Ring Around the Rosie, Chapter 13/?
Title: Ring Around the Rosie
Author: onabearskinrug
Character/Pairing: Ten/Rose with Jack, Mickey, Jake, Pete, Jackie, and others
Rating: Teen 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! We're winding down on this fic, so I'm probably going to be updating it more frequently. Many, MANY thanks to six for my glorious and amazing banner :-D Enjoy!!
I have had a lot going on, and I'm so sorry this took forever. This one is almost complete, and I've already got a one-shot and multi-chapter sequel planned out. I promise, I won't leave this unfinished! :-D
Catch up here!
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |
“Rose!” the Doctor called. When she didn’t answer, he buzzed his sonic at the door and came into the kitchen, kneeling down in front of her chair. “He got away…I couldn’t even follow his trail, there were too many scents once I got outside.” He grasped her hands and rested his forehead against them. “I’m sorry, Rose…”
“Go…the ring…” she managed to stammer out. “He’s…really mad.”
“What?” He looked up and finally noticed her expression. “Rose, what happened?”
“The ring…” She shook her head and took a deep breath, centering herself before continuing. “It’s not encoded…it fell over there…somewhere.”
“Not encoded?” The Doctor glanced around on the floor and located the tiny object near the sink. He retrieved it and looked inside the band. “’Who’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I dunno,” Rose said, wrapping her arms across her chest. “’S sort of…innocent…dunno why I’m having such a strong reaction to it…”
“Oh, Rose,” he breathed, pulling up a chair next to hers and wrapping her in his arms. “He violated your space, of course you’re upset. This is your home and…” He trailed off, shaking his head against the awful possibilities that threatened to overwhelm him. “Maybe you should come stay with me, Rose. My ship…well, the assembled hoards of Genghis Kahn couldn’t break down the door and believe me, they’ve tried.” He chuckled, and was relieved when she smiled slightly.
She shook her head. “That’s sweet of you to offer, but…I can’t stop living my life just because this guy is after me,” she said, proudly lifting her chin. “That shows him that he won. I already beat him once, I am never letting him get one over on me again.”
“Rose,” he sighed, taking her hand. “It wouldn’t be letting him win…it would be keeping you safe and that is my priority at the moment.”
“Today will just have to be the day then, won’t it?” Rose teased, a bit of color returning to her cheeks as she gave him her patented tongue-in-teeth grin. He sighed in defeat. He wondered if she knew the effect that smile had on what was supposed to be superior biology…
“Come on,” he said, offering his hand and pulling her into a standing position. He tucked the ring into his pocket. “We need to get going if we’re going to catch a murderer today…”
******
They rushed to the station, the Doctor moaning considerably about ridiculous 21st Century transportation, and barreled through the door, quickly gathering the team and explaining what happened. Mickey dispatched the forensics team, allowing Jake to go and supervise, but Rose fully expected they wouldn’t find much. This was going to be all about slotting puzzle pieces together from now on, and she was more than ready for it.
The Doctor left her at her desk with a kiss on the cheek, letting her know he was going to try and collect all of the rings from evidence, even some of the older ones if he could. He nodded hello at Mickey before breezing away with a quick, determined stride.
“Please tell me we’ve got something new,” Rose begged Mickey as she sat down. “Is there anything?”
“We got Lara’s and Jocelyn’s transcripts,” Mickey gestured to two large envelopes on his desk. “Finally. Not like we’ve got a murder investigation going on or anything. I was just about to open them when you came in.”
“Great,” Rose said. “Let’s get to it. Good place to start as any, yeah?”
“Should you even be here, Rose?” Mickey interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at her.
“Of course I should be!” Rose protested. “This is my case!”
“Yeah, and you’ve just been assaulted.”
“You said three days! My dad said three days! It’s been three days!”
“I know, but…”
“Mickey,” she implored, cupping her face in her hands and breathing in deeply before looking up and fixing him with a meaningful gaze. “I have to be here. Please. You of all people…”
Mickey sighed, defeated. “I won’t say anything else. But if I see you’re pushing yourself…”
“I expect loads of snarky comments,” she grinned. “Thank you. Now, let’s get these open and see if they hold the key to our case…”
******
It was nearly an hour later, after going through each file with a fine-toothed comb, that something small, something seemingly insignificant slid into place in her mind.
“Mickey, can I see Lara’s class schedules?” she asked.
He shuffled the papers a bit and handed them over absently. Rose traced her fingers over each block of class until she found what she was looking for.
“Look at this,” she said, sliding her chair over and plopping the two papers down on Mickey’s desk. “They both had the same elective their third year…‘Overview of Medieval Poetry and Literature’ even though they weren’t Literature majors.”
“Who was the instructor?”
“Claudio Giannini,” Rose told him. “Worth checking out?”
“Anything is worth checking out at this point,” Mickey told her. “At least run him through Google.”
Rose slid her chair back to her own computer and loaded up the web browser. The first websites she found were from various universities. Apparently, Dr. Giannini was a visiting professor who had gone to the various London universities to teach his courses on Medieval History and Literature. Rose scanned the educational biographies carefully, nothing interesting leaping out at her.
She opened up the next link and froze, completely unprepared for the site laid out before her. She felt all the color drain from her face and her heart began thumping wildly in her chest. She reached into her handbag, safely stashed under her desk, and began to frantically root around for the tiny, innocuous object she’d never given a second thought.
She held up the business card and compared the web address listed to the one on her screen. It matched. Apparently, Claudio Giannini wasn’t just a Medieval Studies professor. He was also a purveyor of hand-crafted pieces of jewelry and went by the name of “Claude.” Her hands started to shake as she opened the section on puzzle jewelry, and nearly fell out of her chair at the images on the page.
