He's Just There…

"Red alert, red alert…" Always that calm voice when everyone knows something bad has happened.

"What's happening? Josh?" Rose thundered into the room demanding to know what was causing the red flashing lights and sirens.

"Something's coming in on the radar. An unidentified object."

"Is it flying?"

"Um, yes. Why?"

"Then it's a UFO, a bit cliché I know but we have to state the facts."

"We're getting a picture," Josh clicked a few keys, hoping they would produce an image.

For a moment Rose hoped that it was a blue box coming in, the TARDIS, with her precious cargo inside. But it couldn't be. The Doctor could never come to save Rose from the slow lane. Never ever.

"Never say never ever…" His voice was as clear as if he was standing by her side again.

"Miss Tyler?" Josh brought her back into the reality, a word she hated so much, because of the things it involved, so many things she'd lost. She wanted to live in a dream world, with the Doctor dreaming with her.

"Oh, sorry." Rose leaned over to look at the images that had appeared on the screen.

"Get Jeff in to take a look at it, and hurry."

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Josh ran down the corridors of Torchwood. He would have called Jeff up, but you had to be careful during a red alert. The phones could be bugged. And he did prefer to deliver messages personally.

"Jeff, something's come up on the radar, signalling red alert."

"Just coming. Rose there?"

"Yes, Miss Tyler is in the control room." Jeff gave Josh a funny look. He always called Rose, Miss Tyler. He assumed that Josh just wanted to make a good impression.

"Is she OK today?" Words uttered around Torchwood everyday, with the answer given not known to be true.

"Seemed a bit lost in her own dream world."

"Nothing changes does it?"

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Rose sat in the chair at the head of Torchwood. Jeff walked in wearing his leather jacket, much like the Doctor's. Beaten and well worn, just how he liked it.

"I've looked at the area, sent the team out. They've found absolutely nothing. No alien technological crap or anything."

"Get Joanne to check out the system." Rose loved to be the boss of people.

One after the other, Jeff and Josh left, leaving Rose staring at the blank screen.

What would she be doing if she was with the Doctor? She'd be hopping from the past to the present and then to the future, all in the space of a few hours, or even minutes. But time never travels in straight lines; it twists and turns, just like the Doctor said.

A high pitched noise interrupted her thoughts, and the computer lit up, displaying the new email she had just received.

"I have recently heard about your organisation, don't ask me how. I left the police force three days ago after hearing that you dealt with alien activities and crime; a bit more exciting than my average day. Interested? Gwen Cooper."

Who the hell is Gwen Cooper? Rose picked up the phone on her desk, and dialled Josh's number. As usual, he answered before the first ring.

"Yes Miss Tyler?"

"Please stop calling me that, my name is Rose…Anyway, can you look on all the databases for a certain Gwen Cooper. She sent me an email asking for a job. It's a bit suspicious."

"Yes Miss Tyler…Sorry, Rose."

"Send me anything and everything you find. Leave nothing untouched. Search her house if necessary."

"Sure."

Rose put the phone down and stared in thought at the blank wall that loomed above her. She walked up to it, and put her ear to the wall, hoping she could hear anything from the world she was born into. So like the world she was trapped in now, but so very different.

He would know what to do, and he was just on the other side. Just there.

But he was so far away.

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