On the run

Chapter 9

Lunch over, Rose asked Steve if he wanted to walk down to the pond with her.

"So, this is quite a big estate then?" Steve asked her.

"A few acres. Pete has patrols at night, lucky you didn't see them last night?" She saw the worried look on his face. "I was joking with ya. They were told someone would be bringing me back and as long as you went out of the front door, they would have left you alone."

"So they would have been onto me had you shown me out of the kitchen door?" Steve tried to joke.

"Aw, I'd only have done that if you'd tried anything else."

"So the kiss wasn't so bad then? I've never known you to have a boyfriend, well at least while I've been at Torchwood anyway. How come you dated Mickey?"

"I'd just arrived here, Pete already knew him of course and Mickey was just trying help me settle in. He got too much though, I could hardly breath sometimes."

"He was jealous even then?"

"You could say that. Are you the jealous type?"

"If I said yes?" Steve joked. "No, it's been a while since I had a girlfriend, well not since university, well nothing serious. You don't trust me though?"

"I want to, honestly but with things being as they are."

"I totally understand. It's just bad timing then?" He took a chance and sat her on the wall surrounding the garden pond and fountain. "So, if I were to try again?" he asked, leaning over.

Rose wasn't so sure but it had been a long time since she let anyone get close.

"I'm not sure Steve, it's just how I feel. Pete wanted to talk to you later."

"I guessed that was why you invited me? I want to be your friend Rose, really I do but we've been on opposing sides and I know it's not easy for you to trust me. Maybe we should leave this for now but I want you to think about going out with me, once Pete agrees to let me back."

"Yeah, I'll think about it. We should go back now."

"Yes but if Pete does agree, say you'll go out with me next Friday night?"

"We'll see yeah? I'm not saying no but what if Pete does let you back? Everyone knows we were on opposing sides."

"Let them talk, why should we care? Yvonne's not bothered about me now, I'm out as far as she's concerned and she wasn't interested in anyone's relationships outside work. As long as we keep it low-key, no-one will notice."

"They did the other day."

"So what? You told them off," Steve smiled.

"Well they shouldn't be so nosy, should they?" Rose grinned.

While Rose was out with Steve, Pete was considering letting him back onto their side, just to see how far he would go. He knew Steve would be playing both sides but giving a bit of false information to Yvonne may have its benefits. If she thought he was spying for her, she would expect him to offer to work both ways and no-one was going to win this. He got his phone out and called Jake.

"Sorry to bother you on a Sunday," Pete apologized.

"No worries where Rose is concerned. I was just taking a few hours off but I think we should go with the training exercise for the cannon project."

"That's what I was calling about but we have another problem. Steve's here, trying to make friends with Rose."

"Oh. I thought she'd have seen through him?"