Next chapter! So sorry, I thought I'd uploaded this weeks ago when I'd just saved it and closed it XD Apologies. Here it is :)

xxx

Rose had left early for work the following day, leaving Alec to sit about at the house. He hadn't had much sleep the night before and had instead taken to getting lost on the internet. He didn't know what else to do. Jamie was alive, but he couldn't get to her. For once, no amount of determination could help him solve things. He now understood a little more of the hopelessness felt by the Latimer family when Danny had first been discovered on the beach. How they had hoped that the body wasn't his. How his father had denied the possibility.

As if sensing his train of thought, his phone rang and he jolted up out of bed. After quickly checking the caller ID he slid the bar across to answer the call.

'Baker'.

'Alec, what the hell is going on? Rose left, then you left, and where is Jamie? She hasn't been at school for over a week and we're getting worried'.

'Something's going on at the moment. I had to take some personal time'.

'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine'.

'And Rose? Are you with her?'

'Yeah'.

'Okay, well you stay safe up there. There're some strange things going on at the moment'.

'Yeah, I know'.

'You're right in the middle of it, aren't you?'

'Maybe'.

'Alec, with your heart the way it is'—

'My heart's fine! Listen, I know how this looks to you and I know that you're worried. But right now, my child is missing and I can't do a thing to help. I'll come back and explain everything as soon as I can'.

'Wait, Jamie is missing? Alec, this is why people don't like you! You neglected to tell me something as big as this?! That's why you're with Rose now, isn't it?'

'I can't tell you everything right now. Even if I could I don't think you'd believe me'.

'Try me'.

Alec took a deep breath. 'Aliens are real'.

Ellie snorted. 'What?'

'I'm not joking. In the time we've been working together, have I ever been one for jokes?' Ellie's silence gave him his answer. 'Rose is an agent for a government organisation that protects the Earth from alien invasions and her father is their leader. There's also something else…'

'Well go on then…'

Alec then told her about the Doctor and to look up Rose and John if she didn't believe him. Strangely enough, Ellie didn't seem to have a hard time believing any of it in the end.

'I knew that something had to be wrong. Too many things have been happening unexpectedly. And Rose was in the thick of it all this time?'

'Yes, and now Jamie is too. I don't know'—

'Sir!' a young housemaid burst into the room without warning. 'The girl! The girl they've been looking for is in the garden! I told the gardener to stay with her until I got you'.

'Miller, I'm going to have to call you back,' Alec quickly hung up the phone before his brain could even process his mistake.

The maid led him outside and across the lawn to where he and Rose had talked only hours before. A man sat crouched over a figure lying in the grass and Alec was reminded instantly of the officers standing around Danny's body only months ago.

'Are you the dad?' the gardener asked.

Alec nodded and broke into a run.

Once he reached her side he skidded down onto his knees.

'Jamie? Jamie?!'

'Why are you yelling?' she asked with a half-hearted glare.

He breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her up into his arms. 'Oh Jamie! I've been so worried about you'.

'How long have I been gone?'

'About a week'.

'Really?' she stared up at him in wonder. 'That explains the tears then'.

'Don't,' he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and sniffed. 'You have no idea how hard it's been not being able to help you'.

'Undoubtedly,' she grinned in a bemused sort of way.

'Are you alright? Can you move?'

'If you let go,' she groaned and he released her so that she could sit up properly.

'Are you sure you're alright? I know you like to make light of these things'.

'I think being abducted by aliens is a bit too serious an event to make light of, don't you dad?'

'No need to get smart with me,' Alec scolded, but he was just so happy to see her again and for the most-part unharmed. The maid assisted him with the task of bringing her back inside and Jamie hobbled between them with almost her usual amount of enthusiasm.

Not knowing what else to do, Alec sought out Pete and was glad to find him in his study and not out in the field. He had been on the phone, but at the sight of Jamie standing leant against the doorframe, he quickly hung up.

