Sleep came from the moment Rose rested her head against the back of her seat.
Having climbed into the Land Rover and clipped in her seatbelt she had nodded off even before the driver had turned on the engine. What seemed to be only a few seconds for her passed before Rose then found herself being gently shaken awake by The Doctor.
"Come on, Rose." He said. "We're back."
"Back at the TARDIS?"
"No, back at the base. I asked for us to be brought here first."
There were no windows in the back of the jeep, all of the seats were facing sideways to accommodate more of the soldiers it normally transported. The only source of light, save from that of the windshield was the rear door at the back of the vehicle. Stretching out her arms as she let out a big yawn, Rose saw the top of a khaki coloured tent as the Doctor climbed out ahead of her.
The base was a hive of activity and looked so much smaller in the daylight than it had done the previous night. But this was largely due to most of it being in the process of being dismantled by those of Harrison's men who had remained behind. Already they had made quick work of taking apart the accommodation tent and the larger structure that had been used as a mess and briefing room. Rose wondered what they had done with the dead creature that had been laid out on a table inside it, and where such a thing would have been taken from here. Also gone was the plastic white and yellow tent that had been housing Tom Richardson's body.
Both it and Tom had served their purpose now.
Making the base seem even more busy was the presence of two ambulances that were parked on the other side of Peter's tent. The rear doors of the large fluorescent coloured vans were open and Rose spotted one of the paramedics in their distinguishable green overalls.
"Doctor, what are we doing here?" She asked. "Why aren't we going back to the TARDIS?"
"We will soon enough." He reassured her. "Just some unfinished business to take care of."
"You mean Peter, don't you?"
The Doctor neither confirmed nor denied this.
He had asked the driver of their car to drop them off away from the middle of the base, some twenty or so meters away from the tents. Much to the soldier's confusion, he had then been ordered to drive the jeep back over and join up with the one Peter, Stefan and Major Harrison had made the journey in. Jane Wilson had been in the last car, and that one had driven off at great speed in the opposite direction as soon as they had reached the main road. No doubt she was on her way to a secure location for treatment and questioning, and the Time Lord knew she was in capable hands.
From their vantage point, and with the skeletal remains of the mess tent between them and the convoy, it was easy to see everyone and hear what was being said without being immediately noticeable. The rain had ebbed away into a drizzle, and the nearest of the soldiers chose to ignore the Doctor and Rose even if they did spot them as they quickly packed away all of their equipment.
A big distraction took attention away from the Time Lord and his companion once word got around Peter's team that their commanding officer and Stefan had arrived back.
"What's all this?" Peter laughed. "Haven't you lot got jobs to do?"
Stepping out of the car to a guard of honour as his team applauded him and Stefan, the lieutenant smiled proudly at each of the soldiers in turn. Only Davidson was absent given he had been attacked and wounded by one of the creatures during the operation. Major Harrison had informed both of them on the ride over that the soldier had been transported to the hospital that morning and was going to make a full recovery.
"Yes, boss. But first I'll be taking my winnings." Thompson declared. "Gordon, pay up. You owe me a tenner!"
The medic didn't seem too upset to have lost his bet. To have won meant that he had been right about something awful happening to his comrades. Of course, he wasn't currently carrying any money on him at the moment, but he'd have happily paid a lot more to have been proven wrong.
"Tell you what, I'll give you half seeing as Amell looks like he's gone three rounds with one of them."
"Charming, the lot of you." Stefan scolded mockingly. "Taking bets on our survival?"
"I know, the cheek of it!" Peter added. "Maybe a drill run in full kit will make them all think twice?"
Everyone knew that he was joking of course, and Peter hadn't expected anything less from his team. Working under such hazardous conditions meant it was important to keep morale up, even if that meant enduring the occasional wagers and terrible jokes that inevitably came with the job as much as the monsters and aliens did.
"Would that be before or after you took out a whole river, sir?" Becker responded. "We didn't dare believe it when they told us."
"Yeah, it was a shock for us too," Stefan said, maintaining a straight face. "Needless to say we won't be doing that again."
