Ring Around the Rosie, Chapter 6/?
Title: Ring Around the Rosie
Author: onabearskinrug
Character/Pairing: Ten/Rose with Jack, Mickey, Jake, Pete, Jackie, and others
Rating: Teen. Be warned, there's a bit of suggestive language in this chapter.
Summary: The Doctor and Jack are stranded in London when the TARDIS malfunctions and, based on the Doctor's alien gifts, open a psychic detective agency. When an old serial killer comes out to play, it's up to our heroes and DI Rose Tyler to play his deadly game before any more lives are lost.
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or the amazingly brilliant Psych.
A/N: I've been watching too much Psych lately, and this little bunny popped into my head. Mega thanks to the gorgeous and amazing timelord1, kelkat9, and who_in_whoville for encouraging me to wander a bit out of my comfort zone, and ultra-mega thanks to who_in_whoville for coming up with the awesome title! Oh, and fannishliss for inspiring the awesome puzzle ring angle and helping me with all my metalworking issues! Also, timelord1 wrote the second puzzle clue and helped a great deal with Jackie's lines here cause I had serious writer's block AND cause she's amazing :-)
Also, if anyone is familiar with investigation procedure and whatnot, I'd love some help to make this more realistic. Most of what I have here I picked up from TV, or I'm just making up my own protocol. Would anyone like to serve as my sounding board? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? :-)
Catch up:
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5
“Morning, Chief!” Mickey called out, holding the station door open. “You’re here early.”
“Oh, you’ve no idea. Jackie went on an hour-long tirade when she found out I’d let Rose stay overnight to work by herself. She insisted I get here before the sun comes up if I ever wanted off the couch and back in bed,” Pete told him. “She seems to forget that Rose is a grown woman who’s been doing this for a long time.”
“Yeah, Rose can handle a graveyard shift with the best of them,” Mickey agreed. “How’s Tony?”
“Both a dream and a nightmare all mixed into one,” Pete sighed, exchanging short greetings with the various staff as the walked through the station. “I don’t remember Rose being this difficult when she was his age. Or you, for that matter.”
“That’s because she’s a Daddy’s girl and my gran put the fear of God in me,” Mickey grinned. “And Tony has far too much Jackie in him for his own good.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Pete replied, stopping at Rose’s desk. It was strewn with paperwork, her computer was on, but Rose was nowhere to be found. “Speaking of Daddy’s girl, where has she gotten to?”
“She might be getting a coffee," Mickey told him. "Break room?"
Pete was about to answer when a jovial, “Chief Tyler! Mickey Mouse!” boomed across the nearly empty station. Jack was walking towards them, far too chipper for six in the morning. “Fine weather we’re having! You haven’t seen my partner, have you? Rather odd duck, ‘bout yay-high? Mad hair, answers to the name of ‘The Doctor’?”
“We were just going to look for Rose, maybe they already found each other?” Pete said as he led them towards the break room.
“I got a text from him at two this morning. He said he was coming in to help her. I certainly hope they found each other.”
Mickey stopped in his tracks, causing Jack to slam into his back with a loud grunt. “You mean the Doctor and Rose were here…together…in the middle of the night? Practically alone?”
Pete turned around, a small smirk on his face. “Oh, come on, let’s see what sort of trouble my daughter and your mad partner have gotten up to.”
They continued towards the break room, chatting amiably but stopping dead as soon as they crossed the threshold. Two pairs of feet were sticking out from under the table that housed the coffee machine. The one with the pink-painted toenails was obviously feminine and barefoot, the cuffs of sensible black trousers just visible. The pair resting ridiculously close to those wore brown pinstripes and white trainers, which were dancing merrily as a familiar voice floated towards them.
“See, Rose, the trick is to get it really moist at first and ease it in, real gently. Just like that, well done!”
“I had no idea it’d be so easy to just slide it in there or I’d have done it years back!” Rose replied before squealing. “Oh, God, Doctor! You got me all damp! I can’t go ‘round the station like this!”
