Alec just looked at her. She had been willing to do that for him, well at least it had looked like him a few years previously it seemed, not that he remembered.
"You said you were never romantic."
"We weren't but it didn't stop me from loving you but we've not yet established it is you."
"Come on Rose, who else could it be?"
"Don't you think I want it to be true? I tried for years to get back, almost got stuck myself a few times when the device I was using wouldn't work properly but I never gave up. You want to know what happened that Ryan went in my place?"
He didn't really, it must have been bad.
"I landed in a universe where he was dead, you were dead, I was too late and the world was thrown into chaos because you weren't there."
"What difference could I have possibly made?"
"Because of who you used to be."
"I take it I was not a police detective then?"
"No. I shouldn't really tell you because it could make your heart give out."
"It's that bad then?"
"Yeah. OK, here goes then. Me, mum and Mickey, like Pete said, we're from another parallel universe, right?"
Alec nodded. She carried on explaining then came to the crunch. He was a Timelord. He listened as she tried to explain how they had travelled, in the Tardis and how they'd got here accidentally and helped defeat the Cybermen and how they'd come to be in Pete's house that night. He remained as calm as he could, Rose trying to keep things simple and that when the Cybermen had escaped, they tried to stop them.
"So that's how we got parted? Pete took you with him but you defied him and went back to help me?"
"Yeah, how could I leave you all on your own?"
"You could have been pulled in with them and who are these Daleks?"
"Worse than the Cybermen, believe me, you don't want to know about them."
"Then how did I get here? Did I get left one of those devices and I got it working? If I did, why don't I remember?"
She wanted to tell him that was how he'd found her but she couldn't lie to him like that.
"No Alec, we think the Tardis sent you here."
"The ship? How could it do that?"
"You were a part of each other and we think something happened to you and you asked to be brought here, to me."
"Oh. That makes sense I suppose but what happened to me?"
"That's something we don't know but you're here, that's the main thing."
It was early evening by now, they had talked for hours about when they had been in the other universe, Rose explaining how they'd met.
"So, how did we meet then?" he asked her as they lay on the seating, arms around each other.
"You blew up the store I used to work in and told me to run," she smiled, pulling him closer.
"Why don't you go get your things from the hotel eh?" he asked her, reaching for a kiss.
"OK. I'll bring some food back, yeah?"
So just after seven, she kissed him goodbye and having driven back to the hotel, walked in and asked for her key. Becca looked at her.
"I'm moving out in the morning, I've just come to get a few things."
"Oh, that's a bit short notice."
"Yeah, well things have changed."
"Are you leaving town?"
"What? Oh no, I'm moving down by the harbour, I'm going to be helping the police with the investigation, it's close by."
"Well, I hated to break the news to you but I got some bookings from some of the news agencies and I can't afford to turn them away."
"Just as well then, I hate being in the news."
She threw most of her things into her largest case and her shoulder bag with her charger for the data pad and went into the bathroom. Once back downstairs, she heard laughing coming from the bar and assumed Becca had already filled some of the empty rooms. On her way back to the caravan, she stopped to get some food then knocked on Alec's caravan door for him to help her.
"Hey sweetheart, you brought the whole lot then?" he smiled.
She wheeled her case to the bedroom, handing him the packages of food, he'd already put some plates on the kitchen counter and the kettle had already boiled.
"I still want some answers though, it's been a lot to take in."
"Yeah, I didn't intend you heard it all in one go, it just happened."
"Well I wanted to hear everything but you are still treating me like I really am Alec Hardy."
"That's who you are now Alec, I could have told you all that for nothing you know?"
"Do you really believe that Rose?" he asked as she sat at the table.
"It doesn't matter what I believe Alec, it's up to Torchwood to get the facts, we just skipped ahead. I want to believe it's really you."
"So, I was known as the Doctor then? I think I prefer being called Alec Hardy," he smiled.
"Yeah, well let's not talk about that too much for now, let's see what they come up with about your past here? I told Pete to make sure they'd gone through everything before telling me, I didn't want anything being left out. How are you feeling anyway?"
"I guess I'm OK, under the circumstances but this heart condition, is it real?"
"We have to find that out as well but we're gonna get you well again, you wouldn't have been left here to die, not after the ship went to all the trouble of getting you here."
