A/N: This is crossover event from Torchwood, Broadchurch and Doctor Who - three shows that I adore. Hope you like it.
She had a theory.
A theory that could make her seem crazy to other people.
A theory that would seem completely barmy, but she swore it was valid.
The universe was against her. Today of all days and the universe was against her. Someone with special powers was doing this on purpose. She must have pissed off someone. Maybe it was telekinesis. An alien with telekinesis that watched her and knew exactly what to do to wind her up. As if she didn't have enough stress at the moment. All the good things she has done and this happened.
"Where the hell did I put it?" she shouted and then realised there was no one around to answer her.
One minute, her phone was on the chair and the next it was gone. Rose could feel herself getting more and more frustrated. She searched through her drawers, flinging clothes behind her, desperate to find a stupid thing she had not moments ago.
The silly thing was that it was only a small two bed room flat. It couldn't have gone far, it's not like it grew legs and walked off. Then again… stranger things have happened.
Rose trudged into the living room, her eyes surveying the room. She fell back on the sofa and felt something poking her in the back. She turned and found her phone behind a cushion. She sighed, exasperated, but nearly jumped as the phone rang in her hands. Rose took a deep breath and answered.
"Hello?" she asked.
"There you are. I've been trying to reach you for days now" Said Jackie's shrill voice on the other end.
"Sorry mum, I've been busy"
"Working again, I presume. You know that boss of yours works you too hard" Jackie said.
Rose knew this conservation was going to take a while by the tone of her mother's voice. She walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboard door, searching for coffee. She bit her lip when she saw that the cupboards were bare all except a couple of tins of soup. I really need to go shopping, she thought. She silently cursed all the takeaways she'd be having recently.
"He doesn't and I love my job" Rose protested, closing the cupboard. She knew her mother would ignore her. Tyler women were always very stubborn.
"You really need to come home and see your mother. Mickey really wants to see you. We both miss you..."
Rose listened carefully but she had heard it all before. A worried mother that didn't understand the new direction of her daughter's life. Her eyes glanced around the room, until they fell on the spare bedroom door. She stepped closer, while Jackie was chatting away on the other end of the line. Rose came to the door and inside was a couple of cardboard boxes. Her heart sank and feelings of dread flooded her mind.
"Rose? Rose, are you listening to me?"
Rose shut the door and returned her attention to the phone call. "Yeah, I'm here"
"Sweetheart, I know you have a really difficult time in the last few months, but this move was so sudden…" her voice trailed off, trying to think of what to say next.
"I appreciate your concern but I'm fine. I will be home soon and I like it here. It's good for me. It's just … there's nothing there for me anymore not since" Rose pulled a strand of her hair behind her ears and added "I love you and I miss you so much. But I'm better off here"
There was knock at the door and Rose spun around. "Mum, I have to go. I'll talk to you later on"
Jackie sighed, giving up. "Okay. Love you too".
Rose hung up the phone and answered the door. Standing there was Captain Jack Harkness with a cheeky smile on his face.
"Hello, boss" Rose said, smiling back at him "Got another case for me?"
Ellie Miller was many things. Brave. Smart. And thankfully tolerate of her boss's annoying habits. Everyone else in the office found him to be… well something that should never be used in polite conservation. But his time in Broadchurch had changed him for the better. But now and again she could still throw something at his head, if the wind blew in the right direction.
Ellie found him in his office, flicking through his small, black notebook.
"Remind me why I stayed here?" he said, taking off his glasses, sounding more irritated than usual.
"The sea air?" Ellie suggested.
Alec glared at her, raising an eyebrow. Ellie stepped closer, trying to hide her smile.
"Miller, tell me we have something."
"Yeah, we just got a missing person's call"
Alec jumped to his feet, grabbed his jacket and left his office before Ellie could say another word.
"You coming?" she heard him shout.
"Some things never change" Ellie mumbled.
Rose and Jack were arm in arm, strolling down the streets of Cardiff, completely relaxed. No one could have guessed what they did from day-to-day. The pressures they had to endure. All the tough decisions that had to be made, which is one of the reasons Rose was glad that she was not in charge. She had a lot of respect for Jack.
"So, Jackie, still kicking up a fuss then?" Jack asked her.
"Yeah, I feel guilty for leaving her alone and everything. I mean with dad gone, it's just her"
"I thought she was dating some guy called Howard?"
"Nah, that ended last Christmas" Rose told him. "Difference of opinion, she said"
"Oh, I'll bet"
Rose nudged him in the side playfully as they got closer to the docks.
Inside the hub, Gwen was typing furiously on the computer keyboard.
"I don't think that will make the system work any faster" came a sarcastic voice behind her.
Gwen spun around to see Ianto wheeling towards her. Her gaze wandered towards the faded cuts on his face down to his broken leg and then to the wheelchair that he was forced to stay in for the time being. She winced at the memory, remembering how much pain he was in.
"Gwen, I'm up here" he retorted, pointing to his face. She smiled at him and returned to the computer screen.
"What are you looking at?"
"Something I think Jack needs to see… I just need to…"
Before she could complete her sentence, she heard the familiar American accent in the distance.
"… And that's when I said a fire extinguisher would never work". Jack entered the room with Rose next to him, both giggling at his story.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear" said Ianto.
Jack grinned and kissed the top of Ianto's head. Rose strolled next to Gwen staring at the screen. "What's this?"
"Trouble" Gwen replied.
Jack placed his hand on Ianto's shoulder, stroking it softly, but his eyes were on the girls. "Well, trouble is my middle name"
Gwen frowned at him and his grin faded, becoming more serious. "Okay, what is it?" Rose pointed at the screen and gaped at the images that were now loading.
"Oh, my…" she held her hand to her mouth.
Jack dashed to the screen. His eyes widened, alert. This was no longer a laughing game. "Just another day at the job".
Not too far away, a blue car pulled up into a quiet street. Alec and Ellie stepped out and trudged towards a small house. In the distance, an elderly woman was talking to her neighbour, but as soon as they saw the two officers their gaze became dark and uninviting.
Alec knew to ignore it but Ellie is still getting use to the town's opinion of her. The murder of Danny was nearly a year ago and she was still being judged by the actions of her ex-husband. Hearing the whispers, she quickened her pace and led the way to the front door.
"Don't let it in" Alec muttered.
"How can I not?" Ellie retorted.
She knocked and waited for an answer. A couple of minutes later, a young woman with short red hair opened the door. Her eyes were puffy from where she had cried.
"Helen Jones?" asked Ellie, her voice calmer. She needed to keep her professional attitude.
The woman nodded and Ellie entered the house first. Alec turned to see the neighbours glaring at him, mumbling to each other. He stared back for a second and followed Ellie. All part of the job, he thought.