Alec waited outside for Rose it was less awkward than waiting inside with her parents. He was already feeling self-conscious about dancing and that attempted kiss from the other night wasn't helping.

He and Rose hadn't spoken about it but he could still hear the soft music and see those wide sparkling eyes and pale pink lips just an inch away from his. Just then Rose's voice saying goodnight to her parents had Alec snapping himself out of his thoughts.

"You ready, Tyler?" He said adjusting his watch and sighing heavily. He really wasn't looking forward to this dance.

"Yeah but I told you don't call me Tyler." She scowled.

Alec rolled his eyes and started to say something but when he turned he was rendered speechless. The word beautiful didn't even begin to describe how Rose looked.

She was stunning in her dark purple satin sleeveless mini dress, black wedge sandals and her short blond hair framed her face perfectly. "Something wrong?" She asked.

"Uh, no, of course not. Let's go." He said trying to focus.

She just smirked and they went into her car and drove to the dance. When they arrived they walked into the crowded Torchwood auditorium.

Looking around he had to admit the place was nice. The silver and gold decorations were simple but elegant, the lights above flickered like fireflies and the music was a bit youthful but not bad.

"You ready?" She asked. Alec sighed with a chuckle. "Not really." Rose smirked and took his hand. "Come on."

She led him to the dance floor and they started dancing slowly. Rose gazed up at Alec getting lost in those chocolate brown eyes.

"How am I doing so far?" He asked after a moment of dancing.

"Well so far so good you aren't stepping on my feet, yet." She teased making Alec snicker.

"Yeah, we'll see if you're still feeling the same about that at the end of the night." He joked back.

Rose playfully rolled her eyes resting her head on his shoulder as he held her closer. "You're quite the pessimist, you know that, right?" She lightly jabbed.

"Yeah, that's me." He smirked as they continued to dance.

After the dance they got back to the car but the "almost kiss" was still bothering him and he decided to finally address it. "Tyler?" He said.

"Yeah?" She replied. He looked at the ground nervously. "The other night when you were teaching me to dance I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"In what way?" She replied pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"The uh, thing, the um almost kiss." Alec replied nervously.

Rose shrugged. "You didn't. I'm sorry if I did."

He shook his head. "No, not at all." He said shuffling his feet. "Well, that's good to know." Rose replied softly coming closer. It look like she wanted to kiss him. Did she? Alec kind of hoped she did.

She came a little closer to him. Alec swallowed tracing a circle on the car hood. Feeling nervous he began slowly coming towards her. "Yeah, that's v-very good."

"Yeah, it's great." She said giving a shy smile. Then their fingertips suddenly touched and he slowly glanced at her unsure what to do.

"I, um." Alec started to say as his eyes began searching hers'.

Her hand then gradually touched the side of his face. Alec gently pressed her soft hand against his cheek kissing her palm before their lips met in a simple but tender kiss.

Alec's lips were so inviting and warm against hers' she practically melted into him.

After the kiss they looked at each other surprised. "Uh, well, um that was nice; the evening I mean." He squeaked.

Rose smiled nervously. "Yeah, um I think it's time to go home." She said quickly.

He nodded in agreement. "Definitely, good idea." Alec said going to the driver's side.

"Uh, Alec this is my car." Rose gently reminded him.

He blushed. "Right, sorry."

They traded places and got into the car then drove back to Rose's house in silence but suppressing smiles.

On Monday they were back in Broadchurch. Alec had survived the visit but the kiss was still hanging on in his mind.

He still couldn't believe that he kissed such a young woman but he had to admit it was nice but in his heart knew that nothing would come of it.

Alec sighed heavily and went back to his computer work when he reached for his pill bottle and realized he had nothing to drink. "Damn." He muttered setting the bottle back down on his desk. Standing from his chair he grumbled leaving to get some water.

A second later Rose walked in while glancing at a folder. "Hey Alec I"

She looked up and saw he was gone. She shrugged. "I'll just leave it on his desk." Rose thought to herself.

Rose set the file down and noticed a bottle near his phone. Frowning she picked it up and read it.

She recognized the medicine, one of her friend's aunts had to take it for heart problems but did that mean Alec had heart trouble, too? Her eyes widen. Rose was now worried.

Suddenly she heard Alec coming and set the bottle back and hurried out of his office.

Later Ellie found Rose leaning against the wall biting her thumb tip looking bothered. She approached her concerned. "Hey, Rose what's wrong?" Ellie asked.

Rose just shrugged tugging her earring.

"Come on, you can tell me." She said.

Rose sighed. "Does Alec have any medical problems that you know of?"

Ellie was surprised by her question but nodded. "Yeah, he has a heart arrhythmia. Got it from all that stress from the Sandbrook case."