Major Harrison chose this moment to step out of the Land Rover. At once all of the soldiers stood to attention and saluted, but the senior officer was quick to wave away necessity for the formalities. He wasn't quite smiling but, it was as good as a response as he was prepared to give.
"Yes, it was all a bit of seat of pants." He summarised. "But at the end of the day, primary rescued and targets neutralised."
"Just about, sir." Peter pointed out. "One or two close calls. A species unknown to us living for months undetected with us still have no idea how they even got to Earth."
Spotting that Stefan was holding onto his side again, he knew he needed to be checked out by the waiting paramedics. Despite his bravado, the corporal could be concealing something serious, and both of them needed rest and a warm meal. Peter himself had healed form a catalogue of injuries, a greater number even by his own standards, and he was running on empty now and could feel his every bone aching. Having been brought from the brink of death by drowning, his chest still felt as though someone was still pressing against it.
The major had no clue how much of a close call it had been.
It was easy to say the mission had been a success once it was all over, and the good and bad points were obvious now. Still, rank came with the privilege of assuming control at whichever point was best suited and Major Harrison had the right to make the final decision on how the operation had gone.
"History will say we did well and you will have a good few after-dinner stories to tell." He continued. "Shame we lost the creature's ship and some valuable equipment along the way, not to mention the cost to the taxpayer to sort out the river. Hey, ho. Lieutenant Argent. I'll be expecting your after-action report before we leave for Southampton."
Paperwork was as far from Peter's mind as the Moon was from Earth.
"Yes, sir." He replied. "Understood, sir."
"Very good," Harrison responded. "Gentlemen, as you were."
They all stood to attention again as the major walked off, the officer somehow taking away with him the jubilant mood which had momentarily taken over the team.
"Forward, he cried." Peter then stated. "From the rear."
It was a lyric from a Pink Floyd song that he had first heard from another cadet whilst at Sandhurst. Despite training to become officers themselves, sometimes it helped to poke a little good-natured fun at those who had perhaps been sitting behind a desk longer than they had been out in the field.
The trick always worked, especially with the lower ranks and those newer to the soldiering life.
"Well, no one leads better from the front that you, sir," Kensington admitted. "Although, some of us do prefer the rear."
Peter smirked back at his second-in-command.
Eugene certainly was better suited for management than he was and would climb high in the ranks as a result.
It was a hard balance sometimes to be both a soldier and a leader, and officers would ofter swing in one direction or the other. Peter knew that he was just the opposite side of the same coin to the second lieutenant, and a recommendation from UNIT upon recruitment had been a large factor in him even considering to obtain his commission. Also, the desire to be able to make the decisions unhindered whilst being able to play an active role in operations suited Peter perfectly.
"Boss?" Hart questioned. "Where's the Doctor and Rose? They're not with you."
"They've gone back to the TARDIS," Peter replied. "We already said our goodbyes."
"Yeah, but you never know with him," Stefan said. "He might keep coming back like a bad penny."
He chose not to explain himself when Peter looked at him curiously. Tired and no longer caring, however, his friend did not ask for one.
"Regardless, each of you did me proud today. Go on, get on with your work and I'll fill you all in later." Peter informed them. "Gordon, do you think you could take a look at Stefan? I think he's busted a rib and he took a nasty fall down in the caves."
"Of course, although..." The medic began, smiling. "Maybe he'd rather see the wife instead?"
"What?" Stefan gasped, looking over in the direction of the ambulances. "Emma's here?"
"She practically begged dispatch for the job, snatched it right out of their hands as soon as it came in. Beat the other ambulance here by ten minutes."
Peter laughed and clapped a hand on Stefan's shoulder.
"Come on, we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer." He said. "Thanks, Gordon, we'll see you later."
Out of the four paramedics, Emma Amell was the only woman. Pretty, with long strawberry-blonde hair that had been put up neatly into a high ponytail, she was also one of the youngest and it was clear to see the engagement ring and wedding band sitting together on her left hand.
The Doctor could also see the fraught look of worry on her face.
Having moved to behind the flaps of Peter's tent with Rose, ignoring curious glances from the occasional passing soldier, it hadn't come as much of a surprise to encounter Stefan's wife here. Her line of work made her just as employable to UNIT than her husband, and it wasn't such an improbability that they had ended up working for the same organisation. It wasn't just soldiers that were needed to defend the Earth, they were just the main line of defence standing in front of a multitude of people and resources from every background imaginable.
Just one part of the well-oiled machine was providing medical care to their operatives out in the field.
"Doctor, what are we waiting for?" Rose asked. "Just go up and -"
"No, not right now." He said. "Just another minute."
Rose supposed the Time Lord wanted to observe the soldier a little more before once again engaging him on the subject of travelling with them. She didn't like to admit it, but she had been slightly upset that he was thinking of bringing someone else aboard the TARDIS, albeit however temporarily, without asking her if she was okay with it. Still, Rose wouldn't have minded even if Peter had enthusiastically agreed to come.
But he hadn't, and she couldn't work out why the Doctor wanted to change his mind so badly.
"Doctor, don't you think -"
"Shush, here he comes."
Peter and Stefan had appeared and were making their way over to the ambulances. They were a complete mess, covered head to toe in mud, sweat and dried blood. The remaining parts of their uniforms were torn all over and Stefan's injuries looked even more terrible in the cold morning light. But still, both men were managing to smile, perhaps grateful to at last be done with their work.
Emma beamed with relief when she saw them and couldn't contain her delight as she embraced her husband.
"Oh, my god!" She squealed, Wapping her arms around his neck. "They said you were okay, but I can never trust them.
Letting go of Stefan, she kissed him softly on the lips.
It was only then did she allow herself to properly take in the sight of his swollen face, and she was quick to frown as her medical eye glanced over the gashes and bruises covering his skin.
"We tripped coming down a hill," Stefan admitted. "It looks worse than it is. I think I've done my ribs in though."
"I'll be the judge of that." Emma challenged. "What about this?"
She pointed at the slash marks caused by the infant creature that had almost managed to rip his throat out.
"You should see the other guy," Peter told her, stepping forward. "Well, it wasn't exactly a guy…. More of a bat."
Emma laughed and didn't waste any time in greeting her friend as she gave him a big hug and a quick peck on the cheek. But she could no longer ignore the smell coming from him and Stefan. All of the grime and dankness of the caves as well their swim had created a horrible cocktail of stenches that assaulted her nose and was making her eyes water.
"Oh, Peter!" She explained. "You stink!"
"Yeah, I'm breathing through my mouth right now." He said. "Could do with a hose down, and a cup of tea wouldn't go amiss either."
Fortunately for both men, tea came as part of the ambulances most basic kits and they were soon sat down each with a cup of the hot beverage pressed between their hands. Made with extra sugar it came as a welcome relief, more so than the bright orange blankets Emma insisted on wrapping around each of them.
"It's in case of shock." She told them. "Better safe than sorry."
"We're not in shock." Peter moaned. "Really, Emma."
"Yes, really. Also, Lieutenant Argent, it is February and you don't even have a coat on."
"Touché." He replied. "It got blown up, as it happens. Along with the rest of the equipment."
Making a show of wrapping the blanket around him a little more, Peter knew some could easily notice that he wasn't shivering despite a lacking of layers. It wasn't as though he had never been cold before, but it did take much more than an outdoor swim to send a chill up his spine.
Stefan had wisely decided not to argue against his care and was allowed to finish his tea before Emma handed him over to one of the other paramedics. A dark-skinned man in his late twenties with a large beard, he chatted briefly with the corporal before escorting him inside the ambulance to assess and treat him. With the other two paramedics staying inside their vehicle, this left Peter and Emma alone as she sat down beside him on the rear step.
Rose could see as they chatted how very relaxed Peter now was. All of the hostilities and temper he had carried around all night had vanished now, especially seeing as he was no longer faced with life or death situations. He had known Emma since childhood and there was little to doubt that she knew what he was.
Emma herself confirmed this theory herself a moment later.
"You're okay, though?" She asked. "All healed up, nothing to report?"
"All good. It sorted itself out."
