[Torchwood] Waiting for emails.

[banished_dame]

Rose moved from the back galley of Torchwood with her cell in one hand and half of a chocolate chip cookie in her mouth waiting until she could take a seat at her desk before actually taking it out of her mouth. Mastering walking and talking was one thing, but mastering holding food in her mouth, playing a game on her cell and walking back toward

Comments

[banished_dame]

Feet once balanced perfectly on the rail of the stool now needed to be flat on the ground, and the edge of her desk chair suddenly felt far too short to even be sitting on the edge of, "It's me... like..."

Sure she knew it was him. There was no doubt in her mind that it was him, all the emails back and forth and all the work she'd put into it all it had to be him. But why was it so hard for her to even work words into making much sense besides the silence that was filling up her mouth.

"Doctor?" It was a start, and actually getting the word... the Name out there seemed to be breaking past a barrier in her mind. She'd said the name a thousand times before, referencing something they had come across which was usually met with a few groans from the rest of Torchwood.

"So this is... this is a phone call. Like a real call, and my phone... it's not even all..."

For all the brilliance she had been spinning out for the past few weeks suddenly she couldn't even let her mind work fast enough, and what thoughts were actually getting out of her mouth didn't want to make things as simple as they could be.

"I mean... the card is in my laptop... so this, this is real? Not some trick of a sun burning up a millennium away from where I'm standing... cause I'm sittin' yeah... not exactly standing..."

[rude_not_ginger]

Oh, it was her. No matter what he imagined Mariner could see in his mind, it was impossible to replicate that voice, and the way she spoke.

"Rose, I don't want to be short, but there isn't much time." There was never much time. There was never enough time.

"The Eternals are coming back. Something about a pilgramage into the Void, I don't really understand it. Anyway, I've convinced them to stay on this half of the Void, keep the universes in balance. They've got two people on your side, and they're sending Mariner---this bloke with me here, to pick them up. He owes me a favor."

He took a breath. Now, for the most selfish question he could possibly think of.

"Would you...I mean...if you want to. You can. Come here. Back. Here."

[banished_dame]

"So good thing I was sittin' yeah? Cause that made me stand up," Rose blurted out quickly not even realizing what it meant when he said that there wasn't much time. Of course now to her time felt like an eternity because she could just skip away from it all and come back the day after no matter what.

"Not much time... how long?" It seemed such a vague question, even when time was the subject of it all. "I mean... right now? I'd do it. Quicker if I had to... just... Mum... and Dad... and... how long? Before the... Marine guy thing?"

Time was always too precious, and even as she waited for the answer she was already grabbing things around the offices of Torchwood... just in case... just in case this was a now or never... because she'd sooner lose them all now that never be at his side again.

Which felt like the most selfish thing she could ask of herself.

[rude_not_ginger]

That was Rose. Right away if she had to, even though he knew as well as she did that she would regret never having a chance to say goodbye.

"Two hours," the Doctor said, "They're reconfiguring their coordinates and wiping the memory of their existence from several species they've run into."

He looked to the Eternal standing near him, then asked. "Is that enough time for you to talk to your family?"

[banished_dame]

She stopped in the middle of the compound, phone feeling warm against her cheek as she realized that it was really going to happen. The knot in her stomach almost made her feel like she was going to heave, but instead she just took in a deep breath, "It's plenty."

She had to ask, because she knew that if she went through the next two hours not knowing... not trusting that it wasn't all just going to go away, "They can do this? I mean really do this? In two hours... two of my hours here... I'll be back in the TARDIS?"

[rude_not_ginger]

The Doctor turned to the tall man next to him and gave him a look that he was quite glad Rose couldn't see. He didn't like threatening people. For the cold-hearted Eternals, it was necessary.

"Yeah," he replied, nodding. "In two hours, a tall man will arrive, introduce himself as Mariner, and bring you through the Void."

And then he'd see her again. How often had he longed to see her again? What would he say when he saw her? He should find his brown suit and black trainers...

[banished_dame]

Rose nodded almost thinking that the Doctor could see her agreeing with him, "Right... two hours..."

This was going to happen, and she was going to be leaving this whole backwards world behind. She was already jotting down things on a pad of paper and then she realized she had no clue where to even go to meet this guy.

"So where do I go? I mean... I can't very well make it too far in two hours plus pack and say goodbye..."

She couldn't help but smile as she said it, waiting for the Doctor to relay the location, so she could be where she knew she belonged... where she could finally keep her word.

[rude_not_ginger]

"They don't have a concept of space like you and I do," the Doctor said, "He'll...be there."

Mariner nodded stiffly, and motioned in front of him.

"I have to go, Rose. I'll...." he took a breath and a grin crept onto his lips.

"I'll see you soon."

[banished_dame]

And that was that. The Doctor hung up and one more time words that she heard from The Doctor were changing her life. If she had a single more moment of time to herself she might have even been able to realize just how rare of a chance this was, but Rose didn't need that moment... she had always known.