Tess was determined Rose and Alec would be heading for his office before everyone got back from lunch but just as she came out of the lift, being annoyed it had stopped on the way up, she saw the doors at the far end of the corridor closing. Should she follow and see if it was Tyler or go to Alec's office and find them together?

She supposed she could glance into the main office and see if Alec was on his own, then go confront Rose Tyler. She'd get the blonde officer one way or another but she knew the said officer would go crying to Alec. There had to be a way around this.

As she walked past their office, it suddenly dawned on her how to approach the matter of Alec cheating. Alec had accused her of stopping officers going for promotions so why wouldn't it work on Tyler? Threaten to hold the young officer back if she didn't stop messing around?

Heading for the ladies room, she had to quickly think of something. Rose was just washing her hands and was then going to comb her hair as the door opened. She jumped as she saw Tess through the mirror.

"I saw you leaving just after Alec did," Tess spoke first.

"So? What of it?" Rose replied, getting tired of Tess complaining about everything, big or small she did.

"You must have caught up with him then? I bet you closed the lift doors on purpose when you saw me?" Tess accused her.

Rose spluttered with laughter.

"You're kidding, right?" Rose managed to laugh back. "Geez, how was I to know you'd come running after me? You don't scare me Tess and yes, everyone else calls you that inside the station and during my lunchbreak, I'm off duty."

"Don't think you'll get away with it in the office," Tess huffed, wanting a showdown.

"Give it up Tess, there is nothing going on between me and Alec, get it into ya head," Rose replied, putting her comb away. "What is it with you? Are ya that insecure ya think every female officer in the station's after him?"

"Of course I don't," Tess denied it. "Only you, do I have something to worry about?"

"Don't make me laugh Tess," Rose turned to face her. "We just work together. I'm learning so much in doing so."

"I just bet you do," Tess laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose wanted to know, thinking everyone would be coming in soon before returning to work.

"You know full well, don't pretend you don't," Tess replied, even more annoyed that the young DC was daring to call her by her first name. "And don't you dare call me Tess in the office."

"Ooh, now I'm scared," Rose laughed.

"You may think it's funny now but you have no idea what I can do," Tess told her.

"Such as?" Rose replied, inspecting her fingernails casually.

Then Rose pushed her hair on one side behind her ear, revealing her rather tame earrings she'd started to wear at work.

"Typical for someone from London," Tess pointed to them.

"Hey, I don't care who ya are," Rose retaliated. "We're equal until it's time to go back to work."

"Just remember that," Tess told her. "I don't know how Alec puts up with you. Oh, you don't act the same way with him do you?" Tess realised. "Even if you did, he'd not say anything, would he? You have him wrapped around your little finger."

"What?" Rose tried to be serious.

"No need to deny anything," Tess replied, hearing the sound of voices outside and knowing more female staff would be in shortly. "I'm warning you. Stay away from Alec when you're not working or I'll see you fail any tests you put in for to become a DS."

"You can't do that, it's nothing to do with you," Rose told Tess.

"You seem to forget that I'm in charge of the DCs and other staff in the office," Tess reminded her. "The fact you work with Alec is immaterial, it still comes down to me to give approval who is ready to be promoted."

Rose was about to say something when the door opened so she turned to leave before the room got crowded. What was Tess playing at, trying to intimidate her, Rose wondered as she saw her friends at the other end of the corridor. They waited for her to catch up.

"So that's where you got to?" Trish laughed. "Wondered why you suddenly left."

Rose tried to brush it off.

"Well, you three were busy with ya phones," she tried to laugh back.

"Yeah but we noticed the wicked witch of the west followed you," Jo tried to be serious.

"Don't worry, I saw her and closed the lift doors," Rose grinned, since Alec already thought she had actually done it.

"Don't blame ya," Kate agreed, seeing Tess emerge from the ladies room. "Don't tell me she was in the ladies room with you?"

"Please say you ignored her and didn't antagonise her?" Trish went serious.