“Sorry about that! Blimey, you are all wet, aren’t you? That was my fault…”
Pete, Mickey, and Jack shared an amused glance before Pete looked back towards the pair and cleared his throat loudly. Instantly, they both yelped, sitting up quickly and knocking their heads on the table, each muttering low profanities as they peeked out sheepishly from under the table.
“Whatcha doin’ down there, you two?” Jack asked them playfully.
“Oh, erm…” Rose began, running a hand through her damp and disheveled hair. “The Doctor was showing me how to put a water filter in the coffee maker. He said it’ll make it taste better. Didn’t you, Doctor?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. The four fundamentals! Water, freshness, proportion, and grind. Howard Schultz himself showed me how it’s done. Perfect Italian coffee-shop flavor right at home, gotta love it!” The Doctor trailed off, looking thoughtful for a moment before pulling a face. “Jack, remind me never to say that ever again, would you?”
“Noted,” he replied. “So that’s what you two did all night? Fixed the coffee maker?”
“What, you think we sat around twiddling our thumbs all night?” Rose asked, sliding out from under the table and pulling on her black flats.
“Nah…well, I didn’t think it was your thumbs that were being twiddled…”
“Wow…you really went there, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Did you ever expect anything otherwise?”
Rose shook her head. “It is far too early in the morning for this. Dad, Mickey, I’m off. My notes are on the desk, the Doctor can fill you in on our research. See you later, Jack.” She turned towards the Doctor and grinned broadly at the sight of him unfolding his tall, lanky body from under the table.
“Thanks for coming to the station last night,” she said, moving closer to him, standing up on her tiptoes and placing a light kiss on his cheek. “You’ve got a talent for keeping girls awake. Really. You oughta quit your day job.”
The Doctor beamed down at her, eyes twinkling, the happy noise he made in his throat causing Rose’s smile to widen. “Well, the day job does have its perks, after all.”
******
Rose wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed the moment she opened the door to her flat, but she couldn’t even make it that far. She had the presence of mind to set an alarm on her mobile before falling onto the sofa and drifting off to sleep.
After what couldn’t have been more than an hour, Rose awoke with a jolt to the sound of her door opening and her mother’s voice carrying in from the hall. “Rose, darling! Where are you? Oh, I could kill your father for letting you stay at that station all night! Come on, I’ve got breakfast!”
“Mum!” Rose groaned, burying her face in a throw pillow. “’m sleeping…”
“Well, wake up then! These eggs won’t keep. Come on, just a few bites and it’s back to bed for you. Why are you on the couch anyway? Didn’t we spend days picking out that lovely bedroom set for you? Why bother if you aren’t even going to use it? Oh, look at you! You’re still in your clothes for God’s sake!”
Rose cracked open one eye to see her mother’s disapproving face looming over the back of the sofa. “’S fine, Mum. I get all morning to sleep…if people stop barging into my flat uninvited.”
“You gave me a key, sweetheart,” Jackie reminded her, urging Rose to sit up and placing a covered plate on her lap and a paper cup on the table. “Come on, just a little bit and then you’re going to bed.”
She moved into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with cutlery. She sat down next to Rose on the couch and watched her carefully as Rose began to eat.
She groaned at the first bite of her mother’s scrambled eggs and cheese. “God, Mum, I could kill you for waking me up, but thanks. Didn’t realize how hungry I was.” She took a sip of the herbal tea from the table. “How’s Tony?”
“Fine, just dropped him at school. They’re doing an astronomy unit right now. You should see him, couldn’t be more excited. We’ve already been to every craft store in the city, looking for materials for a solar system model.”
Rose smiled, thinking how her little brother would love to meet the Doctor and hear all about stars and solar systems.
“Oh, and what’s got you smiling like that, missy?”
Rose glanced at her mother, who was watching her carefully. “Nothing. Just have a coworker who’s kind of into astronomy. Tony could talk to him.”
