They all stared at Rose as she made her threat, most of all Ellie who had no clue what was going on let alone what 'ret-con' meant and neither did Alec but he had an idea. He was preventing Mickey from leaving before Rose had finished with him. Mickey was feeling very uncomfortable under the Inspector's glare and knew his time was up. His plan had backfired and he knew it. Pete answered after a few rings.

"Rose, sweetheart, are you ok? Jake told me what happened, why didn't you say something? Jake's coming down tomorrow."

"I'm ok Dad, I've got the best Detective team in Broadchurch protecting me" she smiled across to Alec. "Anyway it's all but over now, Alec and his DS are in the shop with me – so is Mickey and I need you to speak to him. If he doesn't leave town, Alec will have him escorted to the boundary and I've threatened to have him ret-conned."

She handed her phone to a bewildered Mickey. He looked worried as he spoke to Pete then handed her mobile back to her. Rose spoke to Pete again.

"Right Rose, I've told him he only has one last chance. I'm not having him back in the London office, I'm sending him to our office in Scotland but he's no longer a team leader, he'll have to earn that back. He has three days to pack his stuff and drive up to Scotland so I suggested he gets started. If he doesn't comply, he's out and he knows what will happen."

Rose knew too, she had meant it when she told Pete but didn't think it would be carried out. They took it very seriously.

"Thanks, I'll tell Alec to let him go then," as she smiled at Alec again. She said goodbye to Pete, telling him she'd ring her mum later as he said she'd been nagging him to bring her down to Broadchurch after Rose had promised to speak to Alec about it.

Alec reluctantly opened the door to let Mickey out, giving him his sternest look and an "I don't want to see you in Broadchurch again, Mr Smith," as he left. With Mickey out of the door, Alec went over to Rose and took her in his arms as Ellie took the hint and said she'd wait for him in the car back at the Station. The blinds were still down so Alec took the opportunity of locking the door and kissing Rose long and deeply, more than usual for that time of day. He figured she needed it.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Mickey had crossed the road and stopped outside Rose's shop and tapped on the door. She pulled the blind up then dropped it back down and she wasn't opening it so he tried to tell her he needed to talk to her. He'd been so intent of gaining access he'd not noticed two people walking towards him. He did when they stepped either side of him and a male voice he recognised said "What are you doing here Mickey?"

Then he had heard the door opening without Hardy having to knock on it, wondering why was she opening it to him when he'd had no luck and feeling himself being half hauled into the shop. He just stood there, not being given a chance to say anything in his defence. Rose had carried out her threat and phoned Pete Tyler, Hardy had threatened to have him escorted out of town and he didn't know who the woman was but she was probably Hardy's partner. Rose wouldn't even let him explain. Now he'd been ordered by the Director of Torchwood to leave his daughter alone or face his personal wrath and he'd been given a chance to go peacefully to the office in Scotland, probably the Outer Hebrides or somewhere equally remote or leave Torchwood and have his memory wiped. Not much of a choice. Rose hadn't even defended him, in fact she'd smiled at Hardy – twice and he seemed to be enjoying it. He'd been relieved to get off the phone and being allowed to leave. He walked back to his car. He had two choices, go back to London and pack and drive to Scotland or defy Hardy and the Director of Torchwood. He decided to carry on his journey to Dorchester and stop and have a think about it, anywhere away from here and Hardy's scrutiny.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Alec insisted that Rose close the shop for the day but she said she'd rather work to get her mind off things. They agreed when Alec's lips finally managed to part from hers for her still to go to his house after work and wait for him. She promised to make it worth his while if he promised to bring another bottle of wine back with him and help her make dinner. He said she was on and to remember her part of the bargain of not wearing a bra. They also agreed they needed to talk about looking at houses, especially now.

Alec left Rose and went back to meet Ellie. She grilled him when he got back to the car.

"So, Sir, was that the best you could do then? I mean, I thought it was going to be better than that, I thought you at least might rough him up a bit," she grinned.

"Not my style, Miller and besides, it wouldn't be good form for me to mess up a perfectly good suit in the process, let alone a shop. No, he's been told by someone much higher up than me that he'd better be gone and quick. Rose's step-dad is a very important man and Mickey works for him. Anyone who messes with a certain Peter Tyler does not get away with it lightly."

"Where do I know that name from? It sounds familiar. Tell me he's not the head of Vitex, please?" Ellie asked.

"One of the same, Miller, one of the same."

