"Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got plenty of time to kill," the Doctor stated as the group stepped out of the TARDIS and onto the Plass.
He went to take Aries' hand, not wanting to have her wander off or disappear on him again, though paused as the moment he did so, she went to pull away until she realised that it was his hand and the action had him frowning internally; filling it away for later review as he noticed that it hadn't been the first time that he'd noticed Aries doing such a thing. It had him worried as to why she had such an adverse reaction to touch, unable to stop the unsettling feeling from churning his stomach at the thought that something had happened to his Nesdra since having seen her since the Blitz and now.
In his pondering, the Doctor didn't notice his companions' eyes narrowing on their joint hands before Rose turned her head away; a frown forming on her face. Every time she's around, he's only got eyes for her, the blonde thought bitterly, annoyed that for whatever reason, any attempt she had put into garnering the Doctor's attention since last seeing the red head – even just for five minutes – had resulted in the Time Lord just blatantly ignoring her. And she didn't even want to think about the warning she'd gotten about saying anything negative or rude to Aries.
And Rose still hadn't figured out how the bloody woman had managed to appear in not only 1941, but also at the church where they met her father!
Rose wasn't the only one who noticed the Time Lord's action, Mickey raising an eyebrow at the pair before looking around, though he paused; frowning when something caught his eye.
"That man staring," he blurted out, causing the others to follow his gaze and see that he wasn't wrong.
There was a man staring at them.
Jack frowned, Blinking for a moment before he shook his head and turned back to the others, a sly grin working its way upon his lips as he said, "Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box."
"What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?" Mickey retorted, looking at the American incredulously, though Jack's grin only grew as he made a 'wanker' sign with his hands at the young man before turning and walking away.
The others begun to follow, but Mickey's voice stopped them once more.
"Wait, the TARDIS. We can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?" he asked, his gaze shifting between the Doctor and his aunt.
Jack frowned as he turned back and looked at the ship. "Yeah, what's with the police box?" he questioned, surprised to find that he hadn't thought to ask before, "Why does it look like that?"
"It's called a chameleon circuit," Rose and Aries said at the same time, the former turning to glare at the latter as Rose felt once more put out that Aries knew what the answer was.
She always has to know everything, doesn't she? the blonde fumed silently as the Doctor turned to his Nesdra with a look of surprise while Mickey – her own bloody boyfriend! - looked like he was interested to learn more about what the red head knew.
It was only Jack that didn't look surprised by Aries' words – not that Rose would have noticed – and the American cocked his head to the side slightly as the red head continued.
"From what I can recall, the TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands. Sort of like a security camouflage. Like, say this was Ancient Rome, she would become a statue on a plinth or something." Aries eyebrows knitted together ever so slightly as she glanced at the Time Lord beside her, "And if I'm remembering correctly, you landed her in the '60's and she disguised herself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck."
"How do you know that?" Rose asked angrily. Her eyes flickered to the Doctor, wondering if he had told the red head and couldn't stop the herself from feeling hurt at the thought.
A frown tugged at Aries' lip; the witch once more unsure as to why the blonde was still acting so hostile towards her. "Someone told me," she said, her head turning towards the Doctor when she felt him give her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Who?" the Time Lord asked curiously. Not many people knew that the circuit was broken – let alone knowing exactly when it had happened.
"Oh. Um..." the witch rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand, "Actually, it was on of your old companions. Sarah Jane Smith," she admitted, her frown morphing into a small smile as she thought about the brunette. "She's a close friend of mine."
The Doctor's expression seemed conflicted for a moment before he returned Aries' smile with one of his own. "Sarah Jane," he beamed, "How is she doing these days?"
Rose, Mickey and Jack watched the pair with varying expressions, although only the blonde was frowning, unsure how to feel about learning that the Doctor had travelled with people before her.
Aries' smile only seemed to grow. "Sarah's doing great," she informed the Time Lord, "And she's still investigating as well." Her smile turned wry, "Though she's a bit more wary about sneaking onto spaceships," she added, and the Doctor couldn't help but snort at the memory of how Sarah Jane Smith had started travelling with him. Aries raised an eyebrow as she continued, "However she didn't seem very happy with the location you dropped her off at."
