"I'm fine now, really I am. It was just the film, I didn't realise it was so sad. It was just an excuse to get you to invite me to your room."
"Well, good try, you had me convinced," he laughed.
He sat down on the chair next to her and reached for her hand. She offered it to him and he took it, gently stroking her fingers.
"So, it was just an excuse eh? You were meant to be telling me why the film upset you, did it remind you of something that had happened?"
Rose didn't want to talk about it. It had reminded her of several things, the trip to France, encountering Reinette at different ages and also the fact The Doctor had disappeared a few times just like the character in the film but she didn't want to tell Alec about it.
"It was something that happened in my past, it's fine, I'm okay now. Maybe you should just drive me home, we have to go back to the conference in the morning."
She got up and reached for her jacket. Alec helped her on with it and she turned around to face him.
"I had a great time, really. Thanks."
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
It would be so easy to pretend he was The Doctor but she knew he wasn't, he couldn't be and she was only fooling herself and it wasn't fair on him, to get herself involved with him when he would be leaving in a few days.
Alec really thought he had blown any chances of getting a second date so he just opened the door and they rode the lift down to the ground floor in silence, Alec just grabbing hold of her hand. Rose smiled and squeezed it. Perhaps a second date wasn't out of the question after all. Rose gave him her address and Alec drove her back. As he pulled up outside the mansion, he whistled.
"Some place you live in Rose, I had no idea. I can see why you wanted to come back here. You must tell me how you introduced your mother to him sometime."
"Are you implying something, Inspector?" she teased.
"No, should I be? I was just curious as to how you were helping Mr Tyler and then a few years later, your mother ends up marrying him and how you even came to be helping him in the first place."
"Aw, well that bit comes tomorrow, doesn't it, it will all be explained. You'll just have to wait like everyone else won't you?"
"I can't wait for the explanation then although prior knowledge would be useful. You can't blame me for trying, can you?" he smiled.
Rose was going to make him wait. "I suppose not, you've not been able to keep your curiosity in check all day, I didn't expect you to give up now. I really did enjoy this evening, thanks Alec."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek again but he caught her and sought her lips.
They kissed briefly, Rose's heart was fluttering as she let go. It was Alec who spoke.
"No, thank you for a great evening, Miss Tyler. I'll see you at the conference in the morning, I hope?"
He leaned over to kiss her again. He knew he shouldn't be doing this but he found he couldn't stop himself this time as the kiss lasted a little longer than the first one.
Rose had never been kissed like that before, well maybe apart from when she had been controlled by Cassandra and snogged the life out of The Doctor but that wasn't really her so it didn't count and even then, it wasn't like the ones she had just shared with Alec Hardy.
He got out of the driver's seat and walked around to open the door for her, sneaking another brief kiss from her as he took her hand and helped her out.
"Goodnight Rose, I look forward to seeing you in the morning."
Rose put her arms around his shoulder and whispered, "Goodnight Alec," kissing his smooth face.
He watched her as she walked up to the entrance and she went inside. He hadn't felt like this for a long time, what was Rose Tyler doing to him? More importantly, what was she doing with someone like him? A Scottish detective, only here for a few days attending a conference he hadn't wanted to go to, away from his daughter and he had to be nearly twenty years older than she was. She looked so young but her eyes had seen far more than someone of her age were meant to, they made her look older and they looked sad. He got back in the car and drove away. Maybe tonight he may get some sleep because tonight he was going to think about Rose Tyler instead of thinking about where his marriage had gone wrong. He had been feeling guilty, thinking he had driven his wife away but he hadn't, not if someone like Rose Tyler was interested in him enough to go out with him.
He made his mind up he was going to ask her out again the following evening and got into bed, picturing Rose kissing him goodnight and fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in a long time.
ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo
Rose reached her room, hoping she wouldn't disturb her mother or she would get interrogated until she spilled every aspect of her date with Alec. She hadn't been prepared to see him without the designer stubble she had seen him with earlier. Now she wasn't sure she could cope with him, not now he looked so much like the man she had just lost. It would be so wrong to continue to see him now so she was just going to have to accept he would be gone soon and get on with her life, such as it had been.
