Rose Tyler was numb.

She knew she should be feeling something. Sorrow. Rage. Betrayal. Heartbreak. Anything besides the total feeling of emptiness that had completely engulfed her, was threatening to swallow her whole. The last time she had felt this way had been on a frigid beach in Norway, after watching the Doctor fade away, those three little words left unspoken. And then he'd done it to her again, on that same beach, refusing to say those words, leaving her with a man who had his face, and voice, and memories, but was still something new, something different, something mostly human. She knew why he had done it, of course-had the Doctor actually told her he loved her, there would have been no force in the universe powerful enough to keep her from him. She would've refused to be left behind with his double and her family. He had needed her to accept the Metacrisis, because he himself was unable to. And in the end, she ihad/i accepted him, accepted that he really was the same man, accepted the unconditional love he had for her, that he could verbalize where the Doctor had never been able to admit it out loud. While the Doctor had always kept his emotions locked away inside, his double, John Smith, told Rose every opportunity he got that he loved her.

She would never hear him say those words again.

"The Lord is my shepherd, therefore can I lack nothing. He shall feed me in a green pasture and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort. He shall convert my soul and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me. Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me, thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full. Surely thy loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen," the priest finished, closing his Bible.

As Rose watched them lower the box containing the only man she had ever really loved into the ground, she felt a surge of anger. Proper, deep anger, the first real feeling she'd had in days since being told John had been killed. Anger that he had been taken from her, anger at the one who had taken him from her, anger that they'd been given a second chance, only to have it yanked away, anger that their time together had been brutally cut short. But most of all, anger at the lies that he was in a better place, that they would see each other again.

A bitter little laugh bubbled up from inside her. "This is bullshit!" she spat, drawing startled glances from the priest and the other mourners gathered around the grave. "He didn't even believe in God! And why should he? What loving, merciful God would bring us back together, only to rip us apart again?"

"Rose…" her mother said softly, placing her hand on her arm.

She shook herself from her mother's grip, and fled from the grave, not bothering to look behind her.

"Rose."

She looked up from her computer to see her step-father standing in the doorway of her office. She mustered a weary smile. "Hey, Pete."

"It's seven o'clock. Everyone else has gone home for the day. What are you still doing here?" he asked gently.

"What are iyou/i still doing here?" she returned, quirking her eyebrows at him.

"I had some incident reports to look over. The Director's job is never finished. No rest for the wicked," he said, pulling out one of the chairs that was in front of her desk and taking a seat. "I was about to head home, but I saw that your lights were still on."

"I'm just catching up on paperwork. It helps keep my mind off...things," she finished tersely.

"Rose, sweetheart...it's only been a few days. There's no need for you to be here. The paperwork can wait. Torchwood will keep functioning without you. You need time to grieve," Pete said, light admonishment in his tone.

"And what would I do at home, surrounded by the memories of him? Wallow in pain? No, it's better this way. This way, I don't have to spend every waking moment dwelling on the fact that John is dead, and the Doctor is sealed away in another universe. I need the distraction," she replied, struggling to keep her tone even. Pete didn't deserve her anger.

"Listen, your mother and I have been talking, and we both agree...maybe it would be good for you to get out of London. Just for a little while. I have a summer home on the coast of Dorset, a little town called Broadchurch. It's nice there, very peaceful. Quiet. You could have an extended holiday, come back to work when you're ready. What do you think?" he asked. He sounded nervous.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Am I so difficult to be around that you want to send me away?"

"No! No, it's not that at all. It's just, like you said...London is full of memories. Maybe it would be easier for you to grieve somewhere that you won't be confronted with John's ghost at every turn," Pete said.

Rose let out a deep sigh. "I'll think about it."

"Good. That's all I wanted to hear. Just think about it. And when you've made up your mind, you just let me know. Goodnight, Rose," Pete said, slipping out of the office.

She stared after him for a long moment, then glanced back at her computer screen. The words swam in an incoherent jumble as her eyes began to fill with tears. She laid her head down on the desk and allowed herself to cry for the first time since John's death.

Rose's hair fluttered in the breeze as she stepped out of her car and onto the gravel driveway. She glanced at the piece of paper with the address scrawled in Pete's precise handwriting, then back at the house. 27 Marigold Lane. This was the place. She hauled her purse onto her shoulder, grabbed her suitcase from the boot, and walked up the steps, onto the porch. She dug through her purse, fumbling for the keys Pete had handed her just over three hours ago. Gripping the keyring tightly in her hand, she slid the key into the lock and turned. The door swung open easily, admitting her entrance to the cozy seaside cottage. She drug her stuff inside and shut the door behind her.

The house was fully furnished, though it hadn't been used in years, according to Pete. The living room featured a cream-coloured sofa, two plushy armchairs and a coffee table, arranged in front of a small fireplace. