"Well yeah, my stepfather said he'd send me anywhere I wanted, when I recover but I don't want to wait that long. I was thinking maybe somewhere relaxing, by the sea?"
Alec thought so she was inferring she wanted to visit where he lived?
"So you don't want to go home?"
"My mum will drive me crazy, I know she will. If I had somewhere to go maybe? Will you be there next week?"
Alec thought about it. Would she be upset if he said no and that he was thinking of going to see Daisy?
"How long were you thinking about staying?" he asked her.
"If I get out on Monday, I could maybe stay until Saturday? Then I'll have to go back, I don't have that much stuff with me, my stepfather took my case to their hotel but he's going home. Honestly, I'd rather it was my mum who went home."
"So she's a little overpowering?"
"You could say that. So, would you maybe rescue me? I know you're recovering yourself, is it asking too much?"
"No, not at all. I will visit you over the weekend, we can talk about it, there are a few hotels around the harbour."
Rose tried not to sound disappointed he was going to stick her in a hotel but they could spend the days and evenings together. What was she thinking though? Was she expecting him to just drop everything and look after her?
"Can I just visit you first then find somewhere?" she suggested.
"Sure, it won't be that busy, there's a hotel right on the corner just near where I live."
"So, where exactly do ya live then?"
"By the side of the river," he admitted.
"That sounds nice, maybe I'll just want to stay there?"
Was she teasing him, he wondered. Everyone who had seen his place criticised it, even Miller's sister.
"You maybe won't think that when you see it," he warned her. "I could come over and collect you maybe?" he offered.
"Nah, it's fine, dad will be sending a car down to collect my mum, I can get dropped off but my mum's sure to object. Did you have any plans next week?"
"Just seeing my daughter, I can do it at the weekend. Will someone be collecting you?"
"Yeah, I won't be in a fit state to drive will I?" she laughed.
Alec wondered if he would be? He'd driven Miller's car despite her protests and had lived to tell the tale. He had planned to go see the chief on Monday to get his job back but taking a week off first wouldn't do any harm, would it?
"I may be able to take you back," he offered. "I never surrendered my driving licence when I was ill."
"You didn't want to admit there was anything wrong, did ya?" she asked him.
"Can you blame me? If I drive you back though, I will have to stop off to see my daughter."
"Yeah, don't worry about it, I can look around the shops, I'll be fine by then. Listen, don't worry about coming over to see me."
"I will come and see you, maybe on Saturday afternoon?" he offered.
"Yeah, I'll look forward to it then. Call me later, if ya want? Oh, ya need my number."
She had just given it to him when the nurse came looking for the phone. Rose gave her a sheepish grin and handed it back with a 'sorry'.
She hoped the nurse wouldn't wonder why she was hogging the hospital phone when her mobile was nearby. When her mother came back, she broke the news.
"Rose, what are ya thinking?"
"Mum, I'll be fine, just a few days rest away from everything. I'll be back at the weekend, you can drop me off there on your way home."
"Well Tony was expecting ya coming back with me," Jackie complained.
"Mum, he can wait a few more days, surely? Stop making me feel guilty will ya? He gets used to me going away."
Rose knew her mother used Tony as an excuse for anything. She was just thankful now she never had a brother or sister when growing up, her mother would have used them against her to stop her travelling with the Doctor.
"I need to talk to dad though," Rose continued, not wanting to tell her mother what about.
"About staying in that seaside town?" her mother asked.
"Yeah, partly. I was a bit confused when I woke up, Alec was really good when I sort of told him something."
"Rose! Be careful what ya say. You didn't tell him where ya came from? What were ya thinking of?"
Rose knew she'd made a big mistake, both in telling Alec and her mother. She had to think of something fast.
"He asked what I was doing here in Exeter, I told him they didn't know where to send me 'cos I don't belong here. I tell ya mum, I was well out of it and he wanted to know what I meant. I told him to take no notice while we were waiting for someone to come and see us but he didn't believe me."
That was all she was going to admit to her mother, her stepfather though would be a different matter, since he'd gone to great lengths to cover hers and her mother's arrivals.
"Well Pete won't be happy, trust me, you know how protective he is. Well I'm not gonna tell him."
Rose thought that made a change.
The next day, at the court, Alec was waiting around for the jury to decide Joe Miller's fate, after a false alarm where the judge instructed them to try to reach a majority verdict. He was sat squinting at his phone after fending Ellie Miller off asking him stupid questions such as what he was doing there so soon after his surgery and trying to compose a text to Daisy to say he'd be over to see her next weekend. He decided against telling her he may have someone with him though, she'd never believe him anyway.
He never noticed a figure marching towards him with a rucksack over their shoulders until he saw someone stop in front of him. He reacted quickly as he saw who it was and them going into the bag. Thinking Claire Ripley had gone completely crazy and she'd evaded the security check and had some kind of weapon inside the bag, he tried to dodge her, until he saw her bring out a plastic evidence bag and saw it was his writing on it.