The Time Lord's smile faulted at her words; guilt chasing away the humour at how he had left the brunette behind and never returning. But the feeling didn't last long as his Nesdra's words caught up with him and he blinked. "Where was it?" he asked.
"Aberdeen," the witch deadpanned.
"Oh." The Doctor winced, though when Aries let out a small chuckle as she shook her head, it wasn't long until his own smile had returned at the sound.
"Who's Sarah Jane?" Rose's jealous voice cut through their moment, her eyes narrowing on the pair.
Mickey and Jack's eyebrows flew upwards when the moment the blonde's angry voice had startled the pair they'd been watching, the smile on the Doctor's face vanished as he stepped in front of his Nesdra; placing himself between Aries and Rose. Jack watched on curiously as Aries' eyebrows furrowed as she suddenly found herself facing the Doctor's back, and the American tried to figure out what – if there was anything – was going on between the pair.
From what Jack knew of the Alchemist, the last person that should have found any comfort or support from a Time Lord would have been her daughter, and the American felt as though he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
"So, the TARDIS copied the real thing?" Mickey spoke up, hoping to break the tension in the air that Rose's words had brought. "There actually were police boxes?"
The Doctor continued to frown at his companion, though his gaze shifted to his side when he felt Aries place her hand on his arm. "Yeah, on street corners," she said, nodding to Mickey with a thankful smile and missing the way the Doctor's eyes narrowed on the young man. Jack was the only one that didn't miss it, and it only had his curiosity raising a notch. "Phone for held before they had radios and mobiles," the witch continued, "And if they arrested someone, they'd shove them inside until help came to assist them... Almost like a small prison cell."
"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack questioned the Doctor as he continued to watch the pair, noting that despite Aries having moved to the Doctor's side, the Time Lord still hadn't moved; still keeping himself between Rose and the red head and he wanted to know why. Aries Prince wasn't someone he was... afraid of, but he knew that there was a good reason to be wary around the young woman despite his feelings. But Jack found himself wondering if the Doctor even knew who was standing beside him.
And if he did, why was he protecting her?
"I like it, don't you?" the Time Lord replied, barely sparing a glance in Jack's direction.
"I love it," Rose added as she patted the side of the ship, only to jerk her hand away from it when it shocked her.
If the Doctor noticed, he didn't say anything.
"But that's what I meant," Mickey told them, his expression confused, "There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?"
"Ricky," the Doctor stepped away from Aries and towards the young man, missing the way she raised an eyebrow at the name he had used. "Let me tell you something about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town, what do they do?" Before Mickey could even open his mouth, the Time Lord continued as he placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders, "Walk past it. Now stop your nagging. Let's go explore." He dropped his hands from Mickeys' shoulders and stepped back to his Nesdra's side and took her hand, this time noticing that she didn't stiffen at the contact.
It made him wonder why.
"So, what's the plan?" Rose asked, trying to ignore the last five minutes.
"I don't know," the Doctor shrugged before he and Aries started to head off. "Cardiff, early twenty-first century and the wind's coming from the East. Trust me. Safest place in the universe," he continued with a grin as he squeezed Aries hand, mentally adding, Even if I have to make it safe, knowing that he'd do anything to keep his Nesdra out of danger.
"Can we go somewhere to eat?" Aries asked, her cheeks taking on a pink hue when the Doctor turned a questioning eyebrow on her. "I'm feeling rather hungry," she admitted, "And I know a place that does some decent food, even if the tea's not the best."
Her admission had the Doctor pausing and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when he suddenly let her hand go and headed back to his ship, calling, "I'll just be a moment," over his shoulder before disappearing inside. It was only seconds later when he reappeared, stuffing something inside his jacket before grabbing his very confused Nesdra's hand once more.
"Let's go get some food," he said with a slightly smug grin before leading her away.
