Roald Dahl Plass, South Wales: September 12th, 2006
Aries followed Mickey off the train at Cardiff Central station, fiddling with the sleeve of her coat as they headed towards the redeveloped Oval Basin.
Since meeting Mickey after what had occurred after Downing Street, they had become somewhat friends. She had originally went to talk with him on his hacking skills, but as they spoke, Aries found that she rather liked the young man. He was nice and polite, and even though he knew about her position in UNIT, he didn't treat her as such. He treated her like anyone else and Aries found that she rather enjoyed talking with him on various topics that mainly centred around electronics.
She didn't need to be on her guard around him and being able to relax and not have to seem in control all the time actually found her enjoying the time she spent with him. She had even gone and seen a movie with him a few weeks back, which was something she had never really done before.
They both knew that they'd only ever be friends and nothing more. Mickey, much to Aries worry, was still chasing after Rose. She never told the man about what she had witnessed during the Blitz and how his supposed girlfriend had flirted with two men, one while she was in the room. She knew that telling him would only hurt his feelings as well as bring up many questions that she wasn't ready to answer.
Aries however had never really thought about being in a relationship and lately whenever Mickey brought the topic up about if she had her eye on anyone or pointing at guys, Aries would get an uncomfortable feeling in her gut and couldn't help but remember how the Doctor's hand felt in hers, or that he smelt scarily similar to her amortentia. She was rather confused about the feelings she got when she thought about the man.
"Mickey," Aries started to say, causing the man to stop walking and look at her, "I don't think this is a good idea," she told him.
Mickey sighed, knowing that Aries was worried about seeing the Doctor again. After telling him how she had to leave right after what had happened at Downing Street, he knew she was rather concerned about seeing the Time Lord again. "It'll be fine," he said before smiling slightly, "In fact, I think the Doctor will be glad to see you," he added.
He had a sneaking suspicion from what he had heard during the events that unfolded at Downing Street, that the Doctor may actually like Aries, even if she seemed rather oblivious to the fact. He had heard the Doctor sticking up for her against Rose, which had initially surprised him. But as he continued to listen, he got the feeling that something was happening between them. Especially when he had over heard the Doctor tell Aries that he needed her help after he had fired the missile.
Aries frowned, not believing Mickey. She had just vanished on the Doctor and Rose, not that she really cared for the latter, and couldn't help but feel nervous, even if she didn't know why she was nervous. "Mickey, I really don't..." she was cut of when Mickey continued.
"Don't worry, Aries," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Just believe me, okay?"
Aries seemed to think about it for a moment before she sighed and nodded. Mickey grinned at her before they started walking again, but Aries froze when she realised something. "Mickey," she said, causing the man to glance back at her, "You can't tell them who I am."
Mickey grinned again as he spun on his heel before straightening, "Sir, yes sir," he said with a mock salute.
Aries groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Mickey."
Mickey dropped his hand as he continued to grin, "Don't worry, Aries. My lips are sealed. You're my friend, not some super high up Commander that could lock me up and throw away the key."
"You're not helping you case, Mickey Smith," Aries said firmly, though the small upwards turn of her lips gave her amusement away.
Mickey laughed as he linked his arm through hers, ignoring her stiffening before she relaxed, "Come on, Aries. Better get to Rose before she sends a search party." He had caught on quite quickly that her reaction to stiffen when touched was almost instinctive, but she would relax immediately afterwards. He put it down to her not use to contact and it made him curious, but he never brought it up as she didn't seem to be aware that she was doing it.
Aries allowed herself to be led as she shook her head. She really did hope Mickey wouldn't get his heart broken because of the blonde, but she wasn't holding her breath.
The moment Aries laid eyes on the TARDIS, she stopped walking.
Mickey frowned as he glanced at her and noticed her troubled look. "It'll be fine," he told her, "I'm sure that he'll understand why you had vanished."
Aries glanced at the young man and couldn't help but feel worried. Sure, she was worried about how they'd react to her having disappeared on them without even a goodbye, but it wasn't only that that was worrying her. How in Merlins name am I supposed to tell him what I am? she thought. She didn't even know if it was common for there to be a half human, half Time Lord, let alone a Time Lord who's part witch.
Mickey tugged on Aries arm lightly, getting her attention. "Why don't you wait here?" he offered.
Aries frowned at Mickey. Yes, she may have been worried, but she wasn't a chicken. She pushed her worry behind her occlumency walls and straightened slightly. "I'll be fine, Mickey."
Mickey grinned at her, seeing the way her troubled and worried look vanished and was replaced with a confident one. "You're gonna have to tell me how you do that one day, you know," he remarked as they started walking again.
"Years of practice," Aries told him as he let go of her arm and knocked on the TARDIS door. She stepped towards the box and rested a hand on it, feeling it warm under her touch and couldn't help her lips curve upwards in a small smile.
The door to the TARDIS opened and a voice said, "Who the hell are you?"
Aries turned to the man, recognising the voice, "Captain Jack Harkness?" she asked, causing both men to look to her in surprise.
"Red?" Jack replied as he recognised the woman.
Aries scowled at the name he used on her as Mickey spoke up, "You know each other?"
Aries nodded, "It's complicated," she said.
"Oh, I believe it's more than that," Jack spoke up, looking at Aries intently, "Isn't that right, Aries."
"Jack, what's the hold up?" the Doctor's voice cut in.
Jack grinned, "Oh, I'm gonna love this," he said as he stepped back inside the box.
