The next day Ace arrives at UNIT and is greeted cheerily by Graham. "How was your day with Tegan and Nyssa?"
"It was fun and refreshing."
"I'm glad."
"I am going to spend more time with them."
"You should, I am going to call my mates. I admit that I haven't really talked to them since before everything with the Master."
"Why has it been so long?"
"I was doing a lot of investigating," they walk to their desks step-by-step, "you know that once you travel with the Doctor, you are forever changed."
"You should talk to them.'' They reach their desks and sit down.
A few hours later Ace and Graham join Tegan, Yaz and Ryan for lunch. "Thank you Graham for leaving yesterday, giving the day for Nyssa and I to spend with Ace."
"Of course, I hadn't realized how much time I was spending with Ace."
"Really," Ryan starts to say, "you have spent the last few weekends in each other's company, and how many late night talks have you had?"
"We didn't talk last night."
"Ohh last night." teases Yaz.
"Yasmin." Graham warns.
"What? The two of you have been spending a lot of time together either in person or on the phone. The days you haven't had lunch with her you sit over in a corner talking to her. We can tell you are talking to her by your smile.''
"It was the same smile you gave my Gran."
"I."
"It's ok, Gran would want you happy, and so do I." Only Tegan sees how Ace is looking at Graham with so much love and devotion in her eyes. She knows her friend is nervous about telling the man how she feels, but with what Ryan just said; she shouldn't be nervous. Her phone vibrates, in her pocket.
"I am going to take it."
"Tell Nyssa I said hi," Ace asks Tegan as she walks away and picks up her phone.
"How is your day so far?"
"Good, how is UNIT?"
"Yaz is teasing Ace and Graham about how much time they spend together. Ryan even said something that the smile he gets when talking to Ace is the same way he looked when he talked to Grace."
"I hope Ace's fear is fading."
"Me too. When Ryan said that you should've seen how she looked at him."
"I have an idea for her birthday this year."
"Nyssa, that isn't until August."
"I know that will give you time to make it look perfect."
"I should draw how she looked at him."
"Yes."
"How about I just draw it to show you."
"That can work. Besides for her birthday, if I was to draw something for her I would do one of the family that has forged around her, with Graham looking at her the way he does."
"Those two are in love, why can't they admit it?"
"Ace is waiting until she is sure Graham feels the same way. Graham, I don't know why. We would have to ask Ryan and maybe Yaz."
"If Ace goes on a date with Graham this weekend, let's have those two over so we can ask them what is going on."
"I will find a way to tell them."
"Don't worry, I will send Yaz a text."
"That's not a bad idea, and then we can set up a group chat."
"We can, I was just calling during lunch to check on your work, and it turned into a gossip session."
"We care about our friend and are worried about her. She has been burned one too many times."
"I got to go Tegan."
"I know, I should do it, before he hangs up, Ace says hi."
"Tell her I said hi back."
"I will, love you Nys."
"Love you too Tegan." They hang up and Tegan heads back to everyone.
"Nyssa says hello back." Ace smiles as they start to go back to the office. Ace and Graham sneakily hold hands while walking back. At the end of the day Ace and Graham make plans for her to come have dinner with Ryan and Graham. Yaz feels her phone buzz and she sees the text from Nyssa. When she gets home she sets up the group text for everyone.
'We need to get Ace and Graham admit how they feel,' texts Tegan.
'What do you mean?'
'That they love each other.' A reply to Ryan from Tegan shows up.
'You sure?'
'We know for a fact that Ace loves him from what she has told Nyssa and I.'
'Ryan,' Yaz's name with three baubles pops up, 'you said when he talks to Ace, his face is the same way as when he talked to your Gran when she was still here.'
'It is, I will not be replying for a bit, Ace is coming over for dinner.'
'Put the group on mute for a few hours,' Nyssa replies.
'I will,' Graham was looking at how much Ryan was texting when there was a knock on the door. Graham's questioning brow grows to a large smile as he goes to open it up to find Ace who has changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt with music notes on it. They share a quick kiss and walk over to Ryan who puts his phone down after sending a quick text of 'she's here.'
"Hello Ryan."
"Hi Ace, long time no see."
"I know right." The three head over to the dining area, and sit down. Over the course of dinner Ryan feels that this is normal, dinner with Graham and Ace. After dinner they head back to the living room.
"Do you two want to watch a movie," asks Graham.
"No, I think I will head to my room."
Graham looks towards Ace, "I would love to watch a movie." Ryan heads to his room as Ace gets comfortable on the couch. Graham picks a movie, as Ryan closes his bedroom door Ace and Graham get comfortable leaning on each other.
'She is still here. I left them to watch a movie.'
'How close are they?' Tegan asks.
'I don't know, I left for my room. Dinner felt like it did with Gran, when it was the three of us.'
'Good.' Replies Nyssa.
Tegan's name comes up as she responds, 'can you look real quick?'
'I can.' Ryan puts his phone down and quietly opens his door and peaks out to see Ace lifting her head and bringing her lips to Graham's. 'They are starting to kiss.'
'I'm sorry Ryan, I remember how you felt when your Gran and Graham kissed when we first met the Doctor.'
'As long as I don't see them making out, I don't care. Though I think the time is coming when we need to try and plan a way to get them to admit their feelings.'
'You see it now?'
'I do Tegan.'
'If you find out they have a date this weekend tell us, so we can all talk better, the two of you are invited over to our place for dinner or something.'
'Good.'
A few hours later Ryan is reading his book when there is a knock on the door. "Come in."
"Is it ok if, umm, Ace spends the night?"
"It is. I have a feeling this is going to be happening often anyway."
"Are you sure you are ok with it?"
"Just don't be too loud." Graham blushes as he turns around quickly and mumbles a thanks.
Graham goes up to Ace who is drinking some water. "Ryan is ok with you spending the night," he wraps his arms around her waist.
Ace puts her cup down and does the same while rising a little bit, "good," she then kisses him slightly. "I don't feel like being on my phone until I fall asleep again."
"We didn't do that last night."
"I know, and it didn't feel right."
"I agree. I am glad that you had fun with your ladies night."
"I have enjoyed tonight too."
"Same here." They stand there in each other's arms just looking into each other's eyes when Ryan comes out of his bedroom.
"When I asked you to not make too much noise, I didn't expect nothing." He tells them as he grabs a glass of water for his bedside. "Goodnight Graham, goodnight Ace."
"Goodnight Ryan," Ace and Graham say in unison.
Before Ryan goes to bed he shoots off a group text 'Ace is spending the night. Saturday he stayed at hers.'
'They keep saying they don't realize they are spending so much time together.'
'They do now, night everyone.' The text exchange ends for the night.