Jackie raised an eyebrow, but before she could question her daughter further Rose let out a long yawn and Jackie tutted sympathetically. “Look at you. Your first case and you’re already exhausted. I’ll have a talk with your father. Having you work alone all night long, I could smack him for it.”
“I offered so Mickey and Jake could go home. Someone in charge of the case has to be on hand in case of any developments. And I wasn’t alone much. The Doctor was with me.”
“Who?” Jackie perked up.
Rose groaned internally. She could kick herself. “Oh, you know, Dr. Smith? Has Dad mentioned him? He’s the psychic detective they bring in on occasion.”
“I’ve heard about him. And he stayed with you all night?”
“No, he came in around two and I left when Mickey got there at six. I don’t know if he stayed after that.”
“You sent him home and he came back to help you?”
“Yeah,” Rose answered, putting her now-empty breakfast plate on the table and picking up her tea once more. “Why’re you so interested?”
“Rose, that man is in love with you!”
Rose rolled her eyes. “You think everyone is in love with me. You thought Jake was in love with me.”
“Still think so.”
“He’s gay, Mum!”
“Doesn’t mean he can’t be in love with you,” Jackie replied snappishly. “Rose, what sort of man leaves a job for the night just to come back in the middle of the night to help a co-worker?”
“Someone very dedicated to his job. He’s got insomnia issues as well, figured he could be doing something useful. Doesn’t mean he’s in love with me.”
“Well, you’re obviously in love with him! You’ve been blushing the whole time we’ve talked about him. Is he the ‘co-worker’ who is interested in astronomy?”
“Blimey, Mum, you’re wasted as a hairdresser. And no, I’m not in love with him, I just met him yesterday!”
“But you like him.”
“Sure. He’s funny and friendly and brilliant, what’s not to like? Doesn’t mean we’re gonna elope tomorrow or anything.”
Jackie smiled, giving her an appraising look. “No, maybe not tomorrow…”
Rose groaned. “God, it‘s like you and Mickey are trying to marry me off or something. You know better than anyone that disaster with Jimmy Stone. I don’t need to jump into anything right now.”
“’Course not, sweetheart. All I’m saying is that sometimes the right man comes along whether you want him to or not. Now, I want you to get out of that suit and get on those lovely silk pajamas we bought the other day. I’ll take your things to the cleaner’s and you get to bed. I’ll tell your father not to expect you in until the afternoon, do you understand, young lady?”
Rose sighed. Here she was, nearing thirty, and her mother was still taking care of her. Certainly she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but she was always secretly grateful that her mum would probably always see her as her little girl, no matter how old she was.
“Thanks, Mum.” Rose leaned over and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. “Breakfast was fantastic. I’ll try to come ‘round this weekend, yeah?”
“Of course, darling! Tony’d be thrilled. We’ve had you just a few tube stops away for two weeks and we’ve barely seen you!”
“Well, you know…cop hours.” Rose stood up and stretched. “D’you mind locking up on your way out?”
“’Course I will,” Jackie answered, also rising from the couch and pulling Rose into a hug. “Listen, love, whatever new bloke comes 'round isn't responsible for the things the last bloke did. It's not fair to blame the new ones for the old ones being rubbish. Just something to remember. Every day can be a new start. Says so on the telly."
Rose chuckled and hugged her mother a bit tighter before stepping back. “Did I mention how glad I am to be home?”
******
Jack and the Doctor had spent the day in the squad car with Mickey, hitting the first page of metal suppliers within a reasonable driving distance. They had lists of customers who’d ordered the particular metal components within the last six months, and Jake had been on the phone arranging for the long-distance suppliers to fax or email their own lists as soon as they could get them compiled.
After an informal lunch at the local pub, during which the Doctor noticed Rose’s name pop up approximately thirty-seven times, they returned to the station to check with Jake and start setting up interviews. However, no sooner had they walked in the door that Chief Tyler decided to poke his head out of his office.
“Ah, good, you’re back. May I have a word, Doctor?”
The Doctor started a moment, confused. “’Course, yeah.” He and Jack started towards the door, but Pete stopped Jack with a hand on his shoulder.
