Bigger on the inside: Space, Time Travel, Alien Criminals (A Space Time Travel Mystery Book 1)

by Alianna Smith

  “Then why won’t you let me help you? Just you and me,” Rose asked. “The kids wouldn’t need to know.”

  “You’re… an alien.”

  She didn’t reply at once. “You’ve slept with me. You’ve poured your heart out to me. But you won’t let me near your children?”

  He swirled the dregs of his coffee.

  “I am not alien. I am human. With extras, granted, but I’m just a girl underneath it all,” she said. “The Rose you’ve seen Wednesdays and Sundays, that’s the real me. Everything else is just a role I play, a mask I slip on. When I’m with you I feel like myself.”

  “That’s what I find so difficult to understand. How many roles do you play?”

  “You’ve seen them all. And I love Just Rose best. When I’m with you. And I want you. I know you come with kids and a life, and I wouldn’t want you without it. You aren’t just a boy toy for me, someone who reminds me of someone I’ve lost,” she explained.

  “Oh, I’m glad we’ve cleared that up,” he snapped.

  “Dave!”

  “You aren’t just an adventure either, you know. I love you, Rose, I do, more than… but I’m not sure I can trust you. It’s probably just me, feeling intimidated…”

  He didn’t finish the sentence, and for a few brief moments neither of them spoke as if they’d just agreed on a truce in their war of words. He’d never had a fight like this before; compared to the rows he’d had with Michelle, this was very civil, respectful even. Dave sighed and opened his mouth to finish the sentence when Rose said, “Listen to yourself.”

  He looked up at her. “What?” Had she been in his head again?

  “You have no idea, do you?” she asked.

  “Apparently not, no,” he said warily. It was hard to keep the cynicism out of his voice.

  “You saved my life. You manage a family and your job. Now I’ve turned up and you make time for me as well, making me feel as if I’m the most important woman in the universe. You sit up with your sick children and fight for them… and that is why I love you so much,” Rose said. “And besides you’re a brilliant artist and the kindest, sexiest man I’ve ever met.”

  He was baffled.

  “It breaks my heart to see you take this on all by yourself. I can see you falling apart bit by bit. And I can’t stand by and do nothing,” Rose said. She turned her empty mug in her fingers.

  “I can’t do that to the bairns. They all want their mother right now, and I’m supposed to turn around and tell them I’ve got, they’ve got, you instead?”

  Rose sighed, shaking her head. “Of course not. But promise me that when you need comforting… I’ll be there for you, yeah?”

  “Thank you,” he said, leaning towards her for a kiss. It was only a chaste peck on the lips, because he didn’t feel ready for anything more right then. “Do you mind if I call Sarah and Anna? They’re Rita’s best friend and her sister. They know the kids quite well and I think their presence would comfort them. Unless, of course, that doesn’t go well with Torchwood policy.”

  Rose smiled, taking his hand. “No, that’s okay. Just give me their names and I’ll let Annie know,” she said, her tone a little wistful.

  “Just give me some time, aye?”

  “Yeah,” she said, plucking the mug from his fingers before she stood to go back inside.

  -:-

  Paul had lost the use of his legs. Dominic didn’t know If it was because of the seizures or a side effect of the alien substance itself. Neither could he say if the paralysis would wear off eventually — “If it’s due to the seizures, yes. But I cannot be sure about the alien stuff.”

  His son had regained consciousness while he’d been outside with Rose. Part of him wished he hadn’t left, but the bigger part of him was glad he had. A great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Rose’s declaration of love had reassured him a lot, even if it hadn’t been able to assuage his distrust of Torchwood. At least he felt comfortable enough now to trust this new generation of Torchwood agents. The Institute had changed a lot since the Battle at Canary Wharf, and the Glasgow branch was, if he wasn’t entirely mistaken, new. Also, he found it hard not to trust Rose and her team.

