New chapter and definitely my favorite thus far!
Unbeta'd this time, so all mistakes are my own.
Rose’s heart sped up in her chest and she found that she’d forgotten to breathe, her lungs gasping and her mouth groping the air for oxygen.
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| Tenth Doctor, Torchwood | |
Never Say Never by Kimori1024 [Reviews - 58]  Chapter or Story Author's Notes: | |
Neither woman spoke until they arrived back home. They rode in a silent yin-yang of sorts, brunette and blue against brown and blonde. Only the tires against the winding cobbled pavement leading up to the stately home they shared dared defy the quiet.
Their little fight wasn’t out of the ordinary, little arguments escalading in to full blown fights were a regular occurrence now days between Rose and her daughter. No, it hadn’t always been this way; the strain of the past few years just took its toll on both of them. Sometimes Rose wasn’t sure how to connect with the girl she used to be so close to. She supposed it had all started when Tori’s father, her husband, had gotten sick. Things hadn’t been the same since then.
“Oh my god!” Tori shrieked, gripping the car door handle before the brakes had even been tapped and leaping out of the car.
Rose turned to her daughter as the car rolled to a stop, the outburst shaking her out of her silent thoughts. The younger woman was already half way up the walk to the front door, dashing towards the young man who stood there. The boy welcomed the tiny bundle of energy into his arms as she jumped into his outstretched arms.
He appeared to be just a few years older than she was, physically setting him somewhere in her mother’s age range — 19 or 20 if someone had to guess. The brunette currently wrapped up in a hug looking to be a bit younger, 18 at best. But never trust appearances, they can be completely deceiving.
“Bellissimo! Rob! You didn’t tell me you would be here! It’s absolutely fantastic to see you!” Tori beamed as she pulled back from the young man in front of her. She arched her eyebrow and smacked him playfully across his chest. “Oi! You need to warn me before you just show up on my doorstep!”
“I wanted to surprise you!” He grinned back at her, running his hand through his black hair moving the slightly dampened strands from his eyes. “Didn’t know you’d be gone...”
“Have you been here all day? Since the rain this morning?” Her hands tossled through his hair sending stray rain drops over both of them.
“Well....”
“Sheesh... We need to get you a key.... It’s like you practically live here anyway.” Tori slipped her hand into his as she turned her key in the lock allowing them both inside. “Go towel off or something’, yeah?”
Rose, now out of the car having finished watching her daughter and Robert get safely inside, she turned back to the driver. “Thanks as always for everything.”
“Will you two be alright?” The driver, an older gentlemen, looked up at her with concerned eyes from inside the car.
“Oh, yeah, we’re fine,” she replied with a smile, it was completely faked, but it was a smile no less.
“I know what fine means... I’ve been around,” the man replied, shaking his finger at the young woman; clearly not buying her act.
Rose chose to ignore the comment and the finger waggle. “Do you want to come in for a cuppa or anything? I know we had you out in that car park for ages today...”
“No, I’m alright. Gotta to get home to the wife and kids n’ all that.” He smiled warmly. Aside from knowing that he had a family, Rose didn’t know any of the details. It was Torchwood policy really; don’t let the outside employees get to close for safety reasons. If it was more to protect the employees or the agents, she couldn’t be sure.
“Right, yeah, ‘course,” Rose nodded; half hearted smile still in place.
“Maybe someday you’ll find a nice bloke like your sister over there, hmm?” He motioned toward the door through which Tori and Rob had just disappeared. I know I don’t understand a lot of what you two go on about, wolves and nonsense, but I know loneliness. Going out for a bit would do you some good Ma’am.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.” She grinned back, gripping the side of the car for a moment before rocking back on her heals and letting go. “Have a nice night, James.”
“You too, Ma’am,” the driver gestured to make a tiny salute but thought better of it when the blonde cocked her head at him, eventually settling on a small wave as he pulled away back down the drive.
Rose watched until he was out of sight. He was a sweet man, James. She really dreaded the day he would need to be retconned, but that was what this business called for at times. James hadn’t been around for more than seven months or so. He’d started just when she’d gone back to work. She sighed, looking up at the stars one last time before making her own way into the house.
...I create myself...
Leather boots gave way as jean covered knees hit the floor; her hands gripped the wooden banister to stop her face from hitting the carpeted stairs. Rose’s heart sped up in her chest and she found that she’d forgotten to breathe, her lungs gasping and her mouth groping the air for oxygen. Her chest continued to heave as she opened her eyes. But her vision had gone blind except for white gold burning into her corneas.
“Rose?”
It burned....
...I can see everything...
“Rose!?”
Dark eyes stare into hers as her vision cleared.
“Rose? You alright?” Rob was standing over her, his hand gripped on her shoulder. He was looking down... Was she on the floor? Rose shook her head and surveyed her surroundings, surprised to find herself kneeled down at the foot of the stairs in the foyer. She released her grip on the railing, astonished at her white knuckles.
“Yeah, I’m fine...” She swallowed slowly as she made to stand up but tipped slightly causing the boy to steady her with a hand on her back. “Perfectly fine, really.” She smiled warmly at the boy’s concerned expression. He’d stayed behind in the entrance to hang his jacket by the door. He really was sweet, sometimes far too much so to get wrapped up in the lives of her and her daughter.
“Oh... my head....” Tori screamed out from the kitchen.
Rob turned back towards the kitchen hearing her yelp. Rose nodded reassuring him. “Go, find out what’s wrong,” she spoke slowly trying to keep her breathing under control. She released his shoulders that she’d been using to hold herself up. “Make sure she’s okay, I’ll be right there.”
Rob turned and dashed to where Tori stood gripping the counter and digging in the cabinet above her head.
“Tor? You alright?” He cautiously walked toward the frenzied girl.
“I’m fine... Just a bit of a headache,” she groaned in response, still clambering through the bottles in the cabinet.
“One of your headaches or just a bit of a headache?” Rob sighed and shooed her hands out of the way. He was a good foot over her head and easily plucked her medicine bottle off the shelf.
She snatched the container from his hand, screwing off the lid. “Just a bit of a headache.” Her tone was defiant, but she couldn’t meet his eyes as she popped the tiny green tablet into her mouth.
Rose finally made her way into the room. Her head was still swimming but it was clear enough to take the role of concerned mum. “Don’t take aspirin. You know your reaction to it.”
“How old am I? I’m not stupid,” Tori grunted as she took a swig of whatever was in the glass on the counter, grimacing at the taste. When she’d opened her eyes after managing to swallow, they locked on her mother. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Just a headache.... It’s nothing” Rose shook her head as she spoke. “Are you alright?”
“M’fine...” her eyes search those of the blonde woman leaning on the door frame, seeing that she wasn’t going to get any more information out of her. “Just fantastic...” She roughly pushed past her mother and out the door. She’d been out the door a few moments when she yelled back for Rob to follow her. He left the room mouthing ‘sorry’ to Rose before going even though they both knew he didn’t have anything to apologize for.
Her daughter could sure go through some insane mood swings at times; Rose often wondered how poor Robert put up with them. Then again, she could spot love when she saw it and she could see it in that boy’s eyes; there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.
Not that her daughter could see it. No, Tori was so bright in some respects, PhD by the age of ten in quantum physics no less, but could be so incredibly thick when it came to the simple things. Another trait inherited from her father no doubt. Tori had been through a lot in her life; she’d needed to learn the hard way. She had never asked to be who or what she was. She never asked for always having to leave someone before it got too serious, so much so that it was a wonder how close shed gotten to Rob. Rose tried to explain to her to enjoy her life while she could, but that conversation always ended in a fight and some sort of accusation.
Rob would never be anything more than a good mate to the intelligent young woman who happened to work odd hours and live with her slightly older sister in the house left to them by their wealthy parents. The less he knew the better; the less he knew the less it would hurt when it was gone.