Aries frowned at the man as Mickey followed him inside the TARDIS. She didn't like the knowing look that was on his face and wondered what he knew. She stepped inside the TARDIS after them and was greeted with a rush of warm air and a happy hum that resonated through the room, causing the others in the room to look in her direction.
"Aries," the Doctor breathed, climbing down the ladder from where he had been mending something that probably didn't need mending.
Aries managed a small smile, "Doctor," she greeted, "I'm sorry about having to vanish on you like that, but after what had happened there was quite a lot of things to sort out."
Jack raised an eyebrow at the red head as he thought, So the Doc doesn't know who she is. He had searched the TARDIS library a few days after the Doctor had saved him, looking for anything on the energy readings his wrist device had picked up and was both alarmed and surprised at what he had found. He didn't know how he had found the books, since they were handwritten and seemed very old and unused, but he had found out that not only was Aries a Royal Commander but she was also a Time Lady, even if only by half.
He hadn't told this to the Doctor, however, having realised that what he had found out about her heritage, Aries didn't seem to remember or didn't know, just as the rumours said. And if Jack was right about what he had heard and read, it was probably a good thing. The Alchemist had been nothing but a whispered word in the wind, but anyone who had heard her name both respected and feared it, and if this was her daughter, there was no telling what she could do.
The Doctor grinned when he realised that this was his Aries and couldn't help but pull her into a hug when he reached her. He felt her stiffen in surprise before she slowly relaxed. "I'm just glad to see you again," he said as he slowly pulled away, unable to keep the grin off his face.
"It's good to see you too," Aries told him with a small smile.
Rose scowled at their interaction and turned to Mickey, "Did you manage to find it?" she asked him, trying her best to ignore the fact that the red head had appeared with her boyfriend and managed to garner the Doctor's attention as soon as he saw her.
Mickey pulled out Rose's passport and handed it to her, "There you go."
Rose grinned as she turned to the Time Lord, "I can go anywhere now," she told him as she showed him her passport, missing Mickey's face fall slightly.
The Doctor rolled his eyes as he glanced at Rose, "I told you, you don't need a passport," he stated.
Rose frowned before she glanced at Aries and smirked, "It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything."
Aries furrowed her brows at Rose as that unknown feeling settled in her gut again. She was glad when Mickey spoke up, but also saddened that he had realised what she already had.
"Sounds like you're staying, then," Mickey said before continuing on, trying to ignore the sadness at the fact that he truly was losing Rose, "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears here," he said as he gestured to the Doctor. And it was true, he didn't mind. What he had heard the Doctor tell Rose at Downing Street had told him that he needn't worry about the man trying to take Rose away from him, although the blonde seemed to be doing that herself.
"Oi!" the Doctor protested.
"Look in a mirror," Mickey retorted before looking to Jack, "But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of..." he trailed off.
"Handsome?" Jack asked hopefully.
Aries snorted and shook her head, "More like cheesy," she told the man.
The Doctor, who was rather glad that Aries didn't seem interested in Jack, couldn't help but grin at her. It fell slightly when his eyes landed on Mickey. It hadn't passed his notice that his Nesdra had arrived with the young man and couldn't help but feel jealous at that. Even with only having started their bonding when they had touched each others hands, the Doctor was already feeling very protective over Aries and didn't like the idea of her hanging out with another man, more so after being away from her for so long.
Jack raised an eyebrow at Aries and the Doctor when he noticed the Doctor shift slightly closer to Aries when the Time Lord looked at Mickey. "Early 21st century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?" he asked as he wondered if there was anything going on between Aries and the Doctor. Being who he was, Jack knew a jealous look when he saw it, and the way the Doctor was looking at Mickey was ticking every box.
"It's bad," Mickey said with a grin.
"But bad means good, isn't that right?" Jack asked.
"We just stopped off," Rose spoke up, stopping them from continuing, "We need to refuel. Thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions."
"It's not between different dimensions," Aries spoke up. It wasn't that she was trying to be rude, but she had studied the rift over the years intently when she had found out that Torchwood had started investigating it. She didn't like the idea that it was there at all, and had found out quite a bit about it over the years.
"What is it, then?" Mickey asked, rather interested. He had learnt a lot of scientific things from Aries over the last six months, but this was the first time he had heard her talk about anything that seemed UNIT related.
"It's a weak point in time and space at the junction between different places in the universe, able to transport things or beings between two points in both time and space. From what I've found from my investigations, it seems as though it had been sealed or inactive. It releases an extremely high level of radiation that is harmless to humans," she turned to look at the Doctor, "But I gather from what Rose said about refuelling, that the TARDIS is able to absorb that radiation and convert it into fuel."
The Doctor nodded with a smile as he wrapped an arm around Aries shoulders, feeling her stiffen once again before relaxing. He looked to Mickey and the others, ignoring Rose's scowl as he spoke. "Aries is right. The rift was healed back in 1869 by a young woman named Gwyneth. She was able to close the rift as well as stop an invading species known as the Gelth who were trying to use the rift to overtake the human race."
Jack once again raised an eyebrow at the Doctor and Aries. He was surprised at how much Aries knew if she didn't remember who she was or who her mother was supposed to be. He had also noticed the look the Doctor had given Aries before wrapping an arm around her. He continued to wonder if there was anything going on between them, having noticed how disinterested the Doctor had been with Rose's continued attempts at flirting with him. Jack furrowed his brows as he thought about the pair.
"So, you're using the radiation that the rift is leaking out to refill the TARDIS, like how you'd refill a petrol tank?" Mickey asked them.
"Yep," the Doctor replied.
"Wicked," the young man said with a grin.