"So he thought you were under the illusion I was your fiancé?" Alec wanted to know.
"I don't know Alec? A lot of what he said wasn't well known," Rose replied.
"All the more reason for me to arrest him," Alec insisted.
"I'll call my friend Jake, he'll know how to deal with it," Rose told him. "If I wasn't still upset, I'd deal with him myself."
"Rose, you can't deal with it on your own," Alec told her, stroking her hand. "I have to go back to the station, we can talk more when I get back but please, don't go home yet."
"I'll think about it but I don't need this Alec," Rose was now even more unsettled.
She let Alec go as he was getting another call to say Connelly had been found.
"I am going to throw the book at that man," Alec muttered as he left the caravan.
Ellie was now sitting across the table from the bothersome psychic.
"Why have I been dragged back here?" he was asking innocently.
"I think you know why," Ellie replied as another officer sat next to her. "You picked on the wrong person to stop in the street. Did you think you'd get away with it? You knew who it was."
"I only wanted to warn her, I had to get her to listen," Connelly then admitted. "I want a solicitor."
"On a Sunday?" Ellie almost laughed. "Fine, you can try and get one but you're not under arrest yet. Unless you know DI Hardy is going to charge you with harassment?"
She could tell Frank next to her was dying to laugh. If she was right about the person who had been bothered, she would surely get Torchwood involved, given who her stepfather was. Rose had called Pete and told him what had happened. Her mother was trying to tell him she knew it was too soon for Rose to be going off on her own.
"You want me to send Jake down?" Pete was trying to ask Rose.
"I think maybe I should come home?" Rose wanted to give in.
"You wouldn't usually let something like that bother you," Pete told her. "Let us deal with it?"
"Let me see what Alec can do," Rose replied. "He won't go easy on the bloke Dad."
Pete wasn't really that surprised to hear it and that Rose had already made good friends with the detective. The Doctor seemed to have been right but it didn't mean Rose had got over his twin's death. He supposed she could have remained at home, with a constant reminder but she had chosen to try and deal with it in her own way.
"I'll have Jake ready to come down, just give him a call," Pete agreed.
"Thanks Dad. I just hope Alec doesn't ask too many questions or I may have to tell him. Then he might want me to leave anyway."
Pete felt sorry for her. All the trouble she had gone to getting the Doctor here and it still hadn't helped. He was sure she felt it was her fault for going across to the other universe in the first place and bringing him back with her.
Alec was fast losing his temper with Steve Connelly.
"Did I not tell you to leave things alone?" Alec was reminding him. "My personal life and that of anyone I know is of no concern to you. If you know who that person is, you will know the consequences of your action will bring you more trouble than your so-called abilities can deal with."
"Is that a threat?" Connelly wanted to know, looking at Ellie.
"Sir, is this to do with the case?" Ellie wanted to know.
"What do you think Miller?" Alec replied, wishing he could have stayed with Rose. "It affects the case, since he came to us initially about Danny Latimer. He seems to have found an easier target. Let me tell you, Mister Connelly, about your new target. She has a very influential father who could have you taken to a certain place then you may not even know who you are when you leave."
He was trying hard not to come right out and admit to his DS that he was now involved with Rose but then he decided he wouldn't be able to hide it much longer, thanks to this idiot opposite him.
"Do you have anything to say?" Alec then asked Connelly.
Connelly shook his head. If he was right, he knew Hardy meant getting Torchwood involved.
"If you know what's good for you, you will stay away from her, leave her alone," Alec then added. "It was in the papers that she recently lost someone, she came here to recover and you are not helping her. Miller, see he's escorted back to his van and that he leaves the area."
Ellie thought trust him to run the man out of town. She wished she'd never mentioned the mysterious figure on the pier the other night now. How was she to know who it might possibly be? As far as she knew, which was the same as everyone else was the Vitex heiress had gone into seclusion after her loss, not actually chosen this town to recover.
Now, she was going to have a hell of a job keeping this from her nephew.
"Do not even think about coming back or I will see that your company dispenses with your services," Alec then warned the other man as he got up.
