Earth Grazer || Doctor Who

III. Incessant Questions

Bold = French

Italics = Thoughts

Ella's eyes sprung open the next morning when Rose's alarm clock went off at exactly 7:30, Rose went back to sleep almost immediately, but Ella could never sleep for long in an unfamiliar place. Sneaking out of the bedroom she saw Rose's mom watching tv in their living room.

Jackie offered Ella a cup of tea that she gratefully accepted and sat down to watch the morning news with her.

"Surprised you're up, Ella. It's so early." Jackie observed the brunette's droopy eyes when the news hour was over, the tired girl stood up to take a quick shower.

"Did my dad happen to call ... at any time?" Ella awkwardly wondered after stepping out of the bathroom, wearing the navy-blue long-sleeved shirt and the lighter blue skinny jeans she packed the previous night. Using the towel that she borrowed Ella patted her hair until it stopped dripping.

"No. I'm sorry, luv." Jackie apologized with a wince.

"Wow, after hearing my job blew up you would think he would at least be a bit concerned about his only child." Ella mumbled as Jackie thought about her longtime simmering anger over how Ella's dad ignores her. If I ever meet him in real life, I'm gonna smack him into next year.

"What did you two get up to last night? I heard you giggling up until 3 am." Jackie changed the subject and looked at her own daughter who answered the question.

"Oh, that. Ella stole some alcohol from her dad." Rose rubbed her temples in an attempt to calm the throbbing.

"I was going to take the Dalmore 62. But he would've killed me. I think only 12 bottles were made. Or, so he tells me." Ella replied from the recliner across the living room, Jackie moved to the kitchen with her coffee mug.

"There's Finch's. You could try them. They've always got jobs." Jackie suggested beginning to throw out ideas of employment for Rose to consider as she was pouring herself a cup of tea and Ella silently wondered if the Tyler's had coffee.

"Oh, great. The butchers." Rose grumbled unenthusiastically while playing around with a red and yellow apple as Jackie came back in and sat at the table next to her daughter.

"Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about compensation. At least Ella doesn't have to worry about getting another job soon." Jackie sipped her tea.

"I still like the mind-numbing work that comes with a job." Jackie nodded her head and looked back at her daughter as she stood up and began walking towards her bedroom. "It helps quiet the screaming in my head."

"You two have had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek!" Jackie raised her voice a little bit from inside of her bedroom. "I know she is Greek, but that's not the point. It was a valid claim."

Ella's dark eyes shot over to the door of the apartment as the cat flap wiggled and shook, Rose didn't hear it, preoccupied with staring intently at her apple. Slowly walking over to the door, Ella got on her knees and looked through the cat flap, she jumped when a familiar face stared back at her.

"What're you doing here?" The blue-eyed doctor asked when she quickly pulled the door open.

"Skydiving, Stranger. What are YOU doing here?" Ella shot back at him, crossing her arms to hopefully look more intimidating as she felt Rose approach cautiously from behind her.

"Well, what do you do that for? Do you realize how impractical it is to skydive in an apartment building?" He asked with confusion thick in his voice.