The Doctor went outside and Jackie and Rose watched through a crack in the door until the Torchwood leader insisted she knew he always travelled with someone and Jackie stepped out in her daughter's place. They were taken away and Rose was left on her own, going through his coat pockets and hoping he had left his psychic paper which luckily he had. She soon found herself being lifted in the Tardis onto the back of a flatbed lorry, just managing to see the Doctor as she went past. He nodded and she knew he would do something to get away.
Rose found herself in a storeroom so venturing out, she took a white lab coat and followed someone through a door, not realising until later it was actually Mickey, he'd come back when they had discovered the Cybermen had made it through to his old world and had persuaded Pete and Jake plus a team to go help fight them, since they owed the Doctor for helping them. It became apparent to Rose that the Cybermen had made it to her world and it soon also became clear that the room she and Mickey were in contained a void ship, probably full of more Daleks since Rose had seen them on the screen earlier and they were now being held prisoner by them.
While they had been waiting, Rose quickly told Mickey about her condition and briefly about Alec and once the Doctor had found out Pete Tyler had come back and Jackie had escaped being turned into a Cyberman, he went off to find Rose. Jackie finally met up with the alternate universe's version of her dead husband, they found Rose and Mickey and they were about to go back to the top floor to use the Torchwood device that would send the Daleks and Cybermen into the void. There was just a slight chance it wouldn't work and the Doctor had to think fast if he was to save Rose.
They were about to take the lift to the top floor when it hit him.
"Right, everyone in the lift to the top floor and wait for me, here take these." He handed a pair of magnetic clamps to Mickey. "Rose, where's the Tardis?"
"I'll show you, it's in a storage room in the basement."
"Rose, I'm taking you to Alec, stay there until I come back for you."
"What? You can't just shut me out like that."
"Rose, don't argue, you'll be safe there, you don't want to even think about the alternative, trust me because if I don't stop this, the world will be over-run with Daleks and Cybermen and we know they're not there in the future. Go tell Alec about the baby and I'll come back for you."
"What about my mum and everyone else?"
"I'll get them out, you'll see your mother soon, I promise. Come on, we don't have much time."
They reached the Tardis and he sent Rose to pack what she needed. Rose crammed everything into a suitcase, including a picture of her mother and went back to the console room.
"We're behind the Trader's hotel, just about four weeks after you left. Call Alec and have him meet you, I'll be back when I can, hopefully with your mother. Rose, we know they don't stay here so I have to go back and stop them somehow but I don't want you getting caught up in the crossfire or falling into the void, once I open it to send them in. You'll be safe here and you need Alec."
"But what about you, how will you stop yourself falling into the void?"
"That's what the clamps are for. I'm going to send your mother with the other Pete and Mickey to the other universe. Once it's safe, she can come back before the walls close." He didn't even know if this was going to work or not but it was the only way and there was a very slim chance Rose was going to lose her mother.
"Call him Rose, I have to go now, I'll see you soon." They hugged goodbye.
Rose watched the Tardis fade away, the dust swirling around and she took out her phone. Alec answered.
"Rose, where are you?"
"Back of the Trader's hotel."
"Stay right there, I'm on my way."
"Are you at work?"
"No but I moved out of the hotel. I'll be there in five minutes, don't go anywhere."
"Where am I going to go Alec?"
Rose waited and wondered how he would react when she told him what had happened and that she might not be staying. Maybe it would be better to get a test first, she could do it tomorrow but maybe she should warn him, gauge his reaction. That way, if he was against it and he threw her out, she could stay at the Trader's until the Doctor came back. She had her debit card that he had upgraded, something about money in an account from his past working for UNIT he'd told her. While she waited for Alec she debated trying to call her mother but thought it best not to until she found out what had happened, it wouldn't make that much difference.
The only difference was, Alec would be expecting her to be seven years older and she wasn't. Would he have a problem with her being young and pregnant with his child?
ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo
The Doctor went back, Pete took Jackie to the other universe and Mickey stayed to help him with the levers and once all the Cybermen and the Daleks were in the void, Mickey activated his dimension hopper and disappeared. The plan had been that when Mickey arrived on the other side, Jackie would be sent back but before she could, the walls closed and the system closed itself down. At least Jackie knew about Rose, that she was going to be a grandma and he'd told her he had taken her daughter to be with Alec, which had appeased her.