"Well I'll be…" Ellie stopped and looked at him in disbelief. "You mean that Rose is his stepdaughter and heiress to the Vitex corporation? No way! Alec – I mean Sir, you're thinking of living and moving in with her and she's - well - practically a millionairess and she's living in a rented house in Broadchurch? No way!" She was laughing now and Alec was looking slightly abashed.

"Well, if you put it like that, Miller, I suppose so. Though I didn't know exactly who she was when we first met. You know I don't keep up with that sort of thing. Besides, after she told me all about her past and I was a complete ass about it, it didn't really matter. I was too far gone with her, it didn't really matter to us. She's still the same Rose to me."

"I should think so too, after what you both went through. I really enjoy playing cupid when it works out."

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Rose was left alone, having opened the shop later than usual so she rang Jake and told him there was really no need for him to come down but he said he'd would anyway, just in case Mickey didn't take heed and leave. Rose supposed he was right. Since when did Mickey Smith ever do what he was told? She had some room to talk. How many times had she not done what the Doctor had told her – or by her mum for that matter. Pete had told Jake what had happened and insisted he come down anyway, so she told him he could stay at her house and that she would be staying at Alec's.

"Rose Tyler, if I told your mother you were staying with Alec she'd be down here in a flash slapping his face," Jake laughed.

Rose laughed too. "Yeah, wouldn't be the first time." She hung up feeling slightly better just wishing the day would hurry up and be over so she could go home to Alec. She loved going home knowing he'd be there as soon as he finished work and they would be alone. Even thoughts of the Mickey episode were washed away as she thought of Alec. For the first time in her life she felt wanted. Not being used and not being just someone's friend – she was loved and she loved him, no matter what Mickey may have lied about Alec or if it had got much worse but she giggled to herself about how Alec had teased her when she'd said she believed the bit about the girlfriends and the kids and he'd wanted to get started on the kids bit. All in good time.

Rose indeed planned something really nice for Alec. She stopped at a little dress shop on her way home to treat herself (or Alec) before she went for groceries. Rose was planning on giving Alec more than one surprise that night. She was considering closing the shop on Saturday to spend more time with him then had thought she would get someone in to manage the shop instead and open six days a week so she was going to advertise for a part time Manager. She and Alec could then perhaps go off for the weekend and she might have chance to persuade him to go to London with her to meet her parents and her brother. "Crikey, Alec meeting my mum, that's a terrifying thought," as she pictured her mum and Alec trying to get the better of each other and Alec getting a slap. "I could sell front row seats to that one."

She let herself in to Alec's house, parking in her own driveway and thought she'd prepare dinner before getting changed. Most of her clothes were now in his bedroom – no, she thought, in our bedroom so she got everything ready and put it in the oven and went to get changed, thinking she would defy the Inspector's insistence of not wearing a bra and leave that up to him to remove the offending article. She'd bought new underwear as well, getting a sly look from the shop assistant as Rose thought she'd maybe seen her and Alec out together. She stood in front of the mirror hoping he would like what he saw when he came home and undressed her after dinner which he usually did with his eyes across the table anyway. He didn't believe in waiting to go to bed.

She had just put on her dress when she couldn't believe Mickey's car was pulling up outside her house. Thank goodness she was at Alec's. She got her phone and quickly dialled Ellie and asked her to come round to Alec's saying Mickey was in front of her house. Two minutes later there was a knock at the door and she confirmed it was Ellie. She said she'd seen Mickey knocking on her kitchen door and calling her name. He was saying he knew she was in there are why wouldn't she open the door.

"Is he serious Ellie? He's had two warnings from Alec and one from my dad, he just doesn't get how serious this is. Did he see you coming in here?"

"I don't think so, he was too busy shouting at your door. Besides, he doesn't know you're here and that Alec lives here. Have you called him yet Rose? He'll be angry if you don't you know. He'll have half of Dorset Police up here in two minutes flat."

"That's exactly why I called you instead. You're more level headed about this than he is. Alec's emotionally involved and it's driving him crazy and I'm scared it's getting to him. Mickey may just be doing this on purpose to get Alec to loose his temper and accuse him of Police brutality or something. I don't want that to happen because then Mickey will have won. He's trying to get a reaction out of us and if I call Alec then he will. He's trying to get Alec to look bad in front of me so I'll think he's a monster and leave him. I can't do that to him Ellie, I love Alec too much."

