Pete hoped he was wrong but if Alec had a mysterious timepiece he'd entrusted to his daughter and she'd had it drilled into her to keep it safe, then he wasn't wrong. They could only sit and wait until the fobwatch arrived.
"Try and eat something," Pete was encouraging Rose.
Rose offered him a weak smile.
"Sorry Dad. I was hoping the watch would be here by now?" Rose replied.
"Well Jake put an urgent rush on it, couriers usually co-operate with us," Pete smiled back. "Poor Daisy will be wondering what all the fuss is. We should get them both up here tomorrow if Alec don't come around."
"Ya think it's that serious?" Rose gasped.
"You have to face it. Doctor Harper won't bring him around until it's safe, he's already said that," Pete reminded her.
"I should get Mickey and Jake to tell me the full story about what The Doctor said to them," Rose changed the subject. "Maybe we missed something and Alec's not his clone?"
"I think he is love," Pete disagreed.
"Well what are we gonna tell Owen, when the watch arrives?" Rose wondered.
"We'll think of something, if opening the watch brings Alec out of it. There might be another reason Alec had the watch though," Pete replied. "He may have just been given it, he might not be the clone."
"Whatcha mean?" Rose was puzzled.
Meanwhile where Tess and Daisy lived, Daisy had been sat on the bed fingering the watch Alec had given her to look after.
"Come on Daisy, the courier will be here soon, Rose was in a big rush to get it, for some reason," Tess was telling the teenager.
"I know Mum but what if dad doesn't come round?" Daisy cried. "She said it was serious a few days ago. This is all I have of him."
"Rose will make sure you get it back," Tess was trying to assure her. "It must be important somehow."
"It's been making noises Mum," Daisy then admitted.
"Don't be silly Daisy, it only ticks, if you keep winding it up," Tess disagreed. "I've never heard it."
"But that's it Mum, he said something about it when he gave it to me," Daisy insisted. "It's still stuck though."
"Well let Rose worry about it, she should have told me why she wanted it," Tess huffed as she heard the doorbell. "You have to give me it now."
Jake had instructed the courier service to take a large padded envelope to Tess's address and get her to put it inside and seal it. Then a biker was to take the fastest route to the London Docklands and hand it in at the reception desk where cash was waiting along with a bonus if it was delivered before the estimated time.
The biker had the envelope all ready and was eager to complete his task so he rang the doorbell again.
"I'm from Thoms courier services," the skinny man all in leather greeted Tess, showing her the padded envelope. "I'll have the item there before you know it."
"Yes, you do that but don't get stopped for speeding, the person who's waiting for it won't be pleased," Tess told him, seeing Jake's name on the envelope.
Jake had decided it was safer the item be addressed to him rather than Rose. Tess put the watch in the envelope and pulled the strip off the end and sealed it. She just hoped that whatever reason Rose had asked for it, it wasn't anything mysterious that Torchwood was synonymous with.
"Take good care of the item," Tess then insisted as the man put his helmet on.
The man just looked at her as if to ask was she in the police or something? It wasn't his job to say anything about where a package or envelope was going, just to get it there. Tess thought it may make her ex husband's girlfriend feel better to know the watch was on its way so she sent a quick message to Rose, who jumped when her message tone went as she leaned on Jake's shoulder, since he'd just joined her.
"Give it to me," Jake offered, seeing Pete closing his eyes.
Neither of them had been getting much sleep, being worried about Alec and Rose as well.
"It'll be Tess to say the courier's there," Rose thought.
"The desk'll take it and pay them," Jake replied. "Geez Rose, I hope whatever's supposed to happen when he gets the watch actually happens."
"We all do Jake," Pete told him. "Where's Mickey?"
"Stuffing his face?" Jake grinned.
Rose had to smile, whatever the situation was, Mickey dealt with it by eating. Mickey was in the canteen trying to persuade one of the secretary's to let him take her out.
"You're always working late Mickey," Fiona was telling him across the gap in the tables. "Hey, you're well in with Jake, ask him if Torchwood's hiring. My friend Donna's looking for a job."
"Any vacancies are advertised," Mickey replied, waiting for her to answer his question. "Besides, he's busy with something."
"Something of Rose Tyler's I expect?" Fiona huffed. "I heard that secret project is off limits again, fat lot of good it is having it then."
"It's secret for a reason," Mickey objected to her scoffing the cannon project.
