockets. His head shot up as Pete said with a tone of finality, "The choice is yours. Let it be the right one."
"Are you threatening my job?" the Doctor retorted with a dangerous frown. It was one thing to ask him to do something, but attempt to manipulate him into doing so… That was where he drew the line.
"Never," Pete answered stiffly. He stood straighter while speaking clearly, "But I will not hesitate to make your participation mandatory on this."
"Great! Make me go all the way up to Scotland on my own! Brilliant!"
"Enough! I don't agree with the President's decision either, but we have to follow it. Three days, Doctor. That's how long you'd be at that conference. I think we both know that you can spend three days away from her. You spent years without Rose so—"
"Stop right there, Pete." The Doctor's eyes flashed darkly as his voice lowered, "Don't you dare bring that into this."
Pete scrubbed his hands down his face. He could feel the dangerous looks that were being thrown his way. "I wasn't meaning to throw it in your face. I was trying to—"
"Don't bother."
"Fine," Pete backed down while throwing his hands up in the air. "All I was saying is that three days is nothing."
"Don't forget the travel time."
"Which isn't that much when you're being sent by jet. I've taken the trip countless times when visiting the Scotland branch. Up and back the same day, and I was even home in time to tuck Tony into his cot when he was younger."
"I'm still bringing Rose."
Pete groaned as the Doctor seemed to stand his ground. He looked to the ceiling for a moment to collect his patience before facing the man in front of him again. "What will you do when they turn her right around and send her back to the hotel? You know it wouldn't be fair to expect her to just hang around all day. Besides, she's needed here to…" Pete paused and scratched his cheek. "She's needed here."
"I'll just ask her then! See what she says."
"Present the facts and let her come to her own decision without interference. That's all I ask of you," Pete sighed as he trusted Rose to explain it better. He sat down in his chair and unlocked his computer screen.
"And if she won't go, then you're just going to have to find someone else."
"Doctor!" Pete's hand pounded his desk in frustration. He thought this matter was settled already!
"No, I'm one hundred percent serious." The Doctor, emboldened by a fresh wave of confidence to get his way, braced himself on his forearms while locking eyes with his employer and father-in-law. "I've broken a few promises to Rose over the years we were together on the other side. And I will not break one to her now. Not when I can help it."
Pete had enough of this and leaned forward - undeterred by the dangerous look in the Doctor's eyes. "This discussion is closed. I don't care what happened before Canary Wharf, because I prefer to live in the now and leave the then to the history books. Secondly: I promise you that Rose will understand that you have no choice but to attend. Put some faith in her."
The Doctor's hands clenched as he saw that he was in no way going to win this argument in this moment. So, he decided to revisit this fight another day. Because if Rose could not to join him, then he was not going to be leaving England. "I will always believe in her, Pete. Never ever doubt that for a nanosecond."
"Then prove it," Pete challenged. When the Doctor drew back in surprise and opened his mouth to respond, Pete cut him off with, "Trust that she will understand in the event that she can't make the trip."
SLAM
Jake's head shot up while a few of the people around him jumped at the loud noise. His eyebrow raised as he watched the Doctor storm over in his direction. He seemed to be muttering rather angrily in a language that Jake had never heard before.
"So what happened?"
"When the next presidential election comes round, remind me to vote for whomever challenges our President."
"Uhhh, noted?" Jake's other eyebrow raised as the Doctor paced and kicked the side of his desk. "Wanna tell me what happened in there? You get told off for something again?"
"The President requested my presence at some damn meeting to hammer out terms for a treaty with the bloody Hactanx." The Doctor seethed as he thought about it more. "And because of the man's obsession with keeping the public in the dark about this, I have to go alone as the man's advisor!"
"What?" Jake sat up in his chair. "What did Pete say to that?"
"He went along with it! Well," the Doctor conceded with a tug to his ear, "to his credit: he tried to get permission for a few people to come along. But first time he got shot down, he gave up the fight."
"No one ever goes alone to those meetings. Standard protocol, and Pete should have said that. Where is it at anyways? I'll talk to Pete and get him to at least let me go along."
"Torchwood office in Scotland."
"Oh…" Jake winced as it all came together. He could now see why Pete was comfortable with the Doctor going alone, and why the Doctor was so angry about being placed in a predicament like this. Because if he learned anything about the Doctor in the past year, it was that when it involved interacting with the species of this Universe: the Doctor was normally bouncing to get to it. But he preferred to always have Rose with him so they could share the experience, and it sounded like that wouldn't be the case here.
"So they won't even let you bring Rose."
"Oh, I am going to bring her, Jake," the Doctor promised. "Pete said that she could hang around the hotel while I'm out. So, I'm going to broach it with her and then make arrangements."
Jake instantly saw where this could go wrong. He knew Rose enough that she would not be receptive to the idea of staying behind when there were new people to meet. When she first started at Torchwood, he couldn't understand her extreme enthusiasm. But after a night at the pub, she explained it as an acquired taste after her travels with the Doctor.
A sort of addiction that she was forcibly cut off from at Canary Wharf.
"Where is she by the way?" The Doctor looked around. When Jake pointed to his watch, the Doctor looked to his own and nodded. "Right, she had classes today. No matter," he grinned as he rubbed his hands together in an almost conspiratorial manner. "I'll surprise her with flowers when I pick her up from the tube. Discuss it on the way home and then call Pete tonight to confirm!"
Jake looked apprehensive. "Confident about this are we?"
"Oh yes!"