Rose thought she could have used her old Tardis key she had around her neck but it was rather bad mannered to do so after all this time and if he wasn't there, he'd get one almighty shock when he did get back but if he was really inside, he'd be watching on the monitor. There was no reply and she was about to go look around the village when the door creaked open, he'd not oiled it then.

A girl with ginger hair stood gaping at her, obviously surprised someone had been able to detect the ship.

"Hello, who are you then?" she asked with a Scottish accent.

"Hi, is the Doctor inside? I'm Rose."

"What? How can you be Rose? She's lost in another universe."

Rose was relieved that at least he'd talked about her.

"I came back, I got lucky. Can I come in then?"

"What? Oh aye, you should come in but he's not here, he's with Rory, my husband, they'll be back soon, you know boys will be boys. So, how did you get back then?"

"We had this project that measured timelines and we got it right, well the other Doctor did, you know about him?"

"Aye, I was told, the Doctor said he'd left you with his clone but he thought you were sealed off."

"Yeah, well I might be, there's no guarantee I'll get back but we split up, me and the other Doctor."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that then. How long has it been for you?"

"I'm not sure about here but it's been about six years in my time, what year is this?"

"It's August 2012, we were just getting ready to take a trip, to New York, you could come with us?"

"I don't know, I wasn't expecting anyone to be with him, I mean well, of course he wouldn't be on his own, he had no reason to think I'd ever come looking for him, with him leaving me with his twin."

"Oh, you don't know then? I'm Amy by the way. I hate to tell you this but he regenerated, a while back. He crashed the Tardis in my back garden when I was seven years old and he came back for me, twelve years later."

Rose smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like him. So, what's he like then?"

She turned as the door opened, looking at two men. Which one was he? She soon found out as one with flattened blondish hair walked past her to greet Amy and the other one, wearing a tweed jacket, a red bow-tie and his hair even wilder than the man she'd just left behind remained in the doorway.

"Hello Rose. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, 'erm, hello Doctor, surprise! When did you regenerate then?"

"Almost three years ago, well sort of, it's a bit wibbly-wobbly and all that. You met Amy?"

"Yeah, I did thanks."

"Doctor, we'll leave you two to talk then and go get ready to take our trip."

"Nice to finally meet you, I'm Rory, Amy's husband."

"Hi, it was nice to meet you both then, I won't keep him long."

"Rose, I'm disappointed in you. You come all this way and then want to leave again? What happened? He didn't die or anything? Did he get sick? Did his mind burn? I had to wipe Donna's memories, she couldn't handle being a part Timelord, it was the saddest thing I've ever had to do," the Doctor told her, his eyes looking sad and full of regret.

Rose looked at him, he seemed older yet she knew he was the same person as the man she'd just left.

"No, he's fine, we split up, he did something unforgivable. We got the dimension cannon working again and we promised each other we'd never try and get back to this universe, to find you but he came anyway, we fell out over it, badly. He said he never saw you though."

"No, I don't remember seeing him, he must have kept out of the way, timelines and all that. So, apart from that, how have you been? You never got married you two?"

Rose smiled and looked where her ring had been that she'd left behind, not telling James she'd given it to Pete to give back to him if she didn't return after a reasonable length of time.

"No, mum wanted us to but he said we shouldn't get married to just please her, so we didn't, thankfully. We lived together, we finally got our acts together, something you and I never seemed able to do. He got things a bit wrong though, we thought it was around July 2013, he was a bit out but not too much."

"I get the theory of the dimension cannon but they can be a bit 'off' I suppose. So, I hate to disappoint you, you obviously wanted the old me?"

"That's not fair Doctor, you have Amy and Rory, you don't need me."

"Ah, there's one other thing, a slight technicality, did my clone tell you about River Song?"

"From the library? Yeah, she died, sorry."

"No Rose, that was in her personal future, we met again, a few times and we sort of got married, well, it's complicated."

"Oh, right, shouldn't have expected anything less. Was that before or after you regenerated?"

"After, it was another timeline, one that carried on once we put it right. Never mind. Come to New York with us?"

"No, I don't think so Doctor but I did come to ask you something. It doesn't seem relevant now."

"Rose, one thing I learned was never look back. When we first met, in my ninth regeneration and then you stayed with me, well we had something special but I don't usually reminisce about the past, you were the exception to that rule and I know I could never tell you how I felt about you back then but now, well you know because I left him with you. Please Rose, go back and make up with him, he needs you."

"No he doesn't Doctor. I came to ask you why you did it, why you left us both there. Yes, we got together and we had three years but neither of us could commit, he would have used the dimension cannon to keep coming over here whenever he felt like it and he would have left me behind."

"I think you're wrong Rose, very wrong, he was me."

"Not to me he wasn't and not to him either, he always would wonder why you left him, the Tardis coral you left wouldn't even start growing, he tried everything. The only thing he could do was be satisfied with travelling to other alternate realities and one day, he would have stayed in one of them, or got trapped in one, just like I was trapped there. I'm sorry Doctor but you were wrong, I didn't want a copy of you, I wanted you and now, well you've moved on."

"You stayed once before."

"You weren't married then, were you?"

"That's not the point Rose, neither of us can ever win this."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be off then, I have everything I need to stay here but will you do one thing for me?"

"Of course I will, Rose Tyler."

"Take me to July 2013?"

The Doctor laughed. "Any particular reason?" he asked, flipping some switches.

"Yeah, that's what the cannon aimed for and if I decide to go back, I might go back and meet myself."

"Ah, yes, good point Rose. Right then, July 2013, my driving has improved somewhat to my last incarnation. I know how much you loved that version of me Rose and I'm really sorry it didn't work out for the two of you. What did he call himself in the end?"

"James Smith, he said he was tired of pretending to be called John. When we were together, we called him Jamie, he said he'd had a companion by that name."

"Ah, yes, a good few regenerations back that was. Outside that door, it's July 2013."

"I never even felt the Tardis move."

"A few slight modifications."

"Anything to do with landing in Amy's back garden when she was seven?" Rose smiled.

"She told you? Oh well, anyway, where do you want to be, London?"

"No, not really, everyone thinks I never survived the Cyberman attack."

"That's not exactly true Rose. Mickey put them straight, said you and your mother went to live in a quiet seaside town to recover, you still officially exist in this world, it was the least he could do. He got married I believe, to Martha."

"I had a feeling he would, good for him. So, where was this quiet seaside town then?"

"Ah, let me think."

Amy had just come back into the console room.

"It was called Broadchurch."

"Yes, there you go Rose, it was called Broadchurch. Shall I take you there?"

Rose nodded and the Doctor twisted a few more dials. "Here we are then. Do you have any money?"

Rose smiled. "You know I worked for Torchwood in that universe? I have a universal credit card, I won't starve."

"Then take my psychic paper, it will help you and let everyone think you've been just moved here. I believe it's seven years here but why 2013?"

"I've no idea, it was him, he seemed to think this is where I needed to be. Do you know something that I don't?"

"Why would I Rose, you've been with him, not me."

"Well it was 2016 where I came from, I expect he was trying to keep the three year difference to keep things relative and all that."

"Donna told me you learned quite a lot, when you were in that reality that sprung up around her."

"Yeah, you could say that. Anyway, it's over. I'll be on my way then, find a place to stay."

"Mickey took care of that as well, I saw him, before I regenerated. Use the psychic paper, there's a place to stay and a job waiting for you, you've just left your mother back in London and you're starting a new job, he set everything up in case you and Jackie ever came back."

"I'll have to find him and thank him then."

She took the wallet containing the psychic paper and Amy handed her a piece of paper.

"The Tardis has set everything up for you, here's the address of your new apartment, just on the seafront I believe and the name of the hairdresser's shop you'll be working in. Your elderly aunt on your father's side just died and you were her sole beneficiary so that will explain how you're able to live."

"The Tardis just did all that, for me?" Rose asked.

"You were always her favourite Rose," the Doctor added. "This is where we leave you but you can contact me, if you want?"

"I don't know but I suppose I'll hear about you from time to time?"

Amy giggled.

"I'm not nearly as jeopardy friendly as you were Rose, I'm rather hurt by the insinuation," the Doctor huffed.

Amy went up to her and pulled her into a hug. "Take care of yourself Rose, look us up, Amy and Rory Pond."

"I will, some day. Have fun in New York."

"We will, if he doesn't get the year wrong," Amy smiled.

Rose picked up her rucksack and went towards the door, looking back. "I don't like the redecoration, I much preferred the coral."

"Yes, well that's been gone a while now. Goodbye Rose, take care of yourself."

"Yeah, you too. Bye Amy, look after him?"

"Aye, I look after my boys."

Rose never doubted she wouldn't.

She stepped outside the Tardis to find herself on a beach, with golden cliffs behind her – Broadchurch if the Doctor had got it right and she was just in time to see the Tardis fade from view. He didn't waste any time, she thought. She looked at the address, there was a rough map on the back. She made her way off the beach and onto the harbour roadway, following it around and crossing a road bridge and found herself passing the police station and following the esplanade until she saw some flats and made her way onto the path.

The Tardis had chosen well by the looks of things, a seafront apartment, on the first floor. She hoped it was rented or she'd have to explain how she came to be in it. She wondered though how she was going to get inside but as she stopped, a woman came out of the flat underneath.

"Hello dear, are you Rose by any chance?"

"Yeah, Rose Tyler."

"Good, your friend left a key for you but the cleaners have one anyway, welcome."

"Thanks. So a cleaner comes in?"

"Oh no dear, not once you take over, that's up to you now. If you need anything, just knock. I'm Madge by the way."

"Nice to meet you Madge."

Rose thought she had best not ask too many questions such as who the friend was or how long she'd had the key.

"I'd best get sorted then, it's been a long day. Are there any shops around here?"

"There's the mini market, just past the police station, it's part of the caravan site, there's a takeaway as well. So, what do you do then?"

"Oh, I'm a hairdresser, I have to go find the salon tomorrow."

Madge let her go and Rose let herself into the apartment which was quite spacious, having two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and a balcony. As Rose settled down, a few miles down from Broadchurch, Alec Hardy was just settling Claire Ripley into a two bedroom cottage he had found for her.

"Right Claire, this is where I leave you. You have the address of the hairdressing salon I got you that job in? I'm risking a lot for you so don't let me down."

"I won't Alec, I promise. I have a bit of money saved up, Lee doesn't know about it. You'll come and visit me?"

"As soon as I can get my transfer arranged, I just have to wait for the word I've been accepted in Broadchurch. It should be next week but I can't keep coming down all the time, the idea was to keep you safe."

"You're not going to ignore me are you?"

"Well no but I'll only come down when I need to, it's better that way. If anyone asks, I'm just a friend."

"OK, I get it. Bye then, you could call in the salon?"

"That's not a good idea Claire."

Alec left and got back into the car he had borrowed to bring Claire down from Sandbrook after she'd been getting messages from her husband that he was coming back to look for her. Lee Ashworth had supposed to have left the country after being acquitted and walking free from court because Alec's then wife had lost vital evidence and he was still paying for it after taking the blame himself. He'd been lucky that the chief in Broadchurch had been willing to give him a chance to redeem himself, albeit at the expense of turning down someone for a promotion and he'd had to wait until that officer went on leave.

His phone rang as he was about to set off for the long drive back and he was hoping it wasn't Claire already.

"Hardy," he answered without looking.

"DI Hardy? It's CS Jenkinson, from Broadchurch police. I have good news. I've spoken to the chief constable, your transfer has been approved. Can you start next Monday?"

"It will take me a few days, can we make it Wednesday?"

"Very well, I'll have one of my staff book you a room at one of the hotels, for as long as you need but you will be required to find a place of your own within three months. You'll get an allowance for being away from home."

"Fine, can someone send me the details when it's booked?"

That agreed, he set off, to tell his daughter he was moving away, that would go down extremely well. It was fortunate he'd been accepted since he just settled Claire nearby, he hadn't thought it such a good idea to keep her in the same town, she was still married and he was recently divorced, it wouldn't look very good and would do his reputation no good either. It had been a rough time, trying to keep working in the town a killer had walked free and a young woman was still missing and he'd taken the blame to spare his daughter but she'd know soon enough, the tongues hadn't yet stopped wagging nor the fingers stopped pointing.