Jude Wolmer died at the age of thirty-four. A loving husband and father of two sons, Jude was known as a kind man with a comforting smile. By day, he played the role of a retailer, selling houses throughout Dorset, while he played the role of beloved family man by night. He made good money, as did his wife, a pediatrician. They loved one another, and their children, very much and were your typical, happy family.

Alfie Lamb died at the age of twenty-eight. He worked for an advertisement firm and if his position was anything to go by, he was fairly good at it. He was a good man, a son, a brother, a lover. His parents were kind and loving, both accountants. Alfie had two sisters. They were both younger than him and barely even out of university.

As far as anyone could tell, these two men had only one thing in common; they were both murdered the same way. Six needles worth of Leeke in the right arm and a bashing in of the skull, "just to make sure."

As far as anyone can see, there's no motive behind their deaths. That only makes the job for Torchwood, Hardy, and Benson even harder.

Great.

Jude's affairs had be taken care of; his family notified, his family, friends, and coworkers interrogated, the whole shebang and regular protocol. They found nothing out of the ordinary. However, only having found Alfie's body not even twelve hours ago, there was new work to be done.

The group had reached the morgue, just as the report on Lamb's autopsy had been organized into a file.

Drew immediately set forth running the same tests and scans that he had on Wolmer's body. With Mickey and Jake to help, the process went by quicker but it still took a great deal of time.

The results matched the ones Drew concluded from Wolmer.

After some discussion, they all came to an agreement on what needed to happen, but not how any of it was going to happen. Someone needed to speak with the Lamb family, someone needed to do the routine interrogation, someone needed to find out who, other than the family, should or could be interrogated, and someone needed to examine Alfie's household, as well as the empty lot where his body was found for any alien activity, traces, or evidence.

"Right, so that's about three sets of jobs and there's six of us, so why don't we partner up?" Ellie suggested.

"Benson," Hardy sighed, crossing his arms.

"Well, we are working a partnership," Mickey challenged him.

"We could take the forensics at the house and lot," Drew pointed between himself and Mickey. He was usually the better of the remaining three in the Torchwood group to work with, forensic wise, and the Torchwood team knew it.

"I'll talk to the family with someone," Ellie offered. "Alec's not really a town favorite and he's better at interrogating than I am, but he can get rude."

Alec began to growl, but before he could speak, Jake chimed in.

"Rose and Hardy it is, then. As good as I am at playing good-cop-bad-cop with someone, Rose can play both angles all on her own and at the same time. I'm sure with your jokes, she'll be even better."

Before Alec could question him, retaliate, or even get out a grunt, Jake pressed on.

"Mickey, Drew, you can take the van if Ellie doesn't mind driving her car."

"No, not at all," Ellie smiled. Jake smiled back.

Other than ending an investigation and going home, this was usually Rose's favorite part of any partnered investigation. The sinking feeling she rubs from her stomach tells her that this part of the investigation isn't going to go anything like it normally did. The part where personal affairs are done being discussed and the real problems begin and she gets to close herself off and work on the case. Alright, so maybe it's not so healthy, but there's a method to the madness. At least that's what she tells herself. But the quicker she can shut herself away and no longer has to discuss the Doctor (only with herself), the quicker she can solve the case and get back to own life in her own bed in her own house, where she's free to do and think and cry and break down as she pleases. Not that she did that often, mind. Though at first, she used to rather frequently, over time she grew used to the work routine and was able to settle in with ease. But this is different. This has the face and body and a similar voice of the man she once and will always love, but it's not him. This is not the Doctor. This is grumpy Detective Inspector Alec Hardy. And Rose is stuck with him for the rest of the day.

Fan-bloody-fucking-tastic.

