( Read more... )
“I don’t want to leave this thing unattended,” the Doctor said without looking up from what he was doing. “How important is it?”
“Rose can tell you about it later, but she needs to see it now,” Mickey said.
“Okay,” Rose said and with a wave to the Doctor followed Mickey to the room with the television in it. He picked up the remote and started the disc.
“And in local news the rash of disappearances sweeping the United Kingdom have hit Vitex mastermind Peter Tyler who is seeking information on the kidnapping of his wife Jacqueline Tyler and his twin nine-year-old children Sarah Elisabeth Tyler and Kyle Reese Tyler. This follows on the heels of the eldest Vitex heir, Rose Marian Tyler disappearing over five weeks ago. We spoke to Ms. Tyler’s long time boyfriend Davin McBain…”
The image on the screen changed and Rose was immediately jolted by the appearance of Davin before her. The man looked haggard but was still ridiculously good looking with his chiseled features and his brilliant blue eyes, his sweep of dark hair and the perfectly shaped mouth. He had always been a sexy man, more than just pretty, though looking at him in no way compared to how she felt when she looked at the Doctor.
She frowned as she suddenly noticed that Davin’s eyes were the exact same color as the Doctor’s and his mouth was nearly the same in shape. As she studied him she realized his hair was the color of her second Doctor’s and the cheekbones a pretty close approximation. Is that what had drawn her to him in the first place? He reminded her of her Doctors? She hated to think she was that shallow, but it well could have been.
With a shake she tried to focus on what he was saying. “Rose isn’t missing,” Davin insisted. “She told me she was going off travelling for a while. I’ve turned the letter I received from her over to the police for help in the investigation, but I’m sure she’s fine. She’s always been highly independent and likes to travel on a whim. I’m sure she’s just somewhere where she can’t be located.”
The image changed again. “So says the man now under investigation for her disappearance,” said the anchorwoman. Rose gasped.
“Get’s worse,” said Mickey.
“Peter Tyler is now pushing the police to investigate the boyfriend further.” An image of her father appeared before her, but she could tell by the infinitesimal shimmer that it had to be the imposter, looking downcast.
“I’m not saying he did it,” said Peter Tyler. “All I’m saying is he had an unusual interest in my family. Especially the twins. Most specifically Sarah. And if he’d done something to Sarah and Jackie found out, especially after Rose disappearing…please, just someone look into it. Someone do something. I want my family back. Safe.”
“A 100,000 pound reward for information leading to the safe return of Mr. Tyler’s family has been posted.” The contact number and web address was flashed on the screen and then the anchorwoman gave a phony, toothy smile. "I can only speculate, but perhaps Ms. Tyler discovered her boyfriend's proclivities? We may never know the truth, but we must trust our local law enforcement to do their very best." The woman did not look like she thought local law enforcement was worth very much.
“In other stories,” the male newscaster began. Mickey switched off the television.
“I can’t believe this! They’re making it sound like Davin murdered me and he’s a pedophile or something,” Rose said indignantly. “He would never touch Sarah or Kyle! He loves them!”
“I know,” Mickey said. “I’m going to try to go and see him after work today. I have a feeling I’m not going to be able to get close to him.”
Rose sighed. “How are things at work? Have you had any chance to look into Dad’s disappearance?” Rose wanted to know.
“I spent most of yesterday setting a sub-trawl to sweep through the Torchwood mainframe. Someone’s been doing a massive data delete and hopefully I’ll be able to discover something when the results come through this morning.”
Jake entered the room and gave a weary smile at Rose. “I’ve been following leads on your Dad,” he said. “Suzie’s been reviewing archive footage all week and she’s pretty sure she can place when the change was made. If Mick can recover data from between the 7th and 9th of January, we might be able to see who took him and maybe get a plate number or something to go on.” He rubbed his face. “Wish I had better news.”
“Hey, we have dates now. That’s better than what we had before,” Rose said with a smile. “Where is Suzie?”
“She’s not feeling well,” said Jake. “She’s called in sick to Torchwood this morning.”
Mickey glanced at Jake with concern. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked.
“Nausea, vomiting,” Jake said sounding a little unconcerned for Rose’s liking.
“She’s been doing all the cooking this week,” Rose said. “We could all get ill.”
“Not likely,” said Jake with a smirk.
“What do you mean?” Rose asked.
Jake locked eyes with Mickey. “Come on,” he said. “Suzie wants to see you, Rose.” He bustled Rose along the corridor and down to their room, Mickey following in their wake. Rose poked her head in the door and Jake hauled her all the way in.
“Rose,” said Suzie with a weak, somewhat green smile. “Sit down.”
Very hesitantly Rose sat down on the far edge of the bed. “I’m not contagious, Rose,” Suzie said. “Who wants to tell her?” Suzie asked.
“Think you should,” said Mickey. Jake nodded.
Suzie gave Rose a somewhat cheerier smile. “You, Rose Tyler, are going to become an auntie in about six and a half month’s time,” Suzie announced.
Rose stared at her friend blankly for a moment, and then realization dawned. “You’re pregnant?” she asked.
Suzie laughed. “Yep.” She patted her stomach fondly. “Twins. We were able to use one of Torchwood’s new IVF techniques so I could have a child by both Jake and Mickey at the same time. Neither one wanted to be second,” Suzie shrugged and gave each man a little glare in turn. “But I’m only doing this the once,” she added sternly.
Rose laughed and scooted forward giving Suzie a big hug and then standing up and hugging Mickey and then Jake. “Congratulations. Have you told my mum yet?” she wanted to know.
Suzie looked a little hesitant. “No, but we will. I’d prefer it if you could be there when we do, Rose.”
Rose nodded. “Of course, I will be if you want me to.”
“Thank you,” her friend said gratefully.
“Now, you get some rest today and Jake and I will check in on you later,” Mickey said leaning down and kissing her. Jake kissed her next and then Rose followed the two men back out of the room and towards the console room.
“Can you ask the Doctor to land us somewhere new so we can head to Torchwood undetected?” Mickey asked. They’d been going in to work from various locations about the city since leaving the safe house just on the off chance that they were being followed home each night. Rose nodded and went back to the workshop.
“Doctor, Mickey and Jake are ready to go to work,” she told him.
The Doctor glanced up and then handed the open sphere to Rose. “Hold this,” he said tersely and left the room. A short while later the ship took of and landed and the two men departed for the day. The Doctor returned and retrieved the sphere from his wife’s hands.
“Found anything out yet?” she asked.
“It’s a fully functional A.I.,” he said. “But other than that, no. What did Mickey need to tell you?”
She explained to him what the false Peter Tyler was doing and his eyes narrowed a bit at the mention of Davin McBain. “Not very fair to your boyfriend, is it?” he muttered.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Rose said.
“I suppose you’re going to have to deal with this?” the Doctor asked reluctantly.
“I really should. I can’t have him falling under suspicion like that. I can at least put an end to the rumors of my own disappearance. The police can’t accuse him of foul play on that score if I walk into the station and announce my presence,” Rose said.
“You can’t do that!” the Doctor said.
Rose’s hackles rose. “What do you mean I can’t?” she asked in annoyance.
“I mean, if the imposter Pete sees you and he’s drawn to your telepathy, well, you could be in real trouble. Call the police instead.” It was just short of an order.
“No,” she said. “A phone call can be faked. Unless they see me in person, then they won’t believe he’s innocent.”
“They still might not believe he’s innocent,” the Doctor said. “Not of what happened to Sarah and Kyle and Jackie, anyway.”
“Well, no, but if I tell the police that my family is safe, they’re just in hiding from Pete…” she trailed off. “Of course, that’d be hell on Dad when we do find him and he comes back. I suppose we could always go the evil twin route, right?”
“You been watching your mum’s soaps again?” he asked with mild irritation.
“Not much else to do stuck in here all day for the last several days,” she complained.
“Didn’t think it was such a hardship.” The Doctor looked put out.
“Oh, I didn’t mean…you know I love the TARDIS. Just…I’m not used to being planet bound anymore and stuck in here with my family instead of just alone with you…it’s not the best of circumstances,” Rose explained.
The Doctor sighed and looked up at her. “I know.”
“But back to Davin. Doctor, I really do have to do something.”
The Doctor grimaced. “I know that, too.” He rubbed his hand across his face and looked irritated. “I’ll take the TARDIS to your flat and you can call him and have him come over. We’ll go from there.”
Rose nodded then walked over to him, going up on tiptoes and kissing him lightly. The Doctor turned completely into her and pulled her body forcefully up against his by her hips, his tongue pushing roughly into her mouth and kissing her hard. When he let her go abruptly she reeled. “But this boyfriend of yours better not get any ideas about you, Rose Tyler. You’re mine.” He growled the last word.
“Oh, yeah?” she asked with a cheeky grin. “Prove it.” He backed her up hard against the door to the workshop, quickly locking it. And then he proved it. Twice.
When Rose had recovered sufficiently to stand and the Doctor had locked the sphere away in the double protection of the two lead lined boxes, they made their way to their bedroom and showered quickly. “Because,” Rose said, “we’re not going to meet my ex smelling like sex.”
“You didn’t seem to mind Mickey being aware of it,” the Doctor said. “What’s it matter if Davin does?”
“Mickey and I are so far beyond over,” Rose said with an eye roll at the Doctor’s slight poutiness.
“Aren’t you and Davin?”
“Of course we are. I’m yours, remember,” she told him. “And more importantly, you’re mine.” She grinned at him as he made to pull her towel off her. “Doctor, no more,” she said. “I’ll need an infirmary visit before we can even think about it.”
“Let’s go then,” he said grabbing her hand.
“Stop it. We need to put clothes on and go and see Davin and you know it so stop trying to avoid it!” she scolded.
“Don’t want to meet your boyfriend.”
“You are such a child!” she said.
“Am not.” He crossed his arms.
“Rest my case,” she threw back.
“Fine. We’ll go see him,” the Doctor said finally giving in with bad grace. “But you make sure he knows you’re my wife now.” He stepped over to the bureau and rooted around in his coat pocket pulling out a small blue box.
“Got you this when I went out yesterday,” he told her. “The bracelet’s all well and good, but this is Earth. This declares you off limits.” He opened the box and Rose was staring at an engagement ring with a round diamond that had to be at least two carats. “Plus,” he added shyly, “I really wanted to get you something nice, let you know, well,” he looked down, “a bit more of how I feel.”
She smiled up at him with tears in her eyes. “You didn’t have to,” she said kissing the edge of his mouth softly. “I already know. But thank you. It’s lovely.”
The Doctor’s big fingers pried the ring out of the box and with a very delicate touch he slid the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. “I love you,” he said. “Wife.”
“I love you, too. Husband,” she said hugging him tightly. His hands began to wander down to her bum and she backed away. “But you’re still not getting out of this. Let’s go.” She turned him around and pushed him gently before her to the console room.
Ch. 13: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/76409.html
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
