The group walked together into central London, the Doctor and Jack 'discussing' the interplanetary football league (mostly involving Jack raving about Earth's team, while the Doctor dismissed it all as a pointless excuse for men to run around like idiots), Rose and her Mum chatting about this person from the shop, and that girl who worked in the newsagents, while Amber drifted along side them, playing with her locator.
"She's a bit funny, that Amber girl…" Jackie said to Rose.
"Alien, I know," Rose said with a smile, "The Doctor can be like that sometimes, you just forget he's not human because he looks so like one, but then he does something odd and reminds you he's from another planet and time."
"You mean that blue box thing isn't reminder enough?"
"You get used to it after a little while," Rose said with an unconcerned shrug, "Reckon it's more like home to me now than the flat."
"Well, you haven't been living in the flat for near enough the last two years…" Jackie said.
"It's not been that long for me, I don't think…" Rose tried to think, but it was hard to keep time in the TARDIS. They ate when they were hungry, slept when they needed rest, there was no day and night, no order or sequence to the day, just whatever your body needed.
"You don't even know how old you are any more!" Jackie said, "You could be twenty, twenty-one, should be by my clock, but you could have only been gone a week!"
"It's been longer than that this time, Mum," Rose said, "not like that first time when I was only gone for a few days and a whole year passed!"
"Don't you go doing that to me again! I want you to keep up this phoning and texting, even if it costs you hundreds of pounds, or whatever money it is that you spend!"
"I promise Mum, never again, and you know where I'm off to now, so there's no worries about telling you."
"He still can't promise me…" Jackie muttered.
"Promise you what?" Rose asked.
"That you'll always be safe!"
"Mum, I can't promise I'll be safe getting the bus to work everyday. Some lunatic could come along and, I dunno, shoot me or something. I'd rather be in danger doing something amazing than something boring."
"I suppose…" Jackie said begrudgingly, "And we're not going to get attacked this time, right? Because every other time you come home I end up shot at, hunted, stuck in the middle of some alien plot, even nearly eaten!"
"Mum, nothing's going to happen, we are perfectly safe, well, safe as you can be in London," Rose reassured, "we're on holiday! What could possibly go wrong?"
In the shadows, unseen by the Doctor and his extended group of companions, something lurked.
It scanned the alleyway, searching for the blip of signal it had caught on to. It was faint, but probably enough for the thing to find its target. All it really needed was a visual, something more reliable than the tiny measure of radiation that was interrupted every time someone with a mobile phone walked past, indistinguishable from the radiation given off by the small communications devices.
It crept forwards at the sound of voices, recording the conversation, filtering for keywords.
Doctor
…
Human medicinal practitioner
…
Negative
…
Sonic Screwdriver
…
Sonic device, non-contemporaneous
…
Positive
…
Conduct scan? Yes.
…
Life form of Non-Earth origin, circa 900 years old, species non-identifiable
…
Follow? Yes.
…
The Doctor and company met Mickey and Tricia outside the restaurant at five to seven.
"I had to tell her," Mickey said, "about you working for the Government…"
"Yeah," Tricia said, "I did always wonder where you vanished to for a whole year, Rose, nice to know the truth!"
Rose smiled while Jack tried not to laugh.
"Yeah, sorry I couldn't tell you sooner," Rose said, "You're looking great by the way, Tricia!"
"Aw, thank you!" Tricia beamed at Rose. "So then, introduce me to everyone then Mickey!"
Mickey looked awkward, but he turned to the crew before him.
"This is Jackie Tyler, Rose's Mum, err, Jack Harkness…"
"Captain Jack Harkness, of the American Airforce," Jack said with a charming grin, "And don't you forget it Mickey!"
"I thought you were supposed to be behaving…" Amber said.
"Oh yeah…" Jack said sheepishly, making Tricia laugh.
"Yeah, don't mind him," Rose said, "He has a habit of flirting with anything moving…"
"Who said movement was necessary?" the Doctor asked with a wide grin.
"Moving on…" Rose said, "This is the Doctor, he's with UNIT, United Nations Intelligence Taskforce," (the Doctor waved and smiled) "and Amber – she's with the F.B.I."
"Nice to meet you all!" Tricia said, looking at Amber with slight uncertainty, "I'm Tricia, from the shop." She added with a little shrug.
"Nice to meet you Tricia from the shop!" the Doctor said, smiling in his silly way. "Shall we head inside?"
He held the door open for Tricia, who smiled up at him, before taking Mickey's hand and walking through it, saying quietly, but not so quiet that the Doctor's ears couldn't pick up on it, that she found Rose's friends charming and didn't know why he had been so worried about coming to dinner.
The Doctor grinned goofishly on hearing this, and turned to Rose, rolling his eyes and beckoning her through the door. Rose tried to contain her amusement by biting at her lip and walked into the posh restaurant, followed closely by her Mum and Amber.
"The F.B.I.?" Amber questioned quietly.
"Yeah, I thought you'd prefer that to being a bodyguard, bit more glamorous," Rose said.