“Could you give us a moment alone, Captain?”
Jack and the Doctor exchanged questioning looks before Jack nodded, telling them that he’d be with Mickey and Jake when they were finished. The Doctor gestured to him frantically as he walked away, indicating a “What are you doing? Get in here!” message. Jack shrugged, as if to say, “What do you expect me to do? He said no!”
The Doctor shook his head, part of him musing that he and Jack really spent far too much time together, before setting his shoulders and heading in to face the firing squad.
“Close the door, would you?” Pete asked, gesturing to the chair opposite him. “And have a seat when you’re done.”
The Doctor did as he was told, desperately trying to channel the man the Daleks called The Oncoming Storm. He had brought down governments with a single word, he’d overthrown dictators and saved the human race dozens of times over. He could deal with Rose’s father.
Chief Tyler! he silently scolded himself. Must not refer to him any other way. He is my boss. I am over nine hundred years old. I refuse to be intimidated by my boss.
“You have something against my chairs?” Pete asked teasingly, reminding the Doctor so much of Rose that he couldn’t stop his answering grin.
“No, sir.” He sat down opposite and tried very hard not to squirm as Pete’s mood seemed to shift and he fixed the Doctor with a thoughtful look. He seemed contemplative and curious but the Doctor knew that he could turn deadly serious at any moment.
“Look, Chief, I know how it looked this morning…”
Pete raised an eyebrow. “You were under a table in the middle of a nearly empty police station with my only daughter. How am I supposed to take that?”
“Not the way you obviously are…”
“How do you know how I am taking it?”
“I’m psychic…?”
“Ah, yes,” Pete smiled. “So you are telling me you have no ill intentions towards my daughter?”
“No!” the Doctor vehemently protested, immediately re-thinking his reaction when he saw Pete’s glare. “Not that she isn’t a lovely woman…no, she’s completely…lovely. I can easily see many men having ill intentions towards her…”
Pete continued to glare. The Doctor gulped.
“Not that she would act on those intentions, sir! She’s just…well…Rose is…um…” Desperate for something to break the tension, the Doctor reached into his coat pocked and produced a white paper bag. “Jelly baby?”
Without breaking eye contact, Pete reached across the desk slowly and dipped his fingers into the bag. He didn’t even look to see which color he’d chosen. He simply brought it to his mouth equally slowly, still not glancing away, muttering, “Thank you,” before popping the treat in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.
He swallowed, and began talking. “Rose is a remarkable woman, Doctor. She’s had a rough time with men as of late, but instead of letting it get her down she’s become stronger from it. Any man she would deem worthy of her affections needs to realize what a precious gift she is giving him, do you understand what I am saying?”
“Oh, without a doubt,” the Doctor answered vehemently without thinking. Pete smirked. “I mean…well…yes, I would imagine…”
He chuckled lightly, and before the Doctor could continue his stammering reply, the door opened slightly and none other than the subject of their conversation poked her blonde head into the room and smiled. “Afternoon, gentlemen!”
“Rose, what are you doing here?” the Doctor asked, not quite able to mask the pleasure in his voice at seeing her sooner than expected. “You can’t have slept long enough!”
Pete raised an eyebrow at him before continuing. “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting you until at least three or four. Your mother is going to kill me.”
Rose shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep anymore. I’ll go home at a decent hour tonight, I promise. What were you two talking about?”
“Nothing!” Pete and the Doctor piped up in unison, sending each other a nervous glance.
Rose wasn’t fooled. “Uh-huh, yeah. So, Dr. Smith, care to fill me in on what I missed today?”
The Doctor grinned at her. “Why of course, DI Tyler! I’d be delighted!” He stood and offered his elbow. Rose laughed delightedly, looping her arm through his and sending a smile back to her father.
“See you later, Chief!” she grinned, an expression that Pete returned.
“Have fun you two!” he offered, giving the Doctor one more warning look. He noticeably gulped before turning his attention back to Rose, opening the door for her and gesturing her to go through first.
