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The sun had long since begun its descent beyond the horizon and the shadows on her face betrayed her emotions, the tears on her cheeks clearly visible in the low light.
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| Tenth Doctor, Torchwood | |
Never Say Never by Kimori1024 [Reviews - 58]  Chapter or Story Author's Notes: | |
“That was odd...” Tori looked down at her mobile in confusion as her mother slid into the backseat of the car beside her after speaking to the soldier about the situation.
“What was, love?” Rose asked as she adjusted herself in the leather seat.
“While you were talkin’ to the sergeant out there I tried to call Tony, but I couldn’t get through. I must’ve dialed the wrong number...” She still stared in awe down at the small plastic device. She must’ve done... “It was some other man...”
“You? Wrong number?”
“I know... but now I can’t even recall the recipient to check,” the brunette mumbled as she pressed buttons in an attempt to find out whom she had just called.
“Did you give away any classified information?” Rose suddenly looked worriedly at Tori, anxious about the possibility of anything about the wolves getting out to the public.
“Nah... Well, nothing that the average person would begin to grasp. And the man that answered the phone was most definitely an idiot....” Tori rolled her eyes. “But mind you, the second bloke to pick up had a rather nice American accent...”
The blonde rolled her eyes in response to her daughter. “What were you calling for anyway? Did you think of something?”
“Actually, yeah,” a glimmer grew in her bright blue eyes as she spoke, very excited with her findings. “Sooo.... a low level psychic field could be responsible. And if I’m clever, which we all know that I am, I should be able to hack into the signal.” She clicked a few different buttons on her mobile, abandoning a redial check until the device beeped and a wavelength appeared on the screen. “Oooh yes! May not be a superphone, but I am soooo good!”
“So, the signal was being hidden?” Rose scooted closer to look over her daughter’s shoulder at the patterns appearing on the screen.
“Yeah, but we’ve got it now!” Tori’s grin grew triumphantly, a megawatt manic grin plastered on her face.
“Where’s it comin’ from?” Rose loved to see her daughter’s face light up like it did now. She so rarely saw that smile of genuine happiness; she couldn’t help but grin back.
“Dunno...”
“I thought you said you’ve hacked it?” Rose smiled playfully at her daughter, her tongue between her teeth teasingly. “Victoria Jacqueline Smith, the all-powerful clever one, doesn’t know the origin?”
“I still don’t know where it’s comin’ from....” Her daughter pouted a bit at the slight knock to her ego.
“How’d you rig this anyway? To pick up low level signals like this? I mean, this is less than Basic five...” Rose grinned with a giggle.
“I didn’t...” She paused and looked away, her mother sitting back a bit, knowing. “Dad did... He was always good at the, what’d he call it? Jiggery pokery?” She kept her eyes down studying the tiny screen as the car went silent.
“You’re so much like him you are...” Rose spoke quietly, a tiny forced laugh escaping her lips.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the car, the sounds of traffic sounded muddied and muffled outside. Neither woman looked at the other.
“You miss him a lot, don’t you mum?” Tori was the one to break the silence looking up from the phone she now placed back in her hoodie pocket and focusing on the faux golden locks of the woman looking out the window. Suddenly the discovery she had made didn’t seem so important anymore.
“Yeah, too much sometimes....” Rose turned back to the other girl. The sun had long since begun its descent beyond the horizon and the shadows on her face betrayed her emotions, the tears on her cheeks clearly visible in the low light. “He wouldn’t want it that way, but I can’t help it. Don’t you?”
“Course I do, yeah. All the time...” It was now Tori’s turn to avoid eye contact, shoving her fists into her sweatshirt pocket.
Rose caught her breath a bit to regain composure seeing the effect she was having on her daughter’s earlier joy. “I know I haven’t exactly been the mum you’ve needed through the years sometimes....” She looked away, not quite sure where she was headed, lost in her own words. She decided to quickly change the subject. “But, the real issue here is those bloody wolves, yeah? That’s what’s bothering me to be honest...”
But Tori wasn’t about to let it go. If there was one thing Rose knew about the young woman beside her, it was that she had a stubborn streak a mile wide. “No, you’ve been better. You’re my best mate,” Tori’s eyes looked away, intently focusing on her pocket and her hands moving beneath the fabric. “But you’ve not said so much about what you think was happenin’ at the zoo. Is that the only thing that’s bothering you, 'cos you haven’t been talking about it much...?” Tori ventured a glance at her mother through the fringe covering her eyes.
“Of course... I mean, I’m just as in the dark about this matter as you are...” Her daughter was too good sometimes.
“Mum, even if you don’t tell me what the importance of this is, I’m gonna find out.” The brunette’s tone was matter of fact and her blue eyes now bore into Rose’s as she lifted her head up.
Rose turned away again, cursing the fact that she couldn’t handle her own daughter’s gaze. “How about you? Seen Rob lately?” She swiftly shifted the subject for the second time that night hoping this time would be successful.
“Yeah, he’s fine...” Tori sighed at the mention of the boy and leaned back into the leather seat.
“So... are you two goin’ out now?” Rose bit her lip as she pried at her daughter. She sometimes wondered if she was becoming her own mother.
“No,” the younger girl’s response was swift and cold as she looked up at the ceiling, focusing on the way the light from the setting sun danced across it.
“But you two are so good together,” the blonde continued, pushing just a bit more. It wasn’t often that she got to talk to her daughter about things like this. Their relationship hadn’t been what it used to be for a couple of years now and it felt nice to get some girl talk in.
“Mum, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tori's head shook slightly as she spoke, a small chuckle escaped from her lips.
“Oh come on... Is it the age difference?” Rose was stopped dead as her daughter’s face suddenly shifted to look directly at her, her blue eyes blazing; a cold fire burning beneath them.
“Do you need to interfere in my life just 'cos you don’t have one of your own?” She abruptly changed her attitude, a mood swing that could put any diva to shame. Rose had hit a chord that her daughter clearly wasn’t comfortable with. The flames behind her gaze were completely unhindered by her mother’s hurt expression; a tinge of gold flashing across her iris.
“What the fuck was that for?” Rose knew she didn’t need quite so harsh an outburst, but for some reason she couldn’t help it.
“Nothin’...” her stare still heated as her tongue ran over her teeth. Her brown hair covered one of her eyes from her wild movement.
“No really? What?” Rose retorted; her tone becoming darker.
“Sometimes you sulk too much about him... it’s been a year...” Tori was breathing heavily as she looked at her mum, her pulse racing. Then she added under her breath, “Maybe if you got a life you wouldn’t interfere in mine...”
“Just because you don’t feel that’s not my fault,” Rose crossed her arms and turned away from her daughter. She knew it was childish, but she couldn’t help it. Tears began to roll down her face.
“You’re my mum, made me this way...” the brunette muttered, looking out the opposite window.
“He was your father!” Rose couldn’t help but spin back to her daughter in response that time. Didn’t she feel anything?
Tori didn’t turn back or respond, still content just to look up at the stars outside the moving car’s window. She could be so unfeeling, her daughter. Couldn’t she just show one ounce of the hurt she had to hold too? Rose sat back and ran her fingers through her hair. He was her father... She’d answered her own question.
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