"I hope not."
They finished eating in silence. "Finished?" he asked, getting up and taking her plate.
They went to lay back on the seating and kissed for a while, something Rose was just getting used to, considering they had more or less established who he was but not how he had got there but she didn't care.
"Rose, tell me more of what we did together," he asked her, stroking her back as she lay with her head on his chest, after unfastening his shirt buttons.
She looked up at him. "No more talking tonight Alec, let's just spend some time together, I missed you."
"I wish I could say I missed you Rose but what about this ex wife I'm supposed to have eh? How do you explain that?"
"To make it more real I expect but you don't have to meet her, if you don't want to?"
"So let me get this right, I just got left here, by my ship?"
"That's what we think. Alec, as the Doctor, you had the ability to change, if there was something wrong with you."
"Then if I had a bad heart, why didn't I change again?"
"I think you got a bad heart becoming Alec Hardy."
"So the ship had me change into someone who was ill? That's hardly fair."
"I know but the ship may not have done it on purpose Alec, as a Timelord, you had two hearts, maybe if was an effect of becoming human?"
"Still, it could have spared me all this."
"We'll get you sorted next weekend, I just have to keep you out of trouble until then and this," she kissed her way across his bare chest, "is not helping your health any."
"Who's the one doing the kissing eh?" he smiled. "I want my revenge when we go to bed."
"So you're not sleeping out here alone again tonight then?"
He turned her slightly and unfastened the top button on her blouse. "What do you think eh?"
The next morning, having made some progress in bed without Alec ending up in the hospital, they fooled around before Alec went to make some breakfast.
"I've got the boy's father coming in at ten, care to be present?" he asked, going for her neck as she prepared to go book out of the hotel.
"Yeah, it might be interesting I suppose, see how he reacts. I'll meet you there then?"
"OK love, I'll tell the desk to expect you. When are your team arriving?"
"I have to check with Pete and I'll see what they found out about you as well."
So Rose went to retrieve the rest of her belongings and paid her bill, she'd only actually stayed for one night but it was more important than ever now she stayed and looked after Alec, or the Doctor as they had more or less established. She'd enjoyed making out with Alec last night and again this morning, waking up next to him and fooling around, she'd never enjoyed it so much with Ryan. She thought she would feel guilty but Alec really needed a friend right now.
What would she do though if Ryan came back? It would have been the same situation if she'd gone on a mission and either found the Doctor and stayed with him or brought him back with her, she would have had to make a choice but she knew straight off who she would have chosen, which was why she'd been so reluctant with Ryan in the first place. She could have had half a dozen boyfriends, there had been no lack of willing volunteers in that department but she'd given in to a certain degree with Ryan because she just missed male company.
Now Alec had become more than company, having first met him the other day, he was totally dependant on her and now, she had to tell him what a Timelord was and how she thought he'd got here. She made her way back to the caravan, left all her things in the bedroom and was about to walk across to the station when Alec called.
"Are you on your way over?"
"Yeah, just about, got held up by Becca."
"She wanted to talk then?"
"Yeah, though she'd already let some reporters in. Can't blame her really, she has to make a living, I'm just glad I moved out. I don't want to take the headlines away from what happened, I'd feel awful if they turned their attention to me."
"Be careful, they still might, if you are seen with me."
"I'm not bothered about that, we're not keeping this a secret are we?"
"I hope not but I'm supposed to have had a failed case, remember?"
"Aw, are you afraid the next headline will be that I'm seen with the cop who let a killer go? If you are, forget it, I don't care and we'll take care of that once we've solved this."
"Thanks love, now, get yourself over here yes?"
"I'm just going up the front steps, chill Alec."
The desk sergeant recognised her and gave her a visitor badge and told her where Alec was and she went to knock on the door. After they both questioned Mark Latimer, Rose being amazed how bad the man was at covering up, she put the ultimate question to him.
"So, Mark, what are you hiding?" Rose asked him.
"Hang on, who exactly are you?" he asked, looking at Alec after she'd been sitting there for twenty minutes, letting Alec do his job.
"Miss Tyler is a police consultant, she's been brought in to help find your son's killer. She's not bound by any police rules so answer her question, what are you hiding?"
