Over in the Nevada desert, James Smith had hung up from his fiancée after not quite believing what she was trying to tell him, surely she wasn't trying to break up with him? He had never contemplated having to choose between his budding American career and Rose but that was how it sounded so his question of where did it leave them was a valid one, he wanted to know the answer too. All he knew was that he missed her like crazy, especially after he had come back and was now stuck in this place.

He thought about what she had said, about this Alec Hardy posing as him and confronting the press and trying to fool them into thinking they were leaving town but Rose had said she was staying there longer so was this Hardy? The man had even had his hair cut almost the same and trimmed his beard, this was getting too much. Yes, Rose had thought it a good idea at the time, the answer to shaking off the reporters so she could look at wedding venues but now, he didn't think he could play along much longer.

So he had agreed to get someone to book him a flight back to London so he would meet her at some point on Saturday to talk but was there anything to talk about? She had said that Hardy was sick and needed an operation, did she intend seeing him though it and if so, what was her intent once he went in hospital then if he survived, would she just walk away?

He thought he knew Rose but things were changing. Yes, he could have insisted she went with him but she would have hated being stuck in a hotel in the middle of the desert, he did and she wouldn't have been allowed on set, not even by using her name, something he thought she hated doing. Then he realised, maybe she wanted him to go back so she could break up with him in person but how did he feel about it? The time they had been together had been truly amazing but with his busy schedules and fitting in TV appearances plus his radio and voice-overs, would he have time to be married? He thought that other actors managed it quite well, even the one Rose had liked before they had met who had a wife and three kids so it could work but there again, he wasn't married to Rose Tyler, she was something else.

He made his mind up he would go and talk to her and if she was leaving, could he offer to give everything up and would she want him to? Maybe she was finding his decoy just a little bit too tempting but he knew she wouldn't cheat on him, if she was having feelings for the sickly detective, she would wait until after they had discussed it but maybe she was going to give him an ultimatum, stay in Great Britain to work or split up. He wasn't sure what the outcome would be but they needed to keep it out of the press, not give them the satisfaction of breaking up in front of the whole world.

James of course knew nothing of the truth of Rose's past, she had never told him where she really came from and the fact that besides her, Jackie and Mickey were also not of this universe. Rose had trusted Alec, being in the police but had not told him everything but after she got off the phone with James, Alec had asked her – was she willing to forget her past and most of all, forget the other man whom he had brought the subject of up on more than one occasion.

''Leave it Alec, if you want to know about him I'll tell you but not now, I have a lot to think about. Maybe I should just sleep in the other room tonight?''

''What if I need you?''

''I'll be there if you do but maybe after you've had your operation, it won't bother you as much?''

''Well maybe if you tell me something you dread or wake up about, I won't feel as bad. Is there anything Rose? Is there anything that makes you have nightmares?''

''Yes, the Cybermen, I dream I was almost sucked into empty space with them. I dream I went back to help my friend and the levers that we were operating went off line and I went to switch it back but the force tore me away from it. Then as I let go, I was heading towards it then I wake up.''

She wasn't ready yet to tell him it was real and that Pete had saved her.

''That must be terrible Rose but there's a lot I don't understand, you must have been very young at the time, it was a long while ago.''

''I just got caught up in it all, it happened so fast.''

''Don't give me that Rose, tell me the truth. If you can't trust me, who can you trust eh? If you weren't on the other side of the gap with your friend, who you've never told me the name of, then how do you know he was operating a lever? What were they even for? You were there with him, weren't you? You went over to fight the Cybermen and you almost got trapped there as well? How did you escape? Did someone from here go to rescue you and did you choose to stay behind, to leave your home and your mother?''

Rose stayed quiet while Alec looked at her. She could see he had already made his mind up he was right so how could she deny it?

''Ok, I'll tell you everything tomorrow but for now, yes, I was there but I didn't go over there to help, I was already there.''

''Really? Then how was that possible? You'd best explain it but from what you're telling me, you're from that universe, not this one and you were rescued by someone from here, Pete Tyler maybe? Oh, I can see from your reaction I'm right. Ok then, how about this? The Cybermen escaped from here, made their way to your world, Pete Tyler and others went to help or to warn you and you and this friend of yours just happened to be there but you got over-run and the only way was to trap the Cybermen in the gap between worlds and the only way that could happen was to seal both sides? Am I close?''

''Yeah, do you want to finish it and I'll tell you if you're wrong?''

Alec smiled and laid against the cushion. ''Oh believe me Rose, I don't think I'll be that wrong. I heard rumours when it happened, about Torchwood's involvement but it was hushed up when Pete Tyler took over. You worked for him, didn't you but you left, to follow your boyfriend around the country but before all that, the Cybermen took over the old Torchwood, made their way to your universe but since I don't know how you even realised what was happening, I'm guessing there was a Torchwood on your world who unwittingly helped them. How am I doing so far?''

''You're too clever for your own good Alec, have you considered a career in the police?''