'Come with me,' he led them over to one of the bookcases and pulled on one of the books. It revealed a hidden passageway and Jamie was absolutely delighted.

'It's like a spy movie!' she exclaimed excitedly and Pete shot Alec a concerned look.

'Did you give her something or was this how you found her?'

'You're gardener found her and the maid came to get me. As far as I know, she was found like this'.

'Very well'.

The passage led down to a decent-sized lab. Nothing like the one in Rose's TARDIS, but still impressive. Pete directed Alec to help Jamie sit up on one of the benches and he quickly donned gloves and set about checking her health.

'Have you told Rose yet?' Pete asked absentmindedly as he wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Jamie's arm.

'No, I haven't had time yet'.

'Good. Leave it for a bit. Apparently things aren't going too good in the city centre at the moment. The fleet are stationary at the moment, but Rose and her team need to be ready. I can't have her distracted by news from back here'.

'So you aren't on the front line but you'll let Rose do it?' Alec asked incredulously.

'I have to run things. Despite the importance of the job we do for this planet, we're still an organisation and we still need to continue. I'm in charge of international relationships as well. I've been swamped for the past week with calls from every country leader in the UN, even some that aren't. They're worried we aren't doing our job'.

'What and they aren't volunteering?'

'Exactly,' Pete shook his head and sighed. 'That's how they work. None of them want to get their hands dirty. I don't want Rose out there, but she wouldn't have it any other way. I kept her here all week because of her being a target, but since they'd already made a move on the city there was no reason why she couldn't go. Her mother isn't talking to me yet'.

'But surely Jackie knows that Rose knows what she's doing well enough by now'.

'Would that be comfort enough to you? If your child was out there, would you be comforted by the fact that she's had training? Rose may be one of our most experienced with this sort of thing, but the risk is still great'.

Alec nodded and swallowed audibly. 'So she could…'

'Yeah,' Pete replied stiffly and turned back to the bench behind him.

Pete took Jamie's blood sugar, blood pressure, temperature, pulse and did a series of blood tests to be sure that nothing had been tampered with. Luckily for Jamie, everything came back negative and the only thing amiss was a large dose of a foreign drug evidently used to keep her pacified while they were holding her.

'So you're absolutely sure everything's fine?' Alec asked again.

'Yes, you can stop worrying now. Take her upstairs and put her to bed for a bit so that drug can wear off. She'll be back to normal in a few hours. Trust me; I've dealt with this type of drug before'.

'Thank you,' Alec nodded once more and hoisted Jamie's arm up over his shoulders to assist her upstairs.

Xxx

Alec had put Jamie to bed in his room and didn't leave her for the next few hours. When she finally awoke, he was dozing in a chair beside her bed, head back and mouth wide open, quietly snoring.

'Dad?' she poked him in the arm. 'Dad!'

He jolted awake and instantly shot up in his chair. Jamie watched him recover with great amusement as his slightly unfocused eyes met hers.

'Jamie'.

'I'm up,' she grinned.

'Are you alright?' he clambered up out of his chair to check her temperature.

'I'm fine,' she batted his hand away. 'Where's Rose?'

'Darling, she's in the middle of the city right now, keeping us all safe. The same ones that have you are coming here and Rose is trying to stop them'.

'But he promised that it wouldn't happen,' Jamie frowned and rubbed her forehead. 'He-he…'

'He who? The Doctor?'

'He knew Rose. Said he was going to take care of everything. He was caught too, but he got us out and then stayed behind so that I could leave. I remember now. He had this weird wand thing that glowed and he used it to send me here…but he could only send one of us…'

'So he sent you in his place,' Alec nodded. 'I'd expect nothing less from him'.

'But who is he? He knew Rose and you and told me that I had you keep you both safe'.

'He's an alien, just like them. If it were any other day I'd let you call me crazy, but you've seen them now. You know what they're like and you know that anything's possible'.

