Alec apologised to Pete for having to drag him into this. He told him what Rose had said about it that morning and that he had a pretty good idea what 'ret-con' meant and that he wouldn't want to be on the bad side of Torchwood or Pete Tyler's for that matter.

Pete nodded his agreement and said where Rose was concerned no apology was necessary. Mickey looked like he wanted to escape but Rose had locked the door and Mickey really wasn't a violent person to have a go at Hardy. He just had to stand there and face the music.

Alec continued. "I don't know how much Rose told you, about the lies that Mickey here has been telling her but that's up to her. My main concern is that Mickey couldn't have possibly found out anything about me because I believe she had any information on me classified after a conversation with you a while back so I know he's lying."

He was referring to when Rose had asked Pete to let her give him access to the Torchwood database and Rose had told him eventually she'd had an alert put out on his name so that everything about him was blocked – to everyone.

"Alec, Rose didn't go into too much detail about what she'd been told and I too know they are lies. She had Jake put a block on your name, he told me. So Mickey, what exactly do you have to say for yourself? What the hell are you playing at? You do know you're finished with Torchwood now, I gave you a chance against my better judgement and you threw it back in my face. Not only that, you defied Rose's wishes not to see her again and ignored a warning from a Police Officer. Well?"

Mickey just stood there, what could he say? He'd been caught and right in front of Pete Tyler so he couldn't accuse Hardy of anything, he'd had that covered. What was he going to do now? His plan had gone wrong and now he had to suffer the consequences and man up to it. Didn't he? He had no choice now and no job. He was finished. He'd lost Rose for good now, just as he'd lost her all those years ago to a man whose double was now sat in front of him, looking at him then looking at Rose. She used to be his girlfriend before 'The Doctor' took her away then there had been hope when she'd had to come and live in this universe because she had been stranded here with no hope of ever leaving again. She lost her precious Doctor but instead of finding another man, him preferably, she, out of over eight billion people on the planet, had to go find one and fall in love with another version of the Doctor. Talk about dumb luck on both parts.

Mickey found his voice again and faced Rose with a questioning look on his face. Rose's face was blank, just starring at Hardy, looking to support him and letting him do all the talking. How could she? He was trying to help her and she couldn't see it, she'd turned against him, from their friendship and she was being led along by the Detective. Even Pete Tyler, his friend and boss was against him, taking Hardy's side but he was only doing that because that's what Rose thought she wanted. Well let them, let them throw him out of Torchwood, he'd start on his own, 'Mickey Smith Investigations'

He turned to the screen and faced Pete. "I've nothing to say to you, what I have to say is to Rose and since she won't let me then I refuse to speak to anyone."

Pete and Alec looked at him. Alec spoke first. "Come on Smith you were trying to turn Rose against me why? What have I done to you? You didn't even know about me until Rose brought you here the other night since she and Jake never mentioned me to you and that's the exact reason why she didn't. I accept you used to go out with her, she told me and it makes no difference. That was years ago, she's moved on and that's what people do. I know I look like this Doctor but I can assure you I'm nothing like him. Rose realises that. All I care about is my life now with her, nothing else. What happened in the past is over and done with. If I can accept that then why can't you? She told me you were her friend but do friends really do that to each other, try to destroy their lives, try to discredit the person they are with now in front of them? I feel sorry for you Smith, I really do because Rose wanted you to meet me and you threw it in her face. She brought you to see her home and the new life she's built here for herself with me. Everything from her past is over and done with. We're happy together and nothing you say or do is ever going to change that. Mr Tyler, I've finished with him so what you do with him is your concern. He can leave now but I promise that if he comes back to Broadchurch I will arrest him and Torchwood won't be able to save him."

"Torchwood is finished with him too, Inspector. We don't need him any more. Mickey Smith, your Torchwood access has already been withdrawn due to you trying to circumvent the Torchwood database after you were logged out and caught trying to use the username and password of Rose Tyler, a violation in its own right for using another member's access without their express permission and your employment with Torchwood is hereby terminated. I don't need to remind you what happens to operatives when their employment is terminated. Inspector, can I have a word with my step-daughter alone please? You may want to escort Mr Smith from her house."

He didn't add that a Torchwood operative would be paying him a visit and he would be found wherever he was.

Alec nodded towards the door then at Mickey. "After you, Mr Smith" and gestured with his hand for him to exit as Alec unlocked the door. He escorted him past Rose's car and watched him get into his own and drive off.

When Alec and Mickey went out Pete asked Rose how she was doing as she had not spoken a word since the conference began. He knew why she'd not spoken, it was because she'd not told him how serious the situation was or just how deep she was involved with the Inspector.

"You and DI Hardy, just how involved are you?"

"Dad, don't ask personal questions," she blushed.

"I can get your mother to ask you, then you're really in trouble. So you'd best tell me and I'll break it to her gently," he laughed, trying to change the mood.

