To say Rose was taken aback was a bit of an understatement. Alec leaned over and kissed her, gently at first until she responded and kissed him back.

"What was that for?" asked a confused Rose, moving away to get out of his bed, thinking she had just made a very big mistake at letting him lead her there in the first place. "I should slap you silly for that."

"Well get it over with then. I am sorry if I assumed too much but I really hate not knowing where I stand. We could spend the next few days wondering if it's the right thing to do or not, I just thought it would save time. Besides, you did not seem to object, you kissed me back."

"I hate men who force themselves on me."

"Then I apologise and if you want to leave in the morning, I can't stop you but what are your alternatives eh? You are on your own Rose, some other man will only take advantage of you, maybe someone from the garage will offer you a discount to sleep with him, who knows?"

"I told ya, no-one will like the fact I have a six month old baby tagging along on a date."

"Who said anything about them asking you on a date? They won't care you have a baby, they will just use you for what they want then dump you."

"Yeah, I had enough of that, thanks very much."

"You think James used you?"

"I don't know now so much. He never actually said he loved me first, I always said it and he'd say 'you too' but I don't know now. It was bound to happen, us two travelling around like that but we got pushed together now I think about it. I think he liked me but it was forced on us after that night in Norway. If that hadn't happened, we'd have probably gone our separate ways when we got back."

Alec touched her arm, Rose not attempting to move it.

"Rose, I am very sorry for my actions just now but you are alone, with a young baby and you need someone to take care of you."

"Well Mickey offered to do that," she sighed, leaning back on the pillow, too tired to fight this now it had happened.

James had never kissed her like that, in fact she had been the one to initiate anything and after two months of being pregnant, James had never even attempted to have sex with her, mainly because she was going through the being sick period. Then after Jack came along, she had bought him something as a joke when some friends had goaded them about getting back into having it again and he'd only used two, once when they had been out after Jack's naming ceremony and when Rose had persuaded him to let her get a babysitter and they went out on New Year's Eve.

So to say she needed some attention in that department was also an understatement since it was now into April.

"You look like James," she dared say to him, to get his reaction and get it over with since if she ever was brave enough to let her mother meet him, Jackie Tyler would come right out with it.

Alec had turned onto his back, his arms behind his head again, not knowing what to say. He had driven her away within a few hours of them meeting, as he always did.

"Is that meant to make me feel better or to tell me something else?"

"I just thought you should know, that's all."

"Is that all? I expect you will leave in the morning then? I won't stop you but think about it first eh? You can't stay in a one-roomed boarding house with Jack for however long it takes to pay for your car repairs, they will want a deposit on any work they do, it will cost at least twenty pounds a night just for a room, let alone food and anything Jack needs. Maybe if you are lucky you can rent a caravan but they can get expensive depending on the season. Look, forget the kiss, I'll not presume anything else again and you stay here like we talked about, you will have the house to yourself during the day and when I get home, I will go to my room."

"It's your house Alec, I can stay in my room."

"Very well. So are we agreed?"

"It wasn't that bad."

"What? You are confusing me Rose, what are you saying?"

"That I could do a lot worse than you but you do remind me of James, well apart from the beard."

"I can assure you the beard is staying. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't want you to think if I stay, it's because you look like him. I'm over him, if there was ever anything to get over. I was happy, well reasonably, apparently he wasn't."

"Then he was a fool not to love you back and he does not deserve you. I meant it Rose, men will take advantage of you now you are on your own and they will not be so understanding as I am."

"Why are you doing this? Is it because your family broke up?"

"No, not entirely but you do need someone to watch out for you, while you are in the town, I thought maybe you would let that be me? I will speak to Miller tomorrow, I will offer to finish decorating her loft for her so she can maybe let you stay there until you can leave town and I will still pay for your car repairing if you look after the house."

"She doesn't even know me."

"Neither do I but I would like to get to know you, if you would let me? I made a big mistake trying to kiss you but I wanted to prove to you that you are not considered as my hired help."

Rose let out a giggle. "Yeah? Sorry but it sounded that way to me."

