Applying the gentlest of pressure in the midst of one of the scariest events of his life, Alec Hardy did not want Rose Tyler to run away from him.
Who knew, this could be it? He didn't know what that monster was, and right now he couldn't give a fuck. He might never get the chance to do this again. He just needed this, he needed her.
The blonde froze at first. Her hands clutched his arms to keep herself steady. He snaked his arm around her waist causing to melt against him. The voices in her head told her to pull back. She'd been lying to him from the start. Always knowing more than him. Once he realised the truth about the situation, about her, he wouldn't want to see her again. But that was the future and she had waited around before, all those extra moments with John were wasted, dancing around each other, refusing to say anything that would disrupt their friendship, but that wasn't going to happen again. Rose took a leap of faith and kissed him back with equal vigour.
For what little light there was in the room, the couple managed to stumble back until Rose's back hit the wall behind them. The pulled apart for a second to get their bearings.
"Is this okay?" He breathed roughly.
She cupped his cheek, feeling his stubble under fingers and gave him his answer. She seized his tie and captured his mouth with hers. Alec moaned and Rose giggled, a mixture of pride and curiosity flooded her mind. I wonder if I can make that noise again.
Her arms wrapped his neck, nails scratched at his nape. Alec bucked his hips against hers, making it very clear how much he wanted her. At same time, he didn't want to be undone, so abruptly pulled his head back and placed open mouth kisses to her neck, sucking the soft skin. Rose gasped, tugging his hair, urging him to continue.
It had been too long for both of them, this kind of contact, this kind of heat. The last few days, they might have fought at every corner, but now she realised that fire was for something else. The intensity in the days before and the days to come were poured into their actions.
His lips crashed into hers again with a passionate kiss and he sought her hand. Nevertheless, before he could entwine his fingers with hers…
"Everything all right down there, Miss Tyler?" The landlord shouted through the ajar door. Thankfully not able to see the copper attached to her.
Alec and Rose reluctantly let each other go, breathing hard, eyes locked on each other, their lips inches apart. He swore he could hear her heart beating wildly next to his.
"Yeah, fine. Everything is fine." she said, her voice shaking more than she would have liked.
"Okay. Just remember I need those keys back." he yelled.
"Yeah. Be up in a minute."
She heard the door shut.
Alec stepped back.
Their hands slipped to their sides.
The fantasy crashed around them.
The cold air bringing them back to their senses.
"We… we should get back to work." Rose stammered, readjusting her clothing.
Alec nodded, lost for words. Rose went for the door handle and he found his voice.
"Rose?" he said, his voice hoarse.
She glanced at him, her arms crossed. "Can we talk about this after the case? Stay professional."
He swallowed hard. "Sure."
"For now." she quickly added, then wandered out the door to the pub.
Alec's head snapped up and breathed a sigh of relief. She needed time and, boy would he wait for her.
On the edge of the cliffs stood a hut. Inside, humming to herself songs of her home world, Karicole dipped her claws in a plastic bucket and withdraw them, holding a sheep's heart. She smeared the organ against the wall, leaving a streak of blood in its wake.
The children would be due soon, and the home was not nearly ready. Pesky humans kept interrupting them but soon it wouldn't matter. The house of poor Danny's death would be a place of life again. No mother should have to lose their child and Karicole understood Beth's pain. She had lost her own children before, born before their time. Unable to last, she had to eat their remains before others would come for them.
She dipped her hand again into the bucket, this time coating her hand in the blood and began to draw intricate patterns of her language, matching the box, on the wall. A home for children must be safe.
When she was done, she recovered a crate of items from under the kitchen sink. Inside was a torn nurse's uniform, a ripped football t – shirt and a leather wallet. Karicole and Faricus had stripped the corpses of their possessions to show their new family once they were old enough. The tokens were a blessing for the birth. Her children would be proud, like she was when her mother showed her, all those years ago.
Once the home was to her standard, Karicole rubbed her swollen belly, protruding under her robes. If someone saw her from a distance she would look like a woman, nine months pregnant ready to go to hospital. The pregnancy was moving along quickly, the size of the belly had doubled in mere hours. She was so close. She wanted nothing more than to be a mother and every time she failed, she felt as if she failed him. Faricus and her had been together for years and to not be able to give him a child that survived, broke her heart.
"The place looks nice."
She spun around to see Faricus standing there, holding his stomach, his face contorted in pain betraying his tender tone. Karicole gaped at the black ooze covering his hands.
"What happened?" she asked.
"The girl." he replied.
"A stupid human girl. Why didn't you rip her throat out?" she demanded.
"She had help."
"The captain?"
"No, another human." he told her. He grunted and held his hand out in front of the wound as if he was waiting for something. He scrunched his eyes together, clenching his jaw as the bullet pushed its way out his body. The second bullet from his knee followed a couple of seconds later.
Karicole watched him with a mix of love and worry in her eyes. Their species could heal most injuries but she needed him, now more than ever. He opened his eyes to see tears in hers.
"Karicole, don't tell me you are getting weak in your old age." he said, half heartily.
"No," she lied. "Just… these humans are not as stupid as we were led to believe. We can't risk anything going wro…" Her voice faded out and she pressed her hand to her belly.
Faricus ran to her aid. "What is it?"
But he already knew.
They were on their way.
She shrieked in agony, her knees buckled under her weight. He rushed to her side, but she shook her head.
"Box. Box. Box." she urged, leaning against the table.
Faricus brought the device to her side and clutched her hand whispering words of encouragement in her ear. The box pulsed white with energy as she balanced it on her bump. The hand that wasn't holding Faricus' dug into the wooden flooring. Suddenly the energy stopped flowing and Karicole relaxed.
She lifted her robes to see green veins turn white, her rough skin softened. Faricus wiped the black ooze from his injury on her belly and around the box.
"We are one." he muttered.
She moved the box from its position and clutched his hand again.
Then the contractions came.