"Here," she almost shouted. "You wanted the pendant, well here it is."
She thrust it into his hands.
"What? You had the pendant all along?" he demanded to know, thinking the whole place would hear him.
Ellie had been upstairs and had seen Claire walking towards him, also thinking the worst and almost spilling her drink as she left Tom with her sister. She had just reached them when everyone attending Joe's trial got up as they were being called back inside.
"Oh, no, you're coming with me," Alec told Claire as she saw her chance to get away.
With one hand gripping her shoulder, he was trying to squint at his phone screen and thumb a message to Tess, grateful he had the word prediction still on the messaging as he'd thought of ditching it as it never said what he wanted. 'Need you at Wessex crown court now' the message read as he sent it, forgoing the pleasantries. He knew it would get Tess interested since she'd claimed she was looking for Claire.
Before he had set off for the court, he had sent a cryptic message to Lee Ashworth. He guided Claire into the seat next to him, Ellie ignoring him and wondering what he was up to, since he'd evicted Claire from the cottage and assumed he'd actually been paying for some or all of it.
It was all over in a few minutes, cries of disappointment from all those involved and Beth Latimer screaming then rushing out, followed closely by Ellie. As the court cleared, Alec nudged Claire out and found Tess and a WPC coming up the steps.
"What does it take to get someone off?" Alec wondered out loud.
"I'm sorry Alec, I just heard," Tess told him. "So, what am I doing here?"
"I placed Claire under caution," he began, Tess wondering if he'd suddenly forgotten he was no longer on active duty but maybe that was why she'd been summoned.
"She had this in her possession," he continued, getting the plastic bag out of his pocket.
"The missing pendant?" Tess asked disbelievingly.
"You two should have plenty to talk about," Alec gloated. "Take her to Broadchurch, I'll just finish up here."
"I had an idea it was something to do with you, Claire," Tess told her. "I called Broadchurch station and told them to expect us, I'll sit in with you," she turned to Alec, the WPC taking Claire by the arm.
"No, I want Miller there," he replied as Claire was led away.
"Of course you do. How's Rose anyway, have you kept in contact with her or didn't she call you back?"
"I called her, not that it has anything to do with you. I have to go find Miller before she leaves."
Tess smiled to herself as she went to take Claire for a very interesting interview. He was stuck on Rose Tyler and he wasn't going to admit it. She bet anything as soon as she'd left his place he'd been on the phone to her and not even given her the chance to call back.
Ellie was leaning over the glass partition, watching Claire being led away.
"Come on Miller, we should go take it out on her," Alec told her.
"You think I'm going off to interview her?" Ellie replied, still in a bad mood. "I'm taking Tom home and getting my life back."
"Yes, you can do that when we get her locked up. You wanted to solve the case Miller, don't tell me you are giving up now?"
"You re so bloody annoying Hardy, do you know that?" she complained.
"So I've been told. The faster we get the truth out of Claire, the faster you can go home. I have things to do as well."
"Such as chasing after Rose Tyler?" Ellie snapped at him, pulling her bag on her shoulder.
"Not you as well?" he complained. "I only met her for a short time you know?"
"Did that stop you leaving her your number? Tess said she saw a message come through on your phone."
Alec thought Tess had no right to tell his nosy DS who he was getting text messages from.
"Forget about it. Are we going to get Claire and Lee Ashworth locked up or not?"
Rose waited all day and into the evening for Alec to get back to her. She'd chastised herself for leaving the number withhold on her phone when she'd sent the message to Alec but at least he had it now but she knew he'd be busy or he would have called her back.
Her mother arrived early evening, going on about talking to Tony and that Mickey and Jake had got back from their last mission and were going to call her. All Rose wanted was for Alec to call her.
"What's wrong with ya tonight Rose?" her mother asked her.
"Nothing much, I'll be glad to get out of here. Mum, why don't you go home tomorrow?"
"Why would I do that?"
"I can get Alec to come and get me on Monday and Tony will be missing ya."
"What if he can't come and get ya?" Jackie wanted to know.
"Then I'll just get a cab to Broadchurch. He'll probably come and see me over the weekend anyway, he just wanted to finish off a few things."
She didn't want to say he was probably putting Sandbrook behind him, just in case it didn't work out between them.
"I heard that bloke got off," her mother told her.
Rose had already heard the news.
"Yeah, Alec said it could go either way. I bet if the bloke goes back to the town, they'll kick him out."
"I can't see how he'd have the nerve," her mother replied. "Are ya sure ya want me to go home sweetheart?"
"Yes Mum, I want ya to go home. I'll be fine, honestly. Pop in and see me early tomorrow afternoon and bring my stuff then have someone pick ya up."