She had to admit that today had been fun, flirting with him under everyone's noses but tomorrow, she was going to have to stick to the order of business and ignore him and not accept a second date if he offered. Well maybe if he was persistent enough but she had to tell him about The Doctor, it wouldn't look good if he found out for himself and thought she was just using him. She told herself she wasn't just using him but deep down, she knew she was even though when she had first seen Alec he had a few day's growth on his face and his hair was more neatly combed than The Doctor's had been but he still looked like him. How could she look at Alec when she saw The Doctor him in?
ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo
There was a distinct difference the following morning as opposed to the previous one as Rose was up early getting dressed and was keen to get going. Pete was smiling to himself as she hurried her breakfast and asking him if he was ready to leave. Her mother wasn't down yet, she was feeling the effects of her pregnancy and Rose knew she was safe from questioning until she got back. She had chosen to dress up a little from the day before, a knee length black dress with a white belt and low heeled black shoes, complimented by a white jacket. Pete was looking at her from behind his newspaper.
"Someone's keen this morning. I wonder why that is?" Pete smiled.
"Don't know what you mean Dad," she grinned back at him.
"You're all dressed up today, planning another date with DI Hardy? It must have gone well last night then."
"Yeah, it did until I did something stupid like going to see a film with him that reminded me of The Doctor and he did something stupid like have a shave. Now he looks even more like him. What am I supposed to do?"
"He makes you happy Rose, that's all that matters. You were laughing with him and you accepted a date with him. Just follow your heart Rose. It was broken when you came here, maybe he can help mend it. You have to face it, you're here to stay, you can choose to spend your time being miserable or being happy but only you can decide."
"I told The Doctor I loved him, what would he think if I went off with someone else?"
"He'll only know if he comes back here or if somehow, the walls break down again then it will be up to you if you go back. Rose, I saw you with Alec Hardy yesterday, he was making you laugh and that's what counts. Just be prepared to tell him about yourself and let him tell you about himself and see what happens. I won't stand in your way but I have checked him out, he has an excellent Police record."
He didn't want to tell her the man was married but what was a married thirty eight year old doing chasing a woman in her twenties? Maybe the man's marriage was on the rocks but he swore if he hurt Rose in any way he would bring him down without any hesitation. If he didn't then Jackie would bring him down.
Rose persuaded him to leave early, she wanted to get there before Alec and hoped she could talk to him before they went in. She had completely forgotten to get his phone number before he had left last night and was wanting to make up for it. The conference room was already open when they arrived, a few officers were waiting in the room that was used for lunch but Alec wasn't there. Rose had thought he may want to get there early as well but maybe he'd got held up.
He had. He was about to leave just after eight, wanting to get Rose's phone number before they went in when he received a phone call from his wife wanting to know when he was getting back.
"What do you care when I'm coming back? You're never there anyway. I'll be back when I'm finished at the conference, you'll have to take care of Daisy until then. What's wrong, am I spoiling your plans?"
He waited for a reply but didn't get one, the phone went dead. He already knew the answer, he was spoiling her plans. He was supposed to take care of the girl while she was somewhere else having her 'fling'. Well no more, that was going to end when he got back, one way or another. As much as he loved his daughter, his wife was not going to use her to get to him and make him feel guilty. If she didn't want to be the first to mention the word 'divorce' then he would but no matter what, he was not going to drag Rose into it.
He got to the conference later than he'd wanted to. Rose was already there, she was talking to Peter Tyler. He walked up behind her and took her arm.
"Good morning Miss Tyler. Mr Tyler, do you mind if I steal her away for a few minutes before the conference starts?" He didn't wait for an answer as he steered her into a corner.
"I forgot to give you my phone number last night," he said, holding out his hand for her phone.
Rose handed him her phone and he put his number in it.
"Call me and I'll get your number. Will you have lunch with me again today?" he continued, trying to put his earlier conversation out of his mind.
