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The first thing she did was fly to Geneva. Once the crisis was contained and UNIT was back in order, she left. No explanations. No warning. Maybe that was the perk of being in charge—no one could demand answers. She didn’t think twice about it; she just did it. She boarded a plane and didn’t look back. And it felt good to finally do something for herself, after all those years.
She ignored the several messages she found waiting for her as soon as her plane landed. Except for Ruby, who was letting her know she had arrived safely in Malta. That text, she answered, letting the young woman know she was here for her, should she need it.
After all, it was Ruby who had inspired her to do this. Her words had rung in her ears on a loop, drowning everything else until she couldn’t avoid them anymore.
Everything I’ve seen, the good and the bad… I just need some time to get my head around it. Away from everyone.
And that’s exactly what Kate had done. She had flown to Geneva, not to meet her reckoning for her actions, but to do something more important.
Kate sighed and then put her phone away. She was standing in front of a door, frozen in place. All she had to do was push it, but it felt like nothing short of a Herculean task. Now that she was finally here, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. How long had it been? Years—too many. A couple of phone calls here and there, but nothing significant. Nothing like what they used to have. Maybe this was foolish. Perhaps she shouldn’t have come. Dropping in unannounced, hoping things could go back to the way they were, while also knowing it was impossible. But she had come this far, and she wasn’t leaving without trying.
She pushed the door open, her heart pounding.
And there she was.
Osgood.
She hadn’t changed—not one bit. Brown hair pulled back, hunched over her work station, tinkering with something alien. It was like no time had passed. And just like that, Kate was pulled back: the long nights, the laughter, the endless cups of coffee. The exhaustion. The comfort. The home they’d made between battles. Her head was swirling with memories of a happier time — a simpler one, too.
She took a step forward. The click of her heels echoed in the room.
Osgood looked up. Their eyes met.
"Kate?" she whispered.
That frown. That voice. Even that slight squint behind the glasses. She hadn’t realised how much she had missed it. How much she had missed her . Kate smiled—genuinely, for the first time in what felt like years.
"Inhaler," she said gently, the old habit slipping into place.
Her heart clenched; she hadn’t realised how much she had missed saying that word. Osgood reached for it automatically. Two puffs. Then silence.
"I just thought I might finally come to see an old friend," Kate added, her voice wavering slightly.
And it was the truth, albeit not the complete one. She stepped closer, her hand twitching with the impulse to reach out. But she stopped herself, fingers curling into a fist. Too much. Too fast. Too inappropriate. She crossed her arms, holding the urge down. Instead, her eyes fell onto Osgood once more.
"It’s so good to see you, Osgood." She whispered.
She tried. She tried to keep the wobble of her lips in check, to keep her tone even and composed, to hold together the polished armour she wore so well. But it cracked—inevitably, visibly—and Osgood noticed. Of course, she did. She always did.
The younger woman tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowing with quiet concern. Behind the lenses of her glasses, her eyes were soft, searching. She said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes—a kind of patience Kate had always admired, and at times resented, for how deeply it saw.
Then, gently, Osgood closed the space between them. She reached out, her hand settling lightly on Kate’s arm—a simple gesture, yet it felt monumental. Kate blinked in surprise. Osgood wasn’t one for physical contact. She always kept a respectful distance, careful not to overstep. And yet here she was, standing close, her touch anchoring Kate with a gentleness that cut straight through her defences.
"Kate — is everything alright?" The brunette asked softly.
No, she wanted to say, but the word lodged in her throat, heavy and unmoving. Instead, she looked away, her gaze slipping from Osgood’s face—too much to bear, too honest—and drifted across the room. It was easier to find refuge in the surroundings, in the space that felt so intrinsically hers. The lab was calm, ordered, and lived-in. Osgood’s favourite mug — the same one she had had for years- was on the right side of her desk. Kate moved toward it slowly, her steps soft against the floor. Her eyes were drawn, almost magnetically, to a small photograph propped beside the mug. The frame was plain, but the image inside was anything but. Two Osgoods were smiling at the camera — one in her signature cardigan and specs, the other a near-identical mirror. Her heart clenched in her chest at the mere sight of it, reminding her of the past. She reached for it and studied the image in silence, her eyes tracing every familiar curve, every frozen expression. This picture held so many memories — not necessarily good ones. She closed her eyes, and images flashed in her mind. Her hand, above the button. The Doctor, trying to make her see reason. Osgood’s face — begging her not to press it. Kate’s breath caught, her throat tightening. She set the photo back down, carefully, as though any abrupt movement might crack the glass and everything it represented.
