Ace, Tegan and Nyssa walk into a fancy restaurant. "Did you tell Graham where we were going?"
"Of course I did. I called him while you two went home and changed."
"Did you talk about the article?"
"Not yet. I did warn him though it may happen."
"That's good." Graham and Ryan walk in and both Ace and Graham's faces light up when they see the other. As Graham approaches her they share a quick peck and the maitre-d walks up to them to show them their table. Ace and Graham sit right next to each other. "So Graham."
He turns to face Tegan, "yes."
"Did you read the story?"
"They didn't get everything right. The pictures were nice."
"Graham!"
"They were Ace, especially the one with the two of us on stage." Ace starts to laugh at that, "they even had some pictures of the two of us at a cafe."
"They did, one of those pictures you can really see that we have feelings for each other."
"Though not to the extent."
"Aren't you glad they don't have pictures from inside your house Ace," teases Tegan.
"Or the TARDIS," teases Ryan.
"What do you mean about the TARDIS, Ryan?"
"Let's just say, I am glad Yaz was with me, because I would've interrupted the kiss, the foot popping kiss.''
"Foot popping?"
"Ace, your foot was up a little bit."
"Oh, umm."
Tegan starts to laugh, "that must've been some first kiss. You said it was amazing, but not so much that you were basically in a movie."
"That happened in a movie?"
"Yes," Nyssa starts to explain, "it was a movie called 'The Princess Diaries', the main character Mia wanted a foot popping kiss."
"Ok."
"Have you never seen it?"
"My escapism is what I told you about last night when you came to my house."
"And interrupted your make out session that was horizontal."
"I do not need to know that about my Granddad."
"No need to worry Ryan, according to Ace nothing more happened."
"Can we not talk about this?"
"Is Graham uncomfortable?"
"Tegan," Ace with a heavy warning tone in her voice.
"I'll stop, I'll stop," with a laugh, Tegan looks at her menu.
Ace leans closer to Graham, "I am sorry about her. She may have seen me in a few relationships in the past, but she seems more comfortable with you."
"That is good."
"Oi, you two, there are three more people here." Ace and Graham face their family.
"We know." They all look at their menus and both Ace and Graham's hand drop beneath the table as they hold hands until their waitress comes up.
"Hello, I am Max and I will be your waitress today. Can I get anything started for you?"
"Some water for me."
"Same here." From everyone at the table. After the waitress leaves everyone looks back at their menus. Ryan gets up to head to the bathroom and sees that Ace and Graham are playing footsie. When Ryan gets back they order their food when some guy comes up.
"Hello Dorothy." Everyone notices how quickly Ace's posture changes from completely relaxed to professional.
Ace turns around, "hello."
"It must be nice not regretting standing someone up."
"Riley."
"So you remember."
"I do, as I went missing that day."
"You mean run away."
"I didn't run away."
"Sure" he looks at Graham, "you may want to be careful mate."
"The Ace I know is honest and would never purposely stand someone up. When plans change, she will call to let me know."
"You must be lucky."
"I as, her best friend for over 20 years, now that she did in fact go missing." Tegan says while narrowing her eyes on Riley.
"Yeah right, she has you fooled like everyone else in this country."
"Please leave Riley, we are trying to enjoy a nice dinner, and if you really want to know, there have been newspapers that were on my disappearance, because my dear old mum wanted to save face." Graham puts his arm on the back of Ace's chair.
"Sir, you need to let this go. You were both teenagers when all this happened."
"You are only saying this because she is rich."
"Money doesn't matter to me. I fell for her heart, humor and brain."
"Her heart, how funny."
"Ace is one of the nicest people I have met since losing my first wife. I didn't think there was anyone else out there for me that could make me laugh as much as I do when I am with her."
"Sirs, Madams, is there anything I can do for you?"
"No thank you Oscar, we are ok, this gentleman was just leaving."
"Ok, Dory." Everyone at the table looks at Ace, Graham mouths 'Dory.' Riley walks away.
"I will make sure he isn't allowed back in, considering you are one of our favorites."
"Thank you Oscar," Ace smiles.
"So tell us Dory how often do you come here?"
"Well, Tegan, I come here whenever I need to have a business dinner. I knew this place would easily accommodate anything we wanted that isn't too far out of range."
"Like the fact you and Graham can sit as close as possible and play footsie."
"How did you know that?"
"When I got up to go use the bathroom I noticed it." Their food comes and they tuck in occasionally sharing bits of conversations.
"Will everyone like to come by my place, so we can talk about our common friend and more of what happened that day."
"That's ok with me, Ryan?"
"Fine."
"Of course that is ok with you Graham, you just need to remember that other people will be there too."
"If one of you called or texted you wouldn't have seen us making out. Come on, let's go pay the bill." They go up and pay it and all of them head over to Ace's.
"You have a nice place here Ace."
"Thank you Ryan."
"What is that blue building?"
"That is my bomb shelter. I have to have a safe space to make Nitro-999."
"Nitro-999?"
"An explosive that I have been making since I was a teeanger. I have changed the formula a little bit over the years. Only one person has helped me make it."
"I feel special that you trust me enough to be the one." Ace gives him a small smile as they all sit down.
"So three of you know most of the story, but not the part I was supposed to go on a date with Riley. He had been asking me out for months, butI didn't want to date much."
"You still don't date much."
"I have to be careful, because of A Charitable Earth. I have never been on dating apps or the like."
"Neither have I." Ace and Graham look at eachother.
"When Fenric created that time storm that sent me to Iceworld, I was an angry teenager thinking no one cares about me, which in ways was true. My dad left, mom was more than horrible, a delinquent. When I met Mel and the Doctor, for the first time I felt like there was someone who truly cared about me."
"Now look at you." Nyssa starts to say, "you have two surrogate sisters, a lot of friends, a head of a foundation that is never in trouble, and now you have Graham."
"I like all of you too. I have a feeling I met Dorothy today, where I had already gotten to know Ace."
"You did; you picked up on the quick change didn't you."
"Your posture changed."
"Most don't notice that part."
"We were right next to each other."
"I also saw your posture change, though it was the first time I have seen that happen and I work with you at A Charitable Earth."
"What do you do there?"
"Everytime Ace does something with UNIT, I hold down the fort."
"Speaking of that, Nyssa, we should try to look at improving security with everything that happened yesterday."
"I know."
"Is there anything you guys need to know?"
"No, but it is getting late, it is Sunday after all. I need to be at UNIT tomorrow morning early, I think all of us that work there do."
"Yeah, I got a message from Kate."
"I'll walk out with Nyssa and Tegan."
"See some of you tomorrow." Tegan, Nyssa and Ryan all leave the house. "That leaves the two of us."
"So it does." They move closer to each other until lip touches lip and they melt into each other.
"Goodnight Graham."
"Good night Ace," they share one more peck and Graham walks out of the cottage and see's Ryan leaning against the car. "I didn't give you the keys?"
"Nope, but that's ok.'' They head home.