"Well okay then," Jackie had to agree. "Do ya want anything else fetching?"
"I've got all I need Mum, if I need anything I'll ask Alec. Mum, I just feel like I want some time on my own."
"Well ya won't be on ya own, will ya?" Jackie protested. "Honestly, it's as bad as when ya met the first Doctor, running off the first time ya met him. You do know Alec Hardy looks like him?"
"I know Mum but it's nothing to do with that. I'd have woken up all on my own if he'd not been there. Anyway, I still have to talk to dad, he'll be home now, I don't like bothering him at work."
"He won't have gone in for long, he'll have got home in time for Tony," Jackie reminded her.
"Yeah and Tony will be going crazy with you not being there. I'll wait until you leave and call him."
She didn't want her mother present when she had to ask Pete if she could tell Alec about herself. She knew how both of them felt about outsiders knowing but she needed someone to talk to about her feelings that had come over her in the recovery room and Alec would surely understand her concern, since he'd thought he was also waiting to be called to the other side.
He'd been expecting it though and she hadn't. Rose pressed Pete's number and hoped he'd forgive her for already making a start telling Alec.
"Rose, I'm surprised at you," Pete told her. "How much did you go into exactly?"
"Dad, when I woke up, well I thought I'd died."
"What?" he panicked. "Rose, have you told your mother?"
"I'm not that stupid as to tell my mother. Dad, they left me and Alec on our own, in a room that was cold and had white walls, what would you think? I had that terrible pain before I passed out, how was I supposed to know I got rushed to the hospital with a burst appendix?"
Pete supposed she did have a point.
"So let me get this right? You told him you didn't belong here and no-one would be calling your name?"
"Well yeah, why would they when I don't belong?" Rose asked, being careful in case anyone were to enter her room. "When we both realised we'd been left to recover, I tried to say I'd just been out of it when I came round. He didn't believe me though. Dad, I want to go see him and stay in Broadchurch for a few days, I told mum to go home tomorrow."
"I know, she's already complained," Pete laughed. "So, are you getting involved with him?"
"I don't know Dad? Something just drew us together and I want to be honest with him. I'm also worried I may be right, about never being called."
"Rose, don't even think that," Pete told her. "You're here now."
"That's what Alec said but it's deeper than that. It made me realise for the first time that mum and Mickey are also involved. They replaced someone else, yeah but what about them, when it's their time?"
"Rose, loads of people have the same name," Pete reminded her. "How many John Smith's are there," he joked.
"I know that Dad but they were all born here. I don't know what to think any more. I told Alec I'd just be left to go wandering around with nowhere to go."
"Rose, it sounds like you need some help."
"I know I do, I was hoping Alec would listen to me, that's why I want to tell him the rest."
"Well if you're sure he can help you? Okay then but you leave certain parts out, for now and you know what they are?" Pete relented.
Rose knew better than to mention time travel, they'd never even had the stories by HG Wells here, she assumed he'd never been inspired to write anything.
"Rose, I know it's been difficult for you, adapting to being here but don't for one minute think you don't belong here now. That has to count for something? Maybe you should talk to someone in the church? I'll let you discuss some points but be careful how much you reveal, it could lead to things even I can't protect you from. I know the population accept the fact we get the odd alien or two but never someone from another universe."
"Yeah, the Cybermen were more believable than aliens," Rose tried to laugh. "I'll be careful but Alec may want to hear it from you. He offered to take me back to London at the weekend, that's if he doesn't think I'm crazy and admits me for evaluation. Hope you can get me out of that?"
"Rose, that's going a bit far," Pete laughed. "If he's wanting to know more, he can't think that you're crazy. You both had a near death experience and it brought you together, it happens sometimes. It makes people feel close so be careful Rose, don't mistake it for something else unless you're sure."
While Rose had been talking her mother into going home, Alec had been alerted that Lee Ashworth had been turning Claire's cottage upside down and he'd been brought in for questioning.
"Nothing else to do Hardy?" Lee asked sarcastically.
Ellie thought Hardy probably did have something else to do chase Rose Tyler. How had he even stood a chance with the Vitex heiress?
Alec put a cassette tape on the table, wanting this to be over and try to go visit Rose or at least call her.
"This tape contains all Claire had to tell us, about the night Pippa was killed. Where's Lisa?"
Ashworth laughed back. "How would I know where that stupid cow went? Why am I here?"
"I warned you earlier," Alec reminded him. "Claire had plenty to say about you though, why would she suddenly do that after all this time? Did you two have a fallout?"
Alec saw the reaction on the other man's face.
"Where's Lisa?" Ellie tried again. "Oh, you did have a fallout and Claire's sending you a message?"
Alec wondered if his DS had to look so smug about it, since she hadn't wanted to be there. It was getting into early evening and he really wanted to call Rose, just to see how she was feeling but she'd probably have her mother with her and she wouldn't be able to talk until later he supposed.
