"Hey, how are you feeling now?" he greeted her.
"Better, thanks. Have you been hanging around the hospital?"
"There was no point in going away, I used the time to call my daughter, surprisingly she wants to meet you."
"Don't worry, the novelty will soon wear off," Rose smiled as he sat opposite and took her hand. "Once teenagers have done the 'I met Rose Tyler' thing, they soon go onto something else."
"Well I warned her not to bring all her friends," he smiled back. "Maybe I should leave on time tonight eh, let you get some rest?"
"Not used to visiting?" Rose teased him.
"Ah, you could say that. Twice I ended up in hospital, there was someone there and I can't decide who was the worse, the hotel owner where I was staying or DS Miller but at least the hotel owner never brought me any grapes. Why do people take grapes to patients?" he mused.
Rose tried not to laugh. "Beats me but if it's any consolation, it's not exclusive to this world. If it helps, there's not a lot of differences between the two, it's just some things never got invented here or people took different paths. I wish I could tell ya."
"Maybe when your friend visits you will be able to?" he asked hopefully.
"Maybe? The only problem is my stepfather says some things are best not mentioned, if this world is not meant to have something."
"Yes, that could be dangerous I expect? Have you told him some things about where you come from?"
"Not everything, just important events if they're different. You have no idea what me and Mickey know Alec that never happened here and we can never mention them, not ever. We might be protected by Torchwood but some things are beyond even their control, such as the church. There are only so many in Torchwood who know the truth about us, the rest just think me and Mickey are some kind of alien experts, having been on the front lines with the Cybermen."
"So talking to the vicar may not be a good idea? I want to help you Rose."
"I know ya do Alec but I can only tell him so much and it may not even help me. What then?"
Alec tried to pull the chair a bit nearer. "Then tell me. I can see how much it bothers you Rose, really I can. Why does it scare you so much, not belonging here?"
Rose lifted her legs and leaned her head on them, observing him with one eye. Could she trust him? He was in the police, who was he going to tell?
"Jake will have to make you a member of Torchwood, then I'll tell ya Alec. If ya decide it's too much, I don't have to remind ya what'll happen?"
"Then I accept the challenge. What can you tell me now Rose? What about this gap between the worlds? How did you nearly get caught?"
"I let go of a lever, the force was pulling me towards it Alec, my friend could only watch without letting go himself but my mum got Pete to go back for me, just in time. She never knew how close it was and all I could do was see the look on my friend's face as I disappeared. I never got chance to say anything to him except to a hologram he sent through the gap before the last of it closed."
"I'm sorry. So the gap is really gone?"
"Yeah and if it re-opened again, the Cybermen or something twice as bad could get through. I wanted Pete to get the devices working again but even being the chairman didn't get him approval. They could have got them working but what then? What if they sent someone to the wrong world?"
"You would still be here. There's no easy answer Rose. What if it was you who tried and got stranded on yet another world, one not as friendly? You would have no-one then."
"I know, thanks, I don t need reminding. Did ya take a crash course on temporal physics?" she teased him.
"I failed that one. Your stepfather would have been responsible, maybe he never even asked?"
Rose hadn't thought of that.
"How do I even know where I am now Alec? How do I know when Pete snatched me from falling into the void we didn't end up somewhere else?"
"Geez Rose, don't even think that. How would he be the same and your mother and your friend Mickey be here? Think about it, if this was yet another parallel world, then you must have replaced the Rose Tyler here for them to know you and it's Pete that's out of place? Stop thinking the worse eh? You must watch too many science fiction programs eh?"
Rose could think of a few where people had stepped through to other worlds and things had been changed when they got back or had they?
"Yeah, sorry. It's just gettin' to me. So, where are ya taking me tomorrow?"
"To my riverside chalet for now, until I get the caravan keys, if they sort out the paperwork. You may have to stay if not."
"Aw, I don't really mind, you're only really moving for me. We can stay there until Jake and Mickey arrive, it may not be a problem after that."
"Don't say that, I am not going to run away, even when he tells me what he can. What makes you think I will? Have you told anyone else before?"
"There was no-one to tell Alec. Pete put a block on how he met my mum and adopted me, he only released certain things."
"That you grew up on a council estate? That makes no difference to me. If you are trying to get me to back away, you will have to do better than that. It does not say what your surname was back then though."
"It won't. I'll be able to tell ya why after you meet with Jake. You look tired Alec, why don't ya go get some rest?"
"You're the one in hospital and you're worried about me?" he smiled.
A while later, he took the hint and said he'd see her in the morning.
"Did they give you a time?" he asked as he was leaving.
"Just come after ten, I should be ready to leave by then. When Jake and Mickey arrive, give Jake the car hire details, he'll take care of it. Would ya rather keep it though?"
"No, I can use yours, no sense in having two. Goodnight Rose, see you tomorrow."
He leaned over to kiss her cheek but she turned towards him, making him smile. How had he got so lucky he woke up in the same hospital room with her and she wanted to be friends? Well if for now that was all she wanted, he could live with that, if she was right and whatever he was to be told did make him run.
Alec had got back home, well his temporary one if he was actually moving out but he knew he had to clear out all the files he'd gathered from Sandbrook. He had to call Tess, since he couldn't just send them back without telling her.
"Yes, I saw them all when you were out of it," Tess reminded him. "Box them all up and I'll send the couriers for them tomorrow. What time are you going to be there?"
"I promised to pick Rose up first thing, I'll be here most of the day until I hear if I've got a caravan or not."
He heard Tess laughing on the other end.
"Well you were the one who criticised where I live. I was going to move anyway, if Daisy wants to come for a visit. Rose doesn't want to stay in a hotel on her own, you can't blame her for that."
Tess supposed she couldn't.
"Well you volunteered to look after her Alec. I hope this isn't just some kind of sense of duty?"
"Far from it Tess. I will be going back with her on Saturday, I've made arrangements to see Daisy, she wants to meet Rose."
"Of course she does. I've tried to tell her that everyone with a social media account with that name isn't really her. Maybe you could ask her if she's on there, then Daisy can block all the fake accounts," Tess suggested.
"Well it's safe to say if the last messages weren't she's in hospital, which has not been reported on, then it's not her."
"Good luck convincing Daisy then. Are you meeting Daisy somewhere?"
He knew that was her way of saying was he going to be calling on her.
"Yes, I expect she will want bringing home afterwards? I'll introduce you to Rose shall I?"
"If you must? I'm not against you getting yourself a girlfriend Alec but just remember who she is. She's never out of the celebrity pages."
"You read them do you? Don't believe everything you see in them. I doubt half of it's true and they just keep re-hashing old news. See what they wrote about her this weekend when we know where she really was."
Tess thought that would be interesting.
"Bring her if you have to Alec, just don't expect Daisy to be bought so easily."
Alec wondered if she really knew their daughter.
The next morning, Rose was wanting to get out of bed and be ready for when Alec arrived.
"Miss Tyler," the nurse was trying to tell her. "You have to stay in bed until you get discharged."
"I just want to be ready, someone's picking me up," Rose defended her actions.
The nurse had to smile. "You mean that detective who has been showing his ID to stay after visiting hours?"
Rose thought Alec probably had, at least her mother had left on time.
"Did he really do that?" Rose tried not to smile back.
"Do you know him well?" the nurse asked, doing the usual checks before doctor's rounds.
"We met a few days ago, we both had surgery on the same day," Rose admitted.
She thought she'd best leave out what she thought when she'd come round.
"So why is he collecting you?" the nurse wanted to know, removing the blood-pressure pad from Rose's arm, wondering why it was a bit high but it was probably just the patient wanting to see him.
"My mum went home and he offered to collect me," Rose replied, not wanting to go into details.
She also didn't want anyone to know she was going to be staying with him.
"Well I'm sure he'll be here soon, since he never sticks to visiting hours," the nurse replied jokingly.