He ignored the glare he could feel coming from Rose, along with the amused, though confused expressions that were on Mickey and Jack's faces as they followed.
Aries frowned, her fingers drumming on the top of the table she was seated at, her gaze looking unfocusedly in the direction the Doctor had disappeared in. She was sitting outside the café she had often frequented when she'd been investigating the rift, waiting for the Time Lord to return after he'd told her that he would go and order some food, though the witch didn't know why it was taking him so long.
Her gaze snapped to the table where Rose, Mickey, and Jack were seated at nearby, and her frown softened a fraction when she noted how happy her nephew looked as he talked animatedly with the others. Their voices rose and fell with the topics they broached; however Aries was quick to look away when she felt that familiar pang in her chest, remembering the many times that she and Nancy had done the same thing with Jamie. Along with the many times she had taken Mickey and Luka out with their parents.
"Sorry I took so long."
The Doctor's voice had Aries' head jerking up to him and away from the table that she'd been staring at as her mind wandered, though the red head blinked when she noticed that he held two cups in his hands.
"I thought you were getting food," she remarked, mentally shaking her head as the Doctor placed the cups onto the table before taking his seat across from her. Another of those smug grins appeared on his face as he said, "I did," and Aries followed his gaze and noticed that there had been a waited with the Time Lord. She blinked once more as the young woman placed a large plate of chips on the table, giving the red head a polite smile as she did so before moving off.
"Oh..." was all the witch could say, picking up a chip and popping it into her mouth. "These are the best," she all but groaned after she finished it, already reaching out for another.
"Why don't you try the tea," the Doctor quickly suggested, and Aries' hand stopped.
Her silver-grey eyes snapped to the Time Lord before dropping to the cup in front of her and her brows furrowing ever so slightly. Suspicion and curiosity bubbled away inside Aries, and as she raised her gaze to re-meet the Doctor's, she couldn't help but wonder as to why he'd want her to drink the tea. There was nothing deceptive in his expression. If anything the Time Lord was waiting patiently, a small smile on his own lips as he took a sip from his own cup.
Looking back down to her cup, Aries slowly picked it up before giving the contents a sniff, unable to stop herself. Her eyebrows flew upwards and her gaze was once more on the Doctor, who was now smiling openly as he placed his cup back onto the table. "It couldn't be," she breathed.
The Doctor only continued to smile as he pulled something from his jacket and placed it onto the table in front of his Nesdra and Aries just stared at the small tin, feeling an emotion she couldn't name replacing the shock she was feeling as her eyes went back to the Time Lord. Her heart begun to pick up when she realised that he...
"Y-you remembered," she stammered, swallowing heavily as her gaze fell back onto the cup she was cradling in her hands; unsure as to what to say.
"Who could forget such a fantastic cup of tea," the Doctor replied warmly, internally satisfied and smug with the response he had received. He felt as though he as on Cloud Nine with how he was suddenly feeling.
Aries wrapped her hands around the cup as she took a sip, trying to figure out what to say. But words were lost to her, feeling more than a little touched by what the Doctor had done. It may have been a simple cup of tea to anyone else, but to Aries, it was almost like she could close her eyes and imagine that she was back at Hogwarts enjoying the afternoon with a nice book in her father's library.
The Doctor continued to grin as he reached forwards and snagged a couple of chips, watching as a small smile appeared on his Nesdra's lips as she took another sip of tea. Her eyes were closed as she savoured the unique blend – one that the Time Lord still hadn't managed to figure out – and as her tongue darted out between her lips to catch the drop that lingered there, the Doctor found himself staring.
"So," he cleared his throat, shifting his gaze to the plate that was sitting between them as he tried to keep his mind on anything but what he'd just been thinking. "How do you know Sarah Jane?"
Opening her eyes, Aries' smile only grew as she replied, placing the cup back onto the table and taking a few more chips herself. "It was actually here in Cardiff. Sarah was following up on a report of a Weevil sighting in the area while I was doing some personal research studying the rift; trying to work out if the radiation it produced wasn't effecting anyone despite what I knew. Though when we did run into each other, I had no idea that Sarah knew about aliens."