  Paul and he decided not to tell Evie and Ewan about his legs. Paul had asked him not to — he didn’t want to upset his younger siblings, but Ewan in particular who, he had noticed, blamed himself for the accident.

  “But it was just that,” Dave said, “an accident.” And when he said that he included Torchwood as well. They had overlooked the test globe; mistakes like this happened, particular if the test globe in question looked like a bird’s egg. Dominic had explained to him that the test globe had turned brittle in the sun, which was why it had broken when Paul had fallen on it. Normally, the material the globes are made of was very strong — the Sheeryan would be very grateful to know that. Dave had only nodded. It wouldn’t do Paul any good, would it?

  Chapter 33

  Jake was playing football with Ewan when Rose returned from the supermarket. They had set up a goal she had no idea Torchwood owned, and Ewan was clearly enjoying chasing Jake every which way as he tried to catch as many of the boy’s shots as possible. Rose couldn’t help thinking that Ewan was quite good and that it was little wonder that Paul had had such a hard time keeping up. Much to Jake’s dismay, Rose waved him off when he offered to help her with the groceries.

  She had decided to make the best of the situation, and the kitchen in the guest quarters, and cook for everyone so they didn’t have to rely on take-away from Tony’s too much. Their food was great, but they had dined at the restaurant several times in the past week alone and she wanted to eat something different for a change. Also, she was sure that the children in particular would appreciate some comfort food.

  “What’re ye doing!” Ewan protested as the ball sailed past a motionless Jake. He stood in the goal, as a car pulled into the gravel drive and parked next to Rose’s small Italian import. Rose lifted a crate of soft drinks out of the boot of her car and slammed the door shut.

  “We’ve got a visitor,” Jake pointed out, nodding in the direction of Rose and the woman who was climbing out of the car.

  Ewan whirled around, ever curious, and whooped when he recognised the newcomer. “Sarah!” Jake and footie practice forgotten, he launched himself at the blonde woman and threw himself into her arms. “Sarah.” He buried his face in her shoulder and clung tightly to her. So this is Rita’s best friend, Rose thought, locking her car. Jake sidled over to them and grabbed two of the paper bags of groceries.

  “Hey, Rooney junior,” Sarah said, dropping a kiss on top of Ewan’s head. She was taller than Rose, and very curvy. She looked up, rubbing Ewan’s back; he still wouldn’t let go of her, and Rose’s heart clenched as she realised how much the boy needed comforting. It was obvious that neither she nor Mickey had been able to cheer him up the previous day. Also, It was also clear that he felt so responsible that he didn’t feel like he could go to his father for comfort.

  Sarah’s eyes widened briefly as her gaze met Rose’s, the usual reaction Rose got when people recognised her. To her relief, however, Sarah seemed one of those people who overcame their surprise quickly and didn’t make much fuss about meeting a famous person. Sarah loosened her grip around her friend’s son and closed the distance between them.

  “I’m Sarah Manion, a friend of Dave’s and Rita’s,” she said, taking Rose’s hand.

  “Rose Tyler. It’s so good to have you here, Ms Manion. Dave told us you’d want to be here,” Rose said, shaking her hand.

  “Please, it’s Sarah. How is everyone?” she asked, drawing Ewan towards her with an arm around his shoulders as he sought her closeness.

  Rose smiled, looking pointedly at Ewan. “They’re doing remarkably well most of the time. Why don’t you come inside?”

  “Can I come?” Ewan asked.

  “Of course you can,” Rose said. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Ewan wanted to be punished for putting his brothe
r in the sticks. Hopefully, Sarah would be able to manage what everyone else so far — including Dave — had been unable to do: convince Ewan that it had been an accident.

  Sarah shot her an meaningful gaze that basically confirmed her thoughts. “I’d like to talk to you later, if that’s okay,” she said in the lift, still one arm around Ewan.

