Notes: Pete tries to keep on top of things at Torchwood as Rose tries to come to terms with what's happened.

Chapter 13

It was 06:00 GMT in Torchwood, and it was fair to say that it had been a bugger of a night. The Operations Room was buzzing with activity as people fed scraps of information to Despatch, who then kept everyone up to date with the state of play.

Pete 'Welsh' Davies was looking tired on Despatch, and he'd got another two hours to go before change of shift. Even then he doubted that he'd be able to sleep, not until he knew that everyone was safe.

Pete Tyler had come in at 04:30 just to be there as things happened. Unlike Welsh Pete, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until his daughter and son-in-law were safe and sound in the TARDIS.

The first part of the mission had gone without a hitch. All the crystals had been deactivated and recovered, and then it all went 'tits up', as McNab would say.

Julia and Jake had been the first to radio in a code red, when they came under fire. The Minister for Foreign Affairs had been very understanding about being woken up at that hour and had immediately contacted his Mexican counterpart. The military had been mobilized and were on their way in an attack airship.

Then they had a call from Jack and Gwen to say they had been arrested and taken into custody, and felt there may be a diplomatic incident brewing. Pete had called the President on her private number, the early hour of the call being forgiven when he mentioned it was Jack Harkness. 'Thank God for his flirting', Pete thought to himself with a chuckle.

Then the worst call of the night came in from John. Rose had been kidnapped and John was going to rescue her. Those were all the details he had, so his imagination started filling in the missing information with ever more horrifying scenarios.

Then reports came in from news sources that a police station in Cairo had been subjected to a terrorist bomb attack. It didn't take a genius to work out that Jack and Gwen would be in the middle of it, and they had no contact with them.

Pete took another swig of strong coffee and shuddered. 'This stuff will be the death of me', he thought. He took his mobile out of his pocket and looked at it, contemplating whether to call Jackie. He put the phone back in his pocket, she would only fret.

He knew he would get it in the neck when she found out that he hadn't told her, but he'd felt the sharp edge of her tongue before and survived. He only did it because he loved her, and because he didn't want her to worry about things she had no control over.

"Pete! We've had an update from Mexico," Welsh Pete announced. "One gunman stunned, two dead and two surrendered to Jake and Julia. Julia has a gunshot wound to her right upper arm with a fractured humerus."

"Ye Gods. A bullet in the arm and they still manage to overpower an aggressive force. What a team!"

"She's been Medevac'd to American British Cowdray Hospital in Mexico City for emergency surgery."

"Thanks Welsh. Can you pass that message down the line, I know a lot of people are worried about them," Pete said.

A cheer went up in the Standby Room as the Watch read the update on the media screen. One down, and only two left to go. Welsh Pete continued to monitor communications and news feeds for any scrap of information.

Several minutes later, Pete's mobile rang and he took it out of his pocket. The display said 'Rose'. He answered the call and put the phone to his ear.

"Rose?" he asked hesitantly. He could hear the intake of breath of someone steeling themselves to speak when they were overcome with emotion.

"Dad?" He could hear the tears in her voice.

"Rose, are you alright? Is John with you?" He asked hurriedly, his voice full of concern.

"Dad," she cried. "I'm alright, we're both alright. Is EJ okay?"

Pete wiped the tears from his eyes. "Yes Love, he's fine. He's been as good as gold for us." He could hear Rose crying at that news.

"Rose, what's the matter? You sound very upset."

John's voice came on the phone. "Pete, we've had a bit of an ordeal. Rose was…. attacked. She's alright, but it's shaken her up a bit. She just needs some time to recover."

"Okay John. You're sure she's not injured."

"No, she's uninjured. We'll see you soon."

"Okay. Oh, can you tell her that Jake and Julia are out of danger. Julia took a bullet to the arm and is on her way to the hospital to have it fixed."

"Oh that's a relief. We were worried when we heard the report. I'll let her know, speak to you later."

Pete ended the call and looked over at Welsh Pete who was looking right back at him.

"They're safe," is all he said. Welsh breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to his console. There was another cheer from the Standby Room.

"Beta One to Despatch. Over." Jack's voice came over the speaker.

"Go ahead Beta One. Over."

"Threat neutralized, Beta Team are okay. Repeat, Beta Team are okay. Over."

"Roger that Beta One. Good news. Over."

There was another cheer from the Standby Room as Pete slumped into a swivel chair which slowly rotated. He saw Welsh Pete grinning at him with his hand held up. As he rotated past he gave him a high five and took out his mobile phone. It was time to tell Jackie and get an ear bending.


["Rose?"]

"Mmmmm," she murmured. She was SO comfortable, she didn't want to be disturbed.

"Rose?" That was John calling her, and he sounded concerned.

She started to climb the hill of consciousness towards the land of wakefulness, and her memories started to come back. One or two of them cautiously at first, and then a flood of everything that had happened to her.

Her eyes shot open and she saw the worried face of her husband as he sat on the side of the medi-bed. She sat up suddenly and grabbed him into a hug as she started to cry.

