"Calling your mother?" Tess asked.

"Nope, Alec's DS, just in case. She brought him down here this morning, she took my statement and that's when I remembered about the plastic bag. Are you going to do anything about it?"

"When I get back, she'll be found eventually. So, Alec finally has something on her then, assaulting you."

"Yeah, I've got the scars and the hospital report to prove it and I am pressing charges. He locked her up one night, for stalking me and I made him let her go 'cos I didn't want her telling the people I work with I had my new boyfriend arrest her."

"You should have left her then, she'd have known Alec meant business."

"You don't like her then?"

"Not exactly, Alec was the one who dealt with her back then, I really thought he was taken with her but I learned he was just trying to lure her into giving up her husband. When she did, he got trapped didn't he? Did he tell you anything else?"

"You'll have to ask him, it's not down to me to tell you that, he'd never forgive me if he survives and like I said, he's all I have."

"What will you do Rose, if he doesn't?"

"I have some friends in London, I'll contact them and call my mum. I'm having this baby, with or without him Tess."

"I've no doubt you will, you seem determined. He said he'd signed his benefits over to you, you'll be looked after."

"Yeah and I have some money I had left to me, I'll manage. Nothing is gonna make me give up the baby."

They sat in silence for the best part of an hour until a nurse came through the double doors and looked around.

"Are you with Alec Hardy?"

"Yeah, have you some news about him?"

"You should come with me."

Both women got up, Rose grabbing the handle of the plastic basket.

"Just one of you."

Rose handed the basket to Tess, who just nodded. It must be bad.

"Go Rose, he needs you more than he does me now."

Rose followed the nurse to a seating area opposite where they had taken Alec earlier.

"Are you Rose?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah, what aren't you telling me?"

"The surgeon will be out as soon as he can. I can tell you this though, before Alec went under, he said tell Rose I love her."

With that, she went back inside, leaving Rose in tears. She hadn't wanted to break down in front of Tess, she was a Tyler, she didn't do things like that. What seemed like an age passed by, Rose listening for any signs they were coming out, wheeling Alec on a bed but maybe they had another way to the recovery room, she had no idea. She could hear machines beeping away inside but that meant nothing and there was another theatre, it could have been coming from either of them.

She looked up when she heard footsteps as the door she had come through opened and Tess stood at the side of her, putting the basket down.

"Why did she say only one of us? They're not exactly over-crowded, are they?"

"I expect it's just what they do."

"Well what if there are other people waiting for someone?"

"They probably don't want kids sliding up and down the polished floor," Rose tried to smile, not bothering her eyes were still damp with tears.

Tess sat down at the other side of her.

"I'm sorry Rose, can we be friends? He wouldn't want us fighting over him, he's not that kind of man. I don't want him back Rose, I made my choice, he tried, trust me, before he went to Broadchurch but it's over and he found you."

"Thanks Tess, I'm gonna need a friend when this baby comes. I'd like to meet Daisy."

"You can meet her with Alec, he's tough, he won't let this beat him."

"He did it for me Tess, I lied to you, about my mum. She's not in the peak district, she's gone."

"She died?"

"No, worse, she, my stepfather, my stepbrother and my ex boyfriend, they're all living somewhere else."

"There are such things as planes Rose," Tess tried to laugh, seeing the tears on Rose's face.

"It's not that simple Tess."

"Did you fall out, did they all disown you? You said your ex tried to find his brother, did it start a family feud and they took his side?"

It would be so easy to go with that idea Rose thought, better than saying she'd left them in another universe with no current way back.

"Something like that, yeah. When I found out James had gone to find his brother, I was furious and my mum tried to tell me I would have done the same, in his situation but I couldn't forgive him and I left, saying I was never going back."

"Then where are they, in London?"

"You could say that I suppose, just not the London you might know."

"London in Ontario Canada?"

"A bit further than that. Did you hear about the battle of Canary Wharf?"

"Some, that these metal androids or whatever were taking over and the army couldn't defeat them, then suddenly, they all disappeared, it was all hushed up and it was put down to a massive full-scale exercise by the government in case of alien invasion. Some say it was all the same as those other incidents, that Harold Saxon was behind it all and he went mad in the end. No-one could stop him, no-one saw what he was planning and he had the president-elect of the United States assassinated."

James had told her about The Master, she wished she'd have been there with him.

"I was there, so was James's brother, we got caught up in it. It was a cover-up Tess, I swear it was, the truth, about those ghosts? They were called Cybermen and they crossed over from an alternate universe."

"Really Rose, is that the best you can come up with?"

She knew it was no good, Tess would never believe her the way Alec had done. There was no alternative except to make up her own cover story.

"James's brother, he was called John or as he liked to be called, The Doctor, he got us into Canary Wharf, where there was an organisation called Torchwood, they were behind it all and something happened."