Pete nodded his approval. They’d be just fine.
Next Chapter
Author: onabearskinrug
Character/Pairing: Ten/Rose with Jack, Mickey, Jake, Pete, Jackie, and others
Rating: Teen. Be warned, there's a bit of suggestive language in this chapter.
Summary: The Doctor and Jack are stranded in London when the TARDIS malfunctions and, based on the Doctor's alien gifts, open a psychic detective agency. When an old serial killer comes out to play, it's up to our heroes and DI Rose Tyler to play his deadly game before any more lives are lost.
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or the amazingly brilliant Psych.
A/N: I've been watching too much Psych lately, and this little bunny popped into my head. Mega thanks to the gorgeous and amazing timelord1, kelkat9, and who_in_whoville for encouraging me to wander a bit out of my comfort zone, and ultra-mega thanks to who_in_whoville for coming up with the awesome title! Oh, and fannishliss for inspiring the awesome puzzle ring angle and helping me with all my metalworking issues! Also, timelord1 wrote the second puzzle clue and helped a great deal with Jackie's lines here cause I had serious writer's block AND cause she's amazing :-)
Also, if anyone is familiar with investigation procedure and whatnot, I'd love some help to make this more realistic. Most of what I have here I picked up from TV, or I'm just making up my own protocol. Would anyone like to serve as my sounding board? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? :-)
Catch up:
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5
“Morning, Chief!” Mickey called out, holding the station door open. “You’re here early.”
“Oh, you’ve no idea. Jackie went on an hour-long tirade when she found out I’d let Rose stay overnight to work by herself. She insisted I get here before the sun comes up if I ever wanted off the couch and back in bed,” Pete told him. “She seems to forget that Rose is a grown woman who’s been doing this for a long time.”
“Yeah, Rose can handle a graveyard shift with the best of them,” Mickey agreed. “How’s Tony?”
“Both a dream and a nightmare all mixed into one,” Pete sighed, exchanging short greetings with the various staff as the walked through the station. “I don’t remember Rose being this difficult when she was his age. Or you, for that matter.”
“That’s because she’s a Daddy’s girl and my gran put the fear of God in me,” Mickey grinned. “And Tony has far too much Jackie in him for his own good.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Pete replied, stopping at Rose’s desk. It was strewn with paperwork, her computer was on, but Rose was nowhere to be found. “Speaking of Daddy’s girl, where has she gotten to?”
“She might be getting a coffee," Mickey told him. "Break room?"
Pete was about to answer when a jovial, “Chief Tyler! Mickey Mouse!” boomed across the nearly empty station. Jack was walking towards them, far too chipper for six in the morning. “Fine weather we’re having! You haven’t seen my partner, have you? Rather odd duck, ‘bout yay-high? Mad hair, answers to the name of ‘The Doctor’?”
“We were just going to look for Rose, maybe they already found each other?” Pete said as he led them towards the break room.
“I got a text from him at two this morning. He said he was coming in to help her. I certainly hope they found each other.”
Mickey stopped in his tracks, causing Jack to slam into his back with a loud grunt. “You mean the Doctor and Rose were here…together…in the middle of the night? Practically alone?”
Pete turned around, a small smirk on his face. “Oh, come on, let’s see what sort of trouble my daughter and your mad partner have gotten up to.”
They continued towards the break room, chatting amiably but stopping dead as soon as they crossed the threshold. Two pairs of feet were sticking out from under the table that housed the coffee machine. The one with the pink-painted toenails was obviously feminine and barefoot, the cuffs of sensible black trousers just visible. The pair resting ridiculously close to those wore brown pinstripes and white trainers, which were dancing merrily as a familiar voice floated towards them.
“See, Rose, the trick is to get it really moist at first and ease it in, real gently. Just like that, well done!”
“I had no idea it’d be so easy to just slide it in there or I’d have done it years back!” Rose replied before squealing. “Oh, God, Doctor! You got me all damp! I can’t go ‘round the station like this!”
