''Rose, sorry about that, I was trying to prove a point to Miller, I hope I did not offend you in any way? I thought you might play along, when she arrives here?''
''Yeah, well a bit of notice would have been nice Alec and what are Tess and Daisy gonna think?''
''Never mind them, is there any need to even mention it? Just you being here will be proof enough to her and she won't bring up the subject, trust me love. Ok?''
''Yeah ok, I forgive you for saying something before your brain's engaged, I'll put it down to you being worried about your operation then shall I?''
''Yes, sorry but there is one thing you can do for me Rose, before Daisy and Tess get here. You can say no.''
''What is it Alec?''
''If I were to ask you to marry me, would you? I just want to know that if something happens to me today, that I didn't leave you without you knowing exactly how I feel about you and I know it's not even been a week yet that we've been together but it feels so right Rose. I love you and if I get through this then we'll talk no more about it until we both feel it's the right time but I'd die happy knowing you would have said yes if I was still around. Please Rose, just tell me how you feel about it?''
''Alec, I don't know what to say. I do love you, you know that now and you are going to get through this, you have to because you have so much to live for now, me, Daisy, stopping Ellie Miller getting your old job, that alone has to be worth it.''
Alec smiled. ''This last week or so, with you, has made it all worthwhile and if I get through this, one day, Rose Tyler, I hope you will consider your answer if I ask you to be my wife. Will you consider it Rose?''
''Yes Alec, I'll consider it but I can't give you an answer right now, we don't know that much about each other yet, there's so much I don't know about you and I have secrets I can't tell you about yet, about my life in Torchwood or my life before me and my mum met Pete Tyler and it will take too long to tell you now plus you'd have to meet them and Pete will have to explain everything to you.''
''Why can't you tell me Rose? Is it so bad?''
''No Alec but you won't believe me, you'd believe him, being who he is and he needs to show you the evidence, the proof that what he tells you is true and if it was just me, then I'd tell you but it involves my mother and my best friend Mickey and I can't speak for them, they have to give Pete permission to tell you.''
''Then that is something else I have to live for, Rose Tyler, mysterious heiress and I look forward to hearing it. Now come here and kiss me properly, never mind this breathing tube, I can manage a few more minutes without it. I love you Rose.''
He took the tube out and put his arms around her. ''I love you too Alec and I will tell you when you get better, tell me you're gonna do it just to ask me at the right time to marry you, not for any other reason.''
''Yes Rose, that is the only reason, that one day we will get married, I've never been as sure about anything, the fates sent you to that college so we would meet, that I am certain of, my love.''
''So am I now, Pete almost sent Mickey.''
They kissed for a while until Rose heard voices outside the small side ward. Alec put his breathing tube back in when he heard his ex wife's voice arguing with probably a nurse that her ex husband and Daisy's father was in there.
''I was told we would be allowed in, just ask that woman who's with him, Rose Tyler. Yes, that Rose Tyler, look it up and let us in.''
Rose got up, squeezing Alec's hand. ''It's up to you Alec, do you just want me to let Daisy in?''
''No, you can let Tess in too, I have to say goodbye, just in case. Can you give us a few moments?''
''Sure, if that's what you want?''
Alec nodded and she got up off the hospital bed, rubbing her side where the metal frame had been digging in that she hadn't even noticed.
''It's ok nurse, you can let them in. Tess, Alec wants to talk to you and Daisy, I'm off to get a coffee, don't upset him or you won't know what hit you, right?''
Tess managed a nod, she wasn't used to being bossed around but something told her this woman wasn't someone who was used to being ignored.
''Ok but only for Alec's sake, not yours. I still have more rights than you do, I'm only complying to keep the peace, a hospital room is not the place to start a cat fight.''
''Good, we understand each other then. Daisy, your father wanted to speak to you alone first, go on, he has some things to tell you.''
The girl opened the door and Rose left Tess standing by the door. What Alec had to say to his only daughter was not for her ears nor his ex wife's. Rose went back five minutes later, there were only twenty minutes before they would come for him to take him to the operating room so if Ellie Miller was going to put in an appearance, Rose wondered where she had got to. Daisy opened the door, tears streaming down her face and called her mother, who held out her arms around the distraught teenager and went inside.
A woman in a bright orange coat appeared in the ward entrance and looked around. Rose assumed it was Ellie Miller and waved. Ellie walked towards her, Hardy had not been joking earlier.