She glanced at her taken aback by her calm reaction. "You make it sound like everyone knows about it."

"Well, yeah." Ellie replied shrugging.

"Seriously?" Rose scoffed.

"Well, it wasn't by choice it's only because he failed his physical until then no one knew. He kept it a secret." Ellie explained.

Rose nodded as everything started to make sense. "Well, thanks." She smiled faintly walking away but wondering why he didn't tell her.

Throughout the day Rose kept glancing at Alec feeling slightly hurt he hadn't been honest with her. They were supposed to be friends she would've understood finally she decided she had to talk to him. She needed answers and she wanted to help.

Rose slowly went to his door and tapped on it. "Come in, Tyler." He said not looking up from some paperwork.

She walked in but didn't say anything. He noticed she was quiet and glanced up at her bothered. "Something wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" She blurted. Rose almost winced. It wasn't exactly how she had planned on addressing this.

Alec waved his hand for her to continue. "Tell you what?"

"That…that you have a heart arrhythmia?" She replied folding her arms.

His eyes widen and he immediately brushed past her shutting the door. "How did you know about that?"

"It doesn't matter. Why didn't you tell me?" Rose repeated.

"Because it's none of your business." He snapped sitting down. "And what do you care?"

"Well, I can help you. We have some of the top surgeons at Torchwood that can give you the best care." She said.

Alec chuckled harshly. "Yeah if you don't mind I would prefer not to be dissected by one of your Roswell reject surgeons."

Rose was taken aback by his cruel tone. "That's not fair. I'm only trying to help."

He slowly stood from his chair pacing the room. "Help, really? Is that you call it, hmm? Because I call it being nosy and controlling."

"Look it's not my fault, the bottle was" She started to say.

Alec gawked. "Hang on; you went snooping through my desk?"

"No, I didn't!" She shot back. "I was leaving a file on your desk." Rose added hoping it would calm him down but it made little difference.

"It doesn't matter! You had no right to come in here and go through my desk much less my medicines!" Alec yelled pointing accusingly.

"It was an accident but I still want to help you." Rose insisted.

"This is my personal business, Tyler! Stay out of it!" He ordered.

Rose scowled at him. "No, I won't because it becomes my business when I find out my friend has a serious medical condition!"

"I don't need a lecture from you. I am a grown a man and I can handle this myself!" He snapped.

"Oh, really? Well, between being demoted to desk work and taking heart pills I say you're doing a really fantastic job!" She scoffed sarcastically.

"Don't take that tone with me. As long as you're still under this training program I am still your superior!" Alec said firmly.

"And you're also still my friend and I don't want to lose you!" She said her voice breaking slightly. Alec shook his head. "No, no, that cutesy, crying crap may have worked on me before but not this time!"

His eyes had become so dark and cold. It didn't make sense after such a beautiful kiss why was he doing this to her? Rose glared at him with tear filled eyes. She was done.

Rose didn't want the job training anymore. It wasn't worth it. "Screw you!" She yelled slapping him hard before storming out grabbing her things from her desk.

"Rose, what's going on?" Ellie asked concerned.

She looked at her then back at Alec. "Ask DI Hardy cause' I quit!" Rose choked not caring who was staring.

Before she could ask anything else Rose had marched out. Ellie gave Alec a confused accusing stare prompting him to slam his door shut. He just didn't want to deal with it right now and went to his desk sitting and staring before pounding his fist and burying his face in his hands.

That night Alec did something he did very rarely he went home instead of working late. He walked into the dark living room flipping on the light switch before plopping into his easy-chair.

Sitting there in the silence the guilt was starting to build. Despite how upset he was about her discovering his heart condition he felt bad for yelling at her. Rose was only trying to help he didn't have to get cross at her.

Despite her sassiness and bold behavior Rose was a very nice girl with feelings and a heart after all he saw that in the way she cared for her baby brother and the way she cared for him.

Alec had tried several times to call Rose to apologize but no luck after the last try he gave up. "Fine if she doesn't want to talk to me that's just fine." He told himself but even he knew that wasn't true.

Just his phone rang and he picked up hoping it was Rose. "Hello?"

"Alec?" It was Ellie.

"What is it Miller?" He said slightly disappointed.

"Sir, I've been trying to get you for hours." She said her voice shaking.

Her distraught tone was making him worried. "What? What is it?" Alec replied.

Ellie exhaled trying to keep her voice steady. "It's Rose, there's…there's been an accident."

Author's Note: This chapter's a slight rewrite. Wasn't happy with the last one so I made some changes, sorry about that! Chapter 11 should be coming soon (fingers crossed). Hope you like this chapter and thanks for reading! :)