A Life Unexpected (5/15)
Apr. 6th, 2008 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberfocusChapter Five: Chips and Conversation
Rose rubbed at her temples debating on whether or not to call up for a coffee or just pack it in for the night. If she had the coffee she just might make it home to her flat before she collapsed. It would be nice to sleep in her own bed for a change. She was starting to wonder why she even kept a flat anymore when more often than not she’d bed down in the back room.
Still, with their early morning flight time it didn’t make much sense to go home. She’d just go up to the gymnasium for a bit and borrow a shower. She spent far more time under the rain of hot water than she would have at home, but then home didn’t have on demand tankless water heaters and work did. She felt remarkably more human afterwards and went up to the cafeteria to see if anyone was still about.
Torchwood’s doors were open 24/7 and if something important was going down, there would be some kind of food provided, even at this late hour. If not, she could usually get someone to let her in the kitchen. She was in luck. Elsa, her favorite dinner lady, was on and she beckoned Rose back. “There’s chips on in back if you want some. This lot’s getting health food.”
“Thanks, Else,” Rose said, pushing her way through the double doors and into the kitchen. Even if they weren't real chips, they were a pretty decent substitute. Still, what she wouldn't give for an honest to goodness potato in this universe. She was surprised to see Ian standing there holding five chips in his hand and taking a giant bite of them, mostly because Elsa didn’t let just anyone into her kitchen. “I thought you’d gone home.”
Ian looked guiltily at Rose. “Erm, no,” he said.
“Shove over,” said Rose, reaching for a plate from the cabinet behind him when he did so. She grabbed a scoop and put some of the steaming chips onto her plate, then opened up one of the fridges and found the ingredients for a sandwich. “You want?” she asked. He nodded. “Mustard and mayo?” Again he nodded.
Rose slapped the sandwiches together with practiced ease. “Were you a dinner lady in a former life?” he asked.
Rose tensed then forced herself to relax. “I did food service for a bit when I was younger,” she admitted. “Worked at a school. They had amazing chips.”
“Dinner lady to Torchwood JOAT? You must have some stories to tell.”
Rose shrugged in a non-committal way. She knew he was just trying to get to know her, but so much of her life led back to the two years she didn’t want to talk about anymore, even with Mickey who’d lived part of it with her. And then there was the fact that her fantastical adventures might not be that believable, even to someone who did work for Torchwood.
“Why don’t you tell me about you?” she asked, deflecting him.
“Not much to tell. My mum and dad died when I was a young child so no brothers and sisters and I was raised by my Gran. I grew up in London and studied tech and languages at Uni. Got recruited for Torchwood before I graduated. Worked at Torchwood 3 up in Cardiff for two years before transferring to Torchwood 4 for the last four years. What about you, Rose?”
She sighed. “Not much to tell with me, either. I worked at a shop, took a couple years off and went travelling, then ended up at Torchwood.”
“No Uni?” He asked, surprised.
“Didn’t need it. Life experience. And Torchwood crash coursed me on what was missing,” she told him.
“What about family?”
“There’s my mum and dad. I was raised as an only child by my mum. Dad came back into the picture five years ago. Mum had twins, Violet and Iris, within the year, then Peter, Jr. two years later, then David last year. It’s quite a houseful.”
“No kids of your own?” Ian inquired.
“Nope. You?”
“No.”
“Ah.” Rose felt uncomfortable. She hadn’t had to make this kind of small talk in ages. She and Mickey skipped the chit chat bits, and even meeting Martha had not fallen into this stilted kind of questioning. But she’d have to get used to having at least a surface level acquaintanceship with Ian if she was going to be partnered with him, so she didn’t do her usual cut and run when the conversation ran out.
Ian had been right, he wasn’t a difficult bloke to get on with, and he began to fill the silence with stories about his exploits at Torchwood 4 while she made short work of her meal. Once or twice he even made her smile. He had a way of telling a story that reminded her a little bit of Captain Jack without the sex drive revved up to 150%.
When she’d finished with her food she put her dishes in the stack to be washed yet. Ian followed suit. “See you in the morning, yeah?” Rose said as they parted at the lift doors.
“Bright and early,” Ian replied before disappearing into the right hand lift that led to the parking garage. Rose got into the left hand lift and headed to the basement to her lonely bunk. She slept as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Ch. 6: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/32576.html
Rose rubbed at her temples debating on whether or not to call up for a coffee or just pack it in for the night. If she had the coffee she just might make it home to her flat before she collapsed. It would be nice to sleep in her own bed for a change. She was starting to wonder why she even kept a flat anymore when more often than not she’d bed down in the back room.