''Hi, you must be Ellie? I guess you know who I am then? Alec's ex and his daughter are in with him but he wanted a minute with you when they come out.''
''Sorry I never believed him on the phone. How did you meet?''
''I disrupted his classes at the training college, it sort of developed from there, then he collapsed on Saturday night, we were in adjoining caravans in Broadchurch and I'd invited him for dinner, he was late and I found him and got him his pills.''
''So you only happened to save his life then?''
''No, I did that when I offered to pay for his surgery, they were gonna make him wait four months, it was outrageous.''
''Well if you've got the money and he needs the surgery, it makes perfect sense to me.''
Tess and Daisy came out of Alec's room, Tess still holding the girl. ''Are you Ellie Miller? Alec wanted to talk to you.''
''Right, I'll get this over with then I'll go.''
''No Ellie, stay and wait with us, he'd want you to.''
''Would he?''
''Miller, I might have known you would not stay away, can't you let me die in peace?''
''Get over it Hardy, you're not going anywhere, you've got a rich girlfriend to go back to and you're not done annoying the hell out of me yet.''
''No grapes Miller? I'm disappointed.''
''Shut up Hardy. So this is it, you're really going ahead?''
''I'm not here for the fun of it Miller. If I don't make it, there's still a good case against your husband, he'll get what he deserves, one way or another but promise me, if he somehow gets off, make sure he still pays for killing Danny, I'm sure the town will back you on that.''
Ellie was lost for words, for a change. ''He won't get away with it, one way or another, he destroyed everyone, not just Mark and Beth. I'll send your girlfriend back in, good luck then.''
Ellie was trying not to let him see the tear in her eye. She'd hated him for taking the job she had been promised but she didn't want him to die for doing so, no-one, not even Alec Hardy was worth that. Rose had just five minutes to tell Alec she loved him.
''Well, this is it Alec, not gonna change your mind then?''
''No, now give me one last kiss and if I don't come back, you know what to do but before they take me into the theatre, I'm going to ask you again in front of everyone, so I have witnesses.''
They kissed again, Alec putting the breathing tube in just as the staff came in to wheel him to the operating room. Rose gathered his phone and his wallet and put them in her shoulder bag and followed them out, hurrying to his side as everyone else followed to the lift, all cramming in to the amusement of the staff at Alec with four women standing there but since Rose was holding his hand, it seemed clear which one of them was actually with him.
They stopped outside the theatre and Alec was left for a few moments while the staff went to check everything was ready for him. Rose had to trust Pete had kept his word and got the best surgeon there was to insert the pacemaker. The surgeon had been to see them earlier and assured them it was a fairly routine operation that would only take about an hour, if that and there was only a 1 in 10 chance it wouldn't be successful, despite the earlier predictions.
Rose had got the name of Alec's last consultant out of him, promising him if things went wrong, she would get Pete to have the consultant investigated for making him so afraid to go ahead and get it done sooner. She had also promised he would be cremated, he didn't want to be buried he'd said and she said she would oversee everything and take him back to where he was born in Scotland, Alec telling her about the town near Glasgow he had grown up in then moving away.
Alec squeezed her hand one last time as she leaned over to try to kiss him, not caring they were being watched.
''You had something to ask me Alec, remember?''
''Yes, so listen everyone. Rose Tyler, if I get out of there alive, promise me if I ever ask you to marry me, you will seriously consider it.''
''Yes Alec, I promise I will give it careful thought, if you ask me to marry you.''
''Then that's all I ask. I really hope this was all for nothing and I'll wake up in an hour or so and you lot throw something at me for making you come here today.''
Ellie had to be the one who answered with her usual witty remarks. ''We will, I'm going out to get some seeded grapes for starters.''
Rose smiled, Alec had told her what Ellie had said the last time he'd been in hospital but Tess and Daisy were at a loss as to what she meant.
''It's a joke between them, I'll tell you later,'' Rose offered, giving Alec one more peck on the lips. ''You'd better come out of there Alec, I want you to be able to ask me properly one day.''
''I will. I love you Rose, I'll see you when I come round.''
The staff had come back out and taken hold of the ends of the bed. Rose called after him, ''Not if I see you first.''