He was exhausted though, and his eyes were red and puffy from lack of sleep. With his head resting against the doorframe of the ambulance, Peter was beginning to nod off, his eyelids drooped a few times only for him to jerk himself awake again. Rose knew exactly how he was feeling. Despite the borrowed fleece and the tartan picnic blanket she was still wearing, she was numb all over and just standing up was becoming hard work. The one spark of warmth left was the Doctor's hand as it clasped tightly around hers.
"Doctor?" She breathed. "Can we get this over with? I'm done in."
Realising how very tired she was, he nodded and smiled as he kept hold of her hand and wrapped his free arm gently around her shoulders. Keeping her close, he then led her over towards the ambulances.
"Excuse me?" He called out to Emma. "Sorry to bother you."
He was pleased to see the look of shocked surprise on Peter's face when he saw them. Despite his impressive senses, the Nimarian had failed to notice their presence despite them only being a few feet away from him. But then again, he'd had every reason to believe they had already upped and left in the TARDIS.
"Doctor, Rose?" He questioned. "You're still here?"
"Doctor?" Emma inquired. "Medically, or is this actually him?"
"No… Well, I have been known to dabble. No, I am the Doctor." The Time Lord greeted. "You must be Missus Emma Amell?"
Emma didn't feel as though she had to confirm this. Standing up and putting her hands on her hips, she regarded the Time Lord with some suspicion. But then her expression softened as she took in Rose's pale face and the fact that she was being supported by the Doctor.
"Do you need help?" She asked her. "Hold on. George, I need you out here."
Quickly summoning another paramedic from the second ambulance, Emma brought him over to Rose.
"It's Rose, isn't it? Rose, I think you should go and lie down." She told her gently. "Given what you've been through, good sleep at the very least will do you a world of good. George, can you take her?"
"Sure, Emma." He replied. "Come on, Rose. Let's get you seen to."
"Go on, Rose." The Doctor encouraged. "I'll be right outside."
"Yeah." She mumbled. "Okay."
Not wanting to fight them on this, even if she had the strength to, Rose nodded and allowed the paramedic to gently detach her from the Doctor. Slowly he began coaxing her into following him over to the ambulance, his arm hovering behind her beck in case she stumbled. Glancing back over her shoulder, her eyes fleetingly locked with Peter's and she knew that she would remember those grey orbs of his for a long time and that she would never forget the sight of the gigantic wolf which he could so easily become.
Rose suddenly felt sad that this was most likely goodbye.
The Doctor chose to wait until his companion had been safely escorted into the ambulance before he turned back to face Emma and Peter. Even then, however, he hesitated. This wasn't the place to make his bid and there were too many people around to openly discuss certain things. Still, neither of them looked as though they were going to say anything to him so it was going to have to be him that went first.
"Right, where were we?" He asked. "Oh, yes. I'm not that kind of doctor, no."
Frowning, Emma looked over at Peter who merely smiled and shrugged back at her.
"Right, and how are you, Doctor?" She then asked the Time Lord. "How are you feeling?"
"Well, I would like to get into some dry clothes. My dampers are… damp." He replied, indicating soggy trainers. "Also, I would like to know what they did with the creature's body. Wouldn't mind giving it a second exam-"
"Doctor." Emma interrupted. "I meant medically speaking? Do you need treatment?"
"Oh, of course." He released. "Erm… No, I'm fine. Thank you."
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have my patient to attend to."
Turning back to Peter, she did not see the bemused look which crossed the Time Lord's face. Since he was facing him, Peter did see it and quickly returned with a challenging gaze the Doctor had already interpreted as his way of demanding to know what it was he wanted to say.
There were no secrets between them now, and permission was given for him to continue as the soldier nodded his head.
"Right, yes." The Doctor agreed. "Then again, there isn't much to do given those regenerative cells of his. Also, I'm no expert but normally you'd use a light for that. Then again, maybe not given the tapetum lucidum in his eyes."
Emma froze before she turned on the spot to face him.