  “Sure,” Rose said. The way Sarah had asked suggested that she knew about her and Dave. For a moment Rose was indignant, the though crossing her mind that Dave had been looking for support in standing up to Torchwood, but then she dismissed the feeling as ridiculous. Of course he’d have told his friend about her; she had, after all, wasted no time introducing him to the Torchwood crowd. Which in hindsight seemed helpful because he knew he could trust them. If only she knew what it was about his deep-rooted distrust in Torchwood.

  When Rose slid the door to Paul’s room open, the boy was bent over a kidney dish, pressing tissues to his nose. The dish was filled with more tissues, all of them bloodstained. Dave was sitting on the edge of his bed, holding the dish and rubbing Paul’s back soothingly. Rose wondered if she’d ever enter the room when there was not some crisis. A nosebleed wasn’t what she generally called a crisis, but this was different. Once more she wished the Sheeryan had faster ships. If she had a TARDIS none of this would be a problem — although some other problem would come up instead.

  “Sarah!” Dave said, his expression lighting up as he saw his friend.

  “Hello, Dave. Hi, Paul.”

  Paul looked up briefly, but he ducked his head at once when Dave reminded him to keep it down. “It’s just a nosebleed,” Dave said, trying to sound cheerful, but he didn’t fool Rose, and neither did he Sarah. There were just too many tissues in the dish, and quite a lot of them were bright red.

  “Does Dominic know?” Rose asked, watching as Sarah relieved Dave of his duties and cuddled Paul against her. Ewan, she noticed, looked on in horror. Rose placed her hand on his shoulder in what she hoped was compassion rather than reassurance. Ewan looked at her briefly, then went to get a pair of gloves for Sarah.

  “Aye,” Dave said, about to run his hand through his hair when he remembered he was still wearing a pair of purple latex gloves. He tugged them off with an impatient gesture, but then the moment had passed and he dropped his hand by his side.

  “I’ll be in my office,” Rose said, feeling supremely helpless. Apart from taking care of Paul — which was mainly Dominic’s job — there was little to be done but await Aquiouk’s arrival. She’d never felt more frustrated in her life.

  -:-

  Rose didn’t go straight to her office, she went to the kitchen to put away the groceries first. The tub of ice-cream she’d bought had started to go soft and it needed to go into the freezer, while other things belonged in the fridge. She met Sarah in the corridor outside her office; she was about to go back to the infirmary after she’d found Rose’s office empty.

  “Do you have a minute?” Sarah asked.

  “Sure,” Rose said, smiling and gesturing for her to precede her inside. They sat on the sofa after Rose had made some tea. They had made small talk, Sarah complimenting her on the premises and her office.

  “Thank you for having me,” Sarah said eventually. “When I heard Torchwood Institute I wasn’t sure what to think.” She paused. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you hear that a lot.”

  Rose smiled, stirring her tea. “As a matter of fact, we do, but we’re different now. I suppose it’ll take some time to change people’s perception though. I’m afraid we’ll have to sort out some paperwork for you later.”

  “So, what’s wrong with Paul? I don’t want to distract the doctor, and Dave needs a break.”

  Rose jumped a little when she referred to Dominic that way; she really needed to put that behind her. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Also, you get the English version,” Rose added. They laughed briefly, the tension between them easing a bit. Rose gave Sarah the full picture, not leaving out the fact that, for the time being, Paul was paralysed from the waist down.

  Sarah’s dark eyes started to water at that, and her hand went to her mouth. “And to think that he only seemed a little under the weather Thursday night. We thought nothing of it… and now this.”

  “Please believe me when I tell you that there was no way you could have known. It was a terrible accident, and we’re doing everything to help Paul.”

  “It just seems so unfair. It’s not as if they haven’t been through enough the past few months. Dave is terrified of losing him too.”

  Rose put down her mug on the coffee table. “I know.”

  Sarah looked at her. “This might sound a bit weird but I really need to tell you this. Dave loves with all that he is when he loves someone.”

  “So I’ve noticed,” Rose said, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.

  “That makes him vulnerable. No matter how much Rita loved him, she… sometimes took his patience and mild-mannered ways for granted and did some things to him…” Her voice trailed off and Rose wondered what she was trying to tell her. Obviously, Sarah decided that it was too much too soon and she stopped herself. “You’re a very strong person, Rose.”

  Was Sarah threatening her? So much for easing the tension. But Rose could understand Sarah. Right now, Dave was at his most vulnerable, and she was being a true friend and very protective of him. Enough that she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, hold back in front of a complete stranger. Rose wasn’t sure whether to be offended or grateful that Dave had a friend like her. Lioness was what came to mind, and Rose suppressed a smile.

  “You think this is funny?” Sarah challenged.

  “No. I don’t think that at all,” Rose said evenly. “I’m glad that Dave has you for a friend. I’m not sure I’m as strong as you think I am. But I know I love him, and I’d never consciously hurt him.” And then Rose realised what it was about. Although he’d never said it outright, it was clear that Michelle and Rita had walked all over him.

  “I’m not going to take advantage of him,” Rose said bluntly. She held Sarah’s hard stare evenly. Eventually, the older woman seemed to be satisfied with what she saw and she nodded.

  “I’ve been wondering,” Rose said, deciding to show her just how she serious was about Dave, to ask her about Lucy. “Do you have a photo of Lucy?”

  Frowning, she dug for her phone in the pocket of her trousers and drew up the photo. When Rose looked at it, it was indeed Lucy smiling back at her, her arms around a petite woman whose Snow White colouring she’d inherited. So that was Rita. “Why are you asking?” Sarah asked, warily, taking back the device.

  Rose took a deep breath and explained what had happened. “I’ve been wondering whether it would be a good idea to have her here.”

  Sarah finished her tea, which must have been icy cold after so much time had passed, and stared intently at the bottom of her mug. “I think Ewan would really want her to be here. They’re very similar in many aspects. So similar, actually, that they are constantly quarrelling.”

  “I’m not sure…” Rose began. She had no idea what sibling rivalry could be like. Tony and she were too far apart age-wise and they didn’t live with each other. Rather, they adored each other.

  “They won’t admit it, of course. Dave, on the other hand, well, he blames himself for driving her away, and he’s terrified of losing her to her birth father,” Sarah explained. “So yes, I think we should have her here. She ought to know about Paul.”

  -:-

  After everyone had settled down somewhat, Dave sat in the comfortable chair he had pulled up beside Paul’s bed. They had the room to themselves, Ewan had gone back outside to play footie and Evie and Lottie out shopping for some clothes his youngest needed so badly. He wasn’t quite sure if he could trust Lottie with the task — her taste in clothes was a bit eccentric — but he had promised Evie the trip. It was bad enough he couldn’t go himself.

  “You don’t need to be here all the time, Dad,” Paul said.

 
“I want to be here,” Dave said. Paul shouldn’t be so brave about this.

  “Would you read to me?” Paul asked, gesturing with his hand at the book on his bedside table. It was the copy of Harry Potter Dave had snatched from Lucy’s shelf as he’d hurriedly packed a few things for his stay at the Institute. He’d meant to read it during his vigil, but he had been so exhausted that he’d fallen asleep in the chair.

  “Sure,” he said, smiling. For the first time in what seemed a long time Dave felt his smile reach his eyes. He loved reading to his children, but lately he’d only read to Evie. He reached for the book and when he opened it, something slipped out. It was a page torn from a magazine and a business card. Bending to pick them up, he recognised the photos he had taken of Rose at the charity event all those weeks back. Lucy had loved the photo, commenting on how lost Rose looked in it. Looking at it now, he realised that she was right. At the time, he had only seen Rose as the beautiful, mysterious woman whose life he had saved and who had recovered from her injuries so very quickly. He’d had no idea that her photo had left that much of an impression on Lucy.