"You seem to have settled here quite well." She found herself saying.
"I have," Osgood replied, behind her.
Her tone carried no warmth, no joy. It was a simple statement, the truth — and yet so much more. Between those two simple words, Kate could almost hear, "It wasn’t what I wanted.” And Kate was suddenly at a loss for words. Part of her wanted to apologise for forcing her to leave UNIT HQ. Another knew exactly why she had done it. But before she could even contemplate what to reply, Osgood cleared her throat.
"Kate. Why are you here? You don’t do courtesy visits." Her tone was not accusatory but somewhat confused and… worried. Kate looked away, once more, trying to escape those brown eyes that could see right through her. But Osgood’s hand found her arm once more. "What’s wrong? I know something happened. I know you .”
Kate closed her eyes, the pressure behind her eyelids building like a tide threatening to breach. A wave of emotion surged up, hot and relentless, catching in her throat and clenching in her chest. The walls of the lab now pressed in around her, too close, too quiet. The air thickened, heavy with everything unsaid. Her breath came shallow; she felt like she was drowning in her own emotions.
Her fingers curled at her sides, nails digging into her palms, grasping for anything solid to tether her. But it wasn’t enough.
And then, Osgood’s voice anchored her back into the present, soft, gentle, caring.
"Come on, let’s go outside.”
The quiet beauty of Geneva spread far and wide before her. From the rooftop, the lake glittered under the waning sun, its fountain catching golden light in arcs. The old buildings below held their centuries of stories, and the streets thrummed gently with late-afternoon life—distant laughter, café clatter, the faint clang of trams. That sight seemed to make her feel calmer; she often forgot why she was doing her job, but here, in the quietness of the late afternoon, she remembered. She was keeping them safe — all those people, with their heartaches and their jobs, their hopes and disappointments. Kate held the tea in both hands, drawing warmth from the cup. Osgood had brewed it just as she liked—strong, a swirl of milk, no sugar. She hadn't even needed to ask.
She sighed. So much had changed, and yet, it felt like they hadn’t. And this was the kind of comfort she needed right now, more than ever.
"You are right.” Kate found herself saying after a while, breaking the easy silence between them. "I came here for a reason.” She took a deep breath, unable to look at the woman by her side. "I came here to ask you to come back to London. To come back and work with me.”
There, she had said it. The truth, unfiltered. And she didn’t look at Osgood — she couldn’t face her yet. Instead, her gaze remained on the steady line of the horizon, lost beyond.
Silence stretched, filling her with dread and hope all at once.
"Kate…” Osgood said. There was something sad in her voice, and Kate couldn’t bear it.
"I know. I know I sent you here in the first place, and I was wrong.” She looked down at her cup of tea, slowly getting colder, losing herself in the swirls of milk. "I was so wrong.” She repeated, almost to herself, as if admitting it for the first time — at loud, at least. And then, she finally made eye contact with Osgood as she whispered: "Please.”
Osgood fell silent, her eyes searching Kate’s. And the older woman let her. She let her see the vulnerability, the fear, the worry in her soul. She let her walls crumble down and put off the mask she had always worn. This was Osgood, her friend, her partner, her — she stopped her thoughts, swallowing a lump down her throat.
"Kate, what happened?” Osgood asked, her eyes filled with concern.
And bathed under the warmth of those brown eyes, Kate couldn’t find the strength to resist. She didn't want to anymore.
"I went too far. Someone got hurt. And I didn’t do anything to stop it.” She admitted, her voice shaky as she tried to will away the tears forming in her eyes. "The others — the team. They tried to. They did. But I didn’t listen. I didn’t want to listen. I was angry and resentful, and I —” She stopped, and shook her head. She couldn’t tell the younger woman what she had done, how she had stood, looking at him, how she wanted him to hurt. "It scared me.” She whispered. "How far I was willing to go to make him pay…”
The words felt heavy as they left her mouth — a truth she had been trying to run away from. But here, with Osgood by her side, she couldn’t lie anymore. She didn’t want to. And so she told her everything. What Conrad had done, what he had said to her — how she had reacted. She told the younger woman everything —both the good and the bad —but most importantly, the ugly truth.
