Rose felt herself melting into him as they kissed longer this time, after a few short, sweet ones that to Rose felt like snowdrops melting but he was the one to initiate them to last longer each time until Rose gave in and she had to stop for breath.

"Wow, I've never been kissed like that before Alec," she admitted.

"Really? I would never have known," he smiled, something that he'd rarely done since Daisy was younger and they'd been a happy family.

Maybe it wasn't all over for him after all? Why should he keep fighting the inevitable, that of giving in and having his surgery instead of putting it back.

Rose didn't try to resist as he began kissing her neck.

"Still want me to stay?" he asked, to make sure she'd not changed her mind about it.

"Mmm. I'm not letting ya go now. Besides, it's getting late and I'd be worried about you. Why don't I give ya my spare key, then after the reconstruction tomorrow night, you can come over? I'll have to go back to the ambulance station afterwards."

"Rose, are you really ready to give me your spare key?" he queried, wondering why he suddenly felt better than he'd done in a long time.

"Well yeah, I've no-one else to give it to, I only got it for when my mum stays over and trust me, she won't be paying a visit while there's a killer on the loose. You should have heard her the other day going on about it. She wanted me to pack up and go home."

"That's understandable, she was concerned for you. Did you ever tell her about Joe Miller?" he asked, moving her hair to kiss behind her ear and Rose going into meltdown.

"How could I Alec? I'd not been here that long when it happened. What could I have done about it Alec? I could hardly go to the police station and report it, Ellie would have found out. I told ya, I didn't want to lose her as a friend and her turn on me."

"It's okay Rose, I understand. You've told me, that's all that matters and I wish I could do something. I already told you, when the time is right, I will investigate him further. There is one thing I could try though," he told her as Rose snuggled into his shoulder, trying to get him to take his shirt off but he wasn't getting the hint as she put her hand on his bare shoulder under it.

"What's that? Alec, are ya gonna take that shirt off?"

"Rose, this is serious. Yes, I'll take it off but maybe it's best we have this discussion while I am still in possession of it?"

Rose huffed a bit but maybe he was right?

"Oh, okay then. What can ya do Alec?" she asked, daring to kiss the part of his shoulder she could reach.

"Well when I said Joe Miller thinks you are the only one who could tell on him? What if I were to find the other driver?" he asked, smiling at her attempt to pull the shirt off his shoulder.

"After all this time?" she asked, pleased she was getting somewhere as he didn't try to stop her.

"Would you forget an argument with another driver? Maybe the other person put it to the back of his mind but if he were to be asked about it?" he replied, going further round her neck as she got closer.

Rose was too comfortable to move, it had been a long time since she'd got close to anyone and she'd never been all soft and close to Mickey like this and when she thought about it, they'd never been romantic about their relationship.

"I don't expect I would forget anything like that but how are ya gonna find him?" she asked, her chin now on his shoulder and her arm around his neck.

"I will get someone else on it, I can't investigate it myself Rose, that would be suspicious if Miller were to drag up the fact to her husband I was chasing after something not related to Danny's death and a car park incident at that. I will think of something, I promise. We should do the dishes Rose, before they dry up. You know if I stay I will have to leave early to go get changed? What would the cab driver think?"

Rose smiled at the thought then decided to see how far he wanted to take this.

"That you're my boyfriend?" she teased him.

He tried to look at her. They had both been playing a game of pretending they didn't care much for each other but it now seemed to have come to an end, unless he teased her some more? Did he want to tease her though?

"He will probably already think that, since I would not say anything this morning but being together two mornings in a row? Won't he spread rumours though?" he wanted to know, brushing her cheek gently with his finger.

He was making Rose shiver and he knew it.

"He probably does already think that, so what? He won't spread any rumours, he'll be upset I'm no longer a target. He's married Alec, he's a show-off and he's not cute like you are."

"Rose, I am far from cute," he tried to deny.

"Rubbish, you are cute so don't argue with me. Come on then, let's do the dishes then I can get that shirt off ya. I'll set my alarm early so ya can sneak into the hotel before Becca catches ya. If ya think Lucas seeing ya two mornings in a row near my apartment is bad enough, you've no idea what Becca will come out with," Rose laughed, reluctant to move.

"Rose, there is nothing for her to come out with," Alec tried to protest.

"Wanna bet? Sneaking into the hotel two mornings in a row and you being out both nights? Well she knows about last night and you'd better hope she doesn't mention anything, I heard she and the vicar are spending a lot of time together, if ya get my drift?"

Alec had already had several run-ins with the local vicar and he'd just been advising Rose to seek advice from the Reverend Coates.

"Rose, as long as she gets paid for her room, she will hardly care if I have been there or not," he replied. "Need some help getting up?" he smiled as he tried to move.

They got up and she volunteered to fasten his buttons but he declined, just fastening two in the middle so she'd take her eyes of his slightly hairy chest.

"Wow Alec, to say you're ill, you look quite 'fit'," she laughed as she watched him after taking notice, since she'd been too busy earlier to take notice.

"Looks can be deceiving Rose," he reminded her as he followed her to the table. "No-one can tell if something is wrong with a person when they appear to be normal. Rose, if you had not attended to me last night, you would have never known there was anything wrong with me."