Alec came back in and smiled at Rose. "I'll go and get us some food from the takeaway," he said, "are your keys at mine, they're not where they usually are?"

Rose nodded and said they were on Alec's dresser in the kitchen. He gave her a kiss on the cheek (a first for him) and went out.

Pete raised his eyebrows and she knew what he was going to say. They talked for a while, the first time they'd spoken face to face since he went back home. He could tell Rose was still upset so he tried joking with her, keep her talking until the Inspector got back. "His name's Alec, Dad, not Inspector, only I call him that, to tease him. He's a good man, he takes care of me and yes, he lives next door and we are in and out of each other's houses all the time. I was cooking him dinner when Mickey turned up."

"Dressed like that?" her step-dad noted.

She had forgotten in her haste to get changed and most of her dresses were at Alec's anyway. Still, it wasn't that bad, she had to moderate herself by throwing a jacket on that was behind the kitchen door when she'd come in but it didn't cover that much, not her short dress anyway.

"Dad, don't know what you mean," as she went red.

"Still, he's good in a crisis, I'll give him that. He handles himself well. Most blokes would have decked Mickey if he'd dared to upset their girlfriend. Still I suppose he has to be careful with his pacemaker. Yes, I've read his files too, wanted to know what you were getting yourself in to. Don't look too surprised."

Rose smiled. "Wouldn't expect anything less from you, Mr Torchwood."

"Don't be cheeky or I'll tell your mum what you were wearing for a night in with Detective Inspector Hardy," he joked.

Rose laughed again, he could always cheer her up.

"Jake will still be down tomorrow and if Mickey's still around and sees him he might think he's come to do the job and scarper with a bit of luck and I'd feel better if he was there because the Inspector still has his own job to do and mine is to look after you so he's coming down."

"I won't argue, I'll feel better having Jake here. Thanks, you always come to my rescue."

"Yes, well it wasn't so long ago that you rescued me so we're even and you sort of introduced me to your mother so I still owe you. Goodnight sweetheart, I'll give your love to your mum and Tony."

Rose said goodnight just as Alec's key turned in the kitchen door and he stood there with the takeaway cartons in a bag in one hand and locking the door with the other. He said he'd rescued the dinner from the oven and covered it and he'd go back later to clean up. They ate in silence, just smiling at each other, Rose had taken off her jacket and Alec said if she hadn't have done he would have done it for her. He loved watching Rose as she sat eating and she still deliberately prevented him from looking down her low cut dresses. Rose complained all her stuff was at Alec's and wanted to go back there later. Alec said she wouldn't be needing anything. They went back later though, just in case a certain person came back. They tried to forget what had happened during the day. As they cuddled on the sofa Alec reassured her that nothing was going to come between them, certainly not Mickey.

He was glad Jake was still coming down the next day because one more encounter with Smith would push him over the edge and that would really do it. He wasn't one for violence but he was tempted to make an exception. No, Jake was definitely the best person for that job. As they went to bed, the events of the day only made them want each other more like they were trying to prove to each other that nothing was wrong between them and as they fell asleep exhausted after their love making, they had proved just that.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Mickey had driven away and headed towards Dorchester again where he'd found a hotel with wi-fi and had bought a cheap laptop earlier in the day and then had decided to try one last time with Rose. He'd believed it was worth it. If he didn't get to talk to her this time he would have to try another tactic. He'd got more than he'd bargained for when he'd got there, Rose and this woman Police Officer had crept up behind him from somewhere but where? Why was Rose's car in the driveway, had she been to a friends' perhaps even the policewoman's house if she lived nearby. No matter but he'd not been expecting to get boxed in and Hardy turning up and frog-marching him into Rose's house then him having the nerve to conference call with Pete Tyler then escort him off the premises.

He'd chosen to take no notice of his now ex-boss and try anyway but he'd failed. He'd chosen to disregard the Inspector's warning mainly because he didn't like Rose's new boyfriend telling him what to do. What does she see in him? Does she really think he's the Doctor in disguise? Then it hit him, was it the Doctor in disguise? No. He dismissed that thought almost immediately as being ludicrous because when they had been here before, he'd been told there was no Time Vortex here so there were no Timelords and the other things he'd been told when he was talking with the Doctor in the Tardis. Then it hit him, he'd been trying to convince Rose that Hardy was up to no good but maybe he'd been targeting the wrong person. He could get Hardy to leave Rose because he could be convinced him that she was seeing the Doctor and not him. Yes! No, that wouldn't work. He'd blown it and he knew it. Well, he'd tried, no-one could accuse him of not trying. Maybe they deserved each other. Let her find out for herself then she'll seek him out begging him to be her friend again. He'll show her.
He'd forgotten what happens to Torchwood operatives when they left the organization or maybe he was being complacent.