"That was not my intention, I promise you. Hang on, you were testing me? To see how I would react? That was not fair Rose."

Rose turned onto her side to face him.

"I had to see what your intentions were, detective inspector, you may be a police officer but how did I know I could trust you?"

"You think I make a habit out of rescuing young women when their car breaks down and offer to pay for the repairs? I can assure you, you are the first. I think it should be me who is offended."

"Ouch! I guess we both got our wires crossed? You're right though, what if the bloke in the garage is big, burly and gruff and says he'll repair my car for free if I sleep with him?"

"That is exactly my point, how will you be able to say no for getting your car fixed for free?"

"You're the one offering to get my car fixed for free. My mum always says better the devil you know than the one you don't."

"I thought Kylie said that?" Alec smiled, turning to face her, remembering Daisy had found the record and played it constantly when she was seven years old and he'd finally hidden it while she was at school, resulting in her not talking to him for a week but it had been worth it for some peace and quiet, as much as he loved her.

"Friends?" Rose asked, putting her hand on his arm.

"Yes, friends. Go back to your room, if you want?"

"You invited me, you just caught me by surprise, that's all."

"So you did not really object?"

"You could have said something first."

"Oh, then maybe I should have invited you on a date as well? You are hard work Rose Tyler."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You have no idea Alec Hardy, do you know what you are taking on?"

He put his hand on her shoulder, her pyjama top being loose around the neck that his thumb touch her bare skin.

"I would not have offered you a job and a place to stay otherwise."

"About the job," Rose asked, not attempting to move his hand that had now found more bare skin. "Does it have to sound like you are employing me? Can't we say I'm just a friend who is staying with you?"

"Yes, I did not mean it to sound like I was employing you, you said you did not want to be the hired help. What really happened with you and James? Did he make you feel that way?"

"Everything was fine, or so I thought but he obviously didn't see it the same as I did. He told everyone I was his girlfriend, I referred to him as my partner. Forget it Alec, I see him for a few hours once a month to hand Jack over to him, that's it, there is no chance we will get back together again."

Alec leaned forward and kissed her forehead. His beard felt soft as it touched and he slipped his other arm under her and around her waist.

"So the kiss wasn't that bad then?"

Rose let herself relax into his shoulder, noting how good it actually felt and she was going to turn him down, what was she thinking? James hadn't really shown that much affection, them getting thrown together that night had been a huge mistake but she didn't regret having Jack, when he was awake, he was a happy enough baby and she'd done the best she could with him, under the circumstances. It hadn't helped having to keep him out of her mother's way, now she had a chance of at least a temporary home and a proper cot for him to sleep in and she didn't have to share a room with him.

Alec had made a good point in her being tired of trying to talk to her mother and having baby conversations either to Jack or about him.

"No, the kiss was rather nice, I'm just tired Alec, it's been a really long day. Maybe we can talk about this tomorrow?"

"Yes, if you are not going to pack while I am at work?"

"No, I accept the offer as long as you don't tell people I'm your housekeeper?"

"Now you are teasing me. My DS will tell me I need my head seeing to but apart from that, she will help you with things for Jack if she can. I meant it Rose, please, make yourself at home here, for as long as you want. I don't want you to worry about getting your car back, I will take care of the gruff mechanic."

Rose smiled to herself and buried her head into his shoulder as he put his arm around her. She tried to look up to him so he moved his head.

"Can we try again? The kiss I mean."

A few more kisses later, Rose was leaning into him again and fell asleep, Alec staying awake and wondering where all this was leading. Would she stay after her car was fixed and she had paid him off by looking after his cottage? Maybe it wasn't a coincidence he'd been passing just as she had been waiting for her car engine to cool down, what were the chances?

He gently removed his arm from around her waist and she moved slightly so he could get it around her shoulder, his other one around her back.

"Alec?"

"Shush, go to sleep."

"Wake me if Jack starts crying."