“Sorry about that! Blimey, you are all wet, aren’t you? That was my fault…”
Pete, Mickey, and Jack shared an amused glance before Pete looked back towards the pair and cleared his throat loudly. Instantly, they both yelped, sitting up quickly and knocking their heads on the table, each muttering low profanities as they peeked out sheepishly from under the table.
“Whatcha doin’ down there, you two?” Jack asked them playfully.
“Oh, erm…” Rose began, running a hand through her damp and disheveled hair. “The Doctor was showing me how to put a water filter in the coffee maker. He said it’ll make it taste better. Didn’t you, Doctor?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. The four fundamentals! Water, freshness, proportion, and grind. Howard Schultz himself showed me how it’s done. Perfect Italian coffee-shop flavor right at home, gotta love it!” The Doctor trailed off, looking thoughtful for a moment before pulling a face. “Jack, remind me never to say that ever again, would you?”
“Noted,” he replied. “So that’s what you two did all night? Fixed the coffee maker?”
“What, you think we sat around twiddling our thumbs all night?” Rose asked, sliding out from under the table and pulling on her black flats.
“Nah…well, I didn’t think it was your thumbs that were being twiddled…”
“Wow…you really went there, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Did you ever expect anything otherwise?”
Rose shook her head. “It is far too early in the morning for this. Dad, Mickey, I’m off. My notes are on the desk, the Doctor can fill you in on our research. See you later, Jack.” She turned towards the Doctor and grinned broadly at the sight of him unfolding his tall, lanky body from under the table.
“Thanks for coming to the station last night,” she said, moving closer to him, standing up on her tiptoes and placing a light kiss on his cheek. “You’ve got a talent for keeping girls awake. Really. You oughta quit your day job.”
The Doctor beamed down at her, eyes twinkling, the happy noise he made in his throat causing Rose’s smile to widen. “Well, the day job does have its perks, after all.”
******
Rose wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed the moment she opened the door to her flat, but she couldn’t even make it that far. She had the presence of mind to set an alarm on her mobile before falling onto the sofa and drifting off to sleep.
After what couldn’t have been more than an hour, Rose awoke with a jolt to the sound of her door opening and her mother’s voice carrying in from the hall. “Rose, darling! Where are you? Oh, I could kill your father for letting you stay at that station all night! Come on, I’ve got breakfast!”
“Mum!” Rose groaned, burying her face in a throw pillow. “’m sleeping…”
“Well, wake up then! These eggs won’t keep. Come on, just a few bites and it’s back to bed for you. Why are you on the couch anyway? Didn’t we spend days picking out that lovely bedroom set for you? Why bother if you aren’t even going to use it? Oh, look at you! You’re still in your clothes for God’s sake!”
Rose cracked open one eye to see her mother’s disapproving face looming over the back of the sofa. “’S fine, Mum. I get all morning to sleep…if people stop barging into my flat uninvited.”
“You gave me a key, sweetheart,” Jackie reminded her, urging Rose to sit up and placing a covered plate on her lap and a paper cup on the table. “Come on, just a little bit and then you’re going to bed.”
She moved into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with cutlery. She sat down next to Rose on the couch and watched her carefully as Rose began to eat.
She groaned at the first bite of her mother’s scrambled eggs and cheese. “God, Mum, I could kill you for waking me up, but thanks. Didn’t realize how hungry I was.” She took a sip of the herbal tea from the table. “How’s Tony?”
“Fine, just dropped him at school. They’re doing an astronomy unit right now. You should see him, couldn’t be more excited. We’ve already been to every craft store in the city, looking for materials for a solar system model.”
Rose smiled, thinking how her little brother would love to meet the Doctor and hear all about stars and solar systems.
“Oh, and what’s got you smiling like that, missy?”
Rose glanced at her mother, who was watching her carefully. “Nothing. Just have a coworker who’s kind of into astronomy. Tony could talk to him.”
Jackie raised an eyebrow, but before she could question her daughter further Rose let out a long yawn and Jackie tutted sympathetically. “Look at you. Your first case and you’re already exhausted. I’ll have a talk with your father. Having you work alone all night long, I could smack him for it.”