Throughout his career, Alec had worked with a wide variety of coworkers at a time, but this is something completely different. He had never worked side-by-side with a whole other team. Not to mention the fact that they may be up against aliens. That's right. Real, live, bloody fucking existing aliens. That's a right fucking shock to discover, even after the Cybermen. Thank the god that doesn't exist that he has this stupid damn pacemaker, otherwise he might have had another bleedin' fuckin' heart attack. Wouldn't that just be great? He's had the bastard set for, what? Two years? Two and a half? Three? Well, he's been back on the force for two years now, right? Two? So that has got to mean he's had the blasted pacemaker for about two and a half, and while the scar isn't new, it's not pretty, either. He hates that stupid risen pink line of flesh. He hates that he's so old and so tired. He hates that he's stuck with this lady- for fuck's sake. This- this.. This bottle blonde and health drink heiress. He doesn't hate her. He's a man full of hate but he doesn't outright hate anyone. Not even the pretty boy his ex-wife cheating on him with and is currently married to, and not even his bitch of an ex-wife, either. If there's anyone he hates, it's himself and Rose Tyler makes him hate himself a little more. Alec Hardy has been called names to his face, he's been out right told off by most of goddamn Broadchurch (even the Reverend, for crying out loud!) but never had anyone, especially not a woman, had the nerve or courage to not try, but successfully, and seemingly effortlessly, put him in his place. And doing so with the first thing she says to him upon first meeting him? This lady, she… Well. She is one hell of a lady (a title for her he can't seem to stop using, much to his displeasure) and it may just drive him mad. And Alec is stuck with her for the rest of the day.

Fan-bloody-fucking-tastic.

Before you can interrogate someone, you need to know who's worth interrogating. So for the time being, Rose and Alec were stuck on research duty, much to their dislike.

They're stuck together for the research and the interrogations to come, which means one thing and one thing only. They'll be spending more private time together.

They had no suspects. They had no leads, although they sat back quietly and investigated their own ideas in silence.

They'll have to talk, eventually.

They're working together on a case. The same case. Currently, the same position of the case.

Rose couldn't tell if the boys purposely left her alone with the DI or not. Maybe they were hoping she'd recoil and take herself off the case. Maybe they were giving her the chance to prove herself. Or maybe with enough will power, she can find a way to knock herself unconscious without even having to get up.

Only having his desk computer at his ready and not wanting to share Rose's laptop, Alec offered her and her laptop a seat on the couch in his office. Door shut and blinds half closed, they didn't speak a word to one another other than to decide who would be doing what. The quiet only made the rushing blood in Rose's ears sound louder. She needed another distraction.

"What are you doing?" Alec sighed.

Rose looked up from her screen, one earbud placed in one ear, the other being twirled between her thumb and index finger.

"Problem?" She asks, and as she looks over the glasses Alec's placed on his nose once more, she thinks there may be many.

'Loads,' he thinks but doesn't say anything, just grunting instead as he looks back to his computer.

They had been doing this for how long now? Too long, in probably both of their opinions. This case could take days to weeks to who knows how long, and Rose should try to get along with the DI, at least be able to look at him for more than a few seconds, maybe even hold eye contact. But she can't.

At one point, Alec sighs, removes his glasses, and leans back, running a hand down his face then through his hair.

"The list of coworkers is done, but I'll need to see his work records to know if there's any continuous or suspicious clientele we should speak with," he forces himself to look at her as he speaks.

"I have the family list and I've texted Jake, told him to ask if he's had a significant other we could talk to," she forces herself to look at him as she speaks.

"And?"

"Macey Maddox, girlfriend of six years. Jake says there was talk of a possible proposal," Alec thinks Rose says it regretfully, maybe even knowingly. He showed her kindness once today, already. He doesn't fancy doing so again so soon, and settles for a grunt in affirmation that he's heard her.

They decide to look into Alfie's work history and any personal or general records they can find. They'll give it until tomorrow to sort things out before they interrogate anyone.

"How do you think Rose is holding up?" Drew asks Mickey as he puts the keys into the ignition of the Torchwood van.

"Dunno. Jake said she texted him but it was about the case."

"At least they're getting some work done."

Mickey gave a single laugh, "Yeah, let's hope."

Rose and Alec had been in Alec's office for so long that not only had they lost track of time, but Rose was fairly sure that nearly lost track of what they were doing, as well. Their lists were finished, their researches coming to dead ends, and the time dragging on was slowly driving Rose mad. She figures she must have read Lamb's personal file at least eight times now and it was nine time too many.

"How'd the interrogations for Wolmer go?" Rose eventually asks.

"Why? What do you mean, 'go?' Didn't we already tell you everything, what, not even a few hours ago?"

"Blimey, should've known you'd be an insistent one," Rose grumbled.