Alec was on his way after a quick breakfast, hoping not to get caught in traffic and was soon at the hospital, looking for a parking space, since he had to go in and collect Rose. He found the ward and stopped at the desk.
"Has Rose Tyler been discharged yet?" he asked the nurse who looked up.
"She's waiting to be seen, did we call you to collect her?"
"No, we already had it arranged, she was unsure what time she could leave."
He saw a crowd going around and assumed they were on their way to see who could go home, hoping there would be no delays where Rose was concerned. He'd heard nothing yet from the caravan park or the clerk who was unfortunate enough to deal with his housing situation. He supposed he'd only hear from that person if his application to change homes was refused.
"You can wait over there," the nurse indicated to a few chairs.
Alec thought he'd rather go wait in her room but maybe that was a bit much? The doctors and nurses had reached Rose's room and the one in charge had picked up her notes.
"How are you feeling Miss Tyler?"
"Fine, can I go now?"
"I see no reason why not, is someone collecting you?" she was asked.
"Yeah, he's probably already waiting," Rose smiled.
"Are you travelling back home?"
"No, not yet, I'm stopping off somewhere for a few days," Rose replied.
"Well, you'll be a bit sore for a few days, just be careful," she was warned. "I'll have some medication sent over and we'll inform your local doctor's surgery. I understand there was a delay in you being attended after your surgery? Do you wish to make a complaint?"
Rose thought about it.
"No but maybe if ya have to find somewhere to put patients after surgery, ya can find somewhere not as cold?"
"Yes, we are looking into that, it seems the nurse who should have stayed with you got delayed, by the ward sister. We will try not to let it happen to anyone else but we had two emergencies that day as well as scheduled operations. Please accept my apologies Miss Tyler."
Rose decided to let it go, she'd never have met Alec had they not been put in the same recovery room. She may have panicked even more had Alec not discovered the mistake before she had.
"Yeah, so can I go then?"
"Yes, indeed, the person collecting you will be informed."
Rose wondered if Alec had already asked several times when she'd be allowed home. A nurse realised who it would be collecting her and went down to tell him.
"Miss Tyler can go now, she's just getting ready," the nurse smiled at him. "She seems keen to leave."
Alec wasn't really surprised. He walked off to her room and tapped on the door, Rose having the sense to pull the curtain around her.
"May I come in?" Alec asked cautiously.
"Hi Alec, I won't be long. Can ya go check if they sent my medication?" Rose called from behind the curtain.
"Should I take your things?" he offered, seeing her case and a bag on the chair.
"Yeah, thanks, when ya come back maybe?"
So she intended for him to escort her out, he wondered. Did Miss Tyler intend showing him off? He supposed he should make allowances though under the strange circumstances they had met. She'd obviously taken his invitation seriously and he was going out of his way to accommodate her, since she didn't want to be on her own or have her mother fussing over her.
"I'll be back soon then," he told her, going back out again.
Rose smiled to herself but she knew she shouldn't take advantage of him. She didn't think he'd let her though. Alec told the nursing staff he was collecting Rose's medication and asked how often she was to take it.
"She needs a close eye keeping on her for a few days," the sister told him.
"I'm aware of that, Miss Tyler will be taken care of. When will she be able to get back to normal?" he asked.
"It will take a while for things to settle down. Try to get her to rest as much as possible though she should have some exercise, just a short walk but not overdo it."
"I will make sure she knows," Alec replied.
He went back to Rose's room, Rose sitting on the bed waiting for him. She insisted on walking out holding his arm and they were soon at his hired car.
"When Jake and Mickey get here, give Jake the paperwork for the car, he'll get you the refund," Rose told him as he helped her inside, Rose grimacing at the pain.
Alec noticed. He hoped he wouldn't hit any bumps on the way back so as not to make her any worse. Once back in Broadchurch, he went around the back of his chalet and got her things, then helping her out.
"Just get settled here until your friends arrive. I have to go get a few groceries later. Why don't you stay here?"
Rose wished she could go with him but maybe it was it bit much for her first day out of hospital.
"Do your friends know where we are?" he asked Rose as he made a drink.