He had no intentions of doing so, he could attend a crying baby, he'd had enough experience with Daisy. Her so-called partner had left her to do everything and while he'd done most of it with Tess working different hours to what he'd done, she had still been there.

Rose panicked slightly when she woke up in a strange bed, alone. Had Alec had to dash off for something work related? She'd have to get used to him being called out in the middle of the night or early morning, she was in no position to argue he stayed at home and let someone else attend. Getting her dressing gown on, she went to the bathroom, since all was quiet in Jack's room, the door still open slightly but when she went in, the portable cot was empty.

She'd not looked at the time so she picked up her mobile she'd left to see it was only just seven. The baby bag was open and another bottle was missing along with the tin of baby milk, a packet of baby cereal and a feeding bowl.

Alec had woken up half an hour before and slipped out of bed without disturbing her when he'd heard a noise from the baby's room, Rose having left both doors open so he meant to pick up a baby monitor if Miller didn't have one and putting some jogging bottoms over his shorts, had gone in to see Jack laid on his back playing with a teddy bear Rose had left him to sleep with.

"Hello there young man, you are awake early. Let's see if you need changing eh? Your mum will have to get you some better nappies, won't she?"

Jack just gurgled and held his arms out to be picked up, which Alec thought was good instead of him screaming the place down for his mother to attend him. He put the baby on the half made bed and went in the packet of nappies she'd left out, then went to get the baby wipes and was pleased there wasn't much of a mess as he'd thought there would be. Then he got a clean vest, a top and some pull on bottoms and dressed Jack, then used a bag she had left out for the nappies and picking up the young boy, held him in one arm and took the bag to the bathroom litter-bin.

He went back in the bedroom, deciding he'd come back up for the things he'd need and went downstairs and put Jack in the stroller, the boy just gurgling at him and making noises then went back upstairs and took what he needed to feed the boy after switching on the kettle. Alec thought he'd try Jack on the baby cereal and if not, he'd have to make up a bottle but he remembered Daisy drinking normal milk at that age so making the cereal, he got the milk out of the fridge to warm up a bit while he attempted to feed the cereal to the eager baby who was sat in his stroller and kicking his legs, leaning forward to take the offered food after Alec picked up the bib that was left from last night.

Rose had gone to get dressed and went downstairs to hear Alec talking to her son.

"Now, you are going to eat this, are you not?" Alec was asking as Jack opened his mouth. "You are not going to spit it out, are you?"

"You two seem to have come to an understanding?" Rose greeted Alec, putting her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

It was a far cry from the mornings she'd had recently and those where James had not gone out early, which she now knew was to avoid feeding and changing his son.

"Does he drink normal milk yet?"

"Yeah, long as it's not really cold. Hey you, are you being good for Uncle Alec?" she asked the smiling Jack.

"Don't call me that, Miller used to tell her son that."

"Then what do I call you in front of him?" Rose asked as she offered to take over but he refused.

"He's not old enough to call me anything yet but I now know the reason he has taken to me."

"You think he believes you're his dad?"

"The thought did occur to me."

"He's not seen him for two weeks Alec. Want some tea and toast?"

"Thanks. Yes, it may be two weeks to you and I but to a baby, it may just as well be yesterday. Rose, I'm fine with it, really, let's not go into that again eh? You were good enough to tell me, I respect that and we won't talk about it again, agreed?"

"Yeah. You'd best get ready for work."

"I will finish what I started, eh Jack?"

Jack gurgled again and kicked his legs, trying to grab one of his feet and Alec tickled it, making Jack giggle.

"What are you planning for today then?" Alec asked her as she waited for the toast. "I think he may want his milk now."

Rose handed the bottle over and kissed Alec's cheek again. "You're really good with him, he normally won't let his gran near him on a morning."

"Well I am not his gran, am I? Maybe if she is always avoiding him, he knows it. Babies are very sensitive. Did he spend any time with her?"

"Not much, she was around and would pick him up now and then, a bit like James really but the last two visits Jack had with his dad went down well, according to James."