"Sir, I hope you're going to explain all this to the chief tomorrow?" Ellie wanted to know after she got another officer to see Connelly got a ride back to his van.
Alec didn't answer as he heard a commotion coming from reception. Ellie's nephew had been passing earlier and had seen Connelly being led into the police station and had waited around. Then he'd wondered what was taking so long and had seen the other man as he'd gone inside.
"Keep that reporter away from me," Connelly was protesting when Olly said who he was.
"Is he connected to Danny's murder?" Olly had asked.
"You know we can't comment," Bob on the desk was trying to tell him, wishing now it had been his day off.
"I tried to tell them about Danny," Connelly then admitted.
"Then why is he being let go?" Olly wanted to know.
"What's going on here?" Alec asked them all as he and Ellie joined them.
"Auntie Ellie," Olly turned to her.
"I told you not to call me that when I'm on duty," Ellie reminded him.
"Sorry. Well?" Olly was still curious.
"There's no story here," Alec tried to tell the reporter. "This man is not here in connection with the case, Stevens. Not a word about this, understand?"
"Don't look at me either," Ellie warned her nephew.
"What are you still doing here Stevens?" Alec wanted to know as he stood with his arms folded.
Olly was determined to get to the truth behind what was going on. If the man had nothing to do with Danny's death, what was he doing here?
"Is that it now, can I go rescue Sunday lunch?" Ellie asked him. "Why don't you come and join us, Joe will have made too much anyway."
"No Miller, I have to go make sure Rose is okay," Alec admitted.
"Then bring her along," Ellie suggested.
"For you to tell your nephew?" Alec replied.
"So you're not hiding the fact it is Rose Tyler we saw the other night?" Ellie teased him.
He followed Ellie up the stairs, knowing he should have taken the lift after the morning he'd just had. He went to sit in his office and Ellie went to get her things then knocked on the door.
"Sure you won't change your mind?" she wanted to know.
"We'll go get something," Alec replied, running his hands over his face.
"Don't be daft – Sir," Ellie told him. "I'll write my address down, she does have a car?"
Alec knew there was no getting out of it.
"Will your husband keep it quiet? I mean who comes with me?" Alec wasn't so sure it was a good idea in the first place.
"He's married to a detective, he knows the score," Ellie reminded him.
"You're related to the local reporter," Alec reminded her back.
"I said for him to drop it," Ellie took the huff. "Should I warn Joe or not?"
"Fine, I will go get her," Alec gave in to stop her going on about it.
He got his phone out to call Rose as Ellie scribbled her address down and left it on his desk.
"Hiya Alec, are ya on the way back?" Rose wanted to know.
Alec thought it was a nice change as opposed to when Tess used to yell at him and she and Daisy had eaten without him.
"On my way," he replied. "We've been invited for a late Sunday lunch, if you want?"
"Oh. By who?" Rose wanted to know.
"My DS. She knows it's you I'm afraid. I had to warn the psychic off," he admitted.
"By threatening him with Torchwood?" Rose asked him.
"I'm sorry Rose, I had no choice love," he further admitted.
"It's okay Alec, ya tried to keep me quiet, it's always gonna happen," Rose sighed.
"I'll be back in ten minutes, if you're ready? We should call and get a bottle of wine for being invited," Alec told her.
Rose quickly freshened up, glad she'd decided not to make anything to eat yet and had just eaten a sandwich when Alec had left earlier. How was she going to tell him that Jake would have to take care of the psychic or she'd have to leave? Some choice that was, she thought as she saw Alec passing in front of the caravan ten minutes later.
Bob on the desk had been glad Alec had left and hoped that if the commotion had been about his new girlfriend, things would calm down. He wondered if it really had been Rose Tyler after seeing the reports, they had enough on their plates without protecting her.
Alec had nipped into the local store, quickly chosen a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates for Rose and Rose had opened the caravan door for him. He passed her Ellie's address, asking is she had a sat-nav.
"Want me to drive?" he offered as he locked the caravan door as they left.
"No, I'm okay," Rose insisted.
Ellie had got back home and had told her husband who was coming to lunch.