“Mickey,” she said, fighting to keep her voice even. “You might want to see this…”
Mickey glanced up, looking at her quizzically before moving to stand behind her. He sucked in a breath when he saw the picture.
“Blimey,” he muttered. “That’s…”
“Yeah,” Rose replied.
“We need to get the rest of these school files,” Mickey said, pushing back from Rose’s desk and picking up the phone on his own. “Every one, from every victim, even the old cases. And we need them five minutes ago. Then, if we’re right about this, we’re gonna need to write a search warrant. Can you get Jack and the Doctor back up here, see if Jake is on the way?”
“Got it,” Rose said, drawing in a shaky breath and picking up her own phone. Even as she spoke, she could barely pry her attention away from the screen. All she could focus on were the little pictures of familiar silver rings decorating the seemingly innocent web page.
******
“I knew there was something off about him,” the Doctor said, tugging his hair as he stared at the rings on the computer. “He was wearing gloves, I couldn’t touch him and find out, and now…”
“It’s invasive to read people without their knowledge,” Jack reminded him. “Rude.”
“I can deal with being rude if it saves a life, Jack,” he snapped back.
“Jake’s drafting a search warrant,” Rose interrupted, grabbing the Doctor’s hand and rubbing her thumb across his skin soothingly. “We’ve got PCs running all over London to grab files. Right now all we can do is wait.”
“I don’t like waiting,” the Doctor sighed. “Completely unproductive, waiting. Can’t we do anything else?”
Rose grinned. “I could send you out for lunch…?”
The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Something actually related to police work, thanks.”
“Coffee is directly related to police work," Rose told him, using her free hand to grab her bag and squeezing the Doctor's hand. "Come on, Doctor, I need you to caffeinate me.”
He huffed impatiently. “I've brought down empires with a handful of words. Whole armies tremble at the mere mention of my name, and here I am, fetching coffee.”
Rose smiled at him affectionately. “Yes, darling, you’re very scary.”
Jack chuckled. “Oh, Oncoming Storm? I take mine with two raw sugars and organic milk only, please.”
Rose patted the Doctor comfortingly on the back as he muttered mutiny under his breath. “Hold down the fort while we’re gone, Jack? Call us if you get anything?”
“Aye,” he replied, making himself comfortable in Rose’s chair and pulling a bag of peanut M&Ms from his pocket. As they left, Jack started tossing them into the air and catching them neatly in his mouth.
“Glad to see he’s earning his keep,” Rose muttered as they exited the station.
******
Rose insisted on walking to the coffee shop despite her injuries, but the Doctor could tell that she was suffering some level of discomfort. Her body temperature was slightly elevated and, when he pulled her away from pedestrian traffic for a quick but thorough snog, he could taste the heightened prostaglandin in her system. He thought an offer to carry her piggy back the rest of the way would not be taken seriously, so he simply let her suffer in silence the rest of the short walk.
As they were waiting in line, Rose’s mobile began tinkling out a jaunty tune. She rolled her eyes and dug the offending device out of her suit pocket.
“Michael Richard Smith, I swear to God if I catch you near my mobile one more time…” she trailed off, listening intently. “What, seriously? What does he mean it’s not sufficient? He just doesn’t want to be late to meet his little piece of skirt on the side, that’s what. God, I can’t deal with these judges…okay, all right, we’ll draft it with the new evidence and try again in the morning…yes, I will…I will..bye.”
“What’s going on?” the Doctor asked as they moved towards the counter.
“Judge won’t sign the warrant. Something about not enough to justify an immediate threat. He’s an idiot,” she huffed. “Jake tried to push it through with just Lara and Jocelyn’s records and the judge didn’t go for it. We have to re-draft an ironclad warrant and then wait until the morning to submit. This is so frustrating.”
“Humans,” he muttered under his breath as they approached the smiling barista. “Yes, Earl Grey tea latte and a coffee, two sugars and skim, thanks.” He dug a ten pound note out of his pocket and handed it over, tucking the change into the tip jar as he steered Rose towards a small table.
He caught a glimpse of her grinning face, tongue caught teasingly in her teeth, and he couldn’t help but grin back. “What?”
“You…just bought my coffee. You didn’t just buy my coffee, you know my coffee.”
“Well…yes, but I am a genius, remember.” He winked at her. “Isn’t that what blokes are supposed to do? Buy their girlfriends coffee?”
“’S that what I am then?” Rose asked, still grinning. “Your girlfriend?”
“Yes, didn’t I tell you?”
“Must have missed the memo.”
“Oh, right, you were in a narcotic-induced sleep, that’ll do it. Nurse Palma, from the hospital, brilliant woman, it was all her idea. Liked the way the words sound. They fit the teeth.” He offered a small nod to the barista who delivered their ceramic mugs and turned back to Rose as she left. “Is that all right?”
“Oh, I suppose so…” Rose teased. “Though now, being that you’re my boyfriend, you’re gonna be subject to a whole new set of expectations, you know.”
“Like buying your coffee?”
“Oh, yes,” Rose nodded solemnly. “That is very important.”
“Seems like such hard work, these human relationships…”
Rose’s grin widened. “But there are rewards…”
Her voice had dropped low and seductive, her grin turning less teasing and more heated. His hearts started pounding out a fast rhythm as she leaned across the tiny table, pressing her lips to his in a brief but sensual kiss.
He blinked his eyes open slowly and smiled at her, not missing her wince as she sat back down in the hard wooden seat. The smile immediately faded from his face.