If it hadn't been for a stroke of luck, they'd never had known to send for a watch Alec had given to his daughter.
"Bet ya can't talk about it Mickey?" he was asked.
It was more than his life was worth to talk about the cannon project to general employees.
"Well if you don't want to go out?" Mickey asked her again.
After Fiona saying she'd think about it, Mickey went down to join the others.
"So how do you know anything will work?" Mickey asked Rose.
"There are no guarantees," Pete told him.
"We have to believe The Doctor was trying to help in some way," Rose insisted. "He wouldn't let Alec die, if he could help it."
"We know love," Pete told her, taking her hand.
"Alec had just got to know Katy, I insisted he had the surgery," Rose told them.
"He chose to go ahead," Mickey reminded her.
"Rose, there's every chance he'll come round on his own," Pete told her.
"He can probably hear us," Mickey grinned at the thought.
"Yeah and telling us not to fuss over him," Rose had to smile.
"You couldn't have just left him Rose," Pete reminded her. "Let's just see what happens when the watch gets here?"
"He might be mad with me, for finding out about it?" Rose wondered, staring across at Mickey.
"I'd best go," Mickey suggested as Rose held on to Jake's arm.
At one time, Rose would have gone to him but not since they'd arrived here. Now, she had chosen Alec like she knew he could be The Doctor's twin.
"Did you have any idea?" Mickey challenged her.
"What?" Rose looked up. "You are joking?"
"Leave it Mickey, no-one could have guessed," Pete insisted.
"Pete's right," Jake agreed. "It's not like he'd tell her before she came here and said so."
"Jake's right, he couldn't have known his twin would be created just like that," Pete told them.
"He's a time traveller," Mickey reminded them.
"It doesn't work like that Micks," Rose disagreed. "He wouldn't go forward in his own time-line and create a clone just to send him here. That would mean he knew he was gonna lose me."
Then she thought of something. Maybe he had? She got up, feeling sick and ran to the bathroom.
"What?" Mickey wondered what he'd done now.
"Leave her," Pete suggested. "She's just upset whatever the watch is for, it won't do Alec any good."
"It has to work Pete," Jake told him. "Why would Alec have it if it wasn't for a reason?"
Rose was leaning over the sink in the ladies bathroom. Did this have something to do with what happened on the impossible planet? Had the Doctor seen his clone's fate and been prepared? She heard a knock on the door and Pete's voice calling her.
"Come on Rose, they should be here with the watch soon," Pete insisted after waiting ten minutes. "You just got another message from Tess. If someone's on a motorbike, they won't get held up in traffic."
"Okay Dad, I'll be out in a minute," Rose tried to dry her eyes.
Had The Doctor really seen she was going to almost fall into The Void and when he'd had the chance, created his twin? She'd not even asked Jake and Mickey how it had happened.
"You'd best get her mother here," Jake suggested to Pete as he sat back down again.
"Owen's mad enough all of us crept in," Pete smiled.
"Jackie won't let him stop her," Mickey laughed. "I'll go wait upstairs for the courier."
"Yeah, you do that," Jake agreed, knowing Rose was uncomfortable him being there.
He'd often wondered how Mickey had managed to get his nose pushed out when Rose had decided she wanted to go off in a time machine. He'd heard how back then, The Doctor had looked different. Rose came out just as Mickey was leaving.
"Tell me how it happened," Rose grabbed his arm. "I mean how Alec might be his twin."
"We don't know for sure," Pete reminded her.
"I need to understand Dad," Rose insisted.
"Sorry Rose, he didn't say much, just a part of him merged with a woman called Donna, when the Daleks were trying to take over," Mickey replied. "He said someone found his hand, the one he lost in that sword fight and he got it back."
"It had to have been Jack," Rose smiled. "Only Jack would keep a hand."
Pete was dying to hear the rest, Rose hadn't talked much about it.
"That can wait, Rose," Pete told her. "Once the watch arrives, Jake and Mickey should leave, it could get awkward."
"How do ya mean?" Rose wondered.
"Think about it love? Alec could be changed, he may not be the same person you love," Pete told her.
Rose looked horrified as Jake and Mickey left the room.
"Rose, if Alec's is The Doctor's twin and he went off, he may not have intended to find you," Pete continued. "You think he did but what if we're wrong about it? As your stepfather and director of Torchwood, I have to look out for you. You need Jake in here at least and people outside in case he tries to leave. However much you don't want to think about it, we have to be prepared if he becomes hostile."