Alec groaned before taking his glasses off once more. Leaning forward, he outstretched his arms along the desk in front of him, and tried not to ball his hands into fists, settling for flattening his palms against the surface, instead. Rose bit her cheek as she tried to choke down the growl fighting to escape her throat. Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she tilted her head to the side and kept her face carefully neutral. Usually, when the Doctor made the same gestures displayed currently by Alec, he would struggle to keep his rage as quiet and controlled as he could when he spoke to someone. But this man isn't the Doctor and for all Rose knew, he could be preparing to flip his desk over or he could respond the same way the Doctor would. Rose couldn't decide which possibility was scarier.

"How do you think Hardy's treating Rose?" Jake decided to muse as he settled himself in Ellie's car.

"Well, I mean, it's not like he's that bad. He's just.." she waved a hand around absentmindedly as she started the car.

"A grumpy old man?" Jake supplied.

Ellie laughed, "Oh, you have no idea. He's a challenge, but from what I've seen, she seems like the type to like a challenge."

"Never backs down, actually," Jake smiles.

Ellie nods, "Which- well it isn't weird. It's just, I've read about her. Rose Tyler; mysterious Vitex heiress. She's not really what I expected. Then again, I never expected that I'd ever meet her, so I suppose I wasn't sure what to expect. But whatever I could have expected, I'm sure she would have exceeded it."

Taking a moment to let Ellie's words settle in, Jake nodded a few times to himself as he thought. There were many opinions about Rose Tyler, most being easily voiced to the kind, loving side of Rose that makes her the good person she always makes sure she is. The strong, independent but reliable characteristics that make her a great team leader. Rose Tyler is, in fact, such a great team leader, that there have been rumors that her boys, on more occasions than one, have turned down promotions to become leaders of their own teams. Any positive opinions, the boys are always happy to agree. Any negative opinions, the boys are always more than happy to disagree, though those opinions were fe. But sometimes they heard opinions like Ellie's; the uncertain opinions that still wager in her favor. These opinions tend to become more positive as time quickly goes on.

A few seconds and a near skip of a heartbeat later, Alec breaks the silence.

"It went like I said, nothing suspicious, nothing out of the ordinary. At least not that we could tell. Listen to the tapes, if you must-"

"Already did," Rose held up the now tied up earphones she had plugged into her laptop earlier on. "Torchwood already gave us all the files set on the case."

Alec tilted his head, matching the angle Rose had positioned hers and he clasped his hands together tightly.

"And you didn't care to inform me about this?" he tried to keep his voice even, not wanting to get yelled at already. Or so Rose figured. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately, depending on how this entire working relation goes) for both Alec and Rose, any voice Alec could use, Rose has more than likely already heard it and knows how to derail it from screaming. She hopes.

Dragging in a deep breath through her nose, Rose blinked and clicked her tongue, "What do you think I'm doing right now?"

Alec growled and turned his attention back to his computer, leaning back in his seat and putting his glasses back on before carding a hand through his hair. Rose thinks she hears him mutter something along the lines of, "Being a nuisance." But she can't be sure.

She tries not to smirk.

Soon enough, the remaining Torchwood team and Ellie make it back to the station with lunch and talks of their investigations. They were once more sat around the conference table in the room Torchwood had first been introduced to. They were considering give it a name. So far "the room" was winning out.

Alec and Rose share their information first- meaning that Rose explained most of it because she just wanted to get it over with, and despite Alec's silent groans of not wanting to speak at all, especially not first, he helped her along with his mentions of his own research. They had lists of people to interrogate and would be contacting said people later in the day or the next in hopes to start interrogations- - and god, Rose is getting so bloody sick of all forms of the word, especially as they fall from Alec's stupid jutted bottom lip, and pull yourself together, you're a Tyler woman, for fuck sake- as soon as possible. So far, there were no leads, no suspicious activity in work logs or credit history or anything or the like. His records were clean.

Ellie and Jake had no luck finding any helpful information when they spoke to the Lamb family. The usual happened; lots of crying, some questions, no idea or clue as to why something like this would happen to their beloved family member, and overall grief.

Mickey and Drew searched and examined both Alfie's house and the lot he was found in. They found nothing out of the ordinary and needed to wait for the forensic results to be complete before taking any further action.

"So what you're telling me is that there's absolutely nothing to do? No leads? Nothing at all to look into?" Rose was barely able to contain her eye roll at Alec's frustration.

"There is something," Drew offered slowly.

They still had to meet Steve Connelly.

Alec groaned, "Just so long as I'm not needed there."

He was.