"Go on, not that I'm taking this seriously. Why are they taking so long coming out, why fetch you to keep you waiting? I've heard of Torchwood, they were responsible for a lot more than that, trust me."

"There was a gap, between this world and an alternate one, the Cybermen were real and they'd escaped, the ghosts were them, trying to get through. A group came after them, to stop them and we got caught up in it. My mum and me got taken to that other world, James followed after leaving John to close the gap and we were supposed to go back when the Cybermen had been trapped between the two worlds but the gap closed."

"Is that the truth Rose?"

"Yeah, it's the truth. James and I tried to make a go of it but he got restless, tried to find a way back after we'd agreed it was too dangerous, he could end up anywhere, that world ran ahead of this one."

"How was he planning on doing that, if these Cybermen were trapped?"

"He developed a device, we had our own Torchwood there and he got it working without telling me and when he got back, I couldn't forgive him so I took it and left."

"What about your friend, James's brother?"

"He'd left, I honestly have no idea where he is, when I met Alec, well I thought it was him, they look so much alike."

"Did Alec know that?"

"Yeah, he accepted it and where I'd just come from. It was too soon, I know that, after arriving here and leaving James behind but I wanted to forget and Alec helped me do that. I never told him I loved him until a few days ago, my device no longer works, I can't get back Tess."

"I'm sorry Rose, I want to believe you and if Alec does, that's so him but I'm a bit more sceptical than he is."

"I can prove it, look up Rose and Jackie Tyler, we were listed as missing after people got caught up with it. Find Mickey Smith, he'll tell you or Jack Harkness, he ran Torchwood in Cardiff."

"Cardiff Bay got blown apart a few years back, they said Torchwood was responsible. Did Alec tell you that?"

"He told me some things, yeah but we had Claire to worry about. You're right not to believe me Tess and why are they taking so long?"

As if on cue, the door where the nurse had gone back through finally opened and a man in green scrubs, a white mask covering his face came out.

"Which one of you is Rose?" he asked, uncovering his mouth.

Tess thought he was going to ask why there were two women there and had an answer ready for him.

"That's me, is Alec going to be ok?" Rose asked, getting up.

"I'll be honest with you, we're still trying to get his heart beating again, we have him on life-support and we're doing everything we can."

Rose stumbled backwards onto the chair, Tess catching her before she fell off.

"How long can you keep trying?" Tess asked.

"Not much longer, we're doing everything possible. We inserted the pacemaker, that's doing it's job but until his heart starts again, the machine is keeping him alive but he won't give up, he's a stubborn man. I'll come back out and let you know, one way or the other, I'm sorry."

"Please, don't give up on him," Rose pleaded. "If he doesn't wake up, then I'll have to accept it but he's hanging on, I know he is because I just found out I'm pregnant."

"Then that's why he's holding on, don't give up on him, we won't as long as there's a chance."

He was about to turn when another nurse came out and whispered into his ear. He followed her without saying anything and Rose knew it was all over, that she was telling him they couldn't revive Alec. She sank back into the chair, Tess still holding her arm and sobbed into Tess's shoulder.

"Don't give up Rose, Alec wouldn't want you to and he's got everything to live for now, you and the baby."

Tess let Rose cry, thinking a few years ago, before the divorce, that would have been her. Would she have gone with Dave if she'd known how ill Alec was?

Rose fished into her pocket for her phone, lighting up the screen with Ellie's number ready to dial. She had to find Mickey, he might know where the Doctor was. She looked up when the door they'd come through suddenly opened and a man with greyish hair and a black old-fashioned suit stood nearby.

"Rose Tyler," the man with a Scottish accent said, approaching her. "I figured I would find you here, I owe you something. Who's this then?"

Tess got up. "I'm DS Henchard, who the hell are you?"

"I'm the Doctor who is going to save Alec Hardy's life. Rose, it's a long story, I came back in time because, well I felt bad with what happened and yes, I know my number one rule, not to go back in someone's timeline but you know what? That was rubbish."

"Hello Doctor, you changed again then. So, Alec dies in there?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it, I found out where they went wrong so if you'll excuse me a moment?"

He went to knock loudly on the door until someone came out. He had his psychic paper already held out to the startled theatre attendant.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, university of Edinburgh, you have Alec Hardy in there. He was under me before he came here and I have something important the surgeon should know about him."

Rose could only stare at this new Doctor and the news Alec was about to die in there if something wasn't done soon and there would be no third chance, the Doctor had learned his lesson when they'd gone back to see her real father. The attendant went back inside and the man who had come to speak to Rose put his head around the door. Rose couldn't hear as the Doctor whispered something to him. The surgeon nodded and went back inside.

The Doctor walked back to Rose and Tess.

"No hug then?"

"Sorry, I was just a bit surprised, I saw you a few weeks ago."