Rose made her way up the grand staircase, turning down the corridor past her daughter’s room to her own. She stopped briefly listening to the hushed voices of Tori and Rob behind the heavy oak door. She didn’t sound so angry any more and it seemed that the medication had helped her head. There was even a bit of laughter inside
Rose’s relationship with her daughter had suffered a lot over the past few years leading up to the end. They’d only barely been able to heal the fractured pieces over the past few months. She knew it would take time for everything to be as it was or to even pass as a poor shadow of what they once had been when their little family was whole. Rob was a good influence on Tori; it was partially due to her friendship with him that she had been able to open up at all. The blonde woman smiled as she made her way into her own room and closed the door behind her.
She made her way over to the vanity in the corner, her eyes completely avoiding the perfectly made up king bed in the center of the room. Looking at her appearance in the mirror, she realized she was a bit worse for wear. Damp clothes and matted, air dried hair clung to her body and neck and she sighed as she began to unzip her jacket and toss it to the floor. Her t-shirt soon followed as it also seemed to have been soaked straight through the leather by the rain earlier that day.
A glimmer caught in her eye as she turned back to the mirror. A chain around her neck, ending just short of the plain white bra lay across her chest adorned with a small but brilliant ring. The ring representing so much, but still unable to truly express the emotion that went into it lay softly against her pink flesh. Tears reflected in the mirror just as clear and bright as the diamond encased in the gold band. Rose quickly pulled another shirt from the wardrobe on, covering her wedding ring again, ignoring the fresh sick feeling in her gut.
After slipping off her boots and jeans and throwing on a pair of sweats she pulled out a brush. Then quickly running a brush through her frazzled hair and then just as quickly, giving up and throwing it up into a band off of the marble table, she made her way out of the room without another look back. She stopped only to pick her mobile out of her jacket pocket and to pull an old hoodie on to her shoulders. There was a sudden chill she couldn’t quite shake.
Passing her daughter’s door again as she walked down the hall, Rose thought she’d pop in and see if either of them wanted a late supper. However, when she peered inside, the only ones there to greet her were the neatly arranged group of stuffed animals atop the Tori’s bed. She stepped inside checking the entire room, it was the second largest bedroom in the house; they could be anywhere inside. But the entire room was vacant, even the attached bathroom was empty.
“Tori?” Rose called out down the hall after leaving the room. “Tori?!” No one answered. Rose raced barefoot down the stairs back to the entrance of the house. Rob’s jacket was missing from the hook by the door. She swallowed and yelled out again, this time a bit more desperate than the last. “Victoria!? Robert?!” Still, only silence confirmed its presence in the big empty house.
Rose flipped on her mobile, snatching her keys as she ran out the door. Her bare feet sloshing into a puddle on the front step confirming that the rain had returned. She pulled her pink hood over her head with one hand as the other continued to frantically and repeatedly dial her daughter’s number as she made her way to the garage.
“Answer your bloody phone! Shit!” Rose cursed as she pushed the wrong key into the lock on her car door. “C’mon!”
Tori had only just taken her medicine; anything could happen to her right now. Rob should know this. Then again, he wouldn’t know the full effects, the downside of needing to keep secrets from everyone. They must’ve taken his car... Rose knew that both of them were fully capable adults, but she didn’t exactly trust Tori alone; she wasn’t exactly average. She ignored her pounding head as she thrust her foot down on the accelerator.
The rain crashed down on the windshield and visibility was low, but this was ridiculous. Her vision started to blur and stars flashed before her eyes. “Fuck!” She yelled as she threw her mobile down again, still no answer from Tori.
...in time and space...
A horrible drum beat filled Rose’s head as she dizzily made her way into central London. The rain continued its never ending onslaught on the windshield, the wipers unable to keep up with the cascading water.
The beat quickened and the lights behind her eyes became more intense. There was a beautiful howling; such a gorgeous song....
... to lead myself....
Only by the grace of god or something else even beyond, she’d made it safely into the city. Blindly she pulled herself from the car; her footsteps shaky and unsure.
...the sun and the moon...
The stars and moon above her beckoned her to go on. The light was blinding.
...the day and night...
“Mum?”
“Rose?”
“Oh my god! Mickey, grab her!”
“Rose!?
“Rose!”
“Mum?!”
But why do they hurt...?
And then the light was gone.
...all that ever could be ....
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