"She's still investigating?" the Doctor questioned in surprise, though found that he really shouldn't have been.
"I don't think Sarah ever really stopped," the witch told him, shaking her head with a fond smile.
The grin that was on the Doctor's face was proud as he finished another chip, unable to stop himself from feeling proud to hear that his former companion was still doing what she loved. And it also didn't hurt him to hear that it seemed that both Sarah Jane and Aries got along rather well. "How long have you known Sarah?" he asked, wanting to learn more about his Nesdra. Though the Doctor paused, concern tugging at him when he watched a frown chase away the smile that had been on Aries' face; her gaze dropping to the table between them.
It had been an innocent question, but Aries found that she didn't know how to answer it. Just as she knew that she couldn't explain how she'd been alive during the Blitz, or even the day when she had mysteriously appeared in America after stepping through that portal the day Rose had saved her father. The red head knew that the question was bound to come up, but found the answer to be as elusive as trying to find a heard of Thestral's when one had never seen death.
Though what surprised and startled Aries the most was the fact that ever since she had first met the Doctor, this was the first time she found that she was afraid of what he might do or say if she told him the truth.
Sure there had been moments in the past where she had withheld things from him, but that had been more about self-preservation than anything. She hadn't had a clue as to who the Time Lord had been back then!
But you still showed him your magic...
The thought jolted Aries, her hand freezing over the back of her hand where she'd been tracing over the same spot where the scar the nanogenes had given her had once been, and with a startling realisation, the witch found that she'd never once thought of hiding her magic from the Doctor - something that she hadn't even let Constantine privy to.
Continued to watch his silent Nesdra closely, the Doctor found that as he watched the expressions shift over her features, this was so unlike any other time he had asked her about her past; that this question was one Aries didn't want to answer. There was no quirk of her lips and a question of her own being shot back. No vague or uninformative answer.
No...
For some reason, his choice of question this time actually seemed to bother Aries, and the Doctor didn't think the reason why had anything to do with his former companion.
Reaching across the table, the Doctor gently covered Aries' hand with his own, causing her to startle in surprise as her gaze once more snapped back to him. He offered her a small, reassuring smile as he apologised, knowing that despite his curiosity towards wanting to know how he had run into his Nesdra at various points of time during the last sixty years, he also didn't want to scare her off or have her shut him out.
He just hoped that whatever she was hiding, Aries would tell him when she was ready.
"Sorry, I don't mean to pry. I'm just... curious. But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm not going to force you to."
Aries' gaze dropped to their joint hands; a part of her wanting to pull away and retreat behind her occlumency walls. But a larger part wanted to turn her hand over and link her fingers with his, and she barely managed to stop herself. Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to stare at their hands, unsure as to what she should say.
Could she really trust him with a secret that she'd only divulged to two others?
Swallowing, Aries slowly raised her head so she was looking at the Doctor. It didn't matter what the feelings were that she held for him – the connection she felt draw her to him. The Doctor had never given her a reason as to why she couldn't trust him. "We ran into each other over a decade ago," she finally said after a moment and didn't miss the confusion that flickered over his face. She looked down towards the table again, willing herself to speak before her fears overcame her. "I do...don't know what happened, but one day, I woke up in 1898," she told him quietly.
It wasn't technically a lie, but she didn't feel ready to tell him everything.
Aries didn't see the way the Doctor's eyebrows flew upwards and tried to merge with his hairline at her words before they suddenly furrowed, confused at just what she was trying to tell him. Though the witch did see his hand shift over her hand; flipping it over and linking his fingers with hers before giving her hand a reassuring squeeze as a shaky breath escaped her.
"There was a note that told me when I was," she continued, "And I still don't know who left it, but..." Aries finally raised her head, though her expression was confused, "They left me a house and a bookcase stuffed full of information on anything in regards to aliens and advanced technology the likes most people could only dream of, and I don't know why? I... I don't remember much after waking. I ju-"
Shaking her head, Aries stopped herself from saying anything more.
"You mentioned that you read some books in Downing Street..." Realisation dawned over the Doctor's face. "That's how you knew what the Slitheen were. That they were from Raxacoricofallapatorius," he said quietly, even as he chewed over everything he'd just heard. It was the most he had ever heard Aries speak about herself, and although he was glad – and a little touched – that she trusted him enough to begin opening up to him, he also came to the understanding as to why his Nesdra had never said anything before.
He had thought it had been her affiliation with UNIT that had given her the knowledge and experience he had witnessed she held with aliens. But after hearing that not only was she friends with Sarah Jane, but had also been left with a bookcase filled with information on them, the Doctor was starting to get a better understanding as to why Aries hadn't said anything in the past.
Aries nodded her head slowly in agreement, though she still didn't meet the Doctor's gaze. He was about to reach forwards and nudge her chin up so she would when he froze.
"What do you mean by when?" he asked.
When Aries did finally look to the Time Lord, her face was unreadable - occluded.
"As far as I know, I was born on the thirteenth of October, nineteen eighty," she told him.
"1980," the Time Lord muttered, his eyebrows knitting together as he tried to figure out how that was possible. "Could it have been possible that you were displaced in time?" he questioned.
Shaking her head, Aries looked away. "I wasn't," she admitted, knowing full well that her father had deliberately sent her here, to that time, and someone had been expecting her. She didn't know what, but something told her that whatever he had done to send her to this universe, her father knew what he had been doing.
But the question as to why remained unanswered.
"You know what happened, don't you."
The Doctor's words were carefully spoken as he watched his Nesdra closely. It hadn't been a question, seeing the answer in her troubled expression. And when Aries pulled her hand from his, he let it go without a word, knowing that there was nothing more he could do. He wouldn't force her to tell him, and was actually rather surprised that she had told him as much as she had.
Unable to hold the Doctor's gaze, Aries picked up her cup of tea and took another sip before cradling the mug between her hands. She knew she was stalling, but she hadn't meant for him to know that much, and saying anything more would reveal information she wasn't ready to divulge. Sarah and Alistair might be fine with knowing she was from a different universe, but she had no idea how the Doctor would react to that. Even Mickey didn't know where she was from, and he was like her nephew.
And adding on the fact that she was a witch and a Time Lord to boot... it felt like far too much.
The witch suddenly flinched when from the table that Mickey, Jack, and Rose were at, Mickey suddenly cried, "I knew we should've turned left!"
Though her attention was brought back to the Doctor when he spoke.
"I'm not going to push, Aries," he told her softly, reaching out to grab her hand before stopping himself, instead changing its path and picked up a few more chips. He wasn't going to push her. "But I want you to know that I'm here if you need me. Even if it's just to talk."
A warmth spread through Aries, and when she finally looked back to the Doctor, she shifted slightly in her seat when she could see the sincerity of his words reflected in his blue eyes. She didn't know what to say – how to even feel - and her confusing emotions were beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. Nodding slightly, Aries turned her gaze away from the Time Lord once more as she murmured a quiet 'thank you', all the while fighting back to urge to flee and escape the awkwardness she was feeling.
It would have been strange if she had thought about it, that over all the years having feared what the Doctor could do or say to her for so long, he had accepted her words as the truth... without judgement.
Suddenly the witch stood up, her eyes narrowing as something caught their attention.
"Aries?" the Doctor questioned in concern as he stood up also, wondering if he may have said something wrong. So he was rather confused when she snatched the newspaper from the man at the table next to them and begun to quickly read it; her expression darkening.
When she was done – and without a word – Aries turned the paper around so that the Doctor could see it, and a line appeared between his brows.
"And here we were having such a nice day," he muttered unhappily, noticing immediately what had caught her eye.
On the front page of the Western Mail, there was a picture of Margret the Slitheen stating that she was the new Mayor of Cardiff.
After the Doctor and Aries had shown the rest of their small group the newspaper, they all made their way to City Hall where the Mayor's office was located.
