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Rose had eventually fallen asleep. They still hadn't discussed her employment at Torchwood or anything really, for that matter, but right now Jack didn't care. He felt like this was his chance, once the Doctor found out Rose was here, he would surely come looking instantly and then he could fix Jack.
Jack took a deep breath. It wasn't that he hadn't been grateful for his immortality, it had definitely come in handy several times, especially while working for Torchwood, but he was starting to feel less and less like a real human being, he was changing into something new and he wasn't sure he liked that.
He watched Rose sleep. She was lying on a couch, his big coat draped over her like a blanket and it struck him how young and fragile she looked. He thought back to the feisty nineteen year old Rose he had met during the blitz. He had been instantly smitten with her, she was pretty and funny but also, as he soon discovered, completely taken, although she wasn't even aware of it. It was so obvious that her and the Doctor, no matter how much they both denied it, were in love with each other, they just had to wake up and see it. In a way Jack was jealous. The Doctor might not have been the most handsome man alive, but there was just something about him, something that was just irresistible, and Jack couldn't help to fall a little bit in love with the rude alien with the big ears and nose. But in his heart he also knew that the Doctor only had eyes for Rose and that was how it was supposed to be.
When Gwen finally closed the door to the apartment behind her, her head was spinning and she just wanted to crawl into bed and get at least a couple of hours of sleep. But apparently Rhys had other ideas. He was waiting for her in the living room.
"Please, not now Rhys" Gwen sighed.
"When, then? You are never home!"
"It's just been a crazy day. Why can't you leave it?"
"Do you hear yourself? This is supposed to be a relationship and all we do is fight!"
"No, all you do is fight! You are acting like some spoiled girl. I have a job, an important job."
"Oh and there you go again, with that fancy job of yours. If it's so important, then tell me what it is you do."
"Paperwork, I told you. It's just important paperwork" Gwen said, cursing herself for walking into a conversation about her job.
"And what about that boss of yours, eh?"
"Leave Jack out of this, he has nothing to do with it."
"He has everything to do with it, you daft cow! Ever since you started that job you're never home, you're distant and you act like you're so much better than the rest of us!""Well maybe I am!" Gwen immediately covered her mouth and wished she could take that back.
"Sometimes I really hate you!" And with that Rhys ended the fight, slammed the door to the bedroom and forced Gwen to spend another night on the couch.
"I really hate days like this" Gwen mumbled and made herself as comfortable as possible on the couch.
Owen was already sitting at his desk when Tosh walked into the Hub, which was a rare thing. He greeted her, as she sat down, but his eyes never left Jack's office.
"What's going on?"
Owen's eyes didn't even waver. "He's got someone up there."
"So?"
"Someone who isn't Ianto.""Oh" Tosh said surprised. This was unexpected. "Where is Ianto?""Out in the front office, making coffee like a madman. Like that's going to do any good."
"Morning" Gwen grumbled as she entered the Hub via the invisible lift.
"Morning" Owen and Tosh said in unison, still looking at Jack's office.
"What are we staring at?"
"Jack has someone up there" Tosh said.
"And it isn't Ianto" Owen supplied.
"It's probably Rose" Gwen muttered and sat down at her desk.
That got Owen and Tosh's attention and they turned to look at her. "Rose?"
"Yeah, I met her yesterday. She was the one who walked out in front of my car and the one Andy called about last night. Apparently her and Jack are old friends and he just hired her on the spot!"
"No way" Tosh exclaimed in a very girly voice that was so unlike her.
"Yes. She is pretty, blonde and from now on she is apparently also an employee at Torchwood three" Gwen said with a grimace.
"So, who is she?"
Gwen shrugged. "How should I know? I only met her yesterday."
"Well I just guessed, what with you being a copper and all, you would have done your homework" Owen said.
"There must be thousands of Rose Tyler's out there" Gwen said. "It would take days."
"I could give it a try" Tosh offered. Owen smiled at her and Gwen rolled her eyes.
