The next morning, Rose showered, dressed, and had a quick breakfast with a permanent smile on her face. Just before heading off to the school, she stopped at the Doctor's workshop to deliver some breakfast and a quick kiss. She had no idea how he could possibly dedicate countless hours of non-stop work to one project, but he only reminded her that she was doing the same.
When she arrived at the school's front doors, she knocked for someone to let her in. It had been a practice of theirs to lock the doors each night. A few people were gathered in the main hall where she could see them. When she was let in, she cheerfully greeted them with 'good morning'.
"I'm a bit early this morning, but I'm looking for-"
"Where were you last night?" the principal asked heatedly.
"What?" Rose asked in confusion. "I was in the lab."
"What he means is, where the hell were you when we needed you?!" one boy demanded.
"Oh god, what happened?" Rose asked worriedly.
"Wolves," a girl answered angrily. "Or some kind of dog things. They were outside barking and snarling. I thought you were supposed to keep us safe and stuff."
"Was anyone hurt?" Rose worried.
"No, but someone could have been," the principal replied.
"Were they clawing at the doors or something?" Rose turned around to have a look at the glass entrance doors. They looked fine.
"No, but if they had-" the principal started.
"They were after the titanis, weren't they?" Rose said when she realized. Most dogs in this time were more scavengers than hunters. "We'll drag it away from the school today. As long as we keep it a good distance from here, they shouldn't come back. As an extra precaution, make sure you keep the gym door closed. That way, if anything does get in, you'll-"
"As an extra precaution, you should be here!" the girl argued.
"And how would that help anything?" Rose replied angrily. "You expect me to go outside in the middle of the night to shoot and entire pack of dogs? I'm not a superhero. I don't have any special powers. If you ask me, you're overreacting over this. They were after a carcass. They had no interest in you. Even if they did, you have toughened glass doors and a thick wooden set of doors to the gym. The only possible thing I could have done was to tell everyone to stay in the gym with the door closed. And that should be obvious. If they can't see you, they'd have no idea there was anyone here.
"I thought I was doing a lot around here. I thought I had the right to go back to the lab after a hard day's work. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps I don't deserve a chance to rest."
"Don't listen to them, Rose," Troy said as he rounded the corner with Jake. "They do one job every other day while you take on a dozen or more each day. That's at least twenty-four times the amount of work they do. They know that. They're just too ungrateful to care. Lazy, cowardly, and ungrateful."
"You have to know that not everyone's like that. We care," said Jake as he pointed to himself and Troy. "There are others, too. We know you don't have to be here. That you came just because you care. You could have given up and left already. You have to know, some of us really appreciate it. I mean really," he said ardently. "I want to go home. We're gonna get home because of you and the Doctor. There's no way we can thank you enough. Some will never say it at all. I know 'thank you' isn't enough, but I hope you can still accept it on behalf of everyone."
"Thank you," Rose said earnestly. "I am here because I care. Everyone's getting home regardless of what they think of me. I just need people to realize that I'm actually a person. Just one person. I'll do everything I can, but I do have limits."
"We know," said Troy. "So whatever you need, you can count on us. Just ask."
"Thanks," she said again. "And actually, I came here to collect Jake… if you're still interested."
A huge smile spread across Jake's face. "Hell yeah!"
Rose laughed. "I had a feeling that'd be your response. Come on. Breakfast doesn't start 'til we're done."
Rose and Jake walked side by side and Rose discovered that his smile was contagious.
"So you talked the Doctor into it?" he asked.
"Took a bit of work, but I really do think it's best. It's dangerous out here and the more people we have out, the more likely we are to draw the wrong kind of attention."
"The Doctor might be upset about it and I don't know how you really feel about it, but I promise to be responsible. The first thing my parents taught me about guns was to respect them. They're not toys," he said seriously. "I might be really excited to carry a laser weapon, but I do know it's not a toy."
"I realized that about you. I wouldn't even suggest it if I didn't think you'd be responsible," she replied. "And I know how it is. I love playing with new technology. Our plan now is target practice. There isn't a guarantee that you get to carry one around yet. The Doctor's condition is that you prove you can handle a laser weapon."
"He's coming to watch?"
"No, he's in the workshop building a new time device. He just insisted that I be honest. If your aim is off, I'm going to have to say no. And I'm sorry, but it's a pretty tough test."
"No, that's fair. And I really don't have any doubts. I'm a good shot."