It was his only consolation. Going back to the Tardis, he was going to go right back to Rose but decided to give her some time with Alec. How could he tell her that her mother had gone to the other universe and was trapped there? He took himself off into the time vortex and waited until Rose would have told Alec he was going to be a father and would go break the news to her gently. At least everyone was safe.
Alec arrived, screeching to a halt at the back of the hotel car park. He leapt out of the car and scooped Rose into his arms and kissed her.
"Rose, you're here, it's been the worse four weeks of my life. Come on, I've rented a little place down by the river, I thought you would like it."
Rose let him put her suitcase into the back of his car and they set off the short distance to his new home.
"I rented it just after you left, I wanted a place of our own for you to come back to but if you don't like it, I only rented it for three months, we can look for somewhere else. You're very quiet Rose, are you ok?"
"Mmm what? Yeah I'm fine, I'm sure where you rented, I'll love it. We need to talk Alec."
"I know Rose, it's only been just over four weeks for me but I know how long it's been for you and I want to hear all about it. I wasn't at work because it's after six Rose, I'd just got home. So what have you been doing? How have you even managed to wait seven years to come back to me?"
"Did you doubt I could do it Alec? Did you think because I was so young, I'd meet someone else and forget about you?"
"No, of course not, I'm just saying, four weeks has been hell for me Rose, I just don't know how you managed to wait seven years, that's all. I never doubted you could do it."
Rose hadn't noticed Alec had already passed her new home and had turned into a field and was driving back down it, pulling up behind a bright blue chalet. Still not taking any notice, Alec got out of the car and retrieved her case from the back.
"We're home Rose, do you like it?"
He opened the car door for her and locked the doors, leading her to a gate. "The entrance is through here, just at the water's edge, though why I picked this, I don't know, I hate the water but it's only a few minutes walk to work. You never said if you like my new look Rose, I did it for you."
He had trimmed his beard back by a few days and had been to get his hair styled, his fringe was gone and he thought he looked ten years younger, plus he felt better in himself. The prospect of Rose coming back had brought him out of his misery and he had concentrated on her arrival, not how long it was going to be.
Rose walked into the chalet and looked around. "It's nice Alec, I do like it."
She stopped by the window and looked at a delicate model boat then at the birds on the river. She turned around to face him to find he had taken her case into the bedroom.
"I'm pregnant Alec, at least I think I am and it's not been seven years for me, it's been four weeks, same as for you."
Alec stopped what he was doing. "What? What did you just say?"
"It's not been seven years Alec, something happened, something bad and the Doctor brought me here, I can't stay."
"Oh, I meant the other bit, you're pregnant?"
"Yes, I lied to you that first night, well not exactly lied, I meant to take something the next morning but I got side-tracked with finding a cure for you, then the Doctor gave me an injection but he told me it wouldn't work if something had already happened and I was stupid enough to think I'd got away with it. Now I'm late and I think I'm pregnant, I've not had time to take a test."
"Rose, that's great, it really is but you said you can't stay, why?"
"Because he brought me here to keep me safe. Think back what happened seven years ago Alec."
Alec studied for a moment then it struck him. "Rose, the Cybermen invaded seven years ago, were you caught up in that?"
"Yes but he kept me safe, brought me here then he went back to deal with them. He said he would come back when it was safe but I have to go back with him, until we figure it out how I can stay without waiting seven years because I want this baby with you, not on my own."
Alec moved nearer, opening his arms. "Come here Rose, I've missed you."
Rose reached up and they kissed, Alec holding her tightly afterwards.
"I missed you too Alec and I'm sorry I was off with you and for lying to you."
"You didn't lie to me Rose, you didn't know you were going to get pregnant that night, that wasn't what you intended but you could have told me it was your first time."
"No Alec, I was stupid because I'd just well you know, finished my monthly and I should have been more careful."
"It happened Rose, there's no going back but tomorrow, you get a test and make sure you are before we start worrying. How long will you be here?"
"I don't know but if the test is positive Alec, I'm not leaving, I can't do this without you."
"Rose, I'll take care of you, I promise. When he comes back, we'll work it out somehow. If you can't live in this time, you can come back for visits, have the baby here because I'm not missing out on it, we're having it together."
"You mean that? I can get him to arrange it so there's no gap, like now, it doesn't matter how long I stay away. I'll always keep coming back and I can leave the baby with you some of the time, if you want? It won't be permanent and neither of us will really miss out, I'll come back with hardly any time passing for you and just maybe a few weeks for me. No-one will be any wiser, we don't have to tell anyone."