Lee then Claire gave up the youngest girl's father, Tess had given up and gone home since she knew her ex husband wanted to do this on his own, seeing it had nearly killed him in the process. Ellie had talked her sister into having Tom one more night and Alec finally got time to call Rose.
"Hey, sorry it's so late," he apologised just before ten.
"It's okay, good thing I have my own room though. So, how are things going?"
"We've got two of them but someone we never suspected was given up. We're just waiting for him to arrive. Sorry I never got to visit."
"Hey, forget it, it's okay. You get them locked up Alec, whoever it was almost killed you as well as Pippa or have ya forgotten?" Rose asked him.
Alec wondered how he could have got so lucky the other day and end up in a deserted recovery room with Rose Tyler? Had fate intervened and placed them there or was it something else? He still couldn't wait to hear the rest of how she thought she didn't belong here but would he be out of his depth if she expected him to give her some answers?
"No, that's over with now, I have them Rose and I can get three of them locked up. I never really expected to see it through," he admitted. "When I woke up in that room, I thought I was on my own but then I realised someone else was there. It could have been anyone but it was you."
"Yeah and if it had been anyone else that spoke to me, I'd never have come out with anything like I did. My stepfather sort of forgave me though but if it had been anyone else, they'd have been getting a visit from the ret-con team, trust me."
"Then I am fortunate it was me and you knew who I was," he replied, thinking he'd hardly believed it at the time who he was with but he'd been too busy thinking he was dead when Rose suggested they were in some sort of waiting room waiting for their fate to be decided. "Rose, I was concerned about a lot of things you told me, would you maybe like to talk about them with me?"
Rose was relieved he even still wanted to see her, considering she was sending her mother home and was relying on him collecting her on Monday.
"Yeah, I mean if ya want to? I was really scared when I woke up Alec, it just hit me all of a sudden. You must have thought I was crazy?"
"Maybe at first? I was just as bad, remember? I would be only too happy to hear more. I will try to get to see you tomorrow, I have to go now," he replied as he was sat outside on the steps and he heard footsteps behind him as Ellie was coming out to find him.
Feeling totally shattered by the time all three responsible for causing him nearly two years of grief and ill-health, Alec was alone in the interview room and took the photo he had kept of Pippa in his wallet and placed it in the folder. He was about to get up and go home when he saw a message from Rose as she'd woken up.
Smiling to himself, something he rarely did, he sent her one back saying he was about to go home and finally get some sleep and he would see her later. He'd not been asleep that long when there was knocking on his door. He peered through the window blinds to see Ellie standing on the deck and wondered if she'd even been home.
"Why are you here so early?" he asked her when he'd put his jeans and a jumper on.
"Did I interrupt your dreams of Rose Tyler?" she asked sarcastically as he prevented her entering.
"What is it with you and Tess? I assume there's a reason you are here?"
"Yes, I didn't get much sleep either you know? Geez Hardy, you're such a grump, no wonder Tess went off. Beth called me, Mark went off and she thinks he's after Joe."
"What am I supposed to do about it?" he replied as he went to fill the kettle after reluctantly letting her in. "You woke me for that?"
"If Mark's gone after him, Beth's scared he'll kill him or do something equally stupid. I bet he went for Nigel?" she asked, wondering if yet again her ex boss was only going to make himself a drink.
He saw her watching and got another mug off the hook.
"Well someone has to dispense some justice, why aren't you with them?" he wanted to know, leaning back on the counter and folding his arms after getting two teabags and throwing them into the mugs.
"You're not bothered, after he got away? Goodness knows what the pair of them will do to him."
Alec was about to reply with something sarcastic when Ellie's phone rang.
"I have to go, seems Beth's been let in on the plan. So, are you staying then?"
"Yes," he replied, only putting the hot water into one mug and thinking it was just as well she was leaving since he'd not checked how much milk he had left.
"Oh please tell me you've not invited Rose Tyler to stay?" Ellie laughed. "You have, haven't you?"
"I thought you had to be somewhere Miller?" he asked, not wanting to admit it. "I'm going to see the chief on Monday morning to get my job back, I suggest you do the same, it's time to move on."
"Won't you have to go back to Sandbrook?" Ellie wanted to know.
"Tess will call when it goes to court, I'll send her all the stuff I had when I've packed it all away. Don't let me keep you Miller."
"Will you be in later?"
"No, I promised to visit Rose in hospital, since I've not had the chance. She wants to visit for a few days and she'll get dropped off when her mother leaves," he told Ellie, not yet knowing there had been a change of plans.
"Why would she want to come here?" Ellie wondered.
"How would I know? She just does. Maybe she wants somewhere quiet to recover and since the media have left town, she considers she'll be safe enough. I'm surprised it's not been on the news."