“Rose,” he said, reaching across to grasp her hand. “You’re still in pain.”
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, taking a sip of her coffee.
“You’re body temperature is elevated,” he barreled over her protests. “A normal physiological reaction to pain. I can taste the prostaglandin in your system. Oh, how angst-ridden is that? Sounds like a bad song lyric…Your kisses taste like pain…too bad in this case it’s true.”
Rose chuckled. “Don’t worry about me, Doctor. I’ve got some paracetemol and a bubble bath waiting at home.”
He grinned at her. “My tub is nicer, I’d wager…”
“Doctor…”
“No, really,” he continued. “Gorgeous facilities on the TARDIS. Nicest tub in the universe. Well, when I say tub, I should really say pool…well…I guess the right word is grotto…except the water is wonderfully warm and it has bubbles, Rose! You like bubbles, right? ‘Course you like bubbles. You aren’t allergic to any exotic flora, are you?”
“Exotic…” Rose trailed off, shaking her head. “Doctor, really, I can…”
“Take care of yourself, yes, I know.” He gripped her hand tighter. “I’m not saying you aren’t…capable. I’m just…” He floundered for a bit, frustrated that Rose had once again put him at a loss for words. He sighed. “You don’t have to be brave for me. Let me take care of you. Isn’t that part of being a…boyfriend? I’m new at this, and I know I’m bound to be rubbish at a lot of things. But I know I can help you with this.” He reached over and grasped her other hand, looking directly into her lovely hazel eyes, and for a split second forgot entirely about the world outside of their table. “Please. Will you stay with me tonight?”
Rose held his gaze, seeming to study him intently. A slow smile spread across her face and he couldn’t stop his answering grin in return.
“All right.”
******
They returned to the office and worked well into the evening, having to wait until every school file was in to complete the warrant and get it ready and primed for the judge. Once that was finally complete, the Doctor drove Rose to her apartment to pack an overnight bag and, after a quick stop for dinner, returned them to the LINDA office.
“Well,” the Doctor said, unlocking the office doors. “I don’t believe you have actually seen the inside of our office…”
“No, I haven’t. You two tend to spend most of your time at the station. Somebody might have gotten the wrong idea about your motivations…”
“I was just trying to impress a pretty girl,” he replied cheekily. At her chastising look, he grinned. “Oh! Was I supposed to be doing actual work?”
“I’m telling,” she sing-songed. He squeezed her hand and led her into the darkened office, switching on lights and hanging their coats on the rack by the door.
“So, tour,” he said, leading her into the small space. “Desks, computers, sofa, television, kitchen, all very exciting. But this…” He led her, grinning, to a corner where there stood a tall, old-fashioned blue police box. “Is the TARDIS.”
His voice was so full of pride that Rose couldn’t help her answering grin in return. “So, this is where you live? In a blue box?”
“Oh, Rose Tyler,” he said, delighted. “This is so much more than a blue box…”
He slid a key into the simple Yale lock and pushed the door open. Rose turned to him cheekily. “The door says ‘pull to open,’ you know.”
“I’m a rebel,” he told her, leaning in for a brief kiss. “Go on, then. Go inside.”
“This houses the best bubble bath in the universe?”
“Just go. Cheeky.”
Rose stepped through the doors and immediately froze at the cavernous room before her, a room that couldn’t possibly fit inside the wooden box she’d just entered. She blinked and turned, peeking back out the door at the Doctor’s beaming face. “Are you serious?”
“Very, very serious.”
“But…” she turned back and took in the graceful coral struts, the long, pulsing column that stood proudly in the center of the room. It was gorgeous inside, and Rose gasped as a warm feeling of welcome rushed over her.
“Is that…?” she asked, turning to the Doctor who had stepped into the room behind her.
“That’s the TARDIS,” he murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “She’s incredibly happy you’re here. Almost like she’s welcoming you home.” He sniffed. “She’s very dramatic.”
Rose giggled as the ship let out a low, almost annoyed, hum. “I know you said she was alive, but I never thought…”
“I think she’s showing off,” he sniffed again. “And I promised you the bath of your life. Nothing better for you right now. Unless you’d let me take you to the med bay and fix that ankle…?”
“And how do I begin to explain that I’m magically healed after three days? I appreciate it, but I think you’d better keep a low profile. A bath sounds perfect.” She turned to him, her smile turning heated as she ran her hands up his chest. “Don’t suppose I could persuade you to join me…”
His breath caught and his eyes went dark. He caught her hands and took in a deep breath, placing a gentle kiss to her palm. “That…might not be the best idea…you’re still injured and…”
“And…?” she whispered, placing gentle kisses along his neck. She tried rising up on her tiptoes to reach his earlobe, but let out a little whimper of pain as her ankle protested.
His eyes shot open and he gently pushed her back, inspecting her face carefully as he quickly regained control of his breathing. “And that’s enough of a reason. Though,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Once you’re healed…well…I make no promises.”
“I’ll hold you to that…” she trailed off, grinning, as he bent down to capture her lips once more.
******
Rose sighed as she relaxed into the warm, fragrant water. The Doctor had been right, this was the bath of her life. The room was breathtaking, almost like a rainforest with a graceful, leafy canopy above her and gorgeous, colorful plants and flowers surrounding the large, sunken tub. He’d added some alien oils that smelled amazing and were helping relax her tense muscles and sooth the lingering aches from her attack. The bubbles in the tub were tinted pink and felt impossibly like satin against her skin.
“Rose?” the Doctor’s muffled voice accompanied his light knock at the door. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, fine!” she called back, grinning to herself at his attempt to sound casual.
