As Rose's awareness returned, she first noted the scent that surrounded her. It was achingly familiar – tea, spice, and time. At first she wondered if she was still dreaming, back to when she woke up surrounded by these smells every morning with John in the bed next to her. As she breathed deeply, she also smelled bananas and cinnamon. Her ears spied the sounds of someone working with kitchen utensils and softly humming. She opened her eyes and realized she was in an unfamiliar bedroom. The other half of the large bed she was in was empty, including the pillows. Rose slowly remembered the night before – dinner at Jason's flat, the conversation, the dancing, and the storm. She realized that Jason must have carried her to his room, and based on the lack of pillows on one side, he must have slept elsewhere.
Rose pulled the duvet off and noticed she was still clothed, minus her shoes and socks. She padded softly into the loo. She emerged a few minutes later, after having used her finger and some toothpaste to get rid of any morning breath.
As she walked quietly out to the living room, the smell of cinnamon and bananas, mixed with fresh brewed tea, grew stronger. She glanced at the sofa and her assumption about last night's sleeping arrangements was confirmed. The missing pillows and a spare blanket were haphazardly piled on the sofa. Jason turned and saw Rose enter the room.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Jason smiled teasingly.
"Mornin'," Rose muttered. Jason handed Rose a cuppa. "Ta."
"You slept so soundly last night, you didn't even wake when I carried you to the bedroom. I figured you needed to sleep. I hope you don't mind," Jason questioned.
"No, I don't mind. I'm only sorry you slept out here instead of your own bed because of me," Rose explained.
"I don't mind," Jason replied. "The sofa's comfy enough for a kip. Plus, don't need much sleep, me."
Rose sipped her tea and couldn't suppress the moan as the warm, soothing liquid traveled down her throat. She opened her eyes (when had she closed them?) to see Jason staring at her, a hint of pink tinting the tips of his hears.
Jason cleared his throat, "Right… well… I've got banana nut muffins in the oven. They should be ready in a few minutes."
"Sounds great!" Rose smiled.
"I checked the weather report for today and it's going to be gorgeous. I thought it might be nice to take a trip out to the Lake District. That is, of course, if you want. I don't mean to monopolize your vacation time. You're probably getting tired of me, so nevermind, it was just an idea. I should let you have some vacation time to yourself and…"
"Jason…" Rose interrupted, smiling at his familiar rambling, "I'd love to explore the Lake District with you."
Jason grinned like a kid in a candy story. "Great! That's great. While the muffins finish, I'll just go grab a quick shower. Then I can drop you off at your hotel to shower, or whatever you need to do, while I go to the market and get us some picnic supplies. Then we'll be off!"
Thirty minutes later they were on their way to Rose's hotel. Rose was grateful that the TARDIS had packed clothing and shoes suitable for hiking. She met Jason in the lobby an hour later. Just as Rose and Jason were exiting the hotel, bright flashes from camera bulbs went off in their faces. Jason instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist and ushered her quickly to his car that was waiting with the valet. He started the car quickly and sped out of the portico of the hotel, tires squealing as he went.
"Sorry about that," Rose apologized as they made their way out of the city. "I'm surprised it took them this long to find me."
"Do the paparazzi always follow you when you go out in London?" Jason asked.
"Yes, usually," she sighed. "It gets worse after big news breaks, like when my parents first announced my existence, and my engagement and wedding. They calm down when my life gets boring, but there's almost always someone around. The only time they left me alone was after the accident. Pete paid all the publishers a hefty sum to keep the reporters and photographers away while I mourned." Rose gazed out the window of the car, not really paying attention to the scenery as they drove.
Rose continued, as if lost in thought and unaware that she was still speaking. "The worst was after my kidnappings…"
"Your what?!"
"My kidnappings. I've been kidnapped twice and held for ransom. The first time was right after my parents went public about me. Pete ended up paying the ransom, but he had a tracking device installed in the briefcase; the amateurs didn't think to ditch the briefcase once they had the money. They were caught and will be in jail until their 80s, at least. The second was before we went public with my relationship with John and after I'd been a Torchwood agent for a few years. They didn't get me far; John helped me escape and lead authorities back to the perpetrators. They'll be in prison for life." Rose told her story like it was old news and nothing compared to so many horrific trials she'd endured.
Jason glanced at her periodically, a look of awe and terror on his face. "Wow. That's the kind of thing you would expect in movies, not in real life."
"Yeah, but I guess that's the price for being heiress to one of the richest men in the world who also happens to run Torchwood. There are lots of people out there who don't like what Torchwood does – helping aliens and such. Pete and Torchwood have a number of enemies out there for just that reason alone. The great majority of the aliens we help are here peacefully – to enjoy a holiday, because they need assistance, or because they want to relocate permanently. Very few aliens we encounter wish to do us harm." Rose explained.
Rose and Jason continued to talk about Torchwood and aliens as they drove. Rose was proud of the work Torchwood had accomplished since she started working for them and liked being able to share those accomplishments with Jason. Jason beamed at her, clearly proud of her role in welcoming and assisting aliens. Rose decided to leave the more harrowing stories for another time, instead focusing on the happier ones.
Before either realized it, they had arrived in the Lake District. Jason drove a ways into the area, looking for the perfect spot to park, hike, and set up their picnic. After about 20 minutes of walking up hill from where they left the car, they found the perfect spot at the crest, overlooking the valley and lake below, the puffy white clouds vibrant against the blue sky. The lake glistened in the midday sun.
Rose and Jason set out their picnic and settled down to eat and talk. After an hour, they continued their hike and the trail eventually looped back around to the car. Rose and Jason decided to go explore the nearby town and then select their next destination in order to watch the sunset before heading back to Manchester. As they strolled the cobblestone streets, Rose admired the window displays of many of the shops displaying souvenirs, locally-made jewelry and art, and confections.
Jason ushered her into an ice cream parlor when he heard Rose's stomach grumble. As they exited with their double scoops of ice cream, they wandered a bit further down the road to a bench to sit and enjoy their treats.
"How's the cotton-candy ice cream?" Jason asked.
"It's delicious, if you can ignore the odd blue hue," Rose replied. "Want to try?" She held out the cone for Jason, but just as his tongue was about to take a lick, Rose moved the cone to smear bright blue ice cream over the tip of Jason's nose. He scowled at her briefly and then they both burst into giggles. Rose reached out to wipe his nose with her napkin and saw a bright twinkle in Jason's eye. She cupped his cheek and he leaned into her touch. Slowly, Rose closed the distance between them and pressed a light kiss on his lips. Just as she was about to deepen the kiss, she froze. She heard a familiar noise and immediately the adrenaline began to pump through her body. She broke away from Jason and looked up to the west over his shoulder with wide eyes. Jason followed her gaze to the sky, just as a large alien ship flew over their heads, leaving a dark gray cloud of smoke in its wake. Rose followed it with her eyes, yelling "Stay here!", throwing her ice cream at her feet, and taking off at a sprint towards the crashing ship.