"Would I antagonise her?" Rose asked, trying to look innocent.

"You did!" Jo laughed as they went into their office. "You can tell us all about it later and don't hold anything back."

"Would I do that?" Rose smiled as she went to her desk, seeing Alec look up when he heard voices.

When Rose hadn't come back from her visit to the ladies room, to him it meant one of two things. Either she was taking her time, which he knew all about how women liked to do that, what with combing their hair and fixing their makeup or Rose had been cornered by Tess again like the other Sunday. This time, Rose's mother wasn't there to rescue her, not that he thought Rose couldn't have handled that Sunday in the pub on her own.

He was getting worried that it bothered Rose she was getting caught up with Tess and her list of grudges. So he was relieved when Rose came back in with her friends, even though he wished she'd been quicker so Tess did indeed see them sitting talking. He was beginning to enjoy getting Tess all worked up at the slightest thing and he was sure Rose did close the lift doors on purpose earlier, even though she had denied it.

He waited a few minutes, then got up to call Rose into his office, just as Tess was returning. Tess was annoyed others had pushed in front of her as she watched Rose dodge them to get out and had to wait. Now, she was sure Rose would have used the time to get to Alec's office and tell him what she'd just been warned about. Alec would of course take the blonde's side.

"Everything okay?" Alec asked Rose as he motioned for her to sit after she'd closed the door.

"Yeah, Tess found me though," Rose bit her bottom lip. Alec wishing she'd stop doing that.

"I guessed she would have done when she did not follow me," Alec admitted, sitting back in his chair and Rose noticing his tie wasn't straight again.

When had he started to do that, Rose wondered.

"Did she give you any trouble?" he then wanted to know, trying not to say anything about her biting her bottom lip, since he shouldn't be looking.

"Sir, I can't come running to you every time she says something, can I?" Rose replied. "It was nothing, honestly."

"Then why don't I believe you it was nothing, knowing what she is like?" Alec told her.

"I told her she couldn't say anything since I was off duty," Rose tried to bluff. "She reckoned I'd closed the lift doors on purpose, that's all."

"I'm not so sure it was just that, was it?" Alec sat forward again, Rose wishing he wouldn't do that when his tie was like that and he'd just started unfastening his top button, like today.

Geez, Rose thought, trying to ignore it and to act normally.

"Just her usual, me working with you," she tried to get away with it.

"What else Rose, tell me," he insisted, leaning back in his chair again, Rose wishing he'd make his mind up which made him look more serious.

"I don't want to cause trouble between ya," Rose reminded him.

"I think we are a little past that," Alec told her. "Don't you? Look Rose, you can't cause any more trouble between Tess and I, she is determined to drag you into it all the time. The thing we have to worry about is how far she goes with it."

"I didn't come here to make trouble Alec, honestly. I came here because of the training I could get. You have no idea what it means to me, to get promoted to detective sergeant. I was always skipping school to mess around with my mates and ended up with a dead-end job."

"I read your file Rose, you have no need to explain," Alec insisted. "You have more than made up for it, just look where you are now."

"Yeah but I hadn't reckoned on coming up against a brick wall called Tess," Rose smiled.

"She cannot stop you going for promotion, not when I have the final say," Alec insisted. He saw the look on Rose's face. "What did she say about it? You may as well tell me."

"Yeah, then she'll go ballistic," Rose replied.

"We will see about that. Did she say she could block any chance of you getting promoted?" he asked her.

Rose just looked awkwardly at him and with that, he made her jump by getting up and yelling for Tess at the top of his voice, making everyone look up from what they were doing.

Tess was fuming when she heard Alec yell her name and everyone heard. She was also fuming that all eyes were on Alec, then her as she got up and Tyler was already in his office. The little blonde DC had told him what had gone on in the ladies room, had she?

She went in through the open office door, seeing Rose suddenly inspect her nails again and she slammed the door closed.

"Sit down Tess," he suggested, Rose trying to move her chair but there was nowhere for it to go.