“Good, good…” he replied. Rose could practically see him rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort. “Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m okay…” she teased, her smile widening.
“Right, right…”
She sighed dramatically. “It’s awfully quiet, though…I wouldn’t say no to some company…”
The door opened so quickly that she had to giggle. The Doctor strode in casually, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets, and Rose was quite disappointed that most of her body was covered by an opaque layer of the thick bubbles. “Can’t deny you anything, can I?”
“I’ll remember that.” She reached a soapy arm out towards him. He grinned and accepted the invitation, grasping on to her hand and sitting down on the edge of the tub.
“Hello,” he said, dipping his head to give her a kiss. “How are you feeling?”
“Lovely,” she sighed, relaxing back into the tub. “Almost makes me forget that we need to search the home of a dangerous murderer tomorrow…”
The Doctor rested his chin in his hands, studying her intently. “You don’t need to do anything tomorrow but sit behind a desk, you know…”
“Oh, yeah…” Rose rolled her eyes. “Like I’m gonna let you boys go out and have all the fun.”
“I’d really feel better if you stayed at the station…technically you aren’t cleared for the field…”
She glared at him. “I’d really feel better if I could deliver a sudo-chop to his manly bits. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna get what I want, now does it?”
“Rose…”
“Doctor…”
He sighed. “No stopping you, is there?”
“Nope.” She grinned, knowing full well the power said expression seemed to have over him. Almost on cue, his face relaxed and he smiled softly back at her.
“I suppose it was silly to even try.”
“Yes, quite,” she reached a hand out to cover his once more. “I’ll be okay. I promise, I won’t go into the house until it’s completely safe. I’ll stay outside. But I need to be there.”
He sighed once more, rubbing his hands over his face. “You know, no one told me that human relationships were so high-maintenance. You’re very lucky you make such lovely arm candy.”
Rose laughed at him. “You think you’re so clever.”
Before he could come back with something snappy and witty, Rose let out a huge, jaw-cracking yawn. He chuckled gently. “You’re just about done in here, I’d wager. I’ve got a lovely bed waiting for us if you want to turn in early?”
“Sounds brilliant.” She threw him a cheeky smile. “You gonna help me out of here? I am injured, after all.”
He sucked in a breath. Apparently, he hadn’t considered the naked aspect of bathing. “Do you…need help?”
“Might do…” she told him coyly. “Could you grab my dressing gown?”
“Course,” he said, gulping. He turned and grasped the soft terrycloth garment, turning back just in time to see Rose begin to rise from the tub. He immediately squeezed his eyes shut. “You are sorely testing my resolve, Detective Inspector Tyler.”
She grinned, knowing that the smile would be audible in her voice. “You’re allowed to look, you know.”
“If I do, I may not be able to stop myself,” he said, his voice dropping and making her breath catch. He grasped onto her hand and let her climb out of the tub, holding out the robe as she slid her arms into it and secured the belt around her waist. She turned in his arms once she was covered and wrapped her arms around his waist. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her. “And when I finally make love to you, believe me…you will need all of your stamina…”
“You keep making all these promises,” she told him. “I’m hoping you live up to the hype, old man.”
The Doctor grinned and bent down to kiss her thoroughly. By the time he broke away, they were both panting. “You’re torturing me, you do realize?”
“I can surmise.” She moved her hands from his waist and grasped onto his. “Take me to bed?”
“Of course,” he murmured, wrapping his arm around her and leading her towards his bedroom.
******
Rose emerged from the walk-in closet after the Doctor was already settled against the pillows. He groaned as soon as she came into his view, running his hands over his face in frustration. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Rose grinned at him, tongue tucked between her teeth as she limped over to the bed. Her silky violet pajamas were really more of an afterthought, a pair of tiny shorts and a lace-trimmed camisole the only thing covering the full expanse her creamy skin to his gaze.
“You know perfectly well what I mean,” he told her as she settled next to him. She instantly curled into his side and he wrapped an arm around her, sighing in contentment.
“Mmmm,” she murmured. “I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but you are just fantastic at sleepovers.”
The Doctor chuckled. “Never had such a nice compliment in my life.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and tugged her closer against him. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, yawning once again.
“Sleep,” he told her gently. “You’re safe here.”
“’Course I am. I’m with you.”
His breath caught at the casual comment as Rose drifted off in his arms. He felt her breathing turn deep and even, soothing him immensely. She felt safe with him. Not because they were in the TARDIS, but because she was with him. And he knew, at least for that moment, that he could protect her. She was there, and all was right with the world.
He never realized such contentment could come from simply holding a sleeping human in his arms.
Not just any human, he thought. Only Rose…
He lay awake for some time, enjoying Rose’s warmth. It was difficult to wrap his frankly magnificent brain around the fact that, barely four days ago, he’d nearly lost her. Timelines were always in flux, and he’d never been so grateful for that in his entire existence. If one little aspect of the event had shifted, if Rose hadn’t been able to reach her weapon or even if she’d left the station a few moment earlier or later, she wouldn’t be lying in his arms, safe and breathing and warm and oh so alive.
Rose whimpered a bit, breaking him out of his reverie as he looked down at her. Her face was screwed up, and the soft little noises of distress were making his hearts ache for her. He gathered her tighter in his arms, pressed a kiss against her forehead and began whispering gentle words of comfort, reminding her that he was right there and would never let anything happen to her.
His voice and touch must have been soothing to her, even in sleep. She calmed immediately, curling into his embrace and placing a sleepy kiss to his chest. She whispered his name and smiled, though she never once opened her eyes.
He didn’t sleep that night. Instead, he stayed awake, watching her carefully as she slept and ensuring that he kept her nightmares at bay.