“I offered so Mickey and Jake could go home. Someone in charge of the case has to be on hand in case of any developments. And I wasn’t alone much. The Doctor was with me.”
“Who?” Jackie perked up.
Rose groaned internally. She could kick herself. “Oh, you know, Dr. Smith? Has Dad mentioned him? He’s the psychic detective they bring in on occasion.”
“I’ve heard about him. And he stayed with you all night?”
“No, he came in around two and I left when Mickey got there at six. I don’t know if he stayed after that.”
“You sent him home and he came back to help you?”
“Yeah,” Rose answered, putting her now-empty breakfast plate on the table and picking up her tea once more. “Why’re you so interested?”
“Rose, that man is in love with you!”
Rose rolled her eyes. “You think everyone is in love with me. You thought Jake was in love with me.”
“Still think so.”
“He’s gay, Mum!”
“Doesn’t mean he can’t be in love with you,” Jackie replied snappishly. “Rose, what sort of man leaves a job for the night just to come back in the middle of the night to help a co-worker?”
“Someone very dedicated to his job. He’s got insomnia issues as well, figured he could be doing something useful. Doesn’t mean he’s in love with me.”
“Well, you’re obviously in love with him! You’ve been blushing the whole time we’ve talked about him. Is he the ‘co-worker’ who is interested in astronomy?”
“Blimey, Mum, you’re wasted as a hairdresser. And no, I’m not in love with him, I just met him yesterday!”
“But you like him.”
“Sure. He’s funny and friendly and brilliant, what’s not to like? Doesn’t mean we’re gonna elope tomorrow or anything.”
Jackie smiled, giving her an appraising look. “No, maybe not tomorrow…”
Rose groaned. “God, it‘s like you and Mickey are trying to marry me off or something. You know better than anyone that disaster with Jimmy Stone. I don’t need to jump into anything right now.”
“’Course not, sweetheart. All I’m saying is that sometimes the right man comes along whether you want him to or not. Now, I want you to get out of that suit and get on those lovely silk pajamas we bought the other day. I’ll take your things to the cleaner’s and you get to bed. I’ll tell your father not to expect you in until the afternoon, do you understand, young lady?”
Rose sighed. Here she was, nearing thirty, and her mother was still taking care of her. Certainly she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but she was always secretly grateful that her mum would probably always see her as her little girl, no matter how old she was.
“Thanks, Mum.” Rose leaned over and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. “Breakfast was fantastic. I’ll try to come ‘round this weekend, yeah?”
“Of course, darling! Tony’d be thrilled. We’ve had you just a few tube stops away for two weeks and we’ve barely seen you!”
“Well, you know…cop hours.” Rose stood up and stretched. “D’you mind locking up on your way out?”
“’Course I will,” Jackie answered, also rising from the couch and pulling Rose into a hug. “Listen, love, whatever new bloke comes 'round isn't responsible for the things the last bloke did. It's not fair to blame the new ones for the old ones being rubbish. Just something to remember. Every day can be a new start. Says so on the telly."
Rose chuckled and hugged her mother a bit tighter before stepping back. “Did I mention how glad I am to be home?”
******
Jack and the Doctor had spent the day in the squad car with Mickey, hitting the first page of metal suppliers within a reasonable driving distance. They had lists of customers who’d ordered the particular metal components within the last six months, and Jake had been on the phone arranging for the long-distance suppliers to fax or email their own lists as soon as they could get them compiled.
After an informal lunch at the local pub, during which the Doctor noticed Rose’s name pop up approximately thirty-seven times, they returned to the station to check with Jake and start setting up interviews. However, no sooner had they walked in the door that Chief Tyler decided to poke his head out of his office.
“Ah, good, you’re back. May I have a word, Doctor?”
The Doctor started a moment, confused. “’Course, yeah.” He and Jack started towards the door, but Pete stopped Jack with a hand on his shoulder.
“Could you give us a moment alone, Captain?”