''Very funny Rose. Ok then, how about you and your friend found out what was happening, confronted the Torchwood on your world but it was too late, most of the Cybermen had already amassed themselves and were about to take over and 'upgrade' everyone but when Pete Tyler arrived, he offered to take you with him and your friend made you go when he discovered the only way to stop them was to trap them. You didn't want to go but, oh wait a moment, your mother was there too wasn't she? Yes and Pete took her with him but you remained and at the last moment, he gave in and went back for you but the gap closed, leaving you and your mother here. That's why he married her and adopted you, to stop anyone else finding out.''

''The Cybermen were appearing as ghosts, they couldn't get through properly but the Torchwood there were unintentionally helping them, they thought they were harnessing some new power source and it was too late when they found out what it really was. My friend, he was called The Doctor and he wasn't just anyone and yes, we found out and my mum unknowingly came with us. There's not much else to tell you really, a few minor details but if I told you them, you'd have to come to Torchwood with me and you are in no fit state to do that or hear the rest of it.''

''Then I'm glad we have all this sorted, we do have it sorted, don't we?''

''Yes Alec, it's sorted and you are so clever but how did you guess?''

''It just made sense, it's what I do Rose, I gather clues and piece it all together. Now, are you really sleeping in my spare room tonight, in view of what we almost did earlier?''

''I can't Alec, I just got carried away earlier and I should end it with James first, it's not fair on either of you, I know that now but I'll bring you some tea in the morning and we can do some more cuddling and snogging.''

''Make it what we did this morning and you have a deal.''

They kissed goodnight and Rose went to her room, hanging some things up in the small storage area that consisted of some hanging space and some shelves and thought about her call with James. She could never quite bring herself to confess to him where she had come from but she still hadn't told Alec about Mickey, that he would find out if he went to meet her stepfather at some point but not until after his surgery.

Now she had to call Pete and tell him but since Alec was a detective, Pete shouldn't be too annoyed with her but he had been dead-set against James finding out, even when they had got engaged. Pete had reckoned he didn't need to know, not that he didn't trust him but he was afraid it would split the two of them up as both he and Jackie had been overjoyed when Rose had finally taken up with him then got engaged and Jackie had to learn not to blurt out he looked like the Timelord Rose had lost.

Rose herself had to agree, how would James have reacted to find she had left someone behind who could be his twin? Alec on the other hand may or may not accept it but he had taken the fact he looked like her fiancé reasonably well even if it had not emerged he was dead jealous that she still wore his ring.

''Rose, will you do something for me?'' Alec asked as he gave her one last kiss as she went to the bathroom.

''Sure Alec but we have to be careful when we're out, you still have to pretend you're James until we make an announcement, I just hope he's not going to make a scene about it.''

''Well he is an actor Rose, maybe he'll be a bit dramatic about it?''

Rose took her arms from his neck and began unbuttoning his shirt. ''You know you'll have to buy some more clothes, if Ashworth had noticed earlier you wear identical clothes, you may not have got away with it.''

''You want me in jeans and those gruesome t-shirts James wears? Think again sweetheart, I'm not wearing those.''

Rose smiled and continued unfastening his buttons. ''Well how about some button down t-shirts but I bet you'd look cute in a pair of tight jeans.''

He took her hands as she was about to pull his shirt out from the back of his trousers.

''You were saying about sleeping in the other room?''

''A girl's entitled to be persuaded to change her mind Alec so change my mind for me. What did you want to ask me?''

''If maybe you wouldn't wear that ring when we're on our own? It does put me off and I was going to try to persuade you to share with me tonight, I promise all we'll do is kiss if that's all you want?''

''Yeah, I can go for that and yes, I can take the ring off, I meant to it's just that I wasn't sure until a short time ago now I am. I'm gonna end it with him on Saturday and if it doesn't go well then I hope you know what you're in store for, he could make it messy but somehow, I don't think he will. Alec there is one thing though, you know you look like James but I hate to say this, James looked like my other friend, the Doctor.''

''Really Rose? Are you trying to put me off?''

''Does it? I mean you just about accept you're the double of James and when I met him, I thought it was the Doctor, that he had somehow found his way back and that's maybe why I fell in love with him but you, I know for certain you're not him.''

''Just how certain are you Rose?''

''Want to know a secret?''

''Do tell, as if looking like that actor wasn't bad enough but you may as well.''

''You Alec Hardy, have a bad heart that I hope you're gonna get fixed.''

''Yes and your point is?''

He reached down to kiss her neck, moving her t-shirt out of the way.

''The Doctor, he had two hearts and unless one stopped working, it's impossible you could be him. He wasn't from earth Alec, he was from another planet, he was a Timelord and I travelled with him, not just on earth but through time and to other planets and if you think I'm crazy, arrest me and lock me up, Pete will back me up. I wanted him to tell you because he never agreed to tell James but he once told me, if I found the right one, I wouldn't need him to tell the man I love about my past. I don't know why I couldn't tell James but I'm beginning to realise now, I was using him as a substitute, hoping he would reveal to me one day he was the Doctor in disguise but you, you can't possibly be him.''

''Well I'm glad to hear it, what would I do with two hearts?''

TBC