"Alec wouldn't do that," Rose insisted, a tear in her eye.
"Not the Alec you knew," Pete reminded her. "This could be an entirely different person."
Pete got his phone out and called one of Jake's security team and outlined what he wanted. Then he got Jake back in.
"Sorry Rose, none of us wants this," Jake told her.
"You're all wrong about him," Rose insisted as she folded her arms.
"We hope we are," Pete replied.
"What do you both think he's gonna do?" Rose asked, getting up to sit on Alec's bed.
"He could be a rogue Timelord," Pete suggested.
"Rose, ya have to face it," Jake agreed.
"Well you'll all be proved wrong," Rose insisted. "When he wakes up, he'll still be my Alec."
"I will gladly be proved wrong," Pete admitted.
Jake agreed and they stayed quiet as Rose sat beside Alec, holding his hand.
"He feels cold," Rose told them.
"Owen will be in to check on him soon," Pete told her.
"He's not to be let in when the watch arrives," Rose insisted. "No matter what happens."
"We may have to," Pete replied. "We may have no other choice, if Alec's in any danger."
Owen entered half an hour later, frowning that Rose still had company.
"He can't hear anyone," Rose told him when Owen said something.
"It's okay Owen," Pete told him. "We'll be leaving soon."
Owen did all his checks when a nurse joined him and took Pete on one side.
"I honestly don't know how long to leave Alec like this," he admitted. "He should be strong enough on his own to bring him out of it."
"Well he has everything to live for," Pete replied. "We're going to try something, to bring him round."
"Don't tell me, something top secret Jake and Mickey came up with?" Owen joked. "What piece of alien tech would that involve? I remember the last disastrous time. Well I accept no responsibility."
"That's just typical of you Owen," Rose huffed. "What are you gonna do, leave Alec like this forever?"
"He doesn't mean to do that, do you Owen?" Pete asked him.
"Of course I don't. Well whatever you are going to try, I need to know," Owen insisted.
"We'll think about it," Pete replied, seeing Rose was upset.
Finally, Jake got a call to say the courier was there and been paid so he went to collect the watch himself. Mickey waited downstairs and greeted his friend.
"How are ya gonna get that past Owen?" Mickey grinned as they went back inside the medical lab.
"He's not gonna say anything about a watch Mickey," Jake laughed as he took it out of the envelope and put it in his jeans pocket.
"I suppose not," Mickey grinned.
"Thought you two had gone?" Owen remarked when he looked up from his laptop screen.
"Just gonna check on Rose before we go home," Jake told him.
"Well don't be long," Owen warned them.
Jake always thought of himself as being in charge of security but Owen seemed to think otherwise. Rose sat up when Jake and Mickey entered Alec's room.
"Want us to wait outside?" Jake wondered.
"Maybe it's best?" Pete agreed, thinking they were only just outside, were they to be needed.
Rose fingered the watch, recalling Tess saying it never seemed to open but it opened first time for her. Maybe it was because of looking into the heart of the Tardis?
"I can hear it whispering," Rose held it towards Pete.
"You would," Pete smiled. "Just put it in his hands Rose, then leave it. If nothing happens, at least we tried."
"I want him to be better Dad but I don't want this world to be in danger," Rose replied.
"I don't think it will," Pete disagreed.
Pete was right as nothing seemed to be happening.
"We weren't to know," Pete told her as Rose had tears in her eyes again.
"We were completely wrong Dad," Rose admitted. "Why did he have the watch though?"
"Do you recognise it, from when you travelled?" Pete wondered.
"The design is like the swirls on the Tardis console," Rose told him. "It could just be a coincidence though."
"It probably is then?" Pete had to agree. "I'll let Jake and Mickey know."
Just then, Rose thought Alec squeezed her hand as she tried to take the watch back.
"Alec?" Rose called out. "Dad, get doctor Harper if he's still here."
Pete went off but Owen had already been alerted.
"Rose," a confused Alec spoke her name.
Rose quickly put the watch in her pocket.
"Hey, welcome back," Rose greeted him, going to kiss his cheek.
Maybe the watch had healing properties, Rose wondered. She didn't care how it had worked as Alec tried to sit up.
"Don't try anything else Alec," Owen warned him. "Let me check you over."
"I feel fine," Alec replied as Owen was making Rose move. "I had you all worried?"