Along the way, Aries kept finding her gaze been drawn to Rose as the blonde continued to shoot her looks and she frowned in confusion. The witch really didn't have a clue as to why Rose had never liked her, and although Aries really didn't care, the dirty looks and outright loathing had become something far beyond annoying. However before she could ask the blonde what her problem was, the Doctor stepped up beside her; blocking her view of Rose.
"Everything alright?" he enquired, even though he hadn't missed the looks his companion had been giving his Nesdra.
"Fine," the witch replied, turning her gaze to the ground ahead of her as her eyebrows furrowed.
"Aries..." the Time Lord let out a sigh as he reached for her hand and getting her to look at him. And although he noted happily that she didn't startle at his touch, he could clearly see that something was bothering her.
It was Aries' turn to sigh as she turned her gaze forwards once more, though didn't let go of the Doctor's hand. "Have I said or done something to Rose?" she asked after a moment as her brows knitted even further together in her confused frustration, "Because I really don't know why she continues to be so hostile towards me. I admit that I may not be the easiest person to get along with at times, but ever since I have met her..." She trailed off as she glanced around the Doctor and towards the blonde, once again finding Rose watching them both with narrowed eyes.
The Time Lord blinked, looking to his Nesdra as he wondered how she hadn't noticed that the looks Rose had – and currently was – giving her was because his companion was jealous with his decision to spend as much time as he could with Aries whenever they'd meet. Though as the Time Lord thought about it, he realised that despite having started to show symptoms of Bond Deprivation himself – where one or both soulmates spend a large amount of time away from the other... Aries wasn't showing anything.
In fact, the only thing he had seen her show a reaction to towards their bond was when it first started. Apart from that, his Nesdra had shown no sign to tell him that she even felt their connection and it made him wonder if it was because she wasn't a Time Lord. And if that were the case, did Aries have any reason to even think Rose was jealous of something if she didn't even know to connect the expression with the emotion to?
It was the only - well, the Doctor wouldn't call it a flaw as he found it rather endearing about his Nesdra - but her almost non-existent ability to pick up and recognise others' emotions, the Time Lord felt as though it played a large factor behind Aries' frustration with her inability to recognise why Rose didn't like her.
And he found that he was glad that he could understand that about Aries now, having come to realise that instead of her having appeared randomly throughout his travels like he had once thought, his soulmate had just lived through the last century in a linear path. It had actually been he that had been appearing randomly throughout her life, though he wouldn't have changed it for anything. Although he now found that he was curious to know how she could have lived through the last sixty years and not seemed to age a day, however could admit that their talk earlier had given him a far better understanding of his Nesdra than he had previously held.
To have seen the way she had changed throughout the various points of her life; from the shy and scared young woman he had met during the Blitz, to the woman who was walking right beside him now who he knew was more driven by facts and directions rather than being swayed or distracted by emotions. He knew, because if she wasn't, the Time Lord was certain that she would have picked up on the feelings he held for her by now.
Instead of voicing these thoughts aloud, however, the Doctor smiled at his Nesdra, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not sure," he lied, "But I'll have a talk with her about it," he added, telling her the truth. He was definitely going to be having another chat with his companion about making Aries feel uncomfortable.
There was no way he was going to allow Rose to try and scare Aries off.
"She's got no idea," Jack whispered to Mickey as they trailed after the other three; both men having watched the entire interaction.
Mickey shook his head, looking almost exasperated. "You have no idea," he muttered in reply, recalling how oblivious his aunt was to the opposite sex. If he were to be honest, there had been a time where he thought that she was actually... batting for the other team? But over the last couple of months, he had been able to observe how Aries had just seemed to not even notice when someone was hitting on her. It had been rather amusing to watch her chatting with someone about the topics that they had brought up, completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that each one had made their intentions very clear.
More than once Mickey had been privileged to watch men – and surprisingly a number of woman – just up and leave mid conversation, causing Aries to blink in confusion before shrugging.
Jack raised an eyebrow at Mickey, rather curious to know more about the red head, but the young man just waved him off.