"Alright. The Doctor instructed that you get something quick and easy aim and only as powerful as necessary. You're used to rifles but I'm going to bring out a handgun also."
"One like you have?" he asked hopefully.
"No, the Doctor would kill me if I gave you something with that power. That thing could likely take out half of a tree trunk. It was a bit excessive, but I was afraid my weapon of choice might not cut it in this situation. It will though, so I'm switching yesterday's out for my favorite," she explained. "I'll pick a couple of good ones and be back out."
Rose returned a few minutes later with a gun in each hand and a large metal disk on her back. The metal disk turned out to be a target. She laid both guns on the ground near Jake then walked a straight path in front of them, stopping about sixteen yards away. There she laid a strip of metal on the ground, took the metal disk, and held it above the strip. There it hovered without support. When she returned to Jake, he was staring at the disk in awe.
"This is crazy," he said. "There's a floating target that I'm going to shoot with a laser rifle. No one in my lifetime is ever going to be able to do this. What kind of sucks is that I can't say anything. No one would ever believe me."
"Welcome to my world," Rose chuckled. "Okay, which would you like to start with? Which do you think you could aim the fastest and be most accurate with, the rifle or the handgun? Oh, and don't doubt the handgun's power. These two weapons are equal in strength and no kick with either of them."
"Handguns are supposed to be faster to aim, but I really don't have much experience with them. I think I'd like to try the rifle first," he requested.
Rose picked it up, but before she let him touch it, she pointed out the basics and most importantly, the safety. Jake looked extremely excited as he took it from her, but also started showing the signs of nervousness. He really wasn't sure what to expect.
"There are no rings on the target to guide you. You just have to aim for the center the best you can. So, I guess… have at it," Rose instructed.
Jake took his first shot and was stunned. It was just like Rose had said, no kick, but there was hardly any noise either. There was a short, high pitched hum, a flash of light, and a ting when the laser hit the metal. There weren't any holes in the metal, but there was a dot of color where the laser hit. Feeling more confident, Jake shot a few more times.
Rose told him to stop and lifted a pair of binoculars that were around her neck. She took them off and held them out for Jake.
"Safety," she reminded him.
"Safety's already on," he said with a smirk. He took the binoculars and saw that almost all of his marks were in the center with only a few straying toward the outside. The marks suddenly vanished and he looked at Rose. She had a remote in her hand that cleared the target.
"Pretty good," she acknowledged, "but now I want you to quick draw. Have the weapon by your side, lift it quickly, and shoot almost immediately. If there's real danger, you'll have to be quick."
Jake nodded, took off the safety, and did as she requested. After a few quick draw shots, they stopped to check the target again. The marks were a little bit more scattered, but still mostly near the center. He looked quite proud.
"One more test and we'll move to the handgun. Moving target and quick draw." Rose pressed a different button on the remote control and the target started circling.
Jake sighed. This was definitely going to be more difficult. He became more frustrated with each shot. He could shoot moving targets and he was pretty good at quick draw, but putting them together felt impossible.
"I can't do it," he said dejectedly. He hadn't taken a look at the target yet, but he doubted there were many near the center. Twice, he missed the target completely, one shot hitting the ground and the other a tree trunk, which left a hole that went straight through.
"Don't worry about it. It's tough. You still have the handgun to try," Rose said supportively. "I know I definitely prefer those."
She showed him the handgun and then asked him to perform the same three challenges. He was surprised to find that he was actually pretty good with the handgun. No worse than he was with the rifle. When it came to quick draw with the moving target again, he had the same trouble and was even more upset.
"Look, I'm definitely no expert. If there's any proper way to hold a laser handgun, I haven't a clue what it is, but I can show you how I do it, if you want," Rose offered.
Jake just shrugged, still feeling discouraged by his shortcomings.
"Alright, I'm sure you're probably holding it like you should properly hold a handgun – two-handed, but that's not how I do it. It has no kick, remember? I hold it in one hand. When I lift it, I keep my wrist straight. This might be me not holding it properly again – my thumb is always straight, not curled, and that's how I aim. The weapon I use doesn't even have a barrel you can look down," she explained. She beckoned for the handgun, held it by her side, and drew it quickly. She fired a few successive shots, stopped the target, and had a look. Jake had a look next and was shocked that most were very near the center.
"Want to give it a try?" Rose suggested. "Couldn't hurt, right?"
Jake nodded. Rose let him try all three challenges again with that new technique. He was excited to see he was still doing well and when he finished the third challenge, he whooped and cheered.