Mark thought about it. "I can't answer you."
Alec got up and gathered his folders. "Mark Latimer, I'm holding you on suspicion of covering up the death of your son."
He called in the officer who had been outside. "Read Mr Latimer his rights and keep him in here until he decides to tell me where he was that night."
"Yes Sir."
Rose followed Alec out. "How long are you going to keep him here?" she asked him.
"Until he stops playing games."
"Do you know what I think? I bet he was seeing someone, having an affair or a one-night stand."
"You have a dirty mind Rose though maybe you are right but who with?"
Rose smiled. "Becca Fisher? It could explain why she's been so off with you. Maybe they were planning it the night you arrived and you spoiled it by asking her to your room?"
"Well I don't even remember that, do I? It could explain though why she keeps giving me funny looks, does she think I suspect something?"
"Maybe. Have you told the Latimers you're holding Mark?"
"I'll let them know. Let's go to my office."
Ellie was waiting for them. "Sir, we had an anonymous tip that Mark Latimer was with someone that night, he was seen driving away from the cliff top car park, with what looked like a woman."
Rose turned to Alec. "See, told ya. I bet we know who it was."
Ellie's phone rang. "We'll be right down." She turned to Alec. "Guess who's downstairs?"
After Becca was processed for the drugs offence and admitted she was with Mark that night, Rose turned to her.
"So, is that why you were so off with DI Hardy?"
"No, what's that got to do with anything? How do you know anyway? Oh, so you two are?"
"Never mind about us. I don't get why you wouldn't admit before now you were with Mark, it was only about his son's death. Is this town so bored you thought you might get in the local paper?"
"Never mind that Rose," Alec told her. "You can go Becca."
Becca got up and left. "You spoiled my fun Alec," Rose smiled at him.
"You can have your fun later love, right now, let's go see if your team arrived eh?"
Jake, Mickey and Chrissy had been shown to the more comfortable interview room and were waiting for them. Jake and Mickey had been warned who Alec may be but it showed on Mickey's face as Alec followed Rose in.
"Don't look so shocked Mickey, he knows."
"Oh. Pete never said."
"Yeah, well Alec and I had a long talk after I spoke to Pete last night, he's good, aren't you Alec?"
Alec wasn't so sure he was, it hadn't all sunk in yet and he was doing his best to process what he'd learned so far.
Once they'd decided how things would go, that left Rose to work directly with Alec and keep him from doing too much and the rest of the day, Rose went out with Ellie a few times and to the hut where they believed Danny had been killed then back across to the harbour newsagent's, Alec thinking Rose may have better luck with Jack Marshall.
Rose was sat on Alec's office sofa just before four in the afternoon when she got up.
"Right, I'll go off to the supermarket and get something for dinner. I did warn you I may do that."
"Yes, you did and we need to talk again tonight, I want to hear more."
"I know you do, I've got plenty to tell you. Don't work too late."
She had dinner ready for him when he walked into the caravan just after six. They talked some more, about the less strange things that had happened in the other universe she thought he could handle, until he asked again how it had been possible he'd even got here.
"Alec, there's only one thing I can think of – remember I told you that Timelords can regenerate, to save themselves?"
Alec nodded.
"Well, I think that you were about to regenerate again and the Tardis tapped into your mind and since she knew how much you like being who you were, didn't want to see you go so she sent you here."
"With a bad heart and no memories?"
"She maybe wanted to spare you from all the things that had gone on after I got brought here, maybe so that I could share my memories with you but the main thing is, underneath, you're still the Doctor. I suspect the Tardis had done that before, let versions of you live other lives. Alec, she wouldn't have sent you here if she'd known you might die from a bad heart, she sent you where you would get the best help - me."
"How did the ship know Rose?" he asked as they lay on the seating.
"The ship's telepathic, you must have asked her to send you to me instead of fading away."
"So, I was made human and sent here? Why have limited memories of a wife and daughter and almost drowning, if it never happened?"
They were interrupted by Pete calling Rose for her to join a conference video.
"Rose, Alec, I have some news. All the results came back of Alec's past and I had to make sure we had everything but Alec, you really existed before you woke up that morning in the hotel."