Harriet joined them just as the Doctor was ordering a round of drinks. Jackie regarded her a little coldly, Tricia dropped the spoon she had been toying with in surprise, Rose and Jack waved merrily while the Doctor took her order.
"Well isn't this lovely?" Harriet said as she took a seat, "my dear, I don't believe we have been introduced," she turned to Tricia.
"I'm Tricia Delaney," Tricia said, looking slightly star struck.
"Pleasure to meet you, Tricia, and you must be Mrs. Tyler."
"Ms, actually, but call me Jackie!" Jackie said, trying to smile but ending up grimacing.
"Drinks!" the Doctor said, arriving at a very opportune moment, removing the awkwardness that had been about to set in.
"One Vodka and Coke for Mr Harkness, don't drink it all at once!" the Doctor said.
"Yes sir!" Jack said with a grin, sipping at his drink. "You know, shame they don't do Hyper Vodka's here yet, that is one fine drink, especially for breakfast!"
Amber discreetly kicked him under the table.
"Hyper Vodka?" Tricia asked, "Never heard of that!"
"Never heard of anyone drinking them for breakfast either," Amber said, casually deflecting the question.
"Well, I was about to be…"
"Stop!" Rose said, holding up her hand, "I don't want to know what made you need to drink Vodka for breakfast."
Tricia laughed, Mickey didn't – he just eyed Jack warily, trying to give him a non verbal warning to watch his big mouth.
"No, you probably don't!" Jack said with a grin.
"Moving swiftly on…" the Doctor said, handing out the rest of the drinks.
"So is this what you government types get up to, is it? Drinking Vodka for breakfast? No wonder Rose left home!" Tricia said, sipping on a bright green cocktail.
Jackie looked like she was going to say something but Rose pressed on her foot in warning.
"It's not all fun and games you know," the Doctor said, "the Captain just likes to make the most of his monthly pay day."
"Don't we all," Tricia said.
Amber regarded the blue drink Jack had recommended to her (because it would match her hair) and sipped it cautiously.
"Nice?" Jack asked, "See, I know my drinks, I do." He said smugly when she nodded.
"You are so full of it," Amber said complacently.
The menus came round and Rose had fun trying to help her Mother pick something out from the complicated and fancy sounding meals. Amber also had a bit of trouble, but after declaring she wasn't fussy to Jack, who was getting very close while trying to recommend something delicious, she picked a meal at random and said she would have that.
If Tricia thought their behaviour was a little weird she didn't mention it, though she did ask Mickey if Amber was foreign, for she sounded neither American, nor English, to which he vaguely replied she was from quite a way away.
Dinner was eaten over polite conversation about various political things, shop prices, holidays in Tenerife and an amusing tale or two from Jack, about what he and his 'Air force friends' got up to, nearly all of which involved running and a lack of clothing.
"I'm just going to go to the bathroom," Tricia said, standing up and excusing herself from the table.
"Yeah, me too," Rose said, and the two women walked away together.
The bathroom was huge with an enormous mirror. Rose automatically started checking her hair and touching up her makeup. Tricia rather awkwardly joined her.
"You must think I'm a super bitch…" Tricia said, "You go away to do important Government business and I steal your boyfriend." She explained sheepishly.
"Oh, no!" Rose said earnestly, "Mickey deserves someone who is going to be around for him. You two look dead happy together, I'm happy for him, and you!"
"Really?" Tricia asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, "I'm so glad you said that, I was worried you'd hate me."
"I could have stayed here with Mickey, but I chose not to, he deserves someone better than me." Rose said firmly. "You could be that person."
"I'm glad I have your consent."
"You don't need my consent." Rose said, smiling kindly.
"So, what's it like, working for top secret Government agencies?" Tricia asked.
"Top secret!" Rose said with a grin, "It's dangerous, but invigorating. I love it!"
"You have some pretty cool friends," she said, "the Captain seems really nice – pretty handsome too!"
"Don't let him know you think that, his head's over inflated enough as it is!"
"I think Mickey would be a bit bothered if I did anyway, he seems very wary of him – have they met before?"
"Once yeah, in Cardiff," Rose said, "Jack is very over the top, particularly when it comes to flirting, I think that made Mickey a bit uncomfortable!"
Tricia laughed. "The Doctor, is that his name? Anyway, he seems pretty nice to, sounds like a real brain box!"
"Yeah, he knows all sorts, gold mine of information," Rose said.
"Amber is the only one I'm not so sure about, but then, she is F.B.I.," Tricia said as if that explained everything, "Has the most amazing hair though – how does she get it to look that natural?"
Rose was saved from answering by Jackie bustling in to let them know pudding was being served.
Rose finished the last mouthful of a large piece of Chocolate Fudge Cake as the restaurant band began to play. A few chairs at the front had been cleared to the side, making something of a dance floor, and a few couples were rising to have a quick sway to the music. Jack looked to the Doctor with mischief in his eyes, and excused himself from the table and skipped over to talk to the band.
"What is he doing?" Rose asked. The Doctor shrugged.