"Congratulations," said Rose. "Looks like you get to play protector."
"This was awesome. Seriously," he beamed. "And you are freaking amazing. How long have you been shooting?"
"A while. Not regularly, but a while."
"A while like… a couple years? Three years?"
"Longer."
"Four years? Five years?"
"Doesn't matter," she said dismissively.
"No, but you thought it was crazy that I started shooting so young. You can't be much older than I am. If you are even older than I am. How old are you?"
"Older than I look," she chuckled.
"Early twenties then?"
"Perhaps."
"Late twenties?" he said skeptically.
"Could be."
"Well, you're not in your thirties."
"You never know," she teased.
He laughed. "You're secretive about everything, aren't you?"
"One of the mysteries of the universe," she agreed.
"Seriously, you are the most amazing girl I've ever met."
Rose blushed and Jake ran off to fetch the target for her. When he returned, Rose was leaning up against the TARDIS with a gun under each arm.
"I wasn't just saying that," Jake told her. Before she realized what was happening, Jake had quickly stepped forward and pressed his lips against hers. Rose was shocked and wasn't sure what to do. She was trapped against the TARDIS without much way of escape. She kissed him back for just a second. She wasn't sure why except that it felt cruel to not respond at all.
When he pulled back, she apologized immediately. "I'm sorry, but I can't-"
"I know. You and the Doctor," said Jake. "It's not hard to tell, especially because I saw you kiss him."
"So then why did you-"
"Because you're hot," he answered with a smirk. "Sexy, strong, and confident. I don't know if I'll ever find that again, so I had to steal a taste while I had the chance."
"Yeah, but if the Doctor finds out about that chance you stole, you might have to find a different ride home," she teased.
"Nah, because I already know I'm you favorite. You wouldn't leave me here."
"Now who's looking so confident?"
"Sexy and strong, too," he boasted.
"Find someone your own age, love," Rose said as she patted his arm.
"I don't mind an age gap." He handed over the target so she could take it inside.
Rose entered the TARDIS, shaking her head. It was one hell of an age gap.
When Rose came back out, Jake was waiting for her. He expected to receive his handgun, but Rose said he only got it when they had to split up with two separate groups. She tucked it into the back waist of her jeans for safe keeping until then.
"So, I just want to make sure…" Jake started. "Well, I didn't really mean… No, I did mean what I said about you, but I wasn't really… you know. I-"
"All in good humor. Nothing weird between us," she assured him.
"So I'm still your favorite?" he ribbed.
"Favorite flunky?" she asked with a grin. "Sure."
"Flunky?" he acted offended at first, but then became flirty. "I'll be your flunky any day. I mean, your wish is my command."
"I command you to straighten up and stop flirting."
"I'm sorry, did you say straighten up or stiffen up?" he said suggestively. "I guess it could mean the same thing."
Rose groaned.
"Yeah, I'd like to hear more of-"
"Jake, I'm going to hurt you if you don't stop," she threatened.
"I didn't know you were into that sort th-"
"Jake!"
"All in good humor, right?" Jake couldn't stop laughing the rest of the way back to school.
As soon as they were back at the school, the day's work began. Rose enlisted four more people to carry the morning water and then brought the protein bars. Fifteen very reluctant people were threatened until they agreed to go gather vegetables. The three that tried breaking into the TARDIS were among them. Jake and Troy offered to assist again. Rose allowed Jake to carry his handgun as an extra precaution. All were relieved when the bucket was filled and they were able to leave the dense part of the forest unscathed.
It was nearing eleven o'clock when they returned and Rose immediately called everyone to gather out in front of the school. There, she announced their afternoon plans.
"Bath time!" she said loud enough for everyone to hear. "You're all in desperate need of a wash. I have a way to block off a part of the lake. There will be no fish or other water creatures and I can clean it of all bacteria. I have plenty of soap and towels. You're going to wash your clothes, too, and I have a way to instantly dry them so you won't be walking around naked or wet.
"I want to make sure this is clear: Bath time is not optional. Bath Time is mandatory. Hygiene isn't just about appearance or even that nice clean feeling. Your health is at risk in the state that you're in. Some of you might already be dealing with infections of one kind or another. If you are, please talk to me so we can fix you up. The roster will be checked to make sure you go and anyone that refuses will not get dinner tonight.
"This will be group bathing so I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable if we split up by gender. I'm going to retrieve a few things and when I come back, I want everyone split into groups of twenty. Exactly twenty. Girl groups will make one line and boy groups will make another. I'll be back soon, so be ready."