Still, with their early morning flight time it didn’t make much sense to go home. She’d just go up to the gymnasium for a bit and borrow a shower. She spent far more time under the rain of hot water than she would have at home, but then home didn’t have on demand tankless water heaters and work did. She felt remarkably more human afterwards and went up to the cafeteria to see if anyone was still about.
Torchwood’s doors were open 24/7 and if something important was going down, there would be some kind of food provided, even at this late hour. If not, she could usually get someone to let her in the kitchen. She was in luck. Elsa, her favorite dinner lady, was on and she beckoned Rose back. “There’s chips on in back if you want some. This lot’s getting health food.”
“Thanks, Else,” Rose said, pushing her way through the double doors and into the kitchen. Even if they weren't real chips, they were a pretty decent substitute. Still, what she wouldn't give for an honest to goodness potato in this universe. She was surprised to see Ian standing there holding five chips in his hand and taking a giant bite of them, mostly because Elsa didn’t let just anyone into her kitchen. “I thought you’d gone home.”
Ian looked guiltily at Rose. “Erm, no,” he said.
“Shove over,” said Rose, reaching for a plate from the cabinet behind him when he did so. She grabbed a scoop and put some of the steaming chips onto her plate, then opened up one of the fridges and found the ingredients for a sandwich. “You want?” she asked. He nodded. “Mustard and mayo?” Again he nodded.
Rose slapped the sandwiches together with practiced ease. “Were you a dinner lady in a former life?” he asked.
Rose tensed then forced herself to relax. “I did food service for a bit when I was younger,” she admitted. “Worked at a school. They had amazing chips.”
“Dinner lady to Torchwood JOAT? You must have some stories to tell.”
Rose shrugged in a non-committal way. She knew he was just trying to get to know her, but so much of her life led back to the two years she didn’t want to talk about anymore, even with Mickey who’d lived part of it with her. And then there was the fact that her fantastical adventures might not be that believable, even to someone who did work for Torchwood.
“Why don’t you tell me about you?” she asked, deflecting him.
“Not much to tell. My mum and dad died when I was a young child so no brothers and sisters and I was raised by my Gran. I grew up in London and studied tech and languages at Uni. Got recruited for Torchwood before I graduated. Worked at Torchwood 3 up in Cardiff for two years before transferring to Torchwood 4 for the last four years. What about you, Rose?”
She sighed. “Not much to tell with me, either. I worked at a shop, took a couple years off and went travelling, then ended up at Torchwood.”
“No Uni?” He asked, surprised.
“Didn’t need it. Life experience. And Torchwood crash coursed me on what was missing,” she told him.
“What about family?”
“There’s my mum and dad. I was raised as an only child by my mum. Dad came back into the picture five years ago. Mum had twins, Violet and Iris, within the year, then Peter, Jr. two years later, then David last year. It’s quite a houseful.”
“No kids of your own?” Ian inquired.
“Nope. You?”
“No.”
“Ah.” Rose felt uncomfortable. She hadn’t had to make this kind of small talk in ages. She and Mickey skipped the chit chat bits, and even meeting Martha had not fallen into this stilted kind of questioning. But she’d have to get used to having at least a surface level acquaintanceship with Ian if she was going to be partnered with him, so she didn’t do her usual cut and run when the conversation ran out.
Ian had been right, he wasn’t a difficult bloke to get on with, and he began to fill the silence with stories about his exploits at Torchwood 4 while she made short work of her meal. Once or twice he even made her smile. He had a way of telling a story that reminded her a little bit of Captain Jack without the sex drive revved up to 150%.
When she’d finished with her food she put her dishes in the stack to be washed yet. Ian followed suit. “See you in the morning, yeah?” Rose said as they parted at the lift doors.
“Bright and early,” Ian replied before disappearing into the right hand lift that led to the parking garage. Rose got into the left hand lift and headed to the basement to her lonely bunk. She slept as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Ch. 6: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/32576.html
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-07 03:38 pm (UTC)This chapter was adorkably awkward. I'm getting to like Ian more, and I'm stoked for the action to begin!
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Date: 2008-04-07 11:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 03:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 04:46 am (UTC)Oi! the chip craving is not funny, cause I've never had "real" chips before and unless I spend lots of money on a plane ticket I don't know how to get them.