He had made a promise to his aunty, and he wasn't about to break it.
When the group entered the foyer of City Hall, they came to a stop and Jack revealed his vortex manipulator.
"According to intelligence," the American looked up from the device around his wrist and to Aries, "The target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty-seven-fifty-six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor and Aries, you go face to face. That'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two. Rose, you Exit Three. Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?"
"Excuse me," the Doctor spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the man, "Who's in charge?"
Jack just smirked. "Sorry," he apologised sarcastically as he met the Doctor's eye before deliberately turning his head so he was looking at Aries. "Awaiting orders, Ma'am," he said in a way that was almost as if he were daring her to say something.
Mickey, Rose, and the Doctor all frowned at Jack; Mickey sparing a glance to his aunt as he wondered if she had told the American who she was. Though seeing that she was frowning at the man, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, he realised that she was just as surprised as he was and he looked back to the American, wondering how he'd know.
"I don't think that the Doctor was talking about me, Captain," Aries told him tersely, her tone laden with warning. She didn't know how, but it seemed to her as though Jack knew who she was, and a part of Aries was terrified at the mere thought.
"Right," the Doctor cut through the tension that had built between his Nesdra and Jack, only continuing when everyone's eyes had turned to him. "Here's the plan..." Pausing, the Time Lord realised that Jack's plan held merit and he grinned, "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?"
"Yes," Aries nodded, "I'm going to go with Mickey."
The Doctor's grin disappeared at her words and he turned to look at her. He opened his mouth to argue, wanting her with him, but she was already talking again.
"We've all had experience with aliens, but Mickey really hasn't had much to do with them." Mickey made a noise of protest, but quietened when Aries shot him a pointed look, "Despite what you have experienced, I think it would be wise to have someone go with you," she told her nephew.
He opened his mouth to say something, though quickly closed it when he realised that Aries wasn't trying to make him feel inadequate or stupid. That his aunt was only concerned about his safety.
Mickey nodded at Aries with a small smile and the Doctor frowned, once again wondering just what their relationship was.
The Time Lord could admit, begrudgingly, that her idea was a good one, but he would have prefer it if someone else went with Mickey instead. Though his frown only deepened when he realised that if someone else went with the younger man, it still meant that Aries wasn't going to be with him as she would have to then cover the exit that would otherwise be left open. He glowered at Mickey, causing the young man's eyes to widen in surprise.
Rose looked between them all in confusion, having no idea as to why Aries' suggestion was causing them to react like they were. It was, not that she would ever admit it, the first idea she actually agreed with the red head on, especially if it meant that the woman wasn't spending any more time alone with the Doctor.
Jack raised an eyebrow as he looked between the group, wondering what had the Time Lords knickers in a twist before his jaw dropped. It couldn't be, he thought in disbelief, his eyes flickering between the Doctor and Aries as his mind tried to process what it had decided to go and dump on itself. He knew that some species had bonds with the one they considered their soulmates, and he knew about Time Lord's and the bond they create when they found their Nesdra.
Jack had only thought it was a rumour...
But the signs were right there in front of him.
The protectiveness, jealousy, and the fact that the Doctor never seemed to be far from Aries' side... as if he were going through Bond Deprivation. It actually explained so much to him, answering the questions he had earlier in regards to the pair, as well as the way the Doctor had never shown an ounce of interest in Rose.
There was still one question that was left unanswered, however.
Just how did the Doctor manage to find his Nesdra in someone whose mother would have never placed Aries in a position to meet another Time Lord?
Rumours aside, it had been common knowledge throughout the Time Agency that the Alchemist held no love for her own species. He had even heard a tale or two from agents that had said they had run into the errant Time Lady, stating that she had not taken kindly to anyone who had called her one. So it confused him as to how someone who hated her own species had allowed her only daughter – if he was corrected with that assumption – to not only meet another Time Lord, but also allow her to form a bond with one.
Jack shook his head, getting back to the task at hand. There would be time later to think over the implications of what he had just realised. "She's right, Doctor," he spoke up, rolling his eyes when the Time Lord turned his glare on him. "Oh, don't glare at me. It's not my fault your mate is so good at working through problems strategically."