Jake and Troy, knowing she'd need assistance, gathered up the adventurers to help her out. Rose gathered twenty bath towels and handed them out by fives to her volunteers. One got a box of shampoo bottles, Jake got a box filled with bars of soap, and Troy got a black stick that looked to him like a plastic sword. Rose came out last with a shiny globe about the size of a football.
"You know this is going to take all day, don't you?" asked Troy.
"Yeah. It could take as long as six hours, I figure, but that's if each group takes half an hour. I'm sure we could be done faster than that," Rose stated.
"Don't forget the walking though," one of the adventurers reminded. "Ten minute walk there and ten minute walk back. That's an extra twenty minutes per group."
"I've thought about that, too. Group one goes and it takes them ten minutes to get there. Group two starts walking down twenty minutes after group one leaves. That gives group one twenty minutes to bathe before group two shows up."
"How are we walking them down? Escorts?" asked Troy.
"You've never found any trouble on your way, have you?" asked Rose.
"No, it's a pretty clear shot to the lake," Jake answered. "There are these really creepy elephant-like things that hang around the lake, but they're not too close and never even look at us. There are other animals that go there to drink and a few small birds, but nothing dangerous."
"Okay," Rose said as she thought it through. "Jake and I are both armed. I think I should stay by the lake to both oversee and protect and Jake should stay somewhere between the school and the lake to protect those walking to and from. If a few others would volunteer to escort, I'd really appreciate it."
Rose was really pleased when all of them volunteered, but then noticed that Jake looked a bit sulky.
"What's wrong?"
"I get to stand by myself for six hours doing absolutely nothing," he grumbled.
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "It's just-"
"It's something that needs to be done," he agreed. "It's what I signed up for."
"I'll make it up to you. I'm not sure how, but I'll make it up to you."
Jake's mischievous smile was back. "I have a few ideas."
Rose rolled her eyes.
When they returned to the school, it appeared that everyone had followed directions. Rose wasted no time. Three adventurers handed their stacks of towels to some girls in group one and Rose, with the some of the adventurers, led the group down to the lake.
The area that the adventurers had been taking water from was a large clearing with tall bulrushes on both sides that made them feel hidden and protected. It was just the right size for their purpose. Rose walked down to the water's edge with the globe and placed it in the water, just against the point where the water touched the edge. She pressed a few buttons on the top and a pulse pushed outward through the water. It wasn't exactly a pulse though. I was a net-like force field that pushed all animal life out of the area while allowing the water to stay in place. Once the net field was set at the distance she desired, she sealed the field so that no water could flow through anymore. She then took a few bottles out of her pockets, measured out a few drops, and dumped them into the enclosed swimming area. She tested the water with a little dipstick and when she was satisfied that it was safe and clean, she instructed the girls to undress, put their clothes along the edge, and get in. She handed each a bar of soap and threatened that if they dropped it, they'd go diving for it. She also had eleven bottle of shampoo to share that they had to use sparingly.
She hadn't known exactly how deep the water was and was pleased to see that it was about the perfect depth, just about their waist level. The girls were all very hesitant to get in so Rose tried to hurry them along. Five minute increments - They had only five minutes to wash themselves, five minutes to wash their clothes with the bar soap, five minutes to dry their clothes, and five minutes to dress. They still weren't going quite fast enough so she reminded them that a boy group would be arriving in just a few short minutes.
Each girl was handed a towel when they got out. Two adventurers took their clothes. One of them held up the clothes one piece at a time while the other adventurer waved the black plastic wand over the front and back of the garment and it was miraculously dry.
Nearly half the girls still weren't dressed when the boy group arrived. Rose told the groups not to look at each other and concentrate on what they were doing. The boys seemed rather uncomfortable to overseen by Rose, especially Donovan and the principal, but she insisted that they not be bashful; that she wasn't there for a peep show. In all of her travels, she'd seen thousands of naked men, most of them being different species. She was completely unperturbed and uninterested. Her only desire was that they move quickly.
The hours passed slowly and it took effort for Rose not to be irritable with the later groups. They did nothing different than the other groups; she was just drained and bored of repeating the same instructions and continually pushing them to hustle through the process.
Rose was startled when Jake came up behind her. He was offering her his gun and she looked at him quizzically.
He laughed when he saw her confusion. "You lost count, didn't you? That's all the groups except me and the other helpers and escorts. Finally, bath time."