She watched with the other three as the door closed and Rose felt her own heart sink. That was what she used to say to the Doctor, oh so long ago and now, all she could do was wait and hope the man she had fallen in love with in less than a week would come back out and she could spend the rest of his life with him, she was a lot younger than him, it was almost as bad as the difference had been between her and a 900 year old Timelord in another universe.
She just hoped the fates here were kinder than the ones in her old world and that she wouldn't be ripped apart from the man she knew she had been destined to meet, there had been too many coincidences for it not to have been their destiny to meet, Alec needed the surgery and she being able to provide the means to provide the funding for it, why else were they meant to meet?
They all went to the seating area just opposite and sat down, except for Ellie, who felt like the odd one out. Rose Tyler was obviously in love with Hardy, who would have ever thought he'd been telling the truth?
''I'm out of here, you don't need me around. Rose, will you call me when it's over, whatever happens?''
''Yeah Ellie, of course I will, I've got Alec's phone. You don't have to go, stay with us.''
''No, you're all his family.''
''He used to talk about you, in classes, give us examples of how you conduct interviews.''
''You were actually at the training college? What for?''
''My stepfather sent me, to learn how to do things the way the police do, I work for Torchwood.''
Tess and Daisy raised their eyebrows. ''So Alec's mixed up with a Torchwood agent? Interesting, I didn't know he had it in him, who would have guessed?'' Tess remarked, getting up and crossing to the vending machine. ''Anyone want a drink? It could be a while before we hear anything.''
''No, I can't drink anything while he's in there,'' Rose replied, standing up and stretching.
It had been quite an eventful day, what with getting a lecture in behaviour from the college superintendent then almost being assaulted in the ladies room, not that it would have got that far, she would have kneed her attacker where it hurt.
Tess took no notice and got an extra tea and handed it to Rose. ''Here, it will calm you down, it always did with Alec when he got angry.''
''I wouldn't know, he's never got angry with me, he's had no reason.''
It had been an everyday occurrence in the Hardy household for some time before he had actually left.
''Not ever?'' Daisy asked.
''No, well except for him getting annoyed several times when I disrupted his classes but he admitted he'd enjoyed that. I just did it to get his attention and it worked.''
''We can see that Rose,'' Tess said sarcastically, sitting next to her daughter.
''What have you got against me Tess? I promised Alec I wouldn't fight with you but you're not making it easy to keep my promise to him. Is it because he just more or less asked me to marry him, in front of you?''
''It didn't help but I'd already decided I didn't like it.''
''Well he warned me not to let you intimidate me but it's the other way around, isn't it? You're intimidated by me because Alec fell in love with me and that boyfriend of yours won't even get divorced. Daisy told him that you wanted her to call him 'dad' but Alec said never in a million years would Daisy ever call him that.''
''I already know that Rose, what do you think we were talking about before he went in there? I promised him I wouldn't make Daisy call Dave her dad, I won't go back on it if Alec doesn't make it, who are you to tell me that?''
''Mum, please,'' Daisy interrupted. ''Don't argue with dad in there. He wanted Rose and I to be friends, even if the worse happens and I agreed, if Rose will let me?''
''Yeah, it goes without saying Daisy, I want to be your friend and I have something for you in my car that I bought this morning but something happened in the college and I had to bring your dad here early, he had another attack this lunch-time because one of the cadets tried to attack me in the ladies room.''
''What happened?'' Ellie asked, finding now she was going to be missing out on a cat fight.
''One of the trainees tried asking me out on Tuesday morning and I showed him up in front of the class so he followed me into the ladies room and tried to attack me. Alec found his mates outside and came in after me.''
''So he rescued you?'' Daisy asked.
Rose couldn't bring herself to spoil the illusion the girl had of her father by saying no, she was about to knee him in the groin and make him suffer.
''Yeah, he did, he dragged him by the collar into the office, the cadet got suspended.''
Rose saw no harm in making Alec out to be a hero, even if he did survive, he wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
''Well I expect you encouraged him Rose,'' Tess remarked.
Rose felt like tipping the rest of her drink over the woman but remembered her promise to Alec and starting a fight in the hospital with a police officer already present was not such a good idea, Ellie Miller may just take her side but Tess herself being a DS put paid to it, for now.
''No, I was too busy flirting with Alec to take notice of a kid just out of nursery school.''
Ellie smiled, glad she had decided to stay, she loved a good round of insults with women being catty to each other, she often practised it herself with her sister but since Lucy was now being paid to look after her eldest son because he refused to live with her after she put his dad in jail, it had stopped. Watching other women fight was now the highlight of Ellie's day.