"Oh, Kate…” The scientist whispered, her hand hovering near her shoulder, but not quite touching her.
Kate desperately needed it. She needed Osgood to anchor her, as she had done before. And when the young woman’s hand finally came to rest on her shoulder, Kate placed her own on top of hers, fingers trembling slightly. Osgood’s skin was warm — steadying. The contact sent a quiet jolt through her, grounding her, anchoring her. She turned to face her.
"That’s why I need you by my side. That’s why I’ve always needed you. You are the only one who dares call me out and can prevent me from going too far.”
Another silence, filled with memories of arguments, fights. And Osgood — always Osgood, guiding her towards what was right.
"I know I’m selfish.” Kate continued, her grip on her cup of tea tightening. "I sent you here in the first place, despite your wishes. And now I’m asking you to come back, to uproot your life for me — and it’s not fair.”
"I —” Osgood began, but Kate didn’t let her finish. She couldn’t bear to hear her say no. And she knew that’s exactly what she would say. How could she not? Her hand squeezed around the brunette’s.
"I’m lost, Osgood. I don’t know who I am anymore.” Kate whispered. "I don’t want to become a monster — I can’t…”
The words hung between them, suspended in the still air. She stopped, unable to force the rest out. The ache in her throat thickened, threatening to choke her if she spoke again. She could feel her control slipping, the weight of everything pressing down harder now that it was spoken aloud. Her fingers tightened around the cooling cup in her hands, knuckles paling as she struggled to keep from shaking.
She couldn’t afford to collapse. Not here. Not now. The image she’d built—unshakable, dependable—was cracking, and though she tried to hold the pieces together with sheer force of will, she felt herself crumbling.
Osgood turned her, gently but firmly, and for a moment Kate resisted—embarrassed, ashamed. But when their eyes met, the younger woman’s expression held nothing but quiet strength.
"That is not who you are,” Osgood said, and there was no hesitation in her voice. No doubt. That certainty startled Kate more than the words themselves. "The fact that you feel guilty about what happened is proof enough. Kate — You are not becoming a monster.”
She wanted to believe her. She wanted so badly to reach out and clutch the lifeline being offered. But Osgood hadn’t seen her at her worst. She hadn’t seen what had flickered behind Kate’s eyes in that moment—what she might have done…
Kate opened her mouth, a protest forming, a truth she didn’t want to speak—but Osgood continued, not giving her the chance.
"You gave up so much for UNIT. All your life, you protected it with everything you had… And after all those years, it’s still standing, Kate. Because of you. Because of everything you do, all day, every day. What happened with Conrad — It wasn’t right. It wasn’t the way. But I can’t blame you for reacting the way you did. It’s hard not to let emotions get the best of you when someone threatens what you love.”
Love. That hopeful, awful word. Their eyes met—a quiet understanding. Osgood knew. She knew why she had been sent away, where no one could touch her. Kate took a shaky breath, as everything was laid bare between them.
"Everything I did… I was never alone. You were there, always. From the very beginning.” She whispered.
Osgood smiled — a gentle, warm smile.
"And I’ll be here until the end.” The brunette assured her.
It struck Kate like a promise, deeper than anything she had hoped for. A tether to something steady. Something real. And just like that, she felt the faintest flicker of hope stirring inside her again. Fragile, yes—but alive.
"But from here, in Geneva.” Osgood finally added.
The shoe dropped. Hope vanished as quickly as it had bloomed. But Kate couldn’t blame the brunette. She had brought this upon herself. She had pushed her away, unable to bear the mere idea of her getting hurt. She had sent her away — Why would Osgood come back, after everything?
"I understand,” Kate whispered, unable to mask the disappointment and pain in her tone.
Silence fell once more. The golden hour softened the hard lines of their faces, casting long shadows across the rooftop. The sun, low on the horizon, seemed to burn a little brighter just before it disappeared, as if reluctant to let the day end. But Kate couldn’t find the strength to leave just yet. And then, slowly, Osgood’s hand reached for hers tentatively.
"I have, however, some holidays that are long overdue…” The younger woman said with a smile.
Kate looked at her in disbelief, her eyes widening. And then, she smiled too, her fingers squeezing Osgood’s. Warmth bloomed in her chest, unexpected and fragile, like sunlight after a long storm. The ache she’d carried for so long didn’t vanish, but it softened, edged out by something quieter. Something close to peace.