Rose stopped what she was doing.

"Would you ever have told me Alec?" she asked him.

"No doubt I would have been taken ill at some point Rose, I was praying it would not be you that had to attend," he replied, taking the rest of the dishes from the table.

"How could ya hide something like that and get away with it?" Rose wanted to know.

"Rose, if my boss finds out, that's it, I'm out. This way, I get to keep my job unless she happens to find out. I can trust you can't I?" he asked.

"Yeah, I said ya could Alec. Can't the surgery be brought forward?"

"I just put it back Rose, they are hardly likely to be pleased if I ask them to change it again, are they?"

"Why not? I'd have thought they'd be glad you're not cancelling it altogether. Ya have to at least try Alec. If ya can't do it for your daughter, then do it for me."

"So you don't have to rescue me again?" he asked as he headed for the kitchen again and hoping they'd get the dishes cleaned this time.

"That's not fair Alec. I saved your ass last night and now ya can't even try to avoid me having to do it again?"

"Is this what it's all about?" he asked as she put water in the sink.

"I give up with you, can't you do a simple thing like save yourself from another attack Alec? No-one may find ya the next time or another crew might not get to wherever you are in time. I know it was close, I thought I was gonna lose ya but I never gave up Alec. We stabilised ya before we set off for the hospital because Steven saw what medication you were on."

He didn't want to be reminded of that, he was sure she'd told him that already but he could see it was bothering her. He put his hand on her shoulder as she put the dishes into the water.

"Rose, I thank you for saving me but what can I do eh? The appointments woman was not pleased when I put the date back, I should have gone this Friday but I'm not giving in before I find Danny's killer. There's another killer out there somewhere Rose, I can't let there be two. I failed the other two families, I'll not make it a third."

"They won't expect ya to kill yourself doing it Alec. Why are ya being so stubborn? Call and change it, you might be surprised."

"You mean they will be glad to get rid of me?" he half smiled, going to kiss her neck.

"Trust me, you won't be the only awkward patient Alec. Besides, I'm still responsible for ya or did ya forget about that?" she replied, trying to carry on.

"No, I had not forgotten but I would have left anyway after you did."

"What? Are you completely mad, Alec?" she asked him. "What's wrong with you, honestly?"

"Don't fuss Rose, I felt fine. Are you going to keep on my case about it?"

"Yeah, so tough. Promise me you'll at least try to get an earlier date. Why put it off so long?"

"I wanted a long weekend to recover so no-one would know. You said you would go with me Rose."

"Yeah and I will Alec. I'd rather do it when ya still have a chance. They may not be able to bring ya around next time."

Did she have to go bring that up, he wondered. He stepped back and she noticed.

"I know, I was told I may not even survive," he admitted.

Rose reached for the towel to dry her hands.

"You weren't gonna tell me that either, were ya? Seriously? That's why you're putting it off, to catch Danny's killer?"

He looked at her. "Yes. Even my daughter doesn't know and she can't."

"She deserves to know she might lose her dad, what were ya thinking Alec?"

"Geez Rose you sound like my ex wife. Just leave it, I will go when it's time, I won't put it off."

"Ya say that now Alec but if you've not solved the case? What then? Let me help you, you great big 'nana, what is it with you?"

"I learned not to trust anyone after my last case Rose. Do you know how difficult it is for me to trust someone after that?" he asked.

"No, I don't pretend I do know Alec but I had to learn to trust a new partner after what Joe Miller did. Seeing someone blow up right in front of you like he did that day and hoping he'd not seen me. You wanted to know why I never told anyone?" she asked him.

He stepped back towards her and held his arms out, Rose looking at him.

"I think I know Rose. You were scared of him, of what he was capable of. You were caught between admitting you saw what he could do and your friendship with his wife. Stop thinking of what others think Rose, why did you choose to tell me, today?" he wanted to know.

"I can't do it any more Alec, that's why. I know most people at the police station, it would have got back to Ellie. Then you came along, pushing your nose in everywhere, asking stupid questions and bossing me around. Then after last night, despite me being mad with you, I couldn't leave you there on your own. Alec, my dad died on his own, I couldn't do anything to change that, I was a baby but I could do it for you, be with ya."

Alec had never been told anything like that before, no-one had bothered about him, no-one he knew except maybe Tess when they'd been married would have done such a thing for him and all he and Rose had done since they met was get on each other's nerves.

He was lost for words. "Rose, I don't know what to say. You saved me last night and maybe I fought that wee bit harder to come round because it just had to be you that had got me to hospital and kept me alive and I wanted to tell you it wouldn't change anything but it did Rose, it changed things."

Rose went up to him, letting his arms fold around her, still aware only two buttons on his shirt were fastened but she wasn't bothered. She needed someone and she knew it, just like he needed someone. She tried to glance up at him, putting her arms around his back.

"Yeah, I think it did Alec but when you woke up, I was just so relieved. I never told anyone about my dad, those back in London knew anyway and I've never had anyone here to tell. I had to tell someone about Joe Miller but I didn't know what you'd do about it. If ya go looking for the other bloke though, how are ya gonna connect the two things, that and Danny's death?"