Next Chapter
Author: onabearskinrug
Character/Pairing: Ten/Rose with Jack, Mickey, Jake, Pete, Jackie, and others
Rating: Teen 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! We're winding down on this fic, so I'm probably going to be updating it more frequently. Many, MANY thanks to six for my glorious and amazing banner :-D Enjoy!!
I have had a lot going on, and I'm so sorry this took forever. This one is almost complete, and I've already got a one-shot and multi-chapter sequel planned out. I promise, I won't leave this unfinished! :-D
Catch up here!
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |
“Rose!” the Doctor called. When she didn’t answer, he buzzed his sonic at the door and came into the kitchen, kneeling down in front of her chair. “He got away…I couldn’t even follow his trail, there were too many scents once I got outside.” He grasped her hands and rested his forehead against them. “I’m sorry, Rose…”
“Go…the ring…” she managed to stammer out. “He’s…really mad.”
“What?” He looked up and finally noticed her expression. “Rose, what happened?”
“The ring…” She shook her head and took a deep breath, centering herself before continuing. “It’s not encoded…it fell over there…somewhere.”
“Not encoded?” The Doctor glanced around on the floor and located the tiny object near the sink. He retrieved it and looked inside the band. “’Who’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I dunno,” Rose said, wrapping her arms across her chest. “’S sort of…innocent…dunno why I’m having such a strong reaction to it…”
“Oh, Rose,” he breathed, pulling up a chair next to hers and wrapping her in his arms. “He violated your space, of course you’re upset. This is your home and…” He trailed off, shaking his head against the awful possibilities that threatened to overwhelm him. “Maybe you should come stay with me, Rose. My ship…well, the assembled hoards of Genghis Kahn couldn’t break down the door and believe me, they’ve tried.” He chuckled, and was relieved when she smiled slightly.
She shook her head. “That’s sweet of you to offer, but…I can’t stop living my life just because this guy is after me,” she said, proudly lifting her chin. “That shows him that he won. I already beat him once, I am never letting him get one over on me again.”
“Rose,” he sighed, taking her hand. “It wouldn’t be letting him win…it would be keeping you safe and that is my priority at the moment.”
“Today will just have to be the day then, won’t it?” Rose teased, a bit of color returning to her cheeks as she gave him her patented tongue-in-teeth grin. He sighed in defeat. He wondered if she knew the effect that smile had on what was supposed to be superior biology…
“Come on,” he said, offering his hand and pulling her into a standing position. He tucked the ring into his pocket. “We need to get going if we’re going to catch a murderer today…”
******
They rushed to the station, the Doctor moaning considerably about ridiculous 21st Century transportation, and barreled through the door, quickly gathering the team and explaining what happened. Mickey dispatched the forensics team, allowing Jake to go and supervise, but Rose fully expected they wouldn’t find much. This was going to be all about slotting puzzle pieces together from now on, and she was more than ready for it.
The Doctor left her at her desk with a kiss on the cheek, letting her know he was going to try and collect all of the rings from evidence, even some of the older ones if he could. He nodded hello at Mickey before breezing away with a quick, determined stride.
“Please tell me we’ve got something new,” Rose begged Mickey as she sat down. “Is there anything?”
“We got Lara’s and Jocelyn’s transcripts,” Mickey gestured to two large envelopes on his desk. “Finally. Not like we’ve got a murder investigation going on or anything. I was just about to open them when you came in.”
“Great,” Rose said. “Let’s get to it. Good place to start as any, yeah?”
“Should you even be here, Rose?” Mickey interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at her.
“Of course I should be!” Rose protested. “This is my case!”
“Yeah, and you’ve just been assaulted.”
“You said three days! My dad said three days! It’s been three days!”
“I know, but…”
“Mickey,” she implored, cupping her face in her hands and breathing in deeply before looking up and fixing him with a meaningful gaze. “I have to be here. Please. You of all people…”
Mickey sighed, defeated. “I won’t say anything else. But if I see you’re pushing yourself…”
“I expect loads of snarky comments,” she grinned. “Thank you. Now, let’s get these open and see if they hold the key to our case…”
******
It was nearly an hour later, after going through each file with a fine-toothed comb, that something small, something seemingly insignificant slid into place in her mind.
“Mickey, can I see Lara’s class schedules?” she asked.
He shuffled the papers a bit and handed them over absently. Rose traced her fingers over each block of class until she found what she was looking for.
“Look at this,” she said, sliding her chair over and plopping the two papers down on Mickey’s desk. “They both had the same elective their third year…‘Overview of Medieval Poetry and Literature’ even though they weren’t Literature majors.”
“Who was the instructor?”
“Claudio Giannini,” Rose told him. “Worth checking out?”
“Anything is worth checking out at this point,” Mickey told her. “At least run him through Google.”
Rose slid her chair back to her own computer and loaded up the web browser. The first websites she found were from various universities. Apparently, Dr. Giannini was a visiting professor who had gone to the various London universities to teach his courses on Medieval History and Literature. Rose scanned the educational biographies carefully, nothing interesting leaping out at her.
She opened up the next link and froze, completely unprepared for the site laid out before her. She felt all the color drain from her face and her heart began thumping wildly in her chest. She reached into her handbag, safely stashed under her desk, and began to frantically root around for the tiny, innocuous object she’d never given a second thought.
She held up the business card and compared the web address listed to the one on her screen. It matched. Apparently, Claudio Giannini wasn’t just a Medieval Studies professor. He was also a purveyor of hand-crafted pieces of jewelry and went by the name of “Claude.” Her hands started to shake as she opened the section on puzzle jewelry, and nearly fell out of her chair at the images on the page.