"I told them to call when they got to the harbour, you can tell them how to get here. Last chance to back out," Rose smiled at him.
"Forget it Rose, I want to know. You must know why?"
Rose had a fairly good idea. She felt the same way but if he walked off after Jake told him, it was best she forgot about him. If he came to terms with it, he'd come after her but to expect him to just accept it was asking a lot.
Jackie had of course got to know Jake and Mickey were going down to see Rose as they called to see Pete and collect Rose's car.
"Don't you go upsetting her Mickey," Jackie warned him when they arrived. "So is she having ya telling him about her?"
"Jackie, he needs to know if Rose wants to stay with him," Pete reminded her. "She's told him some of it already."
"He's still with her?" Jackie asked.
Pete shook his head. Alec seemed the sort of person who would listen even if it did sound a bit far-fetched. He took Jake to one side.
"What do ya want me to tell him?" Jake asked him.
"What you think he needs to know, don't over-do it," Pete smiled. "There's something you need to know but not a word to Jackie or Mickey. When Rose and Alec came round in the recovery room they'd been left on their own and well, Rose thought the worse."
"What? How did she think that?" Jake wanted to know, hoping he'd not alerted Jackie, who heard everything.
"Shush Jake. Alec realised before she went too far but she told him some things, like she doesn't belong here and him being in the police wouldn't let her laugh it off as her coming round. She told him no-one would be calling her name because she wasn't on the list."
"Yeah, I can see her point. Why was no-one there though?"
"They were overcrowded in the recovery room. It was lucky she was with Alec Hardy and not anyone else. She might have been worse if he'd not been a detective and worked it out. She's scared Jake, about when it really happens."
"Yeah, I'm not surprised Pete. So she's staying down there for a few days?"
"Yes, she wants to go see the local vicar there, see if she can be assured it won't really happen but the damage may already have been done. I want you to explain to Alec why Rose thinks that way, because of where she comes from. He knows some of it, just fill him in on the rest. You know how far to go and watch out for Mickey, you know what he's like," Pete laughed.
Mickey was still talking to Jackie, well the other way around as she made him listen.
"I mean it Mickey, don't say anything to spoil things. I wanted her to come back with me but she insists on going there. Is Jake gonna tell Alec Hardy about her?"
"Yeah, that was the plan. If she comes back with us, it won't be because of me. It's up to him if he accepts what he's told," Mickey replied.
"Well for her sake, he'd better believe it then," Jackie told him.
Jake and Mickey had made a stop on the way down and were talking.
"Do ya think it's a good idea Jake?" Mickey was asking him.
"Not my idea mate but Pete wants me to tell him. Trust Rose to have to go and meet him, in a hospital of all places," Jake laughed.
"What if he won't accept it?" Mickey wondered.
"Then she'll come back with us and Alec walks away. Pete would never agree to Torchwood dealing with him. I'll have to make him a temporary limited member to be able to tell him, it's down to him if he believes it. Give Rose a call, see if she's out of hospital and find out where we're going," Jake suggested
Rose heard her phone ringing, seeing it was Mickey.
"Are you two here already?" she asked him.
"No, we're about an hour or so away, where do you want us to park?"
"I'll put Alec on. We went round the back way. Alec, tell Mickey where the nearest car park is."
Alec was already getting nervous. Yes, he did want to know about her past and why she was so troubled when she'd woken up a few days ago but over the weekend, he had developed feelings for her, not just because she was scared she didn't belong here but because she took to him in the recovery room and she seemed to trust him.
Something had drawn them together, not just a near-death experience.
Jake and Mickey were lucky to get in the car park near the pub and followed Alec's instructions to cross over the footbridge and through the gate.
"Trust Rose to pick somewhere near the river," Mickey joked as they crossed the bridge.
"Yeah, maybe it reminds her of something?" Jake wondered as he opened the gate.
Rose heard the gate. "Last chance Alec."
"Are you afraid I'll back out?" Alec raised his eyebrows. "As long as I'm not told you are an alien in disguise, then no chance. You aren't, are you?"
