So this is a story that has been sat with a few hundred words written for ages. Turns out I still like the idea and have decided to go for it. I hope that you all enjoy this AU!

xxx

The two girls laughed boisterously as they stumbled out into the cool night air. Despite exiting the building, the music still thumped loudly from within. Rose steadied herself and reached out an arm to stop Sherine from falling.

'Oh crap! I was supposed to be home hours ago!' Sherine cried as she stuffed her phone back into her bag.

'So was I,' Rose waved a hand with a grin. 'Don't worry about it. I'll just tell mum I was at your place and you can tell yours you were at mine'.

Sherine shook her head. 'Not this time, mate. Mum's already called me a few times. I better get going'.

'Suit yourself,' Rose shrugged. 'I better go find Jimmy'.

The two friends parted ways and Rose slowly navigated the dark street. Remembering her usual shortcut, she turned to cut down the alley down the side of the club. The alley was dimly lit, but she could hear raised voices from within.

Staying close to the wall, she peered inside and tried to make out the faces in the darkness. There were four men, one backed up against the wall while the other three stood around him. The man at the front had a familiar outline and Rose was just squinting through the darkness when he spoke again.

Jimmy? she frowned thoughtfully. He had been having drinks with some musician friends of his last she'd seen him. She didn't expect him to be outside, but it wasn't an unwelcome surprise. She slowly emerged from around the corner just as several things happened so fast that she barely had time to react.

'Do it!' a male voice bellowed, and Rose watched Jimmy grunt out an apology before he lashed out with a small blade and slit the man against the wall's throat.

Rose stopped dead, trying to process what she had just witnessed. One of the other two men took the knife from Jimmy and hastily wiped it down before tossing it onto the ground beside the man. The other turned in her direction and that was when she knew she was in trouble.

'Oh shit!' he cursed, alerting the other two to her presence.

'Get her,' the other man ordered calmly.

Rose did the only thing that her alcohol addled brain could think of and ran. She ran faster than she ever had before, barely aware of Jimmy calling her name. She didn't stop until she was blocks away and was certain that she wouldn't be found. Her breath came out in shaky puffs as she struggled to compose herself. What was she going to do? Would life ever be the same again?

Xxx

'Right everyone, if I could have your attention,' the captain called out and the room fell silent. 'Where's the Doc?'

'He said he was stuck in traffic ten minutes ago,' Jack called back from the end of the table. 'He'll be here shortly'.

'Right, well he can catch up,' the captain turned to the screen behind him and clicked the button in his hand. 'Stanley Wilkinson, long term informant for the local police. I'm sure some of you have had dealings with him in the past. He's become increasingly well known for his association with some big dogs in the criminal underground, most notably the Master'.

'Another of the Master's lackeys, what of him?' asked Sarah-Jane.

'He was murdered last night'.

'Murdered?' Sarah-Jane gasped, sitting forward in her chair a little.

The sound of the door opening broke the tension in the room as the final member of their team arrived, arms full and long trench coat swishing behind him.

'Sorry I'm late,' he called to the captain as he hurried to take his seat. The room was silent as he turned to look at the board. 'Why is Stanley Wilkinson up there?'

Several of them exchanged uncomfortable looks before the captain replied. 'His body was discovered in the alley last night, John. By Club Zygon'.

The colour drained from John's face and his mouth gaped open. 'You can't be serious? He was just about to testify!'

'Exactly,' the captain replied stoically. 'Clearly the Master got wind of his association with us and wanted to tie up a loose end. Luckily for us, there was a witness to the execution'.

'Who?'

'Rose Tyler'.

This announcement elicited a loud groan from John, who received a frown from his captain in response.

'What's her deal?' asked Jack, 'And what's your problem with her?'

'She's a criminal,' John grumbled.

'Is she pretty?' Jack retorted with a grin and John glared at him.

The captain gladly took the opportunity to cut the other two off. 'She's London born and raised; father died when she was little, bright kid but never reached her full potential. Past offences include breaking and entering and petty theft, nothing more severe than that. She's been trying to turn her life around'.

John mumbled something under his breath that only those closest to him had a hope of hearing.

'Did you want to add something, John?' the captain asked with a stern look.

John shook his head sulkily.

'No? Fantastic,' the captain grinned. 'Then you'll be happy to know that I am assigning you to watch over the girl until she testifies'.

'With all due respect'—

'Your respect is noted,' the captain cut him off and jerked a thumb at the board behind him, 'but as you can see from poor old Stanley boy, we can't afford to let the Master get to another witness. I can't entrust this task to rookies. I need you on this'.

John glared at the file on the table that he knew contained the information about Rose Tyler. Whilst he appreciated the captain's attempt to stroke his ego, he could not allow himself to be flattered. He was a detective, not a glorified babysitter. Of course he felt sorry for the girl, but he did not get a PHD in Forensic science just to babysit her.

'Are you sure that Jack wouldn't'—

'John, if I wanted Jack for this then I would have asked him,' the captain sighed and then clapped his hands together. 'The rest of you had better get back to those leads. And John, be gentle with Rose. The man that carried out the execution was her boyfriend'.

As they left the office, Jack thought that John might just implode right there and then. Taking advantage of John's distraction he reached out and plucked Rose's file from his hand.

'Give that back,' John grunted, looking a little deflated as Jack flipped open the folder.