Tess was the one to move her chair as she reluctantly sat down next to Rose.

"Really, did you have to do that?" Tess wanted to know. "What's she doing in here, aren't you sending her out?"

"Stop it Tess, you know why you are here," Alec told her.

"So she did come crying to you? That didn't take long," Tess replied sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm here ya know," Rose spoke up, getting a warning look from Alec as if to say he would deal with it.

"Yes, what exactly are you still here for?" Tess wanted to know, too busy looking at Rose to notice anything. "You told him about the conversation we just had then? I never thought you would have the nerve to."

"I insisted she told me what bothered her upon her return," Alec told Tess.

"Oh of course you would Alec," Tess almost laughed but she was too annoyed to laugh. "She easily gets sympathy out of you and you fall for it every time."

Rose was also getting annoyed with Tess but not more than Alec was.

"Stop it Tess, Rose did not have to say anything, I have a pretty good idea what was said by you. You tried to warn her against putting in for a promotion, just like you did with everyone else around here," Alec told her.

"Really, we shouldn't be discussing anything in front of a junior officer," Tess replied.

"If it involves Rose, then she stays," Alec insisted.

"You're supposed to be on my side Alec," Tess huffed.

"Not if you are holding officers back," Alec replied. "I have already warned you about that Tess and that includes Rose. Tell me exactly what she said to you Rose."

Rose wasn't so sure that was a good idea. Alec noticed she was reluctant to say anything in front of Tess.

"Whatever was said to you, just disregard it," Alec suggested. "Just tell me if you want to."

He knew it was beginning to get to her, despite the brave front she put on. Rose however came to the conclusion that if she didn't speak up, Tess may worm her way out of it and she had to do this for her friends, as well as herself.

"She warned me to stay away from you, outside of working hours," Rose told him reluctantly. "She can't do that, can she? Tell me who I can and can't talk to, I don't even report to her, do I?"

Tess was about to say something but Alec beat her to it.

"What do you have to say to that Tess? Do you deny you warned Rose? I already told you that it's part of her job to drive me to and from work," Alec reminded her.

"That may be so Alec but you're letting her get far too friendly about it," Tess replied.

"What?" Rose was getting tired of Tess going on at her. "Well excuse me for talkin' to him then," she turned to Tess, Alec seeing she was about to erupt.

"What do you have to talk to him about, outside work?" Tess wanted to know. "He's your superior officer, you don't have to be so friendly with him."

"Tess," Alec started to say but Rose got up suddenly, pushed past Tess and was out of the door before he could stop her, Rose not even closing the door.

Her friends had seen them all in Alec's office and were speculating what it was about.

"Geez, something's wrong," Jo had said to the others in a low voice.

"You're not kidding," Kate agreed. "Do you think it's something to do with Tess following Rose to the ladies room?"

"Has to be," Trish told them. "What happened in there?"

"We're about to find out," Jo replied as Rose came bursting out of the office.

Rose passed by the three of them, Alec calling her name after her.

"I'll go after her," Kate volunteered, loud enough so Alec could hear.

Alec just nodded and closed the office door.

"Really Alec, there's no need to go after her," Tess laughed.

"Get out of here Tess," Alec replied, looking even more annoyed than he already was.

"Well you called me in," Tess told him as she got up.

"Leave her alone Tess and no more threats or I will take it to the chief and I'll make sure you get transferred immediately. You wanted to work with Dave Harris, now you will get the chance."

"Don't talk to me like that," Tess turned back to face him. "Look what Tyler's doing to you, taking her side all the time over taking my side. When did you start wearing your tie like that anyway? I'll tell you when Alec, since she came here. I was right, you're trying to impress her," she goaded him.

"What?" Alec replied. "Since when did you take notice how I look Tess?" he raised his eyebrows. "Since Rose arrived eh?"