“Mickey,” she said, fighting to keep her voice even. “You might want to see this…”
Mickey glanced up, looking at her quizzically before moving to stand behind her. He sucked in a breath when he saw the picture.
“Blimey,” he muttered. “That’s…”
“Yeah,” Rose replied.
“We need to get the rest of these school files,” Mickey said, pushing back from Rose’s desk and picking up the phone on his own. “Every one, from every victim, even the old cases. And we need them five minutes ago. Then, if we’re right about this, we’re gonna need to write a search warrant. Can you get Jack and the Doctor back up here, see if Jake is on the way?”
“Got it,” Rose said, drawing in a shaky breath and picking up her own phone. Even as she spoke, she could barely pry her attention away from the screen. All she could focus on were the little pictures of familiar silver rings decorating the seemingly innocent web page.
******
“I knew there was something off about him,” the Doctor said, tugging his hair as he stared at the rings on the computer. “He was wearing gloves, I couldn’t touch him and find out, and now…”
“It’s invasive to read people without their knowledge,” Jack reminded him. “Rude.”
“I can deal with being rude if it saves a life, Jack,” he snapped back.
“Jake’s drafting a search warrant,” Rose interrupted, grabbing the Doctor’s hand and rubbing her thumb across his skin soothingly. “We’ve got PCs running all over London to grab files. Right now all we can do is wait.”
“I don’t like waiting,” the Doctor sighed. “Completely unproductive, waiting. Can’t we do anything else?”
Rose grinned. “I could send you out for lunch…?”
The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Something actually related to police work, thanks.”
“Coffee is directly related to police work," Rose told him, using her free hand to grab her bag and squeezing the Doctor's hand. "Come on, Doctor, I need you to caffeinate me.”
He huffed impatiently. “I've brought down empires with a handful of words. Whole armies tremble at the mere mention of my name, and here I am, fetching coffee.”
Rose smiled at him affectionately. “Yes, darling, you’re very scary.”
Jack chuckled. “Oh, Oncoming Storm? I take mine with two raw sugars and organic milk only, please.”
Rose patted the Doctor comfortingly on the back as he muttered mutiny under his breath. “Hold down the fort while we’re gone, Jack? Call us if you get anything?”
“Aye,” he replied, making himself comfortable in Rose’s chair and pulling a bag of peanut M&Ms from his pocket. As they left, Jack started tossing them into the air and catching them neatly in his mouth.
“Glad to see he’s earning his keep,” Rose muttered as they exited the station.
******
Rose insisted on walking to the coffee shop despite her injuries, but the Doctor could tell that she was suffering some level of discomfort. Her body temperature was slightly elevated and, when he pulled her away from pedestrian traffic for a quick but thorough snog, he could taste the heightened prostaglandin in her system. He thought an offer to carry her piggy back the rest of the way would not be taken seriously, so he simply let her suffer in silence the rest of the short walk.
As they were waiting in line, Rose’s mobile began tinkling out a jaunty tune. She rolled her eyes and dug the offending device out of her suit pocket.
“Michael Richard Smith, I swear to God if I catch you near my mobile one more time…” she trailed off, listening intently. “What, seriously? What does he mean it’s not sufficient? He just doesn’t want to be late to meet his little piece of skirt on the side, that’s what. God, I can’t deal with these judges…okay, all right, we’ll draft it with the new evidence and try again in the morning…yes, I will…I will..bye.”
“What’s going on?” the Doctor asked as they moved towards the counter.
“Judge won’t sign the warrant. Something about not enough to justify an immediate threat. He’s an idiot,” she huffed. “Jake tried to push it through with just Lara and Jocelyn’s records and the judge didn’t go for it. We have to re-draft an ironclad warrant and then wait until the morning to submit. This is so frustrating.”
“Humans,” he muttered under his breath as they approached the smiling barista. “Yes, Earl Grey tea latte and a coffee, two sugars and skim, thanks.” He dug a ten pound note out of his pocket and handed it over, tucking the change into the tip jar as he steered Rose towards a small table.
He caught a glimpse of her grinning face, tongue caught teasingly in her teeth, and he couldn’t help but grin back. “What?”
“You…just bought my coffee. You didn’t just buy my coffee, you know my coffee.”
“Well…yes, but I am a genius, remember.” He winked at her. “Isn’t that what blokes are supposed to do? Buy their girlfriends coffee?”
“’S that what I am then?” Rose asked, still grinning. “Your girlfriend?”
“Yes, didn’t I tell you?”
“Must have missed the memo.”
“Oh, right, you were in a narcotic-induced sleep, that’ll do it. Nurse Palma, from the hospital, brilliant woman, it was all her idea. Liked the way the words sound. They fit the teeth.” He offered a small nod to the barista who delivered their ceramic mugs and turned back to Rose as she left. “Is that all right?”
“Oh, I suppose so…” Rose teased. “Though now, being that you’re my boyfriend, you’re gonna be subject to a whole new set of expectations, you know.”
“Like buying your coffee?”
“Oh, yes,” Rose nodded solemnly. “That is very important.”
“Seems like such hard work, these human relationships…”
Rose’s grin widened. “But there are rewards…”
Her voice had dropped low and seductive, her grin turning less teasing and more heated. His hearts started pounding out a fast rhythm as she leaned across the tiny table, pressing her lips to his in a brief but sensual kiss.
He blinked his eyes open slowly and smiled at her, not missing her wince as she sat back down in the hard wooden seat. The smile immediately faded from his face.
“Rose,” he said, reaching across to grasp her hand. “You’re still in pain.”