Rose had since sat down again, she was tired and worried and all Tess wanted to do was start a fight with her. Normally she would have obliged the woman and given back far more than was dished out but after the morning's events she was in no mood for it. Ellie looked disappointed but sat down next to Rose, taking her hand.
''He'll be ok Rose, he's too stubborn to give in. I mentioned to my old boss I wanted to go back to work in Broadchurch, I'm sure she told him, he won't let that happen, me getting his old job, I'm certain of it. We fought like crazy but I was with him the night we were chasing a suspect, I got him to hospital in time to save him but you saved him too from what he said. He also told me you found him the other night, if not for you, he wouldn't be in there now.''
''I know, I can't lose him Ellie, I lost someone a long time ago and I thought I'd never get over it but then I met Alec, I can't go through that again.''
''Did he tell you it was my husband who killed Danny?'' Ellie asked her in a low voice since Joe's name hadn't been released to the public but Tess already knew, being in the police herself.
''Yeah, he told me, sorry.''
''Yeah, well my husband destroyed everything, my eldest boy won't live with me and the town hate me but I'm going back, with or without Alec Hardy because he told me in his room not to give in to them, that staying away proves to them I'm guilty of knowing what was going on and I'm not so whether he makes it or not, I'm going ahead with my transfer back, if I get permission that is.''
Rose squeezed Ellie's hand back. ''You'll get your transfer Ellie, I guarantee it, just wait for it to come through, very soon.''
''Now I know why he loves you Rose, you don't mess around when you want something, no wonder he gave in to your flirting.''
Almost an hour went by, Daisy and Tess were sat on one side of the waiting area, arm in arm, Rose and Ellie were sat on the front row in the middle, arm in arm when they heard the sound of voices coming from across the way as a double door swung open and a nurse came out.
''Which one of you is Rose Tyler?'' she asked nervously.
Rose sprang to her feet. Surely they wouldn't send a nurse to give any bad news, would they?
''That's me, I'm Rose Tyler, what's wrong? Is he ok?''
''They wanted me to inform you, there's been a complication and they're trying to re-start his heart, they're still working on him. I'm the theatre sister, the surgeon didn't want to leave him, they've got Mr Hardy on a ventilator, it's not looking too good, we just wanted to keep you informed, we knew you would be worried. I'll keep you up to date with what's happening.''
Rose staggered back as Ellie stood up and caught her.
''How long can they keep him on a ventilator?'' Rose managed to ask.
''We're uncertain, it depends on a few factors but there's every chance it's just the pacemaker not kicked in yet, they're taking every aspect into account and doing everything necessary I can assure you. His heart stopped a few moments ago, it could have re-started again while I've been telling you. I'll come back out when we know something.''
Daisy was sobbing into her mother's shoulder, Ellie put her arms around Rose, glad she had decided to stick around despite Rose and Tess opting to stay away from each other, she owed Hardy that much to stay and comfort his girlfriend if he didn't make it and it wasn't looking so good.
Rose sat down and got her phone out and called her mother, she really wished she was there with her right now, how she had thought she could do this on her own, she didn't know, it was clear she couldn't despite making a new friend in Alec's one time DS.
''Mum, it's Alec, I don't think he's going to make it.''
Jackie didn't know what to say to her distraught daughter, almost 200 miles away in a hospital and waiting for the man she had gone and fallen in love with to come through a simple enough pacemaker operation.
''Rose, he'll be ok, you have to let the surgeons do their job,'' Jackie replied after Rose told her what she had herself just been told. ''I wish I could be with you, I should have come down but Pete reckoned it was fairly simple and Alec would be in and out in a few hours, he must have been really bad, maybe he never wanted to tell you how bad he was?''
''He kept putting it off mum, another consultant told him his chances weren't so good.''
''Maybe they were right after all, Pete spoke to the surgeon himself earlier, he said Alec's chances were high but maybe that attack he had last Saturday made him worse?''
''Yeah it wouldn't have helped him any but if he'd not delayed it, if he'd had it sooner, his chances would have been better.''
''Rose, if he'd had it earlier, you wouldn't have met him, would you?''