'Oh, so she is pretty,' Jack grinned, holding up a picture of a young blonde woman. 'How do you know her again?'

'I had a run in with her a few years back,' John explained with a sigh. 'Had the nerve to pick my pocket as she left'.

'What happened after that?' Jack laughed, listening as he flicked through the contents of the file.

'I arrested her,' John replied simply.

Jack's grin did not fade. 'Are you sure that nothing happened with her?'

John's glared at him again, but his traitorous ears began to feel rather hot. Jack's triumphant smirk told him that they had to be about as red as they felt.

'Spit it out,' Jack nudged him in the ribs with a little more force than he originally intended.

'There may have been a moment…' John trailed off as the events of that night replayed in his mind.

It had been John's first attempt to infiltrate the Master's world alone and all had been going to plan. He had enlisted the help of an old friend of both his and the captains to get him into Club Zygon, or Platform One as it had then been called. Jabe had been reluctant as she knew how risky helping someone like him would be. He had assured her that he wouldn't make any trouble, just do a bit of snooping and be out before anyone had realised that he was there.

Things only took a turn for the worse when John noticed that he was being watched. The men were subtle, but John could tell by the way they flanked around him that he was in danger. Panic sank in as he tried to formulate the best means of escape. His mind had started to go into overdrive, his desire to escape before the Master found him clouding his logical thinking. And then suddenly there she was. A dangerous vision in pale gold, her long, dark eyelashes fluttered flirtatiously as she approached him. Transfixed by her dazzling charm directed entirely at him, he could do nothing but swallow awkwardly and brace himself for whatever she was going to do.

He had certainly not expected her to seize him by the lapels and smash her lips to his. Her kiss was forceful, but John had little choice but to allow it to happen as she showed no signs of ceasing her onslaught. When they parted, it took him a moment, dazed as he was, to realise that she was whispering to him.

'I don't know who you are,' her warm breath tickled his skin as she ducked her head a little into the crook of his neck. 'But lady Cassandra seems to think that you're interesting'.

'Is that so?' he squeaked, eyes bulging as he scanned the room again for signs of the men.

'Yes,' he felt her smile against his neck. 'And I don't think her interest is going to be good for you'.

He wanted to lean back to look at this strange woman who had potentially just saved him from getting taken into a room from which he might not return. He wanted to ask why she'd intervened, but she held him too tightly.

'You need to get out of here,' she warned, gently running her hands up his arms to snake around his neck.

'You aren't going to take me to Lady Cassandra?'

She pulled back then and gave him the most incredulous frown he had ever seen directed at him. He hated the way his gaze instantly shifted to her plump lips, but he could not help it. After all, how often did one get thoroughly snogged by a beautiful woman without even putting in the effort to introduce oneself?

'Why would I do that?'

'I dunno,' he frowned then. 'I dunno why you kissed me for that matter'.

She looked annoyed.

'Do you have any idea what they would have done to you?' she hissed. 'There are some dangerous people here. Clearly, they could see what I can'.

'And what's that?' he asked a little snappily.

She leant in again and John was once more overwhelmed by her presence so near to him. He delicate perfume and warm skin like drugs of their own in a place that was no doubt teaming with them.

She smiled again and whispered close to his ear. 'You're a cop'.

John flinched, swivelling his head about to check for anyone nearby. 'Am not'.

'Are so,' she laughed lightly and it was a surprisingly pleasant sound. Looking down at the creature before him, John had to wonder how she had come to be there and how old she was. She couldn't be older than twenty at the absolute oldest.

'And who are you then?' he asked angrily. 'And why are you here by yourself if it's so dangerous?'

She studied his face for a moment, and he studied hers. He realised that her eyes were a lovely shade of warm brown even by the glow of the flickering, coloured lights.

'No one important,' she grinned, and the tip of her tongue poked distractingly out from between her teeth. 'Just some one who has given you enough time to get out of here safely'.

'And how have you done that?' his eyes flickered back to the bar where Jabe was looking in their direction with concerned eyes.

She rolled her eyes and shifted a little in front of him. 'Trust me, I've given them plenty to keep them occupied'.

'Trust you?' he gave her a dubious look.

She pouted.

'Just leave,' she sighed and hesitated for barely a moment before reaching up to kiss his cheek. The contact was brief, but it was long enough for John to detest it immensely. Or perhaps he didn't detest it but how it made him feel. It ruffled him in a way that a man of his intelligence and sensibility ought not to be ruffled.

'So she saved you?' Jack's voice brought him back to the heavily abridged version of events that he was recounting for his friend. 'I don't know what your problem is. Sounds like you two hit it off'.

'One might have assumed that until I left the place only to find that my wallet had disappeared'.

'Could that not have been someone else?'

John gave him an incredulous look. 'No one else was close enough to even attempt it'.

'Are you sure?' Jack folded his arms across his chest with a smirk. 'Or did you just want an excuse to track her down? Speaking of which, how did you track her down?'

'Yes, I'm sure, no, I didn't, and I am an excellent detective,' John then turned on his heel and retreated in the direction of his office.

xxx

So there we are. I hope that this is an interesting enough idea. I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far, but if it doesn't get much interest then I might not keep going on here as I already have other stories the need continuing. So please let me know if you do like the idea of it and if you'd like to see more. Cheers!