"So, I did all those things in Sandbrook?"
"Yes, we had to dig a little deeper than we thought, the whole thing was covered up but before that, well, I'll send the files to Rose but you definitely got married, to Tess Henchard, you have a teenage daughter called Daisy and you got divorced when your wife cheated on you, she took the girl with her, I'll let you read the rest. Right, I'll leave you two to it then."
Alec was still trying to come to terms he never remembered getting married and began to think about it.
"Rose, is it possible that somehow, the ship transported me back, in time to meet my ex and get married?"
"Maybe. It would explain a lot but how, when the only way through is using the devices we have?"
"Maybe one did get left behind or the ship used something similar? Why wasn't it used before?"
"It must have been part of the ship's plan, for you to arrive before I got here but I've been here all that time, on my own and you were married, I didn't know about you."
"Then why make us both wait, if I asked to be brought to you? It seems a little cruel."
"Then we must be wrong about it, the Tardis wouldn't do that, on purpose, she knew how much you cared about me. It has to be something else, we just have to figure it out and we will Alec." She turned to kiss him. "I still love you."
He kissed her back. "I was a fool not to tell you when we were together. I love you too Rose."
When they got into bed, they gently made love so as not to get Alec too worked up, Rose insisting she did all the moving and they both felt better the next morning. The next few days, Alec had agreed to let Rose do most of the legwork with Ellie and the two women made friends. On the Thursday morning, they were out and Ellie asked how involved she and Alec were.
"Pretty much, you should give him a chance Ellie, he got sent here, he wasn't out to take a job from anyone, really."
"It just happened to be mine then?"
"Sorry, I know it doesn't make it any easier for you. At least since he's allowing us to go out on leads, you spend less time with him," Rose smiled.
"Well he's not as bad as he was those first few days I suppose, he's less grumpy now."
"Yeah? I've done him some good then."
"Why don't you two come to my place for dinner next week?"
"I'll ask him shall I?"
When they got back, Alec was reading something on his computer.
"Ah, Miller. Your boy, Tom, is he ready to do that reconstruction tonight?"
"I'm still not happy about it though."
"I think it's a great idea Ellie, it may jog someone's memory and the media are going to cover it. Has the news got around?"
"We're all ready for it," Ellie told her.
They all met just at the end of the High Street at nine that evening. Tom was holding his skateboard, looking at his mother, Ellie, Rose and Alec (who were holding hands) were standing behind him and Alec gave the nod for Tom to get on his skateboard. Rose was worried about Alec walking all that way down to the harbour but they kept a steady pace and he'd had his medication. The media were set up along the route and they crossed the harbour bridge, the lights reflecting in the river.
Alec thanked Tom for taking part and he and Rose went back to their caravan. Alec looked tired and Rose knew it had taken it out of him so making some cocoa, they watched the end of the news, the camera showing them walking hand in hand. Rose knew now it would be blown all out of proportion in the tabloids the next morning but she didn't care, it hadn't been about them.
They both woke up to the sound of their mobiles ringing the next morning. They had planned to drive up to London that evening and a heart specialist would be meeting them at Torchwood after Alec's meeting with Pete and Doctor Harper.
Jackie had seen the morning papers.
"Rose, it was all over the news, what were you thinking?"
"We don't care Mum, it will all blow over, it was supposed to have been about Danny, not us."
"Then why walk hand in hand in front of the press?"
"They would have found out sooner or later."
"Well Pete's trying to smooth things over, he's putting out a statement you're in the town to help catch Danny's killer but I doubt it will do any good."
Alec was having a similar conversation with his chief.
"Really Alec, you should keep your love life out of the media, the reconstruction was to jog memories, not parade the fact you and Rose Tyler are an item."
"There's no harm done Elaine, her stepfather's PR team will tone things down."
"Well I've already had a complaint from the Latimers, though there was plenty about them in the papers, including the fact Mark was with someone else the night his son died, how did he press get hold of that?"
"Not from me, blame Miller's nephew I expect. I'm going away this weekend anyway, I have a meeting at Torchwood."
"Since when?"
"I wasn't aware I had to inform you if the director wanted to see me and some of it is personal, since the whole world now knows I'm in a relationship with his stepdaughter."