After about an half hour Tosh finally hit something. "There was a Rose Marion Tyler, born in 1986 in London to one Peter Alan Tyler and Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler ("that's a mouthful" Owen muttered). Father died when she was a baby and the mother never remarried. She was in the hospital a couple of times when she was a teenager, with broken bones. Hospital staff suspected her boyfriend, but he was never charged. Worked at a department store, Henriks, until that blew up. Then she just disappear. The mother accused the boyfriend, one Michael Smith, of murdering her, but then she turned up again after a year. Claimed she had been travelling" Tosh said. "She pops up every once in a while and she is connected to some of the alien activity that has happened." Tosh clicked away and found a black and white picture of a young woman talking to a man wearing a leather jacket and… "Is that Jack?"
The three of them all squinted at the screen. "That is definitely Jack. And that is the Rose I met yesterday" Gwen said. "Well, he did say they used to be friends. Where is this from?"
"Cardiff, 2005" Tosh said.
"You were right, Gwen. She is definitely pretty" Owen muttered and looked up at Jack's office again.
"They must go way back, look at what Jack is wearing" Gwen pointed at the picture and they all noticed their leader's charismatic World War 2 jacket was absent.
"He looks so… Normal…" Tosh said. "But oh, look. It says here she died in London a few years ago. She was at Canary Wharf when all those Cybermen and Daleks attacked."
"Yeah and look at that" Owen pointed. "Her name is flagged in Torchwood files!"
"What does that mean" Gwen asked.
"It means she did something we didn't like" Owen muttered. "But the papers are classified, only Jack knows the code."
"Could you crack it, Tosh" Gwen inquired.
"I… I don't know. I'm not sure. Besides I hardly think Jack would hire an enemy of the crown of something like that. Maybe if we just asked him? Or her?"
"Yeah because Jack always tells us everything" Owen muttered.
"Guess we'll just have to wait then" Gwen mumbled and sat down at her own desk again.
Rose woke up with a start and before she knew it, she was lying on the floor. "Ow" she mumbled into the carpet.
"Very graceful. Are you alright" Jack asked, obviously trying to contain his laugh.
"Fine, thanks" Rose said and made no move to get up.
"Need a hand?"
"No, just not quite ready to face the world yet."
"Well, do you want to face it with rug burns all over your face?"
Rose sighed and got up. "Fine, fine…. Bring it on, then."
Jack laughed and opened the door out to the Hub. "I suppose we should get you acquainted with the team and then we should probably get you some clothes and a place to stay. Although you'll be more than welcome to stay in my office?"
"Apartment sounds good" Rose said. It would be the first time she actually lived alone. Before meeting the Doctor it was just her and Jackie and then obviously she lived with the Doctor in the TARDIS, and in the alternative universe Jackie had insisted that she moved in with her and Pete (apparently she was worried Rose would off herself the moment she was left alone for more than five minutes).
"Alright, let's met the rest of the team" Jack said and led her out of the office.
Gwen, Owen and Tosh all looked up as Jack exited his office, followed by a blonde woman.
"Where's Ianto" Jack asked.
"Pouting out front" Owen said and smiled at the woman. "Doctor Owen Harper, nice to meet you" he said.
"Rose Tyler, likewise" Rose said and smiled back. He was the first person, except Jack obviously, who had been welcoming.
"And this is Toshiko Sato, our computer genius" Jack said and gestured at the Asian woman.
"Tosh is fine" she said and gave a careful smile.
"And obviously you met Gwen yesterday, and Ianto. So that's the team. Rose will be working here for some time" Jack said. "But first, we need to get you some clothes and other necessities and a place to stay, until you get your own place."
"Why don't I take you shopping now" Gwen suddenly suggested. At Rose's stunned expression she just smiled. "Yeah, it will give us a chance to talk a little, get to know each other. It will be fun."
Jack narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything and fished out a beat up old wallet from which he produced several pound notes. He handed them to Rose with a smile. "Have fun."