He wrapped his arms around her and just held her, gently stroking her hair. He sent waves of love and reassurance into her mind as they sat and hugged.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear.

"Don't be. It didn't hurt much, and it saved me," she said quietly.

"No, I meant for not being there to protect you from those…."

"John, you rescued me!" she said as she came out of the hug to look at his face, stroking it gently. "I know what would have happened if you hadn't been there for me."

"Did he…?"

"No. Nearly, but no. You interrupted him so to speak," she said, trying to laugh through the tears.

John had tears trickling down his cheeks. "Oh, thank Rassilon. When I saw him lying on top of you like that, both of you naked…."

"Don't," she said and pulled herself back into a hug.

He could feel her distress. This brave, confident and resourceful woman had been left vulnerable, helpless and unable to defend herself. They both knew that she had been seconds away from being…. violated, and although physically the act had not occurred, mentally it already had.

"We'd better report in," John said quietly into her hair. "They'll be worried sick."

"I'll phone Dad."

"Are you sure? I can do it if you want."

"No, it's alright. I want to speak to him."

John reached for her phone that was on the bedside cabinet and handed it to her. She found her Dad's number and pressed the dial option.

"Rose?" she heard him say. Oh God, he sounded so worried and weary. Her Dad just wanted to protect her, and she just wanted to hug him.

"Dad?" She said with a quivering voice.

"Rose, are you alright? Is John with you?" He asked hurriedly, his voice full of concern.

She couldn't hold it together any longer. "Dad," she cried. "I'm alright, we're both alright. Is EJ okay?" She desperately wanted to hold her son. John squeezed her hand in support and she nodded her thanks at his support.

She could hear the tears in his breaking voice. "Yes Love, he's fine. He's been as good as gold for us." 'Oh bless him' she thought, as a sob escaped from her lips.

"Rose, what's the matter? You sound very upset." her Dad asked.

John saw that Rose was in no condition to answer that question just yet so he gently took the phone from her.

"Pete, we've had a bit of an ordeal. Rose was…. attacked. She's alright, but it's shaken her up a bit. She just needs some time to recover."

Rose watched as John listened to her Dad on the phone.

"No, she's uninjured. We'll see you soon."

"Oh that's a relief. We were worried when we heard the report. I'll let her know, speak to you later."

He ended the call and put the phone back on the cabinet.

"What's a relief?" she asked him.

"Jake and Julia are okay. Julia was injured in a firefight and is in hospital being fixed up." He saw the worry on her face. "She's going to be alright."

She reached her arms out for him and they hugged again. John could feel the turmoil in her mind and knew that she needed some help to sort out her thoughts and emotions.

["Rose. We need to talk about what happened."]

["What's to say? I let myself be taken hostage. I should have heard him coming and taken him out."]

["Well, if you follow that to its logical conclusion, then it's my fault. You were focussed on helping me stun one of them that you didn't hear the one coming behind you."]

["That still doesn't excuse the fact that I should have known he was there. I'm a trained agent John, I'm better than that."]

["And he was a local who probably grew up in the jungle. No amount of training will account for a natural ability to move through the undergrowth unnoticed."]

Rose stopped and thought about this. John was talking sense. If her attacker didn't want to be seen or heard, then he wouldn't be seen or heard. John mentally breathed a sigh of relief as she started to realise that she wasn't to blame.

["But then, in the shack. I was no better than a pathetic heroine in a silent film, tied to a bed at the mercy of the evil villain."]

["The nanogenes have repaired the damage now, but I saw the rope burns, bruises and blood on your wrist and ankles where you struggled to get free. That wasn't pathetic."]

["But towards the end, he said he'd hurt me if I struggled... so I stopped struggling…. I surrendered."]

He could feel her torment, her guilt, her shame.

["And I know why you did that, or should I say for whom."]

Rose blinked back tears as he continued. ["You wanted to survive for our son, so that he would have a mother. To willingly submit to that ordeal for the sake of our son, that is one of the bravest things I have ever seen. That was an act of courage, not of weakness."]

He held her face with one hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

["And that head-butt!"] he laughed. ["If that was surrendering, God help anyone if you turn and fight,"] he joked, trying to lighten her mood.

She gave a single laugh. "Yeah, it was pretty good wasn't it?"

"That's more like the Rose I know and love," he said reassuringly.

"Why don't you go and have a shower and get dressed? I'll put the kettle on, I think a nice cup of tea is in order."

A shower sounded like a great idea. She could do with scrubbing the dirt, sweat and smell of her attacker off her skin. She wrapped the sheet around her, hopped of the medi-bed and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll see you in the kitchen," she said and waggled out of the Medi-Bay.

John couldn't fail to notice that she had wrapped herself in the sheet. Normally they were very comfortable being naked around one another. However, after what she had just been through it was hardly surprising that she was a bit self conscious of her nudity.

He left the Medi-Bay and went to the kitchen to put the kettle on. He reached their favourite mugs out of the cupboard and found a packet of biscuits. By the time he had made the tea, Rose had returned from the bedroom dressed in jeans, trainers and a baggy grey sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder, showing the strap of her red bra.