The Time Lord blinked at the American's words before he scowled and looked away. Of course! Leave it to Jack to figure out why I'm not liking this idea, he groused internally, fighting the urge to cross his arms against his chest. He hadn't seen his Aries in almost a year and all he wanted was for her to be with him.
But she doesn't even know about the bond, a traitorous voice whispered in his mind and it caused his mood to darken further.
No. The Doctor wasn't liking this at all.
"Present arms," Jack cut through his thoughts and they all pulled out their phones except for Aries since she didn't have anyone's number but Mickey's.
The Doctor shot Mickey one more glare when his Nesdra moved to stand beside the young man. "Ready," he said gruffly.
"Ready," Rose added, glancing at the Doctor curiously, wondering why he was glaring at her boyfriend.
Mickey swallowed as he also said that he was ready. Sure he had thought that the Doctor liked Aries, but the glares he was getting from the Time Lord made him think that the man wanted to kill him for just being close to Aries. Protective much? he mused before swallowing again when he noticed the Doctor glaring at him again. He mildly wondered if the Time Lord could read minds before thinking it would be a good idea to tell the man that he didn't see Aries as anything but his aunty. But he wouldn't do that without consulting Aries first, and that would be admitting that he was rather scared of the Doctor.
"Ready," Jack said, fighting down a smile as he watched the Doctor shooting Mickey another dark look. Poor guy doesn't have a clue, he chuckled internally before speaking again. "Speed dial?"
"Yup," the Time Lord answered, finally looking away from Mickey and pressed a button on his phone.
"Ready," Rose repeated as she did the same, still confused as to why everyone was acting so... odd.
"Check," Aries spoke as she took the phone off Mickey and pressed a button, glancing in concern at the young man as she did so.
"See you in hell," Jack told them with a grin. He gave the Time Lord one last glance before he moved off, only to pause when he noticed the man stopping Aries and Mickey. Oh, this is going to be fun, he thought, shaking his head before moving off, the grin never leaving his lips.
"Everything okay?" Aries asked the Doctor after he had stopped them, concerned that something looked to be troubling him.
"Yeah, I'm fine," the Time Lord nodded, even though he was feeling far from okay. He glanced at Mickey before refocusing on his Nesdra, "Just make sure you stay safe," he told her.
"I will," Aries replied with a small smile, "You be careful as well."
The Doctor managed to return her smile. "I will be," he promised her before surprising the red head when he pulled her into a quick hug. He felt her stiffen in surprise before she hugged him back.
Aries was even more surprised, however, when she felt his lips brush against her temple and suddenly she was overwhelmed with the Doctor's scent, recognising it as her Amortentia once again before he let her go and headed off. She stood there stunned and blinked, puzzled as to what had just happened before shaking her head. She turned to Mickey and frowned when she noticed he was looking at the Doctor's retreating form with an expression of fear.
"You alright, Mickey?" she asked, rather concerned and confused as to why he looked frightened.
Mickey's head snapped to her and he swallowed, nodding quickly. "Y-yeah, everything's. Why wouldn't it be?" he asked quickly, his voice higher than normal. He glanced back to where the Doctor had disappeared before shaking his head, trying to get the death glare the Time Lord had given him from his mind. If looks could kill, Mickey had the sense to believe that the look he had just received was almost like the Doctor would kill him, then travel back in time to kill him again.
He looked back to his aunty who was watching him in concern. "Do you think we could tell them you're my aunty?" he asked meekly.
Aries frowned at the young man. Earlier, she would have denied it, but seeing how well the Doctor had taken to what she had told him, she didn't think there would be any negative reactions coming from the man about her being Mickey's aunt. Technically he already knew, but she gathered that it would probably be a good idea to explain it to him anyways.
"Sure," she said and watched as Mickey's shoulders relaxed.
"Thanks," Mickey said, visibly relieved before grabbing her hand and heading off, "Come on. We have an alien to stop."