"Leave that to me Rose, let me worry if we can find him. Can you remember the colour of the car?" he asked her.

"It's a long time ago Alec, I was busy trying to hang on when Joe put the brakes on. It might have been a red car though the bloke might not still have it."

"If you give the time and roughly the date, it will give me something to go on. Have a think about it eh? Are we finished in here?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, sorry. So are ya staying?" she asked him as he led her out of the kitchen.

"If you insist? Rose, I meant what I said, things are changing, now I know why you were so concerned about me last night. They were already starting to, when you told me how you felt about finding Danny. I had no idea it affected you like that. I see things like that all the time but this time, it also bothered me. It was too much like finding Pippa in the river. You were busy, I know that but you never saw the look on my face as I approached the scene. I thought it was because you were there but now, I know it was because of how he was laid there, face down just like Pippa was in the river."

"Alec, I'm sorry. I had no idea about that when we were on the beach the other morning. Wanna do some more smooching?" she smiled.

"That would be very nice Rose. Are words like that still used? Only I'm out of practice."

"Yeah? You didn't do too badly earlier, you taught me a thing or two."

"Well it may just come back to me. Care to test my theory?" he asked as he sat her down again. "If you want me to take off my shirt, you only have to ask."

"Really? Why didn't ya say so earlier then?" she smiled.

"We were kind of busy talking Rose," he reminded her as she took a shirt button between her fingers.

After some more kissing, Rose went to get ready for bed, letting Alec use the bathroom first. It had been a long time since he'd been allowed to go first in the bathroom and now, he'd got used to not sharing.

"Alec, what time do ya need to leave in the morning?" she asked as she got a clean vest top from the drawer and some clean underwear.

He was sitting on the bed, taking his socks off after he'd got back in the bedroom and he'd thought he'd best wait for her to leave before taking off his trousers and asking if she had a spare hanger for them and his shirt.

"Around seven thirty so I can get changed, I can set my alarm. What time to you start work?"

"Not until twelve, I told ya I worked funny hours. I'll call Steven about tomorrow night, I'm sure he'll agree, then we'll just be going off duty at that time. I wish I could walk along with ya though?"

He got up and walked towards her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"It's enough you being there Rose and being seen in the ambulance. It's only fitting you attend officially. I can call your supervisor and ask for you."

"What and make him suspicious?" she smiled.

She leaned on his shoulder.

"Oh, so we are going to hide the fact we are no longer fighting?" he teased her.

She reached up to kiss him.

"I don't know Alec, are we? I don't think I want to do that, do you?"

Alec shook his head. "So when I get a cab in the morning and if I am asked what I am doing leaving your apartment?" he queried.

"I told ya, if it's Lucas, tell him you're my boyfriend."

"If it's another driver?" he asked, kissing her cheek.

"Then tell him you're my boyfriend," she replied, holding onto him.

"Seriously?" he asked. Rose nodded. "Well, I guess I will be needing that spare key then?"

Ten minutes later, Rose got into bed, snuggling up to him.

"I won't break if you lie on me Rose."

"Just testing," she smiled as he turned out the lamp.

As he turned back, he lay on his back, his arms behind his head and Rose could make out the look on his face in the light from outside. He was more than cute and the way he looked at her, he knew it. He put one arm around her as she went to lie on him, then the other and he nudged her for a kiss.

"Just go easy on me Rose, I want to last tonight, I had enough of the hospital last night. I'm sorry to hear about your dad but he would be so proud of you, being a paramedic and saving people. I bet that's why you became one, am I right?" he asked.

"How did ya guess?" she wanted to know.

"It wasn't hard to work out love. Now, no more talking eh? No more fighting when we meet up at work either."

"What about spoiling your reputation?" she teased him, kissing his shoulder.

"Which one would that be?" he teased back, putting his hand up the front of her vest top.

He flipped her over and began kissing after he raised the top up, Rose with her hand on his shoulder.

"I never brought anything with me Rose," he teased her again.

"You're so full of it, Alec Hardy," she reminded him. "You almost died last night and you think you're gonna try your luck?"

"Am I wasting my time?" he asked her as he gently kissed her cleavage.

"Nope but I'm on top and no arguments, I'm not taking ya back again, one night seeing ya lying there was enough Alec and for the record, I'm covered."

"Good, I hate using those things but I would have made an exception just for you and just because I have a heart problem it would not stop me from trying my luck so just you remember that, Rose Tyler. Now are you going to make a start or shall I?" he asked as he went for her underwear.

Rose giggled as he helped her take them off then she went for his shorts.

"I don't think you are going to be needing this either," he told her as he went for her vest top.

She moved to lie on him as he wriggled out of his shorts and Alec thought he was already a goner before they really started as they both made moaning sounds together.

"Rose, if I go now, I just want you to know you just made me very happy."

"Well, you're not going anywhere Alec," she moaned again. "Just you remember who you are with."

"The woman who saved my ass last night," he reminded her.

He knew she had just become more than that – he'd just gained himself a girlfriend and he was determined he was now going to stick around for a good while longer, if she would have him.