She picked up her mug and kissed him on the cheek before sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar.

"Mmmm, you were right, that's just what I needed," she said as she took a sip. She gave him her tongue in teeth smile. "You could say that it's just what the Doctor ordered."

He laughed with her and gave her a wink. She took a biscuit out of the packet and dunked it in her tea before taking a bite.

"John?" she said hesitantly. "What happened to those men in the shack?"

John spluttered his tea. "Ah, them, right, yes…." he hesitated.

"John, what have you done to them?" she asked. She had seen the Storm brewing in him, and was worried that he may have done something that he would later regret.

He sensed her concern and reassured her. "Er, nothing bad Sweetheart, honestly. It's just that…. they're on board…. in the dungeon."

"Wha'? We have a dungeon?" she asked incredulously.

"We do now," he replied raising his eyebrows. "The young girl was so outraged that she immediately produced five medieval stone dungeons to put them in. They're very authentic, iron bars, wooden benches, and she's even put straw on the floor. I thought that was a nice touch."

"You're not goin' to torture them or anythin' are you?"

John chuckled. "Now there's a thought. I mean, it's not like they don't deserve it. But no, I'm going to question them about the person who hired them. We need to find out who's behind this and shut down their operation."

She finished her tea and a second biscuit. "Right then, let's get to it."

"What? You want to see them?" John asked.

"Too right I do. I want them to see who they were messin' with," she said.

John couldn't help but smile at this impressive woman. Wanting to confront the men who had attacked her was a good sign that she would be okay. He could feel that this was important for her confidence and self esteem.

"Well if you're sure then," he said holding out his hand.

She gave him a winning smile. "I'm Pete and Jackie Tyler's daughter... I'm sure."

They left the kitchen/dining room and turned right, away from the control room. They passed the arched door of their bedroom, took the first left, second right, and third on the left. They went straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, and came to an old oak door with a metal ring for a handle, and metal studs embedded in it.

Rose had to smile at the attention to detail that the TARDIS had put into creating a dungeon. She had to stifle a giggle when the door opened with an elongated, cinematic creek. All it needed was the Wilhelm scream sound effect, so favoured of sound engineers and she would have collapsed in fits of laughter.

Inside though, there was nothing to laugh at. There were five cells in a semicircle, the entrance of each facing the centre of the room. Each cell had a semicircular entrance that had metal bars from floor to ceiling. In each cell was a wooden bench attached to the wall, and a Cambodian gunman.

Rose could see in the first cell was the man who had attacked her. He was sitting on the bench with his knees pulled up to his chest. He still had no shirt on and she could see bruises on his chest and his cheek.

"Where are we? What is this place?" he asked in a defiant tone, the TARDIS translating from Khmer to English.

John looked at Rose with a smile and looked around the room before looking at the naked man.

"It's a dungeon! I'd have thought that was obvious."

"And what are we doing here? We know you are secret agents, but where are the police?" he asked, less defiant and more nervous that time.

John held up his fingers. "One, you are hear to answer my questions and two, the police are waiting for you at the station when I've finished with you."

"Why did you try to rape me?" Rose asked unexpectedly out of the blue.

"I... I wasn't going to rape you; we were just having a bit of fun."

The dungeon shook as if they were experiencing an earthquake, the sound of rocks grinding against each other could be heard. The lights flickered and dimmed. John looked up to the ceiling.

"Now now young lady, there's no need for that. I'm sure it was a mistake and that he wants to tell the truth. Because if he doesn't, I will go and get it myself." John looked down from the ceiling and right into his captive with black, ancient eyes.

The young man shrank back against the wall in terror.

"WHAT-IS-YOUR-NAME?" John asked in a voice that could not be resisted.

"Rose Mari…." Rose shook her head to clear it of his demand. She looked at him in awe. All the captives answered at the same time.

"Lim Nhek," Rose's attacker told them.

"WHO-HIRED-YOU-TO-WATCH-THE-PYRAMID?"

"A monk said that thieves would come to the pyramid to steal something important," Lim said in a semi-hypnotic state.

"He said 'set a thief to catch a thief', and paid us well for our time. He gave me this." Lim showed them the triangular emerald around his neck. "It was to show us when you stole the item and where you went with it."

"WHERE-IS-THIS-MONK-NOW?"

"We don't know."

John looked at Rose hesitantly before asking the next question.

"WHY-DID-YOU-TRY-TO-RAPE-MY-WIFE?"

"She is beautiful. I had seen her in the magazine and fantasized about her. She is a secret agent, she must do that sort of thing all the time, I have seen spy films. And she is a thief, the monk said thieves might come."

"So I was fair game then?" Rose said quietly, anger in her voice.

Lim didn't reply. He had a look of shameful regret on his face as he hid his face against his knees.

"Have you got anymore questions John?" she asked as her eyes glistened with tears.

John shook his head and wrapped his arms around her. "No, Love."

"I don't want them in our TARDIS anymore."