The colour drained from Jamie's face at the thought of those creatures. 'And Rose…? Rose isn't…'

'No, Rose is just like you and me'.

'But she knows about it all?'

'She works for an organisation that deals with these sorts of threats. Rose has known about aliens since a long time before we met her'.

'And she's out there fighting in the middle of it all?'

Alec nodded seriously.

'Dad, what are you doing here?!'

'I'm sorry?'

'You are such a bloody fool!'

'Language, young lady!'

'You are though! Those things are lethal and you're just letting her go out there alone?'

'I-I…'

'You need to find her!'

'But you're only just back again and I'—

'I'm fine. I remember enough since I got here to know that I've been tested and everything. Got a clean bill of health, me. Now go!'

'I-alright, alright fine. You're to stay here with Mr and Mrs Tyler and you're not to move without me knowing about it'. He threw his mobile to her. 'Send a message to Rose's phone if anything happens here'.

'Dad, be careful,' she pulled him into her arms and he held her tightly for a few moments.

'I love you, Jamie'.

'Love you, dad'.

Xxx

Before he could even think of leaving, Alec quickly made a detour to Pete's study to let him know where he was going. Pete had merely stared at him for a few seconds, before he lent back in his chair and surveyed Alec with a thoughtful expression.

'Are you asking for my permission?'

Alec frowned. 'No, I'm just letting you know so that you can take care of my daughter'.

While it was only said as though Alec required a babysitter while he was gone, both men could not ignore the hidden meaning. Pete realised that Alec wasn't sure if he would come back and was impressed by his bravery.

'You're going to help Rose?'

"I can't leave her out there,' Alec declared calmly. 'I know you're opinion about all of this, but if she needs saving and I can give my life for hers then I'm willing to do it. And you bloody well better respect me after it'.

Pete chuckled.

'A word of advice,' Pete replied as he stood up and walked over to a cabinet against one of the walls, 'Don't play the hero. Rose won't like you being there at all, let alone dying for her. She'd never forgive you for it'.

'Understood'.

'Take this then,' Pete took something from the cabinet and held out a strange looking pistol. 'Hopefully you'll never have to use it'.

'Thank you,' Alec took it and turned it over in his hands.

'He made that,' Pete gestured to it. 'He hated weapons he never used them himself, but he knew that when they're needed, they're better off being of a fine quality. That blaster there is much more humane than any other in the galaxy, according to him at least'.

Alec only nodded.

'Rose's car should be out the front about now,' Pete added casually as he turned back to the desk.

'Thanks again'.

Pete smiled stiffly. 'Just make sure you bring her back safely, yeah? Her mother would murder us both if something happened'.

'Not you?'

'She's only there because I ordered others in her team to be part of the defensive movement. It's my fault that she's there on the frontline. Whatever will happen will happen, but none of it will happen without Rose's consent'.

'So you're saying that if something happens it's her own fault for going?'

'You misunderstand me,' Pete sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. 'I know that Rose takes full responsibility for her actions and would be perfectly sensible of where blame must be placed if the situation should arise. Don't tell me that I don't care about my daughter, DI Hardy'.

'I'll get her back'. He turned away and stalked from the room with a fresh determination. The blaster in his hand felt wrong, and yet somehow perfectly suited to him. The grip on the handle was the perfect size for his fingers and he marvelled over it for a moment until he remembered that it was made for him. Or the man that had made it looked exactly like him in every way. No doubt their hands would have been identical.

All thoughts of jealousy and other men were swept aside as Alec got into the driver's seat of Rose's beautiful, black BMW and turned the key. He was going to be there for her. Perhaps he couldn't be the Doctor, or even a hero of any sort, but he would protect the woman he loved until his dying breath.

xxx

So, only a few more chapters to go now and Alec's finally going to join in on the alien action...or is he? ;P We shall see. Thanks for reading, and drop me a review if you loved it, didn't mind it, hated it, couldn't stand it, or just thought 'meh', it's all good feedback.