Smilin' like you've got a secret in your back pocket

[belle_heaven]

There is a very smug Rose wandering through the basement, trying (and failing) to curb her curiosity as to who has gotten their packages yet. If you'll notice, she's wearing a top almost the exact shade of dark, dusky pink as the boxes were. She's also wearing a very pleased smile that she just can't seem to get rid of

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[nottheimmortal]

Methos awoke this morning to find a small package hanging on his door in that dusty pink colour. And despite himself, that little coin brought a smile to his face as he examined it.

Now he's wandering the halls himself, and when he and Rose cross paths, and he spots that top, he puts two and two together almost instantly.

"Hey," he says quietly, "were you the one who left this on my door this morning?" He holds up the coin with a soft smile on his face to indicate that he's not upset about it in the slightest. No sense in seeming ambiguous, after all.

[belle_heaven]

Rose ducks her head for a second.

"Yeah, that's me," she acknowledges, "the friendly basement token giver. Seemed everyone was a bit under, what with all the bad news. Nice little thing to brighten the day, yeah?"

She's not sure she knows him, in fact, she's not sure she knows his face. But if he got the token, well then he's part of the Basement and that means he's one of her people. And so a smile is granted, a nice beaming affair.

[nottheimmortal]

Methos grins. "It was. Thank you."

Methos doesn't know her either, of that he's fairly sure. So he stretches out a hand and says, "I'm Adam. Adam Pierson. And you are?"

[belle_heaven]

Taking his hand, Rose smiles, "Rose Tyler. It's nice to meet you Adam, especially since we're meetin' on good terms."

She cocks her head to the side, and grins.

"I'm glad you liked the piece of flash, though. Wasn't really sure what to do, to be honest."

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor has a guess about who left the pocket watch, so when he catches Rose in the hallway, he flashes her a grin and comments, "You look very smug. You've done something, haven't you?"

Of course she's done something. He recognizes that smile, but it's some sort of tradition to ask anyway, even if he already knows. "Much as I appreciate it, I have to wonder how much pink the basement can take..."

[belle_heaven]

Rose widens her eyes as innocently as she can, attempting to school her features into confusion and absolute innocence.

"Me?" she asks in surprise, "I haven't done anything. Just been layin' about, you know me. Beans on toast and all that, you know how it is."

Yeah, she's aware he knows. But it also wouldn't be any fun if she gave in right away. Besides all that, he's smiling and it's been too long since Rose has seen a real and light hearted smile on his face. This is what it's all about, pushing back the shadows for just a second, to pull the weight off for a moment, give them something to smile about.

"Noticed that myself, actually. Quite a bit of pink these days. Huh, least it's not power pink, yeah? Much nicer color, this."

She smiles back at him, finally. That slow, loving, teasing smile that creeps across her face when a new adventure is outside the door, and it's just how it's supposed to be.

[thatsortofaman]

"Yeah, that sounds like you. Laying about." The Doctor grins at the smile that creeps across her face, and after a moment just gives up on the charade and pulls her into a hug. He hasn't actually seen or spoken to Rose in a while, and he rather missed her. "Thank you. By the way."

[belle_heaven]

Her arms all by fly up around his neck in a hug, holding onto him for dear life. She's missed him, she's missed knowing he's okay, she's missed all of it.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't let you forget you've got me here if you need me, you know? You've been so...far away from me, so distant that I just...I had to do something," her voice is quiet and she sounds wistful, "to bring you back a little bit from whatever darkness I couldn't follow you into. Just wanted you to feel better."

What she can't say is how much she's missed him, how afraid she's been. She can't tell him that she's been terrified for them all, for him in particular. So she just holds him tighter and prays to anyone who can hear her to keep him in their sight, to give him some protection from whatever pain is in their futures.

[thecellsiam]

Aubrey's just come back into the basement from shopping around Chicago, though the stuff xe's bought has been jammed into xes backpack (except for the beer in xes hand), so it'd be hard to tell. Xe's walking down the hallway toward xes room when xe sees the little packages at everyone's door -- and not too much farther down is Rose, looking rather smug about something.

Xe knows instantly what it is, and can't resist calling out, "You're not a very good Pink Ninja if'n you stay at the scene of the crime," when xe gets nearer.

[belle_heaven]

Rose turns towards Aubrey and smirks at xem. "Yeah, well, I'm still in training. What can I say?"

She digs into her pocket and tosses a small envelope (that has some weight to it) in xes direction.

"You get one too you know," she says simply, "you can't help cook up the Pink Ninja and not get something for it."

In the envelope is a coin, but unlike the others this has a heart on one side and Honorary (not quite pink) Ninja on the other side. She grins at xem smugly.

[thecellsiam]

"Well, I suppose that's a good enough excuse," xe says. "Can't be perfect on your first mission and all."

Xe sets xes beer down to open the package, laughing a bit when xe gets to the coin. Xe spins it a bit, inspecting the Honorary Ninja side and then the heart side, as though it might contain something suspicious -- xe's used to inspecting all packages this way, but xe knows better than to let her know xe's being serious, so xe makes an exaggerated Srs Face and says, "Just making sure it's not a Ninja Device." Then winks. Just in case.

Then xe flips it once and puts it in xes pocket. "Thanks," xe says, picking up xes beer again. "You look like you're feeling better."

[belle_heaven]

Rose smiles sweetly in xes general direction. "Hard not to feel better when you've gone and done something good for people."

She's always been this way, and the Doctor and Torchwood just amplified it. She just can't walk away from people in pain, and more importantly, she feels horrible when she isn't doing something good and helpful. It's just...how she is.