Fic!
Title - Aliens of London/ World War 3: UNIT view
Pairing: Mace/Price (duh^^)
Rating: PG
Part 1
Colonel Alexander Gerald Mace straightened his uniform jacket as the jeep pulled up outside Downing Street. He had hoped to meet the Prime Minister one day, but he had not expected it to be like this. The world was in crisis; civilians and officials alike panicking over this one little spaceship. Mace gave a wry smile. If only the rest of the world knew what they dealt with daily. He caught the eye of Marion Price, his newly appointed Captain. She smiled warmly back at him. Mace had been allowed to pick someone to help him at Downing Street, and it was obvious who he would choose. Resourceful, determined and smart, she was the first on his list. So what if the other Captains grumbled about favourites behind their backs - she was still always the first one he thought of.
“Sir?”
Mace snapped out of his reverie with a jolt. Marion was outside the jeep holding the door open for him; one hand was flung up over her eyes to protect them from the blinding camera lights. Mace jumped out of the jeep and walked beside her to number 10, blocking her from the cameras, and bundled her through the door.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
A worried-looking man with a clipboard bustled over to them, and shook their hands.
“Indra Ganesh, Junior secretary for the MoD.”
“I’m Colonel Alexander Mace, and this is Captain Marion Price, of UNIT,” said Mace, indicating the woman next to him.
Ganesh found Mace’s name quickly, but then frowned as he searched for Marion’s. Mace and Marion exchange glances.
“You won’t find me on there...”said Marion quietly, “I wasn’t specifically invited, but the Colonel was told that he was allowed to pick an assistant and he chose me to-”
She was cut off by Ganesh.
“But you won’t be allowed to go and be debriefed.”
Marion scowled at him.
“I know that.”
Ganesh was about to make another remark, but closed his mouth on seeing the warning glint in Mace’s eyes.
“We know she won’t be able to be debriefed, but she can do everything else,” said Mace softly, “She’s a very intelligent woman and she doesn’t need to be interrupted, or talked down to like a child.”
He sneaked a look at Marion as Ganesh looked down at his shoes. She was blushing prettily, and their eyes locked for a moment.
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
He waved it away.
“I’ll take you to meet Mr Green now,” said Ganesh, turning towards the door.
Marion and Mace hurried after him.
“Mr Green?” said Marion, sounding rather crestfallen. “I thought we were going to meet the Prime Minister?”
Ganesh gave a mirthless laugh.
“The Prime Minister? Hasn’t been seen in a week.”
Part 2
Marion and Mace sat together in one of Number 10’s plush lounges. They had just met Joseph Green - Chair of the DEFRA Committee, and the Acting Prime Minister.
“Not to be rude...” whispered Marion.
Mace leaned forward.
“...but why would HE be chosen as Prime Minister? I mean, he’s not even a senior MP - he moderates sugar levels, for goodness sake!”
“I don’t know.” Mace answered thoughtfully. “You would have thought that he would have some redeeming qualities to be chosen. The only remarkable thing about him seems to be his flatulence.”
He smirked as Marion giggled.
“I know, I didn’t know what to say to him!”
The door was opened and the senior UNIT members that they had met earlier flooded through the door. They jerked apart, not having realised that they were sat so close to one another. Mace took his hand off hers. The people began to sit down and Ganesh looked over at Marion apologetically.
“Oh, am I not allowed here for this either?” she asked coolly.
Ganesh shook his head, although the question had been rhetorical. Marion sighed heavily, and picking up her bag, she leant down to say goodbye to Mace.
“I’m just going for a wander...I’ve got my mobile if you need me.”
Mace nodded, and Marion left the room.
*********************
Marion wandered down the upper corridors of number 10 aimlessly. She wondered whether they had finished in the lounge yet. She was about to go back downstairs, when she heard voices coming closer to her. She moved quickly to stand behind a nearby pillar, partly because she didn’t know whether she was allowed up here and partly because of some unknown instinct. She heard laughter, and she retreated further into the shadows, her heart pounding. Thinking about what she was doing, she almost laughed herself. What would Alexander think of her, hiding here like a frightened child? Her smile faded. It was humiliating being ordered out of that room. She hated being away from the action, away from him...
“Stop it!” she whispered to herself, and then quickly shoved her hand over her mouth.
The voices stopped close to her.
“Did you hear something?”
A woman’s voice. One she’d met earlier. Her mind raced as she tried to remember. Margaret Blaine - MI5. Now she remembered.
“I heard nothing, sister.”
That was Oliver Charles. Marion had met him too. But sister? She kept silent as the two walked through the door next to her. This was strange...
*********************
Part 3
Mace tuned out of the conversation. He’s already heard all of this a thousand times - they were the ones who had been monitoring the things since it entered the atmosphere! He didn’t understand why Marion hadn’t been allowed to be here for this - there was nothing about the incident that she didn’t know already. He frowned. He wondered where she was now. He didn’t like not knowing where she was.
*********************
Marion crept silently towards the entrance of the room beside her. An inhuman laugh sounded from inside.
“...and soon brother, this world and all its assets shall be ours!”
Marion gasped quietly. She managed to move herself over to peek through the gap in the doors.
“Once we’ve immobilised those idiots from UNIT, we will have no one to stop us! No one!”
The laugh sounded again. Marion felt sick. Immobilised? How would they immobilise UNIT...Alexander?
She watched in horror as the two began to unzip their foreheads.
“Ooh, that’s nice. Even if we can’t take them off yet, it’s nice to let some air into the system...”
Now it made sense. They were aliens! The two inside the room zipped their foreheads back up again and began to leave the room. Marion dived behind the pillar once more. She watched as they rounded the corner, and then hurriedly pulled out her mobile. Hands shaking, she quickly texted Alexander, and then sneaked back towards the stairs. She couldn’t bear it if they got him.
*********************
“...and now ladies and gentlemen, if you’d like to go to the debriefing.”
Mace tuned in again as Ganesh finished his talk. He started to move with the others towards the debriefing room, but stopped as his phone beeped. He took it out and read the text.
Don’t go into the debriefing. Very important. Wait for me to get downstairs.
He looked at the sender name. Marion Price. He looked back at his colleagues who were entering the room. As the last one reached the door, he looked back and tilted his head at Mace - a last chance offer to go in. Mace shook his head. He trusted Marion. The man closed the door. As he waited, he heard running footsteps round the corner. He turned it, and crashed straight into Marion. He caught her by her elbows before she fell.
“I’m sorry...are you okay?”
He took a proper look at her face. Her eyes were wide and she looked terrified. His hands tightened on her arms.
“Marion?” he asked softly.
She swallowed, and began to explain the situation upstairs. Mace listened intently to her.
“Are you sure?” he asked as she finished.
“Of course I’m sure! I’m not deluded!”
“I didn’t think you were.” His tone was still quiet; soothing.
Marion was about to apologise when screaming came from the debriefing room. Marion and Mace ran towards the door, but didn’t get there quick enough, as Green burst out of the room, panic visible on his face.
“They’re all dead! He killed them all!”
He pointed to a man with cropped hair in a leather jacket who was running away from the policemen.
“Well go after him then!” he bellowed at the Chief of Police.