"I'm as Human as you are Alec, just from another universe. I'd best not tell ya about my friend I lost though," Rose smiled.
"Ah, that may be hard to believe. Did you have aliens there, besides being invaded by the Cybermen?"
Jake was going to tell him anyway, what was the difference?
"Well when I was there, it started to happen. Alec, when the Cybermen got through, something else was already there."
"Really? Maybe your friend had something to do with it?"
"Yeah, he was like a magnet to them, trust me. Looks like Jake and Mickey are here," Rose replied as she saw them outside.
Once they were introduced to Alec, Mickey suggested he and Rose waited outside or go get a drink. Alec agreed, telling Mickey not to take her too far.
"He thinks I'm gonna break," Rose smiled, going to kiss his cheek. "Don't say I never warned ya."
"I know but you may as well know, if I can accept what I'm told, you know I want you to stay here in Broadchurch with me?"
"Yeah, I sort of gathered that," Rose smiled. "Come on Mickey, you're paying, I've not got much cash on me."
"I seem to remember you still owe me twenty quid from Christmas 2005," Mickey grinned.
"Yeah? I'm good for it," Rose laughed, wishing she hadn't since she got a pain for her troubles.
Alec wondered what all that was about, since she'd apparently not been here back in 2005.
"Where do ya wanna start?" Jake grinned at Alec.
Half an hour later, Alec was sat on the doorstep while Jake went to fetch Rose.
"I can call her over?" Jake suggested, unable to judge Alec's reaction, it was worse than trying to judge how Rose would take it if Alec rejected her.
He knew once Rose made up her mind, if she wanted something, she got it but he wasn't sure it had been a good idea to tell Alec how Rose had come here, saved this world from the Cybermen then gone back, refusing to say how she, Mickey and the Doctor had got here and back.
"So why did she go back, if she was safe here?" Alec had asked Jake.
"Because she didn't want to lose him, it broke her heart when she almost ended up in the void and Pete brought her back here," Jake tried to explain.
Rose had been quiet while they waited, not being able to eat anything, unlike Mickey, who had said the service station breakfast was too expensive so he'd not bothered.
"Geez, Mickey, anyone would think ya didn't get paid," Rose told him as he had ordered the full works and Rose just had a latte' - not her favourite blend though.
"I like to get value for money," Mickey huffed. "Need some cash for now or do ya think you'll be coming back with us?"
"I don't know Mickey, I mean it's not every day ya have to tell someone anything like that. I do like him and no, not for what you think. It's best he knows before it's too late for either of us to be able to walk away."
Mickey could see Jake crossing the footbridge.
"Well, you'll soon find out how it went, Jake's here. Why didn't he just ring?" Mickey wondered.
"Alec wants to talk to ya," Jake told Rose. "We'll wait here. Mickey, I thought ya didn't want any breakfast?"
"It's a lot cheaper here, go get one, we could be here for a while," Mickey replied.
Jake saw Rose wasn't eating. "Not hungry?" he asked her as he helped her up. "Want me to walk ya over?"
"No, I can manage, thanks. Did ya leave my car keys?"
"No, I couldn't tell how it had gone. Take them, then if it doesn't go well at first, stay at the pub for a few days, he might come round, unless he tells ya to leave," Jake suggested.
"Yeah, I may as well, it might just take him some time? I'll stay unless he insists I leave. I'll call ya, then ya can bring my things over."
They watched her walk off slowly, shaking their heads.
"So, how did it go?" Mickey asked Jake.
"No idea mate, he wasn't giving anything away, was he?" Jake grinned. "Want another drink?"
Alec was still sitting in the doorway as Rose opened the gate, getting up when he saw her.
"Hi," Rose greeted him as he indicated for her to go inside. "So, do ya want me to leave?"
"What? No, unless you feel you should? You were right, it was best someone else told me but you have a few gaps to fill in. I know what you meant about your friend but Jake would not tell me how you all got here the first time. I take it your friend was an alien and had some kind of spaceship then?"