Welcome To Torchwood

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Part 6

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Owen and Jack were the first into the apartment – Owen because he was vying for Rose's favour, Jack because he wanted to see the place that Rose had lived in for 19 years of her life.

"Careful of the flowers!" Jackie shouted after them as the two aimed to be the first one in the door.

"Move aside, posh," Owen grunted at Jack. His boss raised an eyebrow at him.

"Remember where your pay check is coming from," Jack replied with a sadistic grin. Owen turned a pale colour and quietly cursed as Jack stepped easily past him.

Rose and the Doctor stepped up to the doorway next. "Fail to beat Jack?" Rose teased.

"Not fair, he had an advantage!" he complained. Rose laughed and the Doctor held the door open for her, smiling.

"Now, now, be a good sport and all that," the Doctor told Owen cheerfully. Owen blushed red with the realization he had whined. The Doctor was about to sweep in behind Rose when Owen grabbed his arm.

"Not so fast, mate. We have a score to settle." His voice was dangerously low, a sure sign that he wasn't a very happy camper.

The Doctor turned around swiftly and patted Owen on the chest, grinning. Then smoothly, he grabbed Owen's wrist that clutched his coat and twisted it in all directions. "You were saying?" he asked calmly, still grinning manically and pleasantly at him.

Owen gritted his teeth and bit back a yell. This alien had amazing strength. "Was I saying something?" he managed to mumble. However, the Doctor clearly heard him, for he pressed harder on a few pressure points and twisted his hand around till it cracked.

Owen bit back a string of curse words and screams of pain. This wasn't very fun. "All right, I won't kick your sorry little buttocks halfway across the football field."

"Since that's probably as close to an apology as I can get, I might as well accept it. Although I don't appreciate you flirting with my girlfriend." The controlled, horribly deadly rage and violence in the Doctor's eyes made Owen cringe and glance away. This was a person who had so much mercy and compassion? Owen found that hard to believe.

"I don't think you own her," Owen replied fiercely.

"Listen to this, wise boy – you'd better be careful." He leaned down and hissed into Owen's face, dribble flying. "Do you think I don't see what you're doing? She hates it too. Although I am a very passionate, very impatient Time Lord. You know what that means? It means that while she can possibly stand it for a few more days… I can't. So once again… be careful. I'm watching."

The Doctor let go of Owen's wrist as quickly as he had grabbed it. Owen whimpered in pain and held his wrist to his chest, inhaling sharply. It felt like he had mushed it to pulp. He glanced down to see reality – and saw a bone protruding. He groaned. This would take forever to set properly. All around his wrist he saw bruises.

Ianto, who had appeared just in time to witness the confrontation, stood beside Toshiko who had just arrived. "Why do I have to work with an idiot?" he muttered to himself as he walked sharply past Owen with his head turned upward, not even acknowledging him.

Toshiko glanced at Owen carefully and her eyes quickly flicked to his wrist. "What happened there, Owen?" she asked gently, concerned at the mess it was in.

Owen whirled around, glared at Tosh and pounded in through the door. Mickey, Jackie, Tosh and Gwen followed, not far behind. Upon entering the living room, Gwen noticed that the Doctor and Rose were sitting on the love seat. She was about to perch on the arm beside Rose when Jack swept past her. As he beat her to the perch, Gwen sighed.

"Rose, why don't you sit on my lap?" the Doctor suggest quietly, grinning. "That way Jack can have a seat beside us."

Rose gave a laugh and looked at him doubtfully. "You sure, Doctor?"

"Course."

"No, I mean… you really sure?" she teased him.

"Yes, Rose – dead serious." In fact, he was so sure, the Doctor wrapped his arms around Rose's waist and hefted her up onto his lap, Rose giggling. She continued to giggle as he started tickling her.

Jack slid into the vacant space and grinned before joining in the fun of tickling Rose.

"Stop -! Stop Doctor! Jack!" Rose shrieked, laughing so hard that tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes as she tried to escape both of them. She tried everything – doubling over, getting up – but the Doctor wouldn't let her move an inch. Finally, when Rose had exhausted herself with laughing so hard her ribs began to ache, the Doctor pressed his lips quickly to her neck, ending the tickling episode. With a little contented sigh, Rose leaned back against him.

Everyone else by this time had found seats, either on the carpet or on a chair. Gwen was at Jack's feet (a position she didn't mind in the slightest), Ianto was sitting with Tosh on the footrest, Owen was on the only chair, Mickey was sprawled on the floor watching a football match, and Jackie was in the kitchen making tea.

Gwen watched as the Doctor leaned forward and whispered something in Rose's ear. She saw Rose giggle and grin at him, a grin that he answered by kissing her lightly. Gwen sighed, smiling slightly. They looked so cute – she wished she had a camera. She snuck a glance up above at Jack who was watching his friends with a smile on his face too. Her throat tightened at his smile – he had one that made a woman want to smile back.

Jack watched his two friends as they teased each other, feeling the love between them. It radiated. He had never seen the Doctor so happy – so alive. Rose – she was usually this vibrant; this brilliant, but… there was something that wasn't there before. Something in her eyes… he blinked. They looked too much like the Doctor's. Golden brown. Jack looked closely at his friend. Her skin was paler then he had ever seen it, her cheeks ruddy and hair as silky and golden as ever. She had cut it – just a bit. Still… there was something different… A thought unbidden entered his head. Time Lady?