Jack and the Doctor exchanged questioning looks before Jack nodded, telling them that he’d be with Mickey and Jake when they were finished. The Doctor gestured to him frantically as he walked away, indicating a “What are you doing? Get in here!” message. Jack shrugged, as if to say, “What do you expect me to do? He said no!”
The Doctor shook his head, part of him musing that he and Jack really spent far too much time together, before setting his shoulders and heading in to face the firing squad.
“Close the door, would you?” Pete asked, gesturing to the chair opposite him. “And have a seat when you’re done.”
The Doctor did as he was told, desperately trying to channel the man the Daleks called The Oncoming Storm. He had brought down governments with a single word, he’d overthrown dictators and saved the human race dozens of times over. He could deal with Rose’s father.
Chief Tyler! he silently scolded himself. Must not refer to him any other way. He is my boss. I am over nine hundred years old. I refuse to be intimidated by my boss.
“You have something against my chairs?” Pete asked teasingly, reminding the Doctor so much of Rose that he couldn’t stop his answering grin.
“No, sir.” He sat down opposite and tried very hard not to squirm as Pete’s mood seemed to shift and he fixed the Doctor with a thoughtful look. He seemed contemplative and curious but the Doctor knew that he could turn deadly serious at any moment.
“Look, Chief, I know how it looked this morning…”
Pete raised an eyebrow. “You were under a table in the middle of a nearly empty police station with my only daughter. How am I supposed to take that?”
“Not the way you obviously are…”
“How do you know how I am taking it?”
“I’m psychic…?”
“Ah, yes,” Pete smiled. “So you are telling me you have no ill intentions towards my daughter?”
“No!” the Doctor vehemently protested, immediately re-thinking his reaction when he saw Pete’s glare. “Not that she isn’t a lovely woman…no, she’s completely…lovely. I can easily see many men having ill intentions towards her…”
Pete continued to glare. The Doctor gulped.
“Not that she would act on those intentions, sir! She’s just…well…Rose is…um…” Desperate for something to break the tension, the Doctor reached into his coat pocked and produced a white paper bag. “Jelly baby?”
Without breaking eye contact, Pete reached across the desk slowly and dipped his fingers into the bag. He didn’t even look to see which color he’d chosen. He simply brought it to his mouth equally slowly, still not glancing away, muttering, “Thank you,” before popping the treat in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.
He swallowed, and began talking. “Rose is a remarkable woman, Doctor. She’s had a rough time with men as of late, but instead of letting it get her down she’s become stronger from it. Any man she would deem worthy of her affections needs to realize what a precious gift she is giving him, do you understand what I am saying?”
“Oh, without a doubt,” the Doctor answered vehemently without thinking. Pete smirked. “I mean…well…yes, I would imagine…”
He chuckled lightly, and before the Doctor could continue his stammering reply, the door opened slightly and none other than the subject of their conversation poked her blonde head into the room and smiled. “Afternoon, gentlemen!”
“Rose, what are you doing here?” the Doctor asked, not quite able to mask the pleasure in his voice at seeing her sooner than expected. “You can’t have slept long enough!”
Pete raised an eyebrow at him before continuing. “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting you until at least three or four. Your mother is going to kill me.”
Rose shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep anymore. I’ll go home at a decent hour tonight, I promise. What were you two talking about?”
“Nothing!” Pete and the Doctor piped up in unison, sending each other a nervous glance.
Rose wasn’t fooled. “Uh-huh, yeah. So, Dr. Smith, care to fill me in on what I missed today?”
The Doctor grinned at her. “Why of course, DI Tyler! I’d be delighted!” He stood and offered his elbow. Rose laughed delightedly, looping her arm through his and sending a smile back to her father.
“See you later, Chief!” she grinned, an expression that Pete returned.
“Have fun you two!” he offered, giving the Doctor one more warning look. He noticeably gulped before turning his attention back to Rose, opening the door for her and gesturing her to go through first.
Pete nodded his approval. They’d be just fine.
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