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, taking a sip of her coffee.
“You’re body temperature is elevated,” he barreled over her protests. “A normal physiological reaction to pain. I can taste the prostaglandin in your system. Oh, how angst-ridden is that? Sounds like a bad song lyric…Your kisses taste like pain…too bad in this case it’s true.”
Rose chuckled. “Don’t worry about me, Doctor. I’ve got some paracetemol and a bubble bath waiting at home.”
He grinned at her. “My tub is nicer, I’d wager…”
“Doctor…”
“No, really,” he continued. “Gorgeous facilities on the TARDIS. Nicest tub in the universe. Well, when I say tub, I should really say pool…well…I guess the right word is grotto…except the water is wonderfully warm and it has bubbles, Rose! You like bubbles, right? ‘Course you like bubbles. You aren’t allergic to any exotic flora, are you?”
“Exotic…” Rose trailed off, shaking her head. “Doctor, really, I can…”
“Take care of yourself, yes, I know.” He gripped her hand tighter. “I’m not saying you aren’t…capable. I’m just…” He floundered for a bit, frustrated that Rose had once again put him at a loss for words. He sighed. “You don’t have to be brave for me. Let me take care of you. Isn’t that part of being a…boyfriend? I’m new at this, and I know I’m bound to be rubbish at a lot of things. But I know I can help you with this.” He reached over and grasped her other hand, looking directly into her lovely hazel eyes, and for a split second forgot entirely about the world outside of their table. “Please. Will you stay with me tonight?”
Rose held his gaze, seeming to study him intently. A slow smile spread across her face and he couldn’t stop his answering grin in return.
“All right.”
******
They returned to the office and worked well into the evening, having to wait until every school file was in to complete the warrant and get it ready and primed for the judge. Once that was finally complete, the Doctor drove Rose to her apartment to pack an overnight bag and, after a quick stop for dinner, returned them to the LINDA office.
“Well,” the Doctor said, unlocking the office doors. “I don’t believe you have actually seen the inside of our office…”
“No, I haven’t. You two tend to spend most of your time at the station. Somebody might have gotten the wrong idea about your motivations…”
“I was just trying to impress a pretty girl,” he replied cheekily. At her chastising look, he grinned. “Oh! Was I supposed to be doing actual work?”
“I’m telling,” she sing-songed. He squeezed her hand and led her into the darkened office, switching on lights and hanging their coats on the rack by the door.
“So, tour,” he said, leading her into the small space. “Desks, computers, sofa, television, kitchen, all very exciting. But this…” He led her, grinning, to a corner where there stood a tall, old-fashioned blue police box. “Is the TARDIS.”
His voice was so full of pride that Rose couldn’t help her answering grin in return. “So, this is where you live? In a blue box?”
“Oh, Rose Tyler,” he said, delighted. “This is so much more than a blue box…”
He slid a key into the simple Yale lock and pushed the door open. Rose turned to him cheekily. “The door says ‘pull to open,’ you know.”
“I’m a rebel,” he told her, leaning in for a brief kiss. “Go on, then. Go inside.”
“This houses the best bubble bath in the universe?”
“Just go. Cheeky.”
Rose stepped through the doors and immediately froze at the cavernous room before her, a room that couldn’t possibly fit inside the wooden box she’d just entered. She blinked and turned, peeking back out the door at the Doctor’s beaming face. “Are you serious?”
“Very, very serious.”
“But…” she turned back and took in the graceful coral struts, the long, pulsing column that stood proudly in the center of the room. It was gorgeous inside, and Rose gasped as a warm feeling of welcome rushed over her.
“Is that…?” she asked, turning to the Doctor who had stepped into the room behind her.
“That’s the TARDIS,” he murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “She’s incredibly happy you’re here. Almost like she’s welcoming you home.” He sniffed. “She’s very dramatic.”
Rose giggled as the ship let out a low, almost annoyed, hum. “I know you said she was alive, but I never thought…”
“I think she’s showing off,” he sniffed again. “And I promised you the bath of your life. Nothing better for you right now. Unless you’d let me take you to the med bay and fix that ankle…?”
“And how do I begin to explain that I’m magically healed after three days? I appreciate it, but I think you’d better keep a low profile. A bath sounds perfect.” She turned to him, her smile turning heated as she ran her hands up his chest. “Don’t suppose I could persuade you to join me…”
His breath caught and his eyes went dark. He caught her hands and took in a deep breath, placing a gentle kiss to her palm. “That…might not be the best idea…you’re still injured and…”
“And…?” she whispered, placing gentle kisses along his neck. She tried rising up on her tiptoes to reach his earlobe, but let out a little whimper of pain as her ankle protested.
His eyes shot open and he gently pushed her back, inspecting her face carefully as he quickly regained control of his breathing. “And that’s enough of a reason. Though,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Once you’re healed…well…I make no promises.”
“I’ll hold you to that…” she trailed off, grinning, as he bent down to capture her lips once more.
******
Rose sighed as she relaxed into the warm, fragrant water. The Doctor had been right, this was the bath of her life. The room was breathtaking, almost like a rainforest with a graceful, leafy canopy above her and gorgeous, colorful plants and flowers surrounding the large, sunken tub. He’d added some alien oils that smelled amazing and were helping relax her tense muscles and sooth the lingering aches from her attack. The bubbles in the tub were tinted pink and felt impossibly like satin against her skin.
“Rose?” the Doctor’s muffled voice accompanied his light knock at the door. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, fine!” she called back, grinning to herself at his attempt to sound casual.
“Good, good…” he replied. Rose could practically see him rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort. “Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m okay…” she teased, her smile widening.