"Well if he's not gone by the time Alec gets back it will not be pleasant. Come on Rose, I'll come with you and let Mickey say his piece then I'll arrest him for wasting Police time."

So Ellie and Rose ventured out of the kitchen door, locking it behind them. Rose had turned dinner off and grabbed her mobile and keys. Mickey was still leaning on Rose's door, she was hoping he'd not seen what direction she had just come from. Ellie was by her side.

"What do you want Mickey? If Alec sees you I won't be responsible for what he does. I won't be able to stop him. So say what you have to and go."

"I want to talk to you alone Rose, not with Hardy's partner, sorry, no offence but we've not been introduced."

"I'm DS Miller, Broadchurch Police and you are trespassing on private property. I must ask you to leave now or I'll arrest you. This is your only warning."

"Huh, you're own your own with no backup lady, so back off, this is between me and Rose. Rose, you need to get away from Hardy, he's no good, he's failed his marriage and failed in the Glasgow Police Department and he'll bring you down with him, he's using you and you're using him as a substitute, you know you are, you're only seeing what you want to see, leave him Rose."

With that, Ellie got out her phone and called Alec, he'd told her not to interfere, it was a personal matter and now he was coming out with all this stuff Alec needed to know. She stood blocking Mickey's way as she told Alec to pull out all the stops and get to Rose's house but no sirens this time please, he was lowering the tone of the neighbourhood.

She turned to Mickey. "You're going nowhere Mr Smith, you seem to be intent on telling a pack of lies about DI Hardy so you can tell him to his face. This is personal and I'm not going to waste my time with the paperwork because you're not worth it, I've got better things to do. I'm staying here until the Inspector gets here then I'll leave you in his more than capable hands to do what he wants. If he needs an alibi, he'll get one."

They stood in silence until a black SUV pulled up outside and Alec got out of the passenger seat. The car pulled off.

"He's all yours – Sir," said Ellie as she let Alec pass and went to stand behind Mickey. "So do you want me to handcuff him Sir?"

"That won't be necessary, DS Miller, you can go now."

"Yes Sir," and she went back down the driveway, laughing all the way back home.

Rose was opening the kitchen door and Alec, now standing behind Mickey gestured for him to follow her. He pulled out a chair and indicated for Mickey to sit down but he was stubborn and stood with his arms folded in the middle of the kitchen floor. Alec just said "suit yourself," as he took the seat opposite Rose as she was already sat at the kitchen table, having grabbed and put on a jacket as they came in. "Right, I believe you've got some things to say about me to Rose and since they are about me, I think I have the right to hear them, don't you Rose?"

Rose nodded. Alec continued. "Before you get started, firstly, I'm bitterly disappointed you didn't take mine and Peter Tyler's advice and leave town. You've probably lost your job now. Secondly, how dare you follow Rose around, first to her shop and then come to her house when she's told you she doesn't want to see you? Do you have some sort of problem with me or just can't take advice in general, from your own Director? From what I've heard about Mr Tyler, he doesn't make idle threats and one call from Rose and you won't even know what day it is. Before you take that as a threat, Rose was told about the conversation you had this morning and she knows you were threatened with having your memory wiped so that didn't come from me. What the hell do you want Smith?"

Alec was far past the state of any pleasantries by this stage and so was Rose. She let Alec do all the talking.

Mickey found his voice and spoke up. "I want to speak to Rose alone, Hardy. I'm not speaking to her in front of you."

"That's never going to happen and you know it. You've got lies to tell, so say them to me. Rose, please go into the living room and get your laptop, I want you to record this and your step-dad might want to see it. I'm not going to say or do anything else until your webcam is switched on."

Rose went to get her laptop and connected it to the internet and made a secure conference call to Pete. Mickey knew he was cornered now, he'd underestimated how clever Hardy was, being the Police and all. Had he been that stupid to think he wouldn't record this 'Interview' but to do it in front of Pete Tyler, well that was just plain crafty. Rose connected securely to her dad's call through Torchwood and moved the camera around the kitchen to show who was in the room. Alec did his usual 'Who's in the room' thing like he'd do at any other interview and introduced himself to Pete.

Pete just sat there at the other end, disappointed that Mickey had defied him and Alec Hardy, a senior Police Officer and had stooped this low and if that wasn't enough, he'd upset his step-daughter again and that was something he wasn't going to stand for. He dreaded to think what would happen when Rose's mother got to know about it, Mickey Smith would be a wanted man in her eyes, on her hit list.