That was what Alec had already told her. He was going to be ok, why else were they destined to meet, for him to be snatched away from her a week after they met or was it so Alec could spend his last week on the earth peacefully with a woman he loved at his side? He'd deserved that much, Rose thought as she said goodbye to her mother and went to sit back next to Ellie.
''He'll come through Rose, every single person in there is working to make sure he does, they can't do any more than they're already doing.''
''I know that Ellie.''
Tess was standing in front of her before Rose realised.
''I'm sorry Rose, I really didn't expect this to happen, I really never knew how ill he'd been and maybe the attack he had the other night did the final damage but Ellie's right, if you hadn't found him, it would have all been over then but you did and you gave him a fighting chance because he may be in love with you now Rose but I was married to him and Alec Hardy is not a quitter, even when that case folded on him, he never gave up, he took the blame for me and I can't repay him for that but he went on to catch another killer and he's not through yet. He has you to come back to.''
Rose got up and hugged the other woman. If Alec didn't come out of there alive, she could at least make up with his ex wife. Daisy came to join her and so did Ellie and a strange sight hit the theatre sister as she came out again.
''Miss Tyler, he's come through, he's going to be ok. They're still working on him but his heart started again and the pacemaker is working properly. As soon as they're done, we'll take him to recovery, someone will come and get you when we do.''
ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo
Rose stayed overnight in Alec's hospital room, throwing her weight around and saying she had paid for his surgery so she was entitled to stay, the ward sister gave up and left, knowing Rose Tyler's reputation. She was calling Pete the next morning while Alec was getting dressed and being discharged, to thank him for everything and to ask for Ellie to get her old job back before Alec got back to work.
''Leave it with me Rose, I'm glad you had someone with you and I regret not insisting your mother went to be with you but she's looking forward to meeting him though.''
''Thanks, I've called the caravan park and extended our stay in Alec's caravan, we'll stay there a while longer, I don't want Alec climbing those stairs to that flat and he's gonna give the chalet owner a call to say he's decided not to take it. Can your secretary take care of the flat situation?''
''I'll get her on to it, now get him home and look after him Rose, that's what you do, you take care of people.''
She said goodbye, promising to call her mother when they got back to Broadchurch and Alec came out of this room on his own and Rose went up to him, kissing him lightly.
''Ready?''
A few days later, they were enjoying the late afternoon sun, sitting by the swimming pool of a top hotel in Torquay Rose had booked at the last minute and Rose had driven them over after lunch with Ellie, Tess and Daisy in Exeter on their way over on Sunday afternoon, booking a three night stay for them in a luxury king-size room with a sea view, Alec saying he could put up with it for her sake.
Pete had contacted the chief constable, Ellie was to go back to work as a DS, being given a week to move back on full pay and Alec was to go back as soon as Rose told him he could, she'd said she wasn't taking any notice of what the chief medical officer said, she decided when he was going back.
So as Rose came out of the swimming pool, Alec with his sunglasses on and enjoying the view of his girlfriend in her swimsuit and letting out a low whistle, she lay down on the lounger next to him, taking his hand.
''Hey, how are you feeling, enjoyed your nap did you?''
''How did you know I was asleep, with these sunglasses on?''
''You trained me too well Alec, I did learn something from your lectures.''
''You were actually paying attention then were you Tyler?''
''Only when you turned around and I could stare at your cute ass Alec. You look dead sexy in those sunglasses you know, had enough sun yet?''
''Depends what you had in mind love?''
''Well that depends how good a job your surgeon did, doesn't it now?''
''I was told I died, technically. You must have had a scare Rose.''
''We all did, Ellie said you died on her, the night you were chasing her husband from the clifftop hut.''
''Aye, she won't let me forget it either. Did your stepfather help her get her job back?''
''Does it matter Alec? Besides, someone needs to keep you in line when I'm not there, I'll be busy organising my own team once it's set up, Mickey and Jake are coming down to help me.''
''I'm looking forward to meeting them then. So apart from detecting anything not of this world, what else do you do then?''
''Really Alec? If you've had enough of lounging by the pool, that you won't go in – yet, come up to our room and I'll tell you, it's top secret.''
''Do I get extra privileges then?''
''Oh yes, Alec, lots of extra privileges.''
''Good because you got me through that surgery and I'd hate for you not to get a return on your investment and you promised to consider marrying me, when the time is right, I love you Miss Tyler.''
''Just as well then, I intend getting every single penny back, Alec Hardy, I love you too.''
The End!