"Yes and I just told you, I've come back, to save Alec, I know what happened to you and, well I'd best not spoil the surprise. You didn't find Mickey the idiot then?"

"Not yet, do you know where he is?"

Tess was taking it all in, what was going on? Then she realised.

"It was true, wasn't it Rose, that stuff about the Cybermen. Is this your James?"

"Hell no woman, that would be my twin, I was just telling those people in there so they would listen to me. You didn't go back Rose, you couldn't, your device never started working and you were so upset about Alec, you never attempted to find Mickey and Martha. I did some checking, found out what happened but I got caught up in something, what doesn't matter."

"Alec knows about you, he told me to find Mickey, I wanted to find you but I didn't know how. You came back to save Alec."

"Yes, it's what I always do Rose, jump in and save someone at the last minute but sometimes it goes wrong. I felt bad for you, being on your own. After I left you the last time, I promised myself I would check up on you from time to time but after I changed again, I was a bit scrambled but Clara told me I should at least make the effort."

"What happened to Amy and Rory?"

"Living happily in the past, I think."

Tess shook her head, if he was from the other universe, they could keep it.

Rose sat back down again, grabbing Tess's arm.

"He's gonna be ok now Tess."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, the Doctor gave me his word and that's good enough for me. What did you tell them?"

"Spoilers Rose Tyler, you should know better than to ask that. You just found out you were pregnant?"

"A few hours ago, I would have waited but Alec deserved to know before his surgery."

"Yes he did, he's a good man and he looks exactly like I used to."

Tess thought this was getting weird but maybe this man in his younger days once looked like her ex husband. There was a rational explanation for everything but after Harold Saxon, no-one was that sure any longer. Things had been weird for the last few years to say the least, people that Christmas thinking they looked like the old prime minister, planets in the sky and Daisy and her school all chanting something in the playground and in the middle of the supermarket.

The door opposite opened up and two men dressed in green came out, shaking hands, the one who the Doctor had spoken to came over.

"Thank you for the advice Doctor McCrimmon, it worked, Alec is breathing on his own and his heart is beating, we're finishing off and he'll be taken to recovery. How did you know?"

"I told you, he was my patient before he came here."

"There was nothing on his records about you."

"I was just his consultant, my name was not recorded but I heard about it, after Rose contacted my secretary."

He couldn't say how he'd really found out, especially not to Rose and that was the real reason he'd gone back to save the man Rose now loved. He had loved her himself, left her with his twin, which neither of them had wanted, then when she'd got back, he'd dumped her in Broadchurch of all places. Yes, he owed her and now the debt was paid. He'd made absolutely certain there would be no consequences to his actions this time.

The door opened again about twenty minutes later, Rose and Tess were arm in arm and the Doctor was leaning at the side of the door as a man came out backwards, followed by the trolley Alec was lying on. Rose was up in an instant as the trolley was steered across the corridor to the room they had been sitting at the side of.

"Can you just hang on a second?" Rose asked.

"It's ok, you can go in with him when we settle him. We have to hook him to the heart rate monitor for a short time."

Rose let them continue as Tess caught her arm.

"Let them do their job Rose."

She nodded and turned around to find the Doctor had gone. She rushed to the double door back out to the waiting area but there was no sign of him then she heard a familiar sound.

"Who was that Rose?" Tess asked, shaking her head at what had taken place.

"Tess, you didn't believe where I have just spent the last several years, you'd never believe who he really is."

Five minutes later, the nurse came back out.

"You can go in now, both of you if you want?"

"No, you go Rose, I'm going to head back home, he won't want me here when he comes round and I have to get back to Daisy."

"If that's what you want Tess."

"I have to get my head around what just happened and don't worry, I won't say a word, I'll get locked up. Tell Alec I'm glad he's ok and I'll call him tomorrow."

"Here, take my number, if they want to keep him overnight."

"No fear of that, good luck and I'm glad you've been there for him."

Rose nodded and took the basket that Tess held out to her, then she followed the nurse. She felt herself dozing off and over an hour later, felt someone squeezing her hand.

"I can't believe I made it, I'm alive. Rose, sweetheart, wake up."

"Alec, you're ok, the Doctor came."

"I would imagine a few did," he replied, indicating he wanted to sit up to the nurse who had come to check on him.

"How are you feeling Alec? You had everyone worried," the nurse told him.

"Yeah, even Tess," Rose cut in.

"I must have been dying then," he managed to smile, taking Rose's hand.

Rose looked at the nurse, hoping she wouldn't say anything. How could she tell him?

"When can I go home?"

"Now Alec, we have to make sure we can let you go, like I said, it was touch and go for a while. Have you far to travel?"

"We booked a hotel about five minutes walk away, just in case," Rose told her. She didn't say the other reason they had booked it for earlier.

"I'll see what I can do but I'm sure your surgeon would like to keep you."