"Stop it Alec, can't you see what she's doing?" Tess asked him. "She's just like the rest of the hopefuls out there, always trying to get your attention. What was so special about her that the chief thought he was being clever by putting her with you, over picking someone from the office? I'll tell you what."

"Stop it Tess and get back to work," Alec insisted, picking up the desk phone to call the chief about her. "You won't have to worry about it much longer, will you?"

"You wouldn't dare get me transferred Alec," Tess laughed as he waited for her to leave. "You know very well the chief won't move me over her."

"Won't he?" Alec challenged her. "When he selected Rose to work with me when you insisted none of the others did? Why do you think he agreed to take her on? Why did no-one apply from another division? I will tell you why, they heard they were up against you."

"Huh," Tess huffed as she finally got up to leave and Alec's finger hovered on the dial of the phone.

"Leave Rose alone or I will have you in front of the chief for disobeying an order," Alec further warned her before she could protest further.

"Well, that proves one thing," Tess turned as she was about to leave. "You care more about her than you do me."

With that, she went off, leaving Alec to close the door. Who did he think he was talking to, Tess huffed further as she went to her desk, noticing one of Rose's friends was missing, probably gone after the little blonde. Well that proved it, Tess thought, Alec was having an affair with his DC, she didn't need any more proof.

Dave had been right, she was being made a fool out of by her husband and if she thought for one minute Dave would actually leave his wife, then she'd leave Alec and take Daisy with her, the teenager liking Rose was one thing but finding out her father was having an affair with her was another.

Kate had caught up with Rose, who was more mad than upset as Kate had entered the ladies room.

"What was all that about?' Kate asked her. "Come on Rose, it had to be something, the way you stormed out of Hardy's office."

"Her. What ya think?" Rose replied quietly, having yelled at herself in the mirror beforehand. "Sorry Kate, I don't wanna take it out on you or the other two."

"Don't worry about it Rose, we're your friends," Kate assured her, going to hug her.

"She makes me so mad Kate," Rose told her friend as they leaned against the sinks.

"She makes us all mad Rose, long before you arrived. How were you to know what she'd be like when you came here?" Kate tried to assure her. "What did she say to you?"

"She said I was gettin' too friendly with DI Hardy to start with," Rose admitted. "Earlier, in here, she warned me to stay away from him outside of work."

"Seriously?" Kate looked at her. "We shouldn't have encouraged you I suppose?"

"It's nothing to do with that," Rose tried to laugh. "He was just as bad, trust me. She wanted him to drive himself to and from work but he insisted I still did it, that got her even more madder at me," Rose admitted.

"You already told us," Kate reminded her. "What happened just now?"

"He threatened to have Tess moved to another division," Rose admitted. "He told me a while ago."

"Good, I hope he does," Kate laughed. "So why did you storm out of his office?"

"I told ya. She said we're gettin' too friendly," Rose looked away for a moment.

"Come on Rose, I promise I won't tell the others unless you want me to. Who else do you have to talk to around here?" Kate laughed.

"Promise?" Rose wanted to be sure. Kate nodded. "I think Tess might be right. I think we are gettin' a bit too friendly lately but I really want to go for that promotion and he's a really good teacher. I mean look at that case he gave me? He even encouraged me to get some help."

"Rose he didn't tell you to get help because he didn't think you could do it on your own," Kate told her. "He knew you could do it on your own, he just wanted to see how you worked with someone other than him."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Rose had to admit.

"Rose, he has every confidence in you, geez, we're all jealous you get to work with him, Tess put paid to that though. She has a lot to answer for, trust me. Now, we're all behind you because you helped us all to be able to apply for more training and you stick up for yourself," Kate told her further.

"Kate, it wasn't right you were all getting held back. Hardy had suspected that was the reason but he sorted that out, not me," Rose insisted. "What about what I just told ya though? What if I am startin' to get too friendly with him? What do I do about it?"

"Just be careful Rose, not just of Tess but your career," Kate warned her. "We don't want to fall out with you over it but if it gets out of hand, we'll try and stick by you, I promise."