fic: watching | + deleted scene
Title: Watching
Rating: Teen
Genre: Character study, friendship
Summary: Jack watches Rose.
Author's Notes: Beta'd by jellybean728.
I watch her through the window of her small, pink bedroom. She closes and locks the door, then moves to her closet to pull out clothes. I raise an eyebrow when she pulls out a tight, strapless, dark red dress. I can tell it’s going to reach mid-thigh, at best, and I have to clench my teeth to keep from saying something that will give me away. She moves to take her jeans off, and I look away for a moment, chancing a glance a minute later.
When she’s done, I watch her smile nervously at her reflection in the mirror on the closet door before straightening her dress and walking out of the room. I watch her leave before I walk away, back into the shadows.
Gorgeous. That’s what I think as I see her slip inside.
She has the sparkly, warm brown eyes that my Rose had; full of life. Only now, they look nervous. She steps forward more, and looks around. I know I shouldn’t even be here, shouldn’t be stalking her like this, but I miss her. I promised myself and the Doctor a long time ago that I’d never mess with timelines. Ever.
I should probably get someone to help her, I think, as I watch her stumble multiple times while walking home. But I don’t, I just walk through the shadows, following, making sure she doesn’t get hurt. I watch her climb up the stairs that lead her home, I watch her until she’s safely inside, then after letting my gaze linger for a few moments after the door is closed, I withdraw, back into the shadows. One more year until she meets the Doctor. A year and six months until they meet me.
She lingers around the entrance, before taking a deep breath and walking up to the bar. She looks at the rows of bottles lined up against the back wall, unsure of what to get. The bartender walks over and asks her what she wants. She orders the house special, and then sits on one of the bar stools.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a man enter the pub. He walks to the bar, sits down beside Rose, and orders his drink. He notices Rose then, and eyes her low-cut dress with a leer. I step forward without thinking. I close my eyes and force myself to step back and just watch, not interfere.
“Hey sweetheart,” he says, grabbing her arm. “Wanna come home with me?” Rose tries to jerk her arm out of his grip but he holds on tighter. “I can show you a good time.”
Now it’s all I can do not to go and punch the guy. Rose stares up at his leering face, still struggling to pull her arm out of his grip.
The bar tender finishes with Rose’s drink, and brings it to her.
“We havin’ a problem here?” Rose nods. “All right, let’s break it up.” The man reluctantly lets go of her arm, and steps back.
“We’ll finish this later sweetheart,” he says, walking back the way he came, and exiting the building.
I make sure Rose is absorbed in her drink before weaving through the crowd and out the door where the man had exited. He’s directly outside, laughing with 3 other men.
“You know, I believe there’s a law banning sexual harassment, especially at young girls,” I say, hands in my pockets.
“I wasn’t harrasin’ no one mate!” The lie is obvious. Before I can stop myself, I walk several steps forward, until my nose is inches from the man’s face.
“If I were you, I’d stay far, far away from her,” I tell him, my voice deadly low.
“Or what?”
“Or, you’ll have me to answer to.”
Knowing I’ve done enough damage, I turn and walk off, coat billowing behind me.