"You don't even like him Ell," Joe laughed when she said her boss was coming over with a friend. "When you say a friend of his, is that a female friend?" he further teased her. "Only from your description of him, he seemed a bit of a grump."
"Stop it," Ellie laughed back as she held her youngest son in her arms. "Where's Tom?"
"In his room, he's still pretty much upset," Joe replied. "I just told him you'd invited someone for lunch and he said he'd rather be at Danny's house."
"I'll pop up and see him, before our guests arrive," Ellie told him as she put her son down.
She was about to go upstairs when the doorbell rang, thinking Hardy must be keener than he'd seemed earlier. Instead, it was Olly.
"What do you want Oliver?" Ellie asked as he stood in the porch.
"To apologize and see how Tom is, poor kid," Olly grinned back at her.
"It's not a good time, we're expecting someone," Ellie told him.
"Your boss?" Olly's face changed.
"Yes and you'd better make yourself scarce," Ellie warned him.
"I just wanted to know what that man was doing at the station earlier," Olly insisted.
"Nothing to hit the news," Ellie told him. "If you're wanting Sunday lunch, you're out of luck today."
"Would I come round just for that?" Olly asked her.
"If you thought we had guests," Ellie replied.
"I think mum's in trouble again," Olly suddenly changed his attitude.
"Tell me something new Olly," Ellie felt sorry for him. "Look, I'd let you stay normally but Hardy won't be happy if you're here when he arrives."
"I know, I saw what he was like earlier," Olly admitted. "Is he protecting someone?"
"Now you're fishing, Olly," Ellie didn't want to say who her boss would have with him.
"Fine, I'll go but can you call and see mum?" Olly asked her.
"I will. Why don't you come round this evening and see Tom?" Ellie then suggested.
Olly agreed and was just walking down the passageway as Rose found the address they wanted.
"Wait here a moment," Alec told Rose. "I think that reporter nephew of hers is just leaving."
"I don't want to be in the papers again," Rose looked worried.
"You won't be, not if I can help it," Alec replied as he took his seatbelt off as Olly disappeared.
"Why didn't you let Olly stay Mum?" Tom was asking Ellie from the top of the stairs.
"Because DI Hardy will have someone with him and I don't want your cousin reporting it," Ellie replied.
"Can I have my lunch in my room?" Tom then wanted to know.
His dad came out of the kitchen, holding their youngest son.
"Don't be rude Tom, come down," Joe insisted.
"Olly will be back later to see you," Ellie told Tom as the doorbell went.
She found Rose slightly in front of Alec, who was holding the bottle of wine, determined he wasn't going to drink any of it by saying he was driving.
"Hi!" Rose greeted Ellie. "Thanks for inviting us. We brought you a bottle, didn't we Alec?" she nudged him.
Alec held the bottle out and Ellie accepted it.
"Thanks. Well come on in, excuse the mess," Ellie grinned.
Then Rose saw the small boy behind her.
"Hi there little fella," Rose glanced past Ellie. "What's his name?"
"It's Fred and that's Joe," Ellie revealed.
"So this is where you disappeared to?" Joe tried to break the ice with Alec staring at him for asking Rose a stupid question.
"Yeah, it was such a dumb idea really but my dad arranged it all for me," Rose admitted. "How did I know what was gonna happen as I set off here?"
She reached down as Fred made his way to her and held his arms out. Rose picked him up and made a fuss over him.
"He doesn't usually go to anyone," Joe told her as they went into the dining room.
Tom had sneaked down, now intrigued as to who his parents were talking about.
"Are you really Rose Tyler?" Tom wanted to know.
Rose handed Fred to his mother but he didn't want to go so she sat him in his chair.
"Yeah, that's me," Rose did a little wave. "So, who are you?"
"Tom," he replied, feeling silly now.
"I've got a stepbrother, just a bit younger than you, Tom," Rose told him.
Alec was taking it all in, seeing another side of her. He had read all about her leaving work to take care of her fiancé when he'd got ill and now, she was trying to get her life back but he still wondered why she had chosen this town. She'd not said it had been chosen for her.
Had Pete Tyler chosen this place on purpose? He still didn't know how long it had been planned, whether a few days or when he himself had been sent here. Rose had just said she didn't know what had happened as she'd set off.
Rose was making another fuss over Fred when they went into the front room but Alec didn't want them to overstay their welcome. He'd managed a few sips of wine, insisting he was driving and had hoped Rose would go along with it.
When they had left, Ellie was grilling Tom about not telling his cousin who had just visited.
"Why's it a secret Mum?" Tom had asked her.
"Because she's famous and we still want people to read about Danny in the newspapers, not her. Rose wouldn't want that," she tried to explain.
"She used to be all over the newspapers Ell," Joe reminded her.
"Not since her fiancé died," Ellie insisted. "Let the press keep guessing what she's doing, Olly doesn't have to be the one who gives it away."
"It's his job," Joe went on.
"Well he can make his name some other way," Ellie replied. "She might be with my boss but she's got a right to her privacy."
"She's in the wrong town then," Joe laughed. "Your boss is going to spend more time defending her than finding out who killed Danny."
"Thanks for that, it's all I needed," Ellie complained.
Rose and Alec had got back to the caravan but Rose wanted to go for a walk. They walked to the end of the same pier where Alec had found her a few nights ago.
"You never told me why you were out here," he reminded her. "Why Rose? Why were you so fast at making friends with me? I know I look like the man you lost."
"I wasn't thinking straight Alec," Rose told him. "I suppose I was tryin' to sort my thoughts out. I had no idea you were here until you spoke to me."
"I want to believe you Rose, really I do," he answered, taking her hands. "It's just I don't think you quite trust me yet, that I'm different to who he was? I'm not him Rose. That psychic inferred as much but how would he know?"
"He's a fake Alec, he could have looked me up on my public profile. He hasn't got any real information or Torchwood would know about it. I have to call my friend Jake, if I have any more trouble with that man."
"I understand that Rose but I can take care of it, if you will let me?" Alec replied, lacing his fingers with hers.
"You have enough to deal with Alec," Rose told him. "I should get out of your way."
"I don't want you to leave," Alec reminded her. "Tell me the whole story. You said you got married, just before he died?"
"I felt bad, that we'd never have the chance to have a proper wedding, so we did it on the spur of the moment," Rose explained. "We'd tried everything we could think of to find out what was causing his illness. Then we hit on it but it was too late. We had one last hope to save him, by finding his twin."
That was news to Alec.
"Oh. Did you manage to find him then? How could he help Rose?"
"Alec, I can't tell ya out here," Rose replied. "We should go back to the caravan but when I've told ya, ya won't be able to get away fast enough."
"What are you talking about?" he wanted to know as Rose moved her hand away.
Rose glanced ahead of them to make sure no-one was approaching.
"Because he didn't belong here Alec, I mean in this world."
"You were right, we can't talk about this here but I want to know, no matter what you have to say," Alec told her. "When you say in this world, you mean he was one of those aliens Torchwood deals with?"
Rose let out a nervous laugh as he helped her up.
"He was only half alien," she admitted.
"Well, that's a start," he smiled. "So where did he come from, a parallel universe?"
"Is that the detective talking?" Rose smiled back as they walked.
"No, it's the wee lad in me who used to read all the comics," he admitted. "If you think I am going to leave when you have told me the whole tale, Rose Tyler, you can think again."
"Okay, maybe you won't but it still doesn't mean I can stay Alec," Rose turned serious. "You need to concentrate on finding who killed that boy, not hearing tales from another world."
Alec stopped her halfway down the pier.
"Oh, so that infers there is more to it then?" he asked. "There is only one way you can know so much Rose and that is if you have first hand experience."
"All ya need to know for now Alec is that he came here with me, because I was selfish and I caused his death," Rose replied, shocking Alec at her statement.
"You went to another world and got him to come back with you?" he wanted to be certain.
"No Alec, I went back, to find his twin, only then, I didn't know the man I was looking for even had a twin," Rose started to explain.
"You have lost me," Alec admitted as they stayed where they were.
"I need coffee," Rose told him.
"Fine, we will go get you some but you are not getting out of this," he agreed.