"What if I promise to check back with you in the morning?"

The nurse smiled. "Let me see what he says. I know one thing though, if your old consultant hadn't turned up when he did, well things might have been different."

She left Alec with a puzzled look on his face.

"Care to explain Rose?"

"I tried to. Alec, the Doctor came, here to the hospital. He was the one who saved you, he told the surgeon what to do."

"So he's an expert then?"

"He doesn't like to brag about it, he left when they wheeled you in here."

"Rose, how did he know to come here, at this time? I know you are hiding something."

"He came from the future, he didn't say how long but it must have been a few years. He said he felt bad about what had happened today."

"I died."

"The surgeon told us your heart wouldn't start, they were keeping you on life-support. They would have given up eventually. Alec, he found out and broke his own rules and travelled back through our personal timelines. He didn't give details but I guess he saw me raising our child on my own and felt guilty. I shouldn't be telling you all this."

"Yes, you should and I'm grateful to him. He did what he thought was right, he probably felt guilty for your mother raising you on her own and not wanted you to have to do the same."

"You don't get it Alec, there is someone alive in this world who shouldn't be, I told you what happened when I tried to save my real dad."

"Rose, that was why he waited, don't you see that?"

"That's not how it works Alec, I waited 20 years to see my dad and he still had to die and he knew it but you know what he said to me?"

Alec shook his head, hardly believing all this.

"It was worth getting a few extra hours to see me all grown up, then he took matters into his own hands and chose to face his destiny to save everyone."

"Then the Doctor must have waited, to make sure the same would not happen to you again. That is some friend you have there. Now help me out of this bed will you? Where are my clothes?"

"Let them take the monitor off first or you'll set off all the alarms."

Less than two hours later, Alec had insisted on walking slowly out with Rose propping him on her good side after she'd persuaded him to get discharged properly and they got into a taxi that had just dropped someone off, even though they didn't have far to go. They were still in time to be served in the dining room, both just opting for soup and a pot of tea then they went to their room.

"I never thought I would be coming back here with you tonight love."

"I know, I think I'd have stayed at the hospital all night, thinking they were wrong."

"He knew that Rose, he must have found out everything but you said he told the surgeon where the problem was, they must have found out afterwards. Don't you see love? He was not risking any consequences for me surviving, he just got the information of how to save me, it is completely different than your father being run over by a car."

"No it isn't, how is it? I saved him by pushing him out of the way and I had to watch as The Reapers took people one by one, including The Doctor."

"Rose, maybe we should just leave this eh? I'm here, you are here, the baby is going to know me and nothing has happened, he must have known it was safe or he would not of done it. Now, how about an early night eh? You were keen earlier when I asked if you getting back into bed."

The next morning, Alec kept his promise and they got a taxi back to the hospital. He was given the all-clear, the surgeon saying he should really have stayed overnight but Alec assured him he felt better than he'd been in a long time. They got a taxi back to Broadchurch, Rose saying she would take a walk down to her apartment and get a few things.

"We need groceries Rose, neither of us are in a fit state to go the supermarket."

"Then I'll call at the mini-market on my way back. I'm not calling Ellie, she will ask questions."

"Exactly, I don't want her to see me like this. Just get what you need, we can go back tomorrow."

"Ok, will you be alright until I get back?"

"Don't fuss love, I'll be just fine and don't you go after that Doctor if he comes looking for you either."

"Don't be daft Alec. First thing Monday, I'm gonna hand in my notice at the salon then I'm gonna find Mickey and Martha."

"Good, you need friends beside me and Miller. You never said how you got on with Tess."

"Like a house on fire."

"Very funny, I know her better than that Rose, believe me, if she was being friendly with you, she had an ulterior motive."

"I don't think that was the case though she tried to find out more about why Claire should get jealous all of a sudden."

"I hope you never told her?"

"Never, don't worry. Right, I'm off then, guess I wasted my money on that pregnancy test?"

"Yes and I wasted money on those things you made me buy."

"Aw, you can still use them if you want," she joked.

"Don't even think about it, you agreed it was so much better."

"I was kidding Alec, geez, lighten up."

He got up and put his arms around her, whispering in her ear, "I know love and trust me, it is so much better. Now I can show you how much I really love you."

"I look forward to it, when my injury heals."

"I'm beginning to think Claire attacking you was not a coincidence, that somehow she knew I was getting my pacemaker and she wanted to make sure you would be out of commission."

"How could she possibly know?" Rose asked as he kissed her neck, right where she liked it.

"You tell me, maybe she knows someone at the hospital?"

"I doubt it, she complained she doesn't know anyone."

"She accused me of taking you away from her, that you were her friend before I came to rescue you that night."

"Well she introduced us and like you said, maybe she never reckoned on what would happen?"

"That much is certain love. Now, you go get what we need and be careful, don't carry too much at once eh?"