No sooner had she got his underwear and t-shirts in a drawer she had cleared for him below hers, she had a call from him.
He sounded serious after she answered with a "Hi babe, miss me already?"
"Rose, I need you down at the precinct now and tell Gemma will you?"
"Why, what's wrong Emmett?"
"Tom Miller has gone missing."
"What? When did that happen?"
"He never got to school and Ellie Miller is going frantic, she could use a friend right now. She got a call to say Tom never got to school, she's chewed her husband out over it because he let the boy cycle the last few blocks but he never got there."
"No! Why did he let the boy go on his own with a killer out there?"
"Never mind that Rose, come directly to my office, I'll tell the desk to let you in, they should know you by now anyways. We have officers canvassing house to house and people are going out looking for him, including Mark Solano and the Millers neighbours."
"I'm on my way Emmett, tell her I'm so sorry this happened but I can help search for him."
"No Rose, you don't know this town, people think you're a celebrity around here and doing it for the publicity, it's best you stick with me and Miller. I'm sorry Rose but it will get in the media for all the wrong reasons."
She knew he made sense, even when she did charitable work it was misconstrued as publicity for her latest book, she could help more by just being Ellie's friend.
"We're putting out an appeal on the local TV and radio stations for any information, we're not taking any chances. I reckon he's just wanted to skip a test or something and he's out cycling somewhere but with the backpacker still on the loose, we have to take this seriously."
"I'm just leaving now Emmett, please, just you be careful after last night babe."
"I will, that's why I want you with me honey."
Rose went downstairs and Gemma had already heard the news.
"Are you going to meet with Detective Carver?" Gemma asked.
"Yeah, I'm off to see what I can do, give my support to Ellie. Emmett said since I'm an outsider here, I would be best off behind the scenes, he doesn't want the press after me because of who I am and to take all the glory when Tom's been found."
"Yeah, tell Ellie I'm thinking about her will you?"
Rose was soon at the precinct, passing groups of people with hurriedly printed leaflets with a photo of Tom and 'Have you seen this boy' printed on them. Rose was good at organising, from her early Torchwood days when she still didn't know what she wanted to do with her new life and new found wealth. The desk sergeant let her in and she found Emmett and Ellie in his office, Ellie was arguing.
"I want to be out there Sir, what will people say if the boy's mother has retreated back to her office?"
"To hell with what people are saying Miller, you're still a Police Officer, that gives you the right to be here. Your husband is out there you said, so that's all that counts. As soon as we get an idea where to start looking properly we'll go straight there. Ah Rose, there you are, you talk some sense into her will you?"
Rose smiled and put her arm around the other woman's shoulder. "He's right Ellie, there's lots to do behind the scenes. I wanted to go join in but he told me it would just take away the press from what's really happening out there, let the volunteers do what they joined the search for and we'll co-ordinate reports of sightings, any phone calls that come in with offers of help, that sort of thing. Have you got a spare desk Emmett?"
Emmett smiled at her, Rose Tyler was something else. She was beautiful, smart, sensitive and she was his Emmett Carver was not a loser, not any more but best keep their relationship out of the press until this whole thing was out of the way and that included Danny's murder. She was found a desk and all calls from sightings were put through to her to free up the officer who had been put on phone duty and she soon had a long list of people who'd had their memories jogged and they all pointed in one direction towards the local woods.
Cars were sent to the area but some people searching remained back until it was positive they had the right place as they were going in back yards and the surrounding area where Tom was last seen. Then Rose got a call someone had seen the backpacker they had been looking for. She yelled for Emmett and he soon had a forest ranger on site and by the time they got there, the man was sitting in the back of a car. Rose remained at the precinct but the calls got less and less with no new sightings so she put her jacket on and went out to get a late lunch for herself and Emmett.
Emmett was interviewing the backpacker and getting nowhere fast, the man was totally out of it and he thought the psychic who had been hanging around lately may have more luck with him. Emmett didn't want to bring Rose in on this, the guy was creepy to say the least and he didn't want his girlfriend getting upset though he didn't know just how tough she was.