"Ya could say that," Rose had to smile as Pete tried to hold her back.
"Well your heart's back to a regular beat," Owen informed them. "In fact, that's quite amazing, since the pacemaker's only supposed to regulate it when it goes fast or slow."
"Well that's good then?" Rose asked. "I'm just glad it works."
"As am I," Alec agreed as Owen took the cold stethoscope away. "The surgery went as planned."
Owen wanted to say it was a miracle but that was what Torchwood was about. What had happened since Alec was placed in a coma to let him recover? He knew he'd get the run-around from Rose Tyler and her friends and the director himself would deny anything they might have done. Where the elite team were concerned, they had more or less free reign.
"Yes, well I still need you to be under observation for a few days," Owen told him.
"Please Alec, don't rush things," Rose urged him.
"Rose is right," Pete agreed.
"Well as long as you stay?" Alec smiled at Rose.
When everyone had left and Owen was satisfied Alec could hold his own, it left him alone with Rose.
"We were all worried about ya," Rose admitted after they had kissed.
"I felt something in my hand when I came round. It felt like that old watch I gave to Daisy."
"Yeah, she sent it to me," Rose replied, hoping he wouldn't ask too many questions.
"Then how did she know to send it?" Alec wanted to know as Rose tried to avoid the wires.
"Alec, just be glad she did, it maybe helped?" Rose tried to bluff.
"I don't see how," Alec replied. "Well never mind, the day we know everything, we may as well give up."
Rose looked at him. That was something The Doctor used to say. Had they be right in some ways?
A few days later, Alec was back with Rose at her parents' mansion, Tony being told not to bother him.
"He's fine Rose, leave him be," Alec told both Tony and Rose as Katy slept in her baby chair.
"Are you taking Rose away?" the boy wanted to know.
"Hey Tony, I said ya could come and visit me," Rose reminded him. "I'm only still in a caravan, wait until me and Alec find somewhere else."
The boy considered it.
"Well okay," Tony agreed after a few moments.
"We will have that house soon," Alec told Tony. "Then ask your mum if you can come and stay during the next holiday."
"Yeah, that's a great idea," Rose agreed, her arm in Alec's.
"So are you my big brother Alec?" Tony put Alec on the spot.
"I suppose I am? Rose, want to make that official at some point?" Alec asked her.
"Well Katy has your name," Rose reminded him.
So after agreeing, they set a date just before Christmas and they would leave Katy with her mother to go off for a few days. Everything went well and after staying over the new year, they finally went home. Ellie had moved to the traffic division in Exeter but with Tom staying with his aunt, she often visited and would call in to see Rose.
"I hate it there," Ellie complained on one visit. "I have a tiny little flat near the police station and I can't find a decent child-minder for Fred."
Rose patted her friend on the shoulder.
"Poor Ellie. Have ya asked to come back here?" Rose wondered, trying to think of a way to help her friend. "I'd volunteer to look after Fred but you'd have to travel."
"I know but thanks Rose. What would your husband think though?" Ellie asked her.
"Ellie, come back, no-one will bother now," Rose encouraged her.
"What about the new chief though?" Ellie asked. "Does Alec get on with her?"
"He doesn't say much," Rose replied. "Why don't I ask him for ya?"
So somehow, Rose persuaded Alec to talk to the new chief about Ellie.
"I'm sorry Alec but she made her choice," he was told. "You were lucky you got back in, you do know you had some help Alec?"
"Excuse me? I passed the medical did I not? What did you expect me to do, go teach new recruits over at the academy?" Alec objected. "It was coming back here or taking the other job. My wife wanted to come back here to live."
"I'm well aware who your wife is Alec," the chief replied. "The chief constable suggested I take you back on, to ease yourself back into the job. I also know you were ordered no chasing any suspects for the time being. You'd best hope nothing calls for it."
Try as he might, he had no answer to Ellie's problem, being told she had to prove she could cope with the traffic division before she'd be considered to get her rank back.
"And no suggesting to your wife she helps PC Miller get back," the chief called after Alec as he left.
He went back to his office to give Rose the news.
"Well we tried," Rose told him as she picked Katy up. "Hey wanna do a video call?"
"Not just now eh?" Alec told her. "Has anything come from the court yet?"
"No, sorry. I know how much ya want it over Alec," Rose replied.
"Rose, we need to talk when I get home, about Sandbrook," Alec changed the subject.