Now that he thought about it, the Doctor was a lot happier than when he had last seen him. The TARDIS was more alive than ever. The comment about the TARDIS being half hers. No… could it be? Jack felt a sickening thud in his stomach. His eyes widened. His face paled. He leaned over to Rose and whispered under the false pretence of brushing hair back from her cheek, "Are you a Time Lady?"

It was startling, her response. Rose leaned over, smiling brightly, looked deep into his eyes, then, as if it was a very precious secret…(Well… yeah, guess it was)

Nodded.

Jack let out the breath that he had been holding and leaned back against the couch. Rose. A Time Lady. Oh wow. Do I feel like an idiot.

He absently leaned forward and rested his hands on Gwen's shoulders. She glanced up at him, more than slightly startled. He smiled down at her, and she smiled back.

Owen looked at the two couples and moped.

Mickey only paid attention to the others when Rose began to giggle; he missed that sound so much. He glanced up and looked sharply at the Doctor, then with a resigned smile glanced back at the telly again. At least she's happy, he thought to himself.

Suddenly Rose gave a very loud laugh in the otherwise quiet room and the Doctor had to back a snicker. Everyone turned to see what was so funny, but Rose just smiled and shook her head. "Sorry," she apologized as the Doctor hugged her. No one but Jack had noticed the exchange. The Doctor had apparently transferred a thought to her… and she had smiled and nodded before laughing.

Jack suddenly reached over and whispered, "Does your mother know?"

This stopped both the Doctor and Rose in their tracks. The Doctor stifled a groan and Rose's countenance fell.

"No?" Jack guessed. "Tell you what… I'll try to see what she thinks of it, using my… charm." Jack raised an eyebrow suggestively and stood up, walking into the kitchen. Rose and the Doctor just stared after him, dumbfounded. Now it was Rose's turn to groan – the Doctor just smiled.

Rose buried her head in the Doctor's shoulder moaning and the Doctor chuckled as he stroked her hair. "It will be alright," he whispered. Rose just looked at him and sent him into a peel of laughter.

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Jack casually – and enticingly – walked into the kitchen to where Jackie Tyler was working on tea. "Hello there," he murmured.

Jackie glanced up. "Hullo. What can I do for you, sir?" she added playfully. "Didn't know I was entertaining such good lookers!"

Jack grinned at that. "Just wondering… do you like the Doctor? Do you have any problems with him being an alien?"

Jackie looked at him strangely, but answered his questions gamely. "He's a bit full of himself… but we don't have a lot of problems when he's really nice. He likes to insult me a lot – and as for being alien…" she shrugged. "I don't think there's a problem. It's like races. I can't be racist now, can I?" she teased, then sobered. "To tell you the truth…" She leaned in and beckoned Jack to do the same. "I rather think it's a bit… weird."

"Oh it is. I used to travel with your daughter, you know," Jack commented brightly.

Jackie blinked. "Really?"

"Really."

She leaned forward. "Then tell me…" she began to whisper, "is there anything… you know… going on between the two of them? I mean… she has to travel with an alien and all…" She made a grimace. "Well… I just wondered…?"

"No," Jack said quickly and left the kitchen before he could start laughing. When he ended up in the living room he ignored the urge he felt to call Jackie in – the Doctor and Rose were snuggling really close together locked in a very long kiss. Jack had the feeling he knew what Jackie would say if she ever found out that her daughter was half alien – and it wouldn't be all the pleasant.

The Doctor and Rose broke apart and looked at him when he passed by to his seat, and he rolled his eyes, giving an exasperated sigh. The Doctor and Rose, who had been quite hopeful when Jack had left them, knew now that it was a negative. Jackie wouldn't take kindly to Rose turning half Gallifreyan in a hundred centuries.

"Bullocks," Rose muttered as the Doctor consolingly kissed her nose. She rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh.

"Tea's up!" Jackie shouted as she brought in a large tray. She served Mickey first, Rose second, the Doctor third, Jack fourth, Gwen fifth, Ianto sixth and Toshiko seventh. Before Jackie could sit herself down with her cuppa, Owen protested loudly from his sulking corner. "Oh dear, you're so quiet there!" She served him with generosity and set herself down.

Everyone chuckled at the 'quiet Owen' and settled down for drinking some hot tea.

"Ooh, I need to go get some chips!" Jackie suddenly said, glancing regretfully down at her tea.

"I'll go get them, Mum," Rose replied instantly, getting up from the Doctor's lap.

"Really? That would be wonderful, sweetheart," Jackie said affectionately. "Be careful."

"Can I come?" the Doctor asked brightly.

"No, Doctor, you stay here and keep Jack and Gwen out of trouble," Rose teased as she pleaded with him to stay.

The Doctor conceded a nod. "Be careful, Rose." He got up. "I'm not coming with you," he promised, "but I am walking you to the door." At the way Rose beamed at him, he knew he had said the right thing. The two of them stepped around Mickey who was still sprawled on the floor intent on the football match, and walked past Jackie to get to the hallway.

"Do you need some money, Rose?" Jackie called out after them.

"No, Mum, I'm set!" Rose replied as she and the Doctor reached the front door. "Bye," she murmured at him shyly.

"Be safe," he told her solemnly as he pulled her into his arms for a hug.

"Always," she promised him as she flashed him a winning smile. The Doctor smiled back and gave her a long, lingering kiss before she left.

"I'll be back soon!" she laughed at him.

"I'll hold you to that," he whispered fiercely, kissing her again.

"Okay, cheers, Doctor."

"It would be so much better if I came with you," insisted the Doctor, frowning.

"No!"

"All right, all right. Bye."

"Turah!"

Rose ran out the front door, leaving the Doctor standing in the hallway, gazing after her with longing.

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