Rose could make anyone forget anything.
"I'd love to Alec, save me a place. I had a great time last night but maybe if there's a next time, we go see a comedy?"
Alec smiled. He'd even had a shave again, two days in a row, a record for him now he had someone to impress and he was getting some looks from the female officers present, much to Rose's dismay. She was thinking they had better keep their mitts off him but she needn't have worried, it seemed the detective only had eyes for her as she took her seat at the head table and smiled back at him.
The morning went slowly for Rose, Alec was fascinated to hear more of her story but he was getting concerned about this 'Doctor' person and wondered if he was still around and he had a rival for Rose's affections. He didn't know the half of it and ignorance is bliss, so they say which was just as well but he knew he would have to get more out of her than what she was telling at present. They broke for lunch just after twelve and Rose couldn't get away fast enough. Pete smiled when he saw her head over to a table for two in a corner and Alec Hardy was already waiting for her. He guessed the man hadn't told her yet. She was going to be so disappointed when she found out and hoped the man wouldn't tell her until he was leaving. He had to trust Rose knew what she was doing and not get too deeply involved with him. Going out on a couple of dates would do her good as long as Hardy didn't string her along. If he did, he'd know about it.
"So, am I going to get further details or is that all you're going to tell me?" Alec asked when their waitress had left.
"You'll have to wait and see, won't you?" she laughed. "Maybe if you take me out to dinner again?"
Alec remained silent, teasing her.
Rose had revealed her part in the invasion of Pete's home and her horror of seeing people being 'deleted' and walk blindly into the cyber factory to be upgraded. Alec felt sorry for her, having to face such a thing, hell, he wouldn't have even gone in there if it had been him. He thought she must have been very young though he had been enough of a gentleman not to ask her age yet. He didn't want to know, he might get arrested if she was under eighteen. He'd always agreed with the legal age limit of eighteen for everything and had locked up more than one man for being with a minor under that age and didn't fancy being amongst them, he knew what happened to them once they were locked up. Rose didn't look eighteen thank goodness, it would have made her about fifteen when the invasion took place so he considered he was pretty safe. Even so, she can't have been much older than his daughter at the time.
They finished their lunch in silence, watching each other. Alec was flirting again, even after his date with her last night and Rose was enjoying every second as they got stares from people all afternoon. He was daring, she'd give him that. He was showing more than a passing interest in her and she wished The Doctor would have shown her that much attention but maybe that was because she had been so young. She'd had to grow up fast since being here. Her exams were coming up, she had been in this world for ten months and soon would be taking her place within the Torchwood organisation. She and Mickey were now considered the world's top experts in aliens and Pete was protecting both of them and Jackie from any repercussions of not being from this world.
Questions were asked, Alec was noticeably silent, he was planning on getting his answers later that evening, in his hotel room preferably during a one to one session that may involve some more kissing. He was scribbling her name again, making it look like he was writing notes. He was to himself. Where he could take Rose that evening, when to contact a solicitor to begin divorce proceedings and how to keep Rose out of it so she wouldn't be named as the other party.
No, his wife had already done that, he had grounds for divorce, justifiable grounds. She was neglecting their daughter by choosing hours to coincide with her lover over hours she could pick Daisy up from school and spend time with her but leaving that to him to do. Now she was having a taste of what it was like, giving Daisy her tea and getting her to do her homework and trying to persuade her to go to bed. He now knew why his wife was always absent when it counted, she was in another man's bed. He'd checked the logs between her signing off and getting home, there were several hours difference every day she was on duty. Yet, he had to put up with it, he couldn't abandon his daughter, his wife didn't care.
Well now she would have to. He was going to move out and get a temporary order for visitation rights, let her look after the girl. He knew he would have to pay towards Daisy's upkeep, he didn't mind that, he would volunteer to do it rather than leave it to children's services to chase after him, he would do it properly from the start. He would not though give up the fact that the only thing that had suddenly made his mind up to take drastic action was meeting Rose Tyler. That was if she still wanted to see him once he told her he was married.