"Yes, well now he does not have the responsibility, does he? You just did not see it Rose, admit it. Now he's free again, having a son he can hand back at the end of the day is more to his liking. He was right to admit he wasn't cut out to be a dad, it's better than him being a bad one."

"I expect he did his best."

"Come on Rose, there are natural parents and those who keep their distance, James was one of them. Is letting him see Jack once a month a good idea?"

"How can you say that Alec? I get that your daughter was taken away from you but that wasn't yours or her choice, was it? James has to take some of the responsibility or like I said, he may stop seeing us altogether and I want Jack to know him, since I never knew mine. It's the same as what happened to me Alec, I barely remember my dad, I don't intend for Jack to go through life not knowing who his father is."

"I'm not suggesting you do," Alec replied, now supporting the bottle Jack had both his tiny hands on and was drinking away. "Fine, you stick to your arrangement, if James is willing to travel but if he agreed to you moving away, maybe he is trying to tell you something?"

"What? Such as he wants an excuse not to see us?"

"Think about it Rose. Jack, you are not going to get any more out of that, are you?" he asked, pulling the almost empty bottle away and Jack pulling a face like he was going to start crying.

Instead, the boy held his arms out for Alec to lift him out of the stroller. Rose went for him but Jack just settled against the back again, waving his arms at Alec.

"Come on Jack, he has to go to work."

"I have plenty of time though at this rate, I may have to take the day off, eh young man? Come here then," he told the boy, unfastening the straps that he'd managed to work out how they fitted together, a much more complicated arrangement than Daisy's had been, albeit fifteen years ago or so.

"Why don't you go to your mum eh?" Alec asked as Rose buttered the toast and took a slice. "See, you need a high chair and if Miller does not have one, I will go down tonight and get one, we can get a cot tomorrow."

"I can't let you keep buying him things Alec."

"Why not? He's a growing baby and you can't keep him in the stroller all day, can you? He can play on the floor when you are sitting down but he needs somewhere safe the rest of the time. Maybe Miller had a playpen as well, she never said if she had given everything away to Beth Latimer."

"Isn't that the mother of the boy who died?" Rose asked, trying to part Jack from playing with Alec's beard.

"Yes, she had a baby recently so if Miller still has those things, maybe she would let you borrow them for the time being. Jack, you should really go to your mum now young man."

Jack looked at him, then at Rose as she finished her toast and drank her tea. Deciding it was time to stop playing with the beard of the man who looked like his dad, Jack held his arms out to Rose, who smiled and took him.

"Sorry about that, you're right, he does recognise you somewhat. This is so embarrassing."

"Why?" Alec asked, taking some toast and a mug of tea from the kitchen counter and Jack holding his hand out. "This is not for you, Rose, have you got those biscuits you gave him yesterday, he would be better with one of those. Don't be embarrassed, it happens and I told you, it's fine. No-one here knows that, do they and you are hardly likely to go around telling anyone, are you?"

Rose smiled and went to sit down, putting Jack on the rug and letting him eat the biscuit, laying a teacloth in front of him she had grabbed hold of.

"No, who would believe me and if they did, what would be the point of having someone dump me and I go for his twin?"

Alec thought she rather had a point, he really had nothing to worry about on that score, even if she told Miller, who would really say he needed locking up in a nice padded cell.

"I have to get ready for work, come and meet me across from the station around twelve and you can meet my DS and she can tell you what she has left of the baby equipment. If you are going shopping, get a taxi to the supermarket up past the roundabout, the local ones may not have what you want and it will be cheaper for you. I'll give you some money and see what we need in the way of food."

"I don't need any money Alec, if I don't have to pay for a place to stay. I get my benefits on Monday, I can use them for anything me and Jack need then I get money from James in two weeks. I'll have to see if we're staying here or not, I'll have to inform the benefits office if I'm away for more than two weeks, since I didn't know where I was going in Exeter."

Alec was hoping she'd stay longer than that, well if he had anything to do with it anyway, he was in no hurry to see her go and after the misunderstanding about that first kiss, she seemed to have got used to the idea he wanted to make something of their unusual situation.