She had been in the process of checking Peter for signs of concussion. But rather than using a torch to check the responsiveness of his pupils, she had opted instead to use her finger, just as Stefan had done down in the cave. They both knew that given his ability to see so well in the dark, a side-effect existed where any strong and direct light such as a torch beam would temporarily blind the Nimarian and force him to turn away from it.
"It's okay." Peter quickly reassured his friend. "He knows."
There was only one thing that he could be referring to.
"Oh," Emma replied, slightly taken aback. "I see. So you just told him, or did you…?"
"I showed him… Well, I had to in order to stop one of the creatures." He admitted. "But he'd already guessed it anyway."
"Well I had a clue, but no solid idea." The Doctor added. "But it was a privilege to see, as I'm sure you're -"
"Yes, Doctor." Emma swiftly cut in, frowning at him. "But you have to understand that -"
"Emma, it's fine," Peter assured. "I already read him the riot act, he knows not to blab and we can rely on him not to do so."
The Doctor smiled and nodded in agreement, but it did little to assure Emma that he could be trusted entirely. From the calculated cold stare she shot him, he knew that she was just as protective of her friend and his secret as her husband and Peter himself was. Together the three of them had hidden it away for years and gone above and beyond to guard it, even if they didn't fully comprehend it themselves.
No wonder Peter trusted them so much.
"Can I just say, you and Stefan are amazing." The Time Lord told her. "Really, I mean that."
"High praise indeed, I suppose." She quipped. "Well, Doctor. If Peter trusts you then…"
Not finishing her sentence as she looked over the Doctor's shoulder, the cause of her distraction soon presented itself in the form of Major Harrison.
Shrugging off his blanket, Peter jumped to his feet and stood to attention, relaxing a moment later as the officer allowed him to with a nod. He wondered why Harrison had bothered to come over to see him again. Hadn't everything been said over by the car? All that was left on his part was to turn in his report on the mission and sign off on some more paperwork back at their barracks in Southampton.
But as it turned out, Major Harrison wasn't here to chase him over his administrative duties.
"Doctor, you're still here?" He enquired. "Any reason in particular?"
"Well…" The Doctor began, hesitating. "I just wanted to…"
"To get his companion a check-up before they left, sir," Peter answered ahead of him. "Just as a precaution."
Harrison looked for a moment to question this, but Rose's absence soon helped sway him over into accepting it.
"Very good." He said. "On the subject, are you fit to resume your duties, lieutenant? I'm sure your report will make for some interesting reading."
"Yes, sir." Peter agreed. "I'll make a start on it now. Emma, you'll let me know how Stefan is?"
"Of course I will." She agreed. "You go, I'll see you later."
Smiling at his friend, Peter then stood to attention once again for the sake of Major Harrison. Before he left, however, the soldier looked over at the Doctor and, much to the Time Lord's surprise, offered him a presentable salute.
"I don't do salutes." He told him. "Really, there's no need."
"Doctor, we couldn't have done it without you," Peter replied. "Also, with every possible respect, just shut up and take it."
"Thank you, Argent," Harrison said, sounding slightly amused by this. "You are dismissed."
Before the Doctor had a chance to say anything else, Peter walked away from them as he headed off in the direction of his tent. Knowing he was running out of both time and chances to present his case, it suddenly occurred to him as he turned to Major Harrison that perhaps he didn't have to run his plan through Peter first.
Drawn over by the Time Lord, and curious over why he had chosen to linger given his notable reputation for leaving almost immediately, Harrison could see a most peculiar expression on the man's face and he could sense a bizarre conversion coming his way.
"Major Harrison." The Doctor stated. "You said it yourself, Peter is one of your finest officers?"
"He is. Why are you asking?"
"Well, Major Harrison. I was wondering if I could have a word concerning a new venture UNIT might want to undertake?"
Harrison's eyebrows rose up at this and he might have asked for more details. But with Corporal Amell's wife and other civilians in the immediate vicinity, he knew better than discussing such a topic out in the open.
"Very well." He said. "Why don't we walk and talk, Doctor?"
Feeling the watchful gaze of Emma Amell digging into the back of his skull as he turned away, the Doctor fell into step with Major Harrison and began to talk.