The afternoon plodded on, everyone was now concentrating on the woods and Emmett was taking a ride out after persuading Ellie to go home to her young son who was getting upset so Rose took a ride out with him to the field command post hastily set up. Ellie's nephew, Owen, who was the town's junior reporter, spied Emmett and Rose as they talked to one of the officers already on the scene. Owen observed the way Rose was looking at the detective so he decided to pay closer attention to them despite the missing boy being his nephew.
As it got dark, it was feared that the boy may have sought shelter under a tree or in a bush as people came back with torches after taking a break and suddenly, the local priest called out he had found a boy's bike. Ellie was informed so her husband went home to let her go back to the scene, Rose and Emmett had gone to where the bike had been found and were waiting for Ellie to arrive.
Ellie was distraught at the sight of her son's bike and Rose tried to comfort her.
"He can't be far away Ellie, maybe he fell off and he's scared."
"Or unconscious or even someone took him," Ellie replied despondently.
"Don't talk like that Ellie, they're gonna find him, there are people everywhere and I saw a whole load of new ones come in, people who were out at work and there's every chance they'll catch sight of Tom really soon."
Emmett smiled at his girlfriend, she had a way about her he could only describe as amazing. Ellie went to sit in the car and Emmett took Rose to one side.
"Why don't you go back to the hotel honey? It's getting late and you've been out all day."
"I'm not going back until you do so think again. Ellie won't leave now and neither will I. I'll go get us some coffee."
Emmett puts his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "I love you sweetheart, get some for Miller too will ya?"
Rose reached up and kissed him back just as Owen decided to snap a photo of them, even though it was dark, floodlights had been brought in to the makeshift command centre and he was pleased with the results. Then he had a better opportunity as they thought no-one was looking and Emmett pulled her back and kissed her properly. Rose had smiled and now Owen had his next major story his big break. That of the famous Rose Tyler and a new police detective who had failed so far to bring in Danny Solano's killer.
About an hour later, some people had gone home, those who had been out all day looking for Tom and Ellie had thanked them all. The main party had moved deeper into the forest and were searching in pairs when by pure luck, Paul Coates, the local priest thought he heard something and shushed his search partner, Mark.
A call came though and someone shouted the boy had been found safe and well and the car Ellie was in took the three of them to where he had been taken. Owen had followed on his scooter and saw his aunt being re-united with her boy. An ambulance had followed and Ellie got in with Tom. Emmett just had a few questions for the boy, although Rose had told him to go easy on Tom and they followed the ambulance to the local hospital. They finally got back to the hotel after stopping to get a take-out and crawled into bed.
"I'll have to get my stuff tomorrow Rose, we have all weekend now."
"Yeah. Are we still going off tomorrow?"
"After lunch, I'll have to go to the precinct in the morning. I think the chief will want to thank you personally on Monday morning though, you did a great job sweetheart."
Rose just snuggled up to him and fell asleep, feeling like her life wasn't so boring after all and giving her a feeling she'd not had since travelling with the Doctor. The next morning, Rose waited for her rental car to be delivered then packed an overnight bag for them both and waited for Emmett's return. They drove down the coast and found a small town and got a room for the night and enjoyed a candlelight dinner for two at a cosy restaurant they found while walking around.
Emmett had noticed Rose had been quiet but put it down to the events of Friday and probably Thursday night's episode. If he wasn't extremely careful, he would have more episodes before his scheduled surgery. On Sunday morning before they returned to Gracepoint, they were looking around the few stores that were open and Emmett remembered she was looking at something the night he collapsed in that shop doorway and finding a jewellery store open, he stopped outside the window.
"What were you looking at the other night Rose?"
"Oh, the night you almost died on me?"
"Come on. You're being melodramatic honey, I'm still here aren't I?"
"Only just. Friday didn't exactly help, did it?"
"It was a genuine accident Rose, Tom admitted he was out to find that backpacker, he saw the photo and stole a look in his mom's notebook and got the phone number."
"Yes but why did Joe Miller let him ride the rest of the way to school on his own huh? Not without making sure Tom was with someone else. Or maybe ?" She stopped. "Maybe he knew Tom would be safe and there's only one way he would know for certain."
Emmett stared at her. "What are you trying to say Rose? You don't think he's involved somehow do you?"
Rose looked at him. "You're the detective, Detective Carver, you figure it out."
He was going to but now was not the time or the place. He looked at the various items on offer, wishing he could have paid attention when she had been looking before instead of passing out on her. He noticed a silver chain with a rose pendant and pointed to it. Rose smiled at him as he took her hand and led her inside the store.
Once back in Gracepoint, Rose decided the next day she would go buy him the link bracelet and get his name engraved on it until she remembered he hated the name unless she called him by it and decided to have her name instead with maybe 'with love from' on it. Emmett was busy the next day, a mob had threatened the local kayak rental shop owner and by the following morning, he had been hounded into taking his own life.
The local priest was annoyed because he had tried to tell Emmett the man needed protection and by the end of the week, there was a funeral to attend, just as Emmett was suppose to go out of town for his surgery in the afternoon. Fortunately the service was in the morning and Rose was taking him to the next town twenty miles away so they had time to attend the funeral. Rose went into the precinct to collect him as he was reading the local paper and the San Francisco Globe. The Globe's headline had a picture of Emmett stating 'Is this the worst cop in California?' while the local paper ran with the photo Owen had taken of Rose and Emmett kissing with an inset of a publicity photo of Rose and a photo of Emmett from his last press interview.
Rose stood and looked at him. "Now the 'worst cop in California', I could get you a t-shirt but the other, my mum will go spare when she sees it, I'm surprised she hasn't already called me. It's only a matter of time before it goes worldwide. I have to put a stop to it."
"Rose, we have a funeral to go to, everyone will see us together. If you want to help, get a block put on the first headline."
Rose got out her mobile and called Pete, Emmett left her in his office.
"So you've already seen it? Yes, it's the same Emmett I've been seeing, can't you do something Dad?"
"You only call me that when you want something Rose. OK, I'll call the editor and get it retracted. Is there some other reason other than him being your boyfriend?"
"Yeah and promise not to tell mum because I can handle this. The local paper printed photos of Emmett and me when we were searching for a lost boy last Friday night."
"What? I doubt I could stop your mother going overboard if she sees it but I'll get onto the other matter. You two can't have been all that discreet if a local paper were able to get photos of the both of you."
"Well maybe, I suppose but I can deal with it. There is another thing, Emmett goes for his surgery today."
"Well give him my best and Rose, send the bill to me, you don't have to pay it."
"Think I can't afford it Dad? I'll make that much on pre-sales alone when my new book comes out," Rose laughed. "Have to go, got a funeral and Emmett's getting rattled, he's pointing to his watch. Love to mum and Tony."
"Ok sweetheart, take care and take care of Emmett."
Rose went out to join her boyfriend and they got a lift to the church with Ellie and they both went to sit at the back. "Don't forget Rose, we have to be there in two hours, we can't hang around. We'll call at the inn first then I'll tell Miller we're going off somewhere. Did you get that matter taken care of?"
"Yeah babe, all taken care of and Pete said I've to send the bill to him."
Emmett rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised then?"
Rose took his hand and smiled. Paul Coates seemed to direct most of the eulogy towards Emmett, much to Rose's amusement but she was going to be having words with him afterwards, did he know who he was messing with? Once at the inn, Emmett caught Paul and took him to one side, he knew Rose would be out to get him.
"So was that all directed at me then?"
"I don't know detective, was it? You let him down, I told you he needed protection and you chose to ignore it."
"Well I wasn't the one who hounded him, maybe you should have directed your sermon towards those who rounded up on him? Those who smashed up his shop and wrote all over his kayaks?"
Paul couldn't reply. Rose was watching and keeping an eye of the time.
"Come on Emmett, we have to go now, excuse us Ellie, we have somewhere to be, he's sweeping me away for another weekend."
"You two are so obvious. I saw you having words with Kathy earlier, that would be about the journal's headlines this morning, would it?"
Rose smiled. "What makes you think that?"