"And don't you dare rush us," said Troy as he began undressing. "I think we deserve a bit of extra time."
Rose looked around for the one girl in the adventurers group and realized that she had gone with the last group of girls. She really hadn't been paying attention. The last two groups were smaller than the rest. They were finished. Well, nearly finished. This was the last group.
Jake winked at her as he passed, turned around when he was at the water's edge, spread his arms wide, and fell backward into the lake. Unlike all the apprehensive groups before them, this group was taking great pleasure from the opportunity. To them, it was a treat.
"How's the water?" she asked with a big smile.
"Why don't you find out?" one of them asked with a smirk.
"Oh, not you, too." She chuckled and shook her head.
"We can't help it," said Jake. "But I think I should remind you of the rules. Bathing is mandatory. Remember?"
"Yes, but I already had a shower this morning."
"Ah yes, in your mansion," said the first boy. "Although, you prefer to call it a lab. A lab with showers and beds and a kitchen. What else have you got in there?"
"Oh, you know, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a zoo…" Rose laughed. She knew they wouldn't believe her so she had no problems sharing.
"But not a lake full of handsome naked men," another boy pointed out. "Better hop in before the opportunity passes you by."
"As tempting as that might be," she replied sarcastically, "I doubt my husband would approve."
"Husband?" asked Troy. "You mean you're married? You and the Doctor?"
"Hello!"
Rose spun around at the sound of the Doctor's voice.
"How's it going?" he asked.
"Last group," Rose informed him. "How's your project coming along? I'm surprised to see you."
"Good surprise?"
"Of course," she agreed. She sort of turned them so her back was to the boys. It felt more private. "I miss you. I didn't think I'd see you until dinner. Definitely good surprise."
"That's just the thing though, it is dinnertime," he said. "I helped get the water for the school and they're finishing up the cooking now."
"What time is it?" she asked.
"6:30."
"Seriously?" she said in surprise. "We tried for twenty minutes each group. It shouldn't be later than 5:00."
"Sorry, but it looks like your estimation might have been a bit off."
"Apparently," she replied.
"So, ready for dinner?" he asked as he placed his hands at her waist.
"Definitely," she answered. She then turned to the group of bathing boys. "Everyone out!"
"What?" one of them cried in disbelief. "I thought we weren't going to be rushed."
"That was before I found out that it's 6:30 and dinner's already being served."
"Apologies," one of them taunted, "we wouldn't want you to be late for your candle-lit dinner date."
"You want candles tonight?" asked the Doctor.
"No, they're just teasing us. They're jealous," she accused them.
"Because we have candles?" the Doctor asked in confusion. "I guess if they want candles-"
"Not candles, love. Don't worry about it. Now… everyone out." Rose went down to the water and reached for the shiny sphere. Those that were reluctant to get out, suddenly rushed for the shore. The second she turned off the force field, the regular lake water and all of the animals would flood that area again. She waited until the last foot left the water and switched it off.
Each of the boys dried their clothes, dressed, and helped to carry everything back to the TARDIS. Rose waved to them before she went inside with the Doctor.
"Tired?" he asked.
"It wasn't quite as labor intensive, but still taxing. Thank you for taking care of the evening water."
Rose stroked his cheek and gave him a kiss. She was about to head to the kitchen, but the Doctor held her in place. He looked upset.
"Something isn't right," he claimed. He leaned in and licked her bottom lip. Rose quickly pulled back, looking at him like he'd gone mad.
"You taste like human!" he accused.
"I am human," she reminded him.
"No, you taste like a different human. Someone kissed you!"
Rose tried her best not to laugh. "Perhaps."
"What do you mean perhaps?" he asked irritably. "Who was it?"
"Just an admirer."
"Did you punch him? Tell me you punched him."
"Did you punch Madame de Pompadour?" she asked in return. "Because I remember being pretty upset when she kissed you. No, if I remember correctly, you came back grinning and boasting that you had the honor of snogging her."
"You snogged him?!" the Doctor demanded.
"I think you completely missed my point there. But no, of course I didn't snog him. I told him I was taken."
"I want to know who it was," he insisted.
"Just one of the randy boys that wanted me to get naked and bathe with them," she teased.
"One of?!"
"Apparently they like commanding women. They think it's sexy."
"No. Not okay. I'm the only one allowed to think that. They-"
"Relax, love. You know, and they know, I've only got eyes for you." She stroked his cheek, but he blocked her before she could kiss him again.
"Go wash your mouth first. I don't want to taste randy teenage boy on you."