“Right, right…”
She sighed dramatically. “It’s awfully quiet, though…I wouldn’t say no to some company…”
The door opened so quickly that she had to giggle. The Doctor strode in casually, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets, and Rose was quite disappointed that most of her body was covered by an opaque layer of the thick bubbles. “Can’t deny you anything, can I?”
“I’ll remember that.” She reached a soapy arm out towards him. He grinned and accepted the invitation, grasping on to her hand and sitting down on the edge of the tub.
“Hello,” he said, dipping his head to give her a kiss. “How are you feeling?”
“Lovely,” she sighed, relaxing back into the tub. “Almost makes me forget that we need to search the home of a dangerous murderer tomorrow…”
The Doctor rested his chin in his hands, studying her intently. “You don’t need to do anything tomorrow but sit behind a desk, you know…”
“Oh, yeah…” Rose rolled her eyes. “Like I’m gonna let you boys go out and have all the fun.”
“I’d really feel better if you stayed at the station…technically you aren’t cleared for the field…”
She glared at him. “I’d really feel better if I could deliver a sudo-chop to his manly bits. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna get what I want, now does it?”
“Rose…”
“Doctor…”
He sighed. “No stopping you, is there?”
“Nope.” She grinned, knowing full well the power said expression seemed to have over him. Almost on cue, his face relaxed and he smiled softly back at her.
“I suppose it was silly to even try.”
“Yes, quite,” she reached a hand out to cover his once more. “I’ll be okay. I promise, I won’t go into the house until it’s completely safe. I’ll stay outside. But I need to be there.”
He sighed once more, rubbing his hands over his face. “You know, no one told me that human relationships were so high-maintenance. You’re very lucky you make such lovely arm candy.”
Rose laughed at him. “You think you’re so clever.”
Before he could come back with something snappy and witty, Rose let out a huge, jaw-cracking yawn. He chuckled gently. “You’re just about done in here, I’d wager. I’ve got a lovely bed waiting for us if you want to turn in early?”
“Sounds brilliant.” She threw him a cheeky smile. “You gonna help me out of here? I am injured, after all.”
He sucked in a breath. Apparently, he hadn’t considered the naked aspect of bathing. “Do you…need help?”
“Might do…” she told him coyly. “Could you grab my dressing gown?”
“Course,” he said, gulping. He turned and grasped the soft terrycloth garment, turning back just in time to see Rose begin to rise from the tub. He immediately squeezed his eyes shut. “You are sorely testing my resolve, Detective Inspector Tyler.”
She grinned, knowing that the smile would be audible in her voice. “You’re allowed to look, you know.”
“If I do, I may not be able to stop myself,” he said, his voice dropping and making her breath catch. He grasped onto her hand and let her climb out of the tub, holding out the robe as she slid her arms into it and secured the belt around her waist. She turned in his arms once she was covered and wrapped her arms around his waist. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her. “And when I finally make love to you, believe me…you will need all of your stamina…”
“You keep making all these promises,” she told him. “I’m hoping you live up to the hype, old man.”
The Doctor grinned and bent down to kiss her thoroughly. By the time he broke away, they were both panting. “You’re torturing me, you do realize?”
“I can surmise.” She moved her hands from his waist and grasped onto his. “Take me to bed?”
“Of course,” he murmured, wrapping his arm around her and leading her towards his bedroom.
******
Rose emerged from the walk-in closet after the Doctor was already settled against the pillows. He groaned as soon as she came into his view, running his hands over his face in frustration. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Rose grinned at him, tongue tucked between her teeth as she limped over to the bed. Her silky violet pajamas were really more of an afterthought, a pair of tiny shorts and a lace-trimmed camisole the only thing covering the full expanse her creamy skin to his gaze.
“You know perfectly well what I mean,” he told her as she settled next to him. She instantly curled into his side and he wrapped an arm around her, sighing in contentment.
“Mmmm,” she murmured. “I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but you are just fantastic at sleepovers.”
The Doctor chuckled. “Never had such a nice compliment in my life.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and tugged her closer against him. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, yawning once again.
“Sleep,” he told her gently. “You’re safe here.”
“’Course I am. I’m with you.”
His breath caught at the casual comment as Rose drifted off in his arms. He felt her breathing turn deep and even, soothing him immensely. She felt safe with him. Not because they were in the TARDIS, but because she was with him. And he knew, at least for that moment, that he could protect her. She was there, and all was right with the world.
He never realized such contentment could come from simply holding a sleeping human in his arms.
Not just any human, he thought. Only Rose…
He lay awake for some time, enjoying Rose’s warmth. It was difficult to wrap his frankly magnificent brain around the fact that, barely four days ago, he’d nearly lost her. Timelines were always in flux, and he’d never been so grateful for that in his entire existence. If one little aspect of the event had shifted, if Rose hadn’t been able to reach her weapon or even if she’d left the station a few moment earlier or later, she wouldn’t be lying in his arms, safe and breathing and warm and oh so alive.
Rose whimpered a bit, breaking him out of his reverie as he looked down at her. Her face was screwed up, and the soft little noises of distress were making his hearts ache for her. He gathered her tighter in his arms, pressed a kiss against her forehead and began whispering gentle words of comfort, reminding her that he was right there and would never let anything happen to her.
His voice and touch must have been soothing to her, even in sleep. She calmed immediately, curling into his embrace and placing a sleepy kiss to his chest. She whispered his name and smiled, though she never once opened her eyes.
He didn’t sleep that night. Instead, he stayed awake, watching her carefully as she slept and ensuring that he kept her nightmares at bay.
Next Chapter