"Not a clue, but, as it's Jack, at least one person at this table is not going to like it!" he said.
They watched Jack chatting away flirtatiously to the head of the band, who seemed to be nodding in agreement. A moment later they stopped playing the song they had been playing, and switched to a song Rose and the Doctor recognised instantly. Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller.
"Recognise this one Rose?" Jack asked with a big grin, "Come on – time to burn off that Fudge Cake!"
He held out his hand and Rose took it, allowing herself to be pulled away to the dance floor.
"Dance with me?" Tricia said to Mickey, who reluctantly took to the floor.
Jackie looked for romance in Rose and Jack's dancing, but it was very clear there was none. They were both grinning stupidly at each other, while doing ridiculous little moves, talking very animatedly about something. There was no tenderness or longing, they were just two friends having a laugh. Jackie was a little disappointed. She wouldn't have minded having Jack in the family – he was at least human.
Rose came skipping back over, a little flushed, and grabbed the Doctor's arm.
"Come on!" she said, "I know you've got the moves now, I'm going to make sure you use them!"
"Rose…" The Doctor tried to protest, but he was already halfway to the dance floor.
Jackie watched them with eyes like a hawk. The romance was definitely there now – there was no mistaking the tender look in the Doctor's eyes, or the dreamy smile on Rose's face.
Jack was watching them smugly, feeling this was all due to his intervention, when he heard Amber's voice in his head.
You're little design is likely to go to pot if you don't distract Mrs. Tyler sometime soon, she's looking a little venomous…
Jack grinned to himself, then went over to the table to ask Jackie for a dance.
Sometime later, when everyone except Amber had had a quick twirl with Jack, a slightly tipsy Rose decided it was high time the assassin had a little fun.
"Jack…" she crooned, "why don't you get Amber up for a little dance?"
"Because I value my life very highly," Jack said.
"Oh come on, I know you want to…" Rose said, poking him in the chest.
"What I want and what I can do are two entirely different things in this situation," Jack said, "Because I also want to still be alive at the end of the evening."
"I thought Jack always got what Jack wants…" Rose teased.
"He does!" Jack said, puffing his chest up a little.
"Then go and get a dance off Amber!" she said as if this was the simplest thing in the world.
"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this Rose Tyler," Jack said, then sauntered over to Amber.
"Amber, may I have this dance?" Jack asked, bowing deeply before Amber with a cheeky grin on his face. Amber leaned forwards.
"No." she said, then sat back in her chair.
"Amber would love to have this dance!" Harriet said, pushing her forwards.
"Amber does not dance," Amber said.
"Amber does now!" Tricia said, joining the effort.
"What is this, a human conspiracy or something?" Amber said a little too loudly.
"Oh you'll have to come now, to make them forget you just said that," Jack said with a wicked grin, and Amber had to oblige.
"You do look gorgeous in that dress," Jack said, trailing his hands as low as he dared, which was probably far too low in Amber's books, and pulling her closer to him.
"Is that a gun in your pocket?" Amber asked.
"Or maybe I'm just pleased to see you," Jack said with a smutty grin, "Or it could be both…" he whispered into her ear.
"I hope it's a gun," Amber said, looking straight over his shoulder.
"You know, you aren't such a spoil sport, you could easily have knocked me out if you really didn't want to dance… I think you want me."
"Don't flatter yourself, I don't fight in public," Amber said.
"Whatever sweetheart, you know you just can't resist Captain Jack Harkness."
Amber squinted as something crossed her vision. She was half listening to Jack ramble about something, but she was more interested in the slight shimmer she was certain she had seen a second ago.
Just as she was about to dismiss it as nothing, she saw it again, and without a further hesitation, she dived her hand into Jack's pocket, took out his gun and shot at it.
There was an eat splitting explosion, and the previously near invisible thing Amber had shot at suddenly appeared, now without a head, but still holding a gun out before itself in a threatening manner. The band stopped playing and there was a deafening silence before the screaming and panicking began.
Jack looked around, bemused but impressed.
"You saw that coming?" he asked, "it was completely invisible!"
Amber didn't answer, she had her eyes closed. What she was doing was answered when the first person came to a door and cried out that it was locked. Amber smiled, apparently satisfied then walked over to the bar, leaving Jack to examine what was left of whatever she had just shot.
"Have you got something I could use to make a loud noise?" She asked the terrified barman, "I would shoot this in the air, but I don't want to put a hole in your ceiling."
He handed her a pan and a wooden spoon.
"Excellent," she said, then wandered off over to the Doctor.
"What was all that about?" he asked, fuming.
"Though I doubt you care much for my neck, I just saved Jack's, so kindly wait until I've explained before kicking off at me, and can I borrow your psychic paper?"
The Doctor stared at her mutely, so Rose rummaged around in his jacket until she found it.
"Thank you Rose," Amber said, and stood on the table. She looked around at the panicking people, and banged the spoon and pan together. Everyone stopped screaming.
"Good," Amber said, "Now I have your attention, I'm Amber, and I'm with the F.B.I." she said, holding up the Psychic Paper.