"You make it sound easy Rose. Let's go out and get something to eat, then we can talk and make plans but first, you go get a testing kit, I'll drive us up to the supermarket and you can do it when we get back then we'll know for certain. If you're not, we can still have the same arrangement, if you like? I know it won't be the same but it will be close, if anyone asks, you can say you travel with your job or something."
"Yeah, it's sort of true except I don't get paid, I can use the same excuse as before, that I'm going around with a travel writer and I come back here when I can though having a baby to explain won't be easy but if I leave it with you, no-one will be any wiser. I don't know why I didn't think of that."
"Because that's what I do Rose, I work things out, sometimes a bit too slowly because I've been on this case too long and I should have solved it by now, guess I have your absence to thank for that."
"Thanks Alec," she smiled, hitting his arm playfully.
"I've been useless without you, I admit it. Let's go eat then we'll go up to the supermarket unless you want to leave it?"
"No, I meant to do it earlier but I've been sort of busy dodging Cybermen and getting held captive by Daleks, you know, just ordinary every day stuff."
"Rose, I can't believe you were actually caught up in that. What else did you get involved with mmm? That spaceship crashing into Big Ben? Downing Street getting blown up? Replica of the Titanic over London?"
"What? Don't know anything about the Titanic but guilty over the others. Harriet Jones was a good mate, we hid in a cupboard during that," Rose laughed.
"Rose, it's not funny, you can't keep doing things like that if you are pregnant and you know it."
"I never intended to Alec so stop worrying. I'll stop all that now, even if I'm not actually pregnant because I'll just keep popping home for a few days then come back here, to you. You won't even miss me."
"I will." He put his arms around her and led her outside. "You can unpack later let's eat."
Alec led her back to the car and he drove up to a pub on the roundabout leading to the main road, just across from the supermarket. After they had eaten, Rose went into the store to get a testing kit and Alec picked up some groceries, unfortunately bumping into Ellie Miller.
"Hello, there, I'm Ellie, Ellie Miller, you must be his friend he's been talking about for the last few weeks."
"Yeah, I guess, I'm Rose," Rose replied, trying to hide the pregnancy testing kit under a loaf of bread in the trolley without her seeing it.
"Great, he might stop being a misery guts now you're back, he's been driving everyone up the wall. Why don't you come round for dinner one night for a chat?"
"Well I don't know how long I'm staying actually, I'm still travelling around, just coming back when I can from time to time. I still have to earn a living. Don't know how long it's going to last."
"Oh, what do you do then? He said something about a travel writer's assistant?"
"Yeah, that's right," Rose replied, trying to look at Alec to rescue her but he was halfway down the aisle getting teabags. She called after him to get some coffee.
"So when did you get back? Honestly he's been a pain in the backside since you left. It was funny though, I kept seeing you around town with someone who looked just like him, I thought I was seeing things. Was that the man you work for?"
"Yeah, Doctor John Smith, doctor of everything turned travel writer, we're on a break. I usually go home while he gets the thing written up but I met Alec the last time and came back."
"Oh, so you two are serious then?" Ellie grinned as Alec came back.
Rose saw the coffee and shook her head, telling him what brand she wanted and to get some hot chocolate while he was there. He also asked her what brand she wanted in that to save him going back again. She just hoped she had hidden her other purchase well and no-one at the checkout knew who he was. She had a feeling he was stalling as long as he could to avoid answering any awkward questions.
"We'll fix a date then, for you to come round. I'll let you get on then."
Ellie went off and Rose had forgotten to ask what day it was. It was Friday.
"We have the whole weekend Rose, we can go down to Weymouth and stay overnight if you want?"
"Yeah, I've never been there. I hope she didn't see what I hidden under the bread, she'd be asking all kinds of questions. Should I go pay for that separately so if anyone sees?"
"No, why? I've got nothing to hide but let's just make sure first, shall we?"
Shopping finished and once back at the chalet, Alec put the groceries away and Rose went to unpack. She knew she would still need some more things and would have to bring a few at a time when she went back to the Tardis. She was practically going to use the ship as a taxi service, going away for a week and coming back for however long the Doctor thought was safe to stay but if the test was positive, that would have to change. She was going to be asking a lot of the Doctor, to leave her with Alec and go back only if he thought she was absolutely needed and leave the baby with him for safety until the seven years were up.
That was unless the Doctor had found another way. She went off to the bathroom to take the test, reading the instructions on the packet carefully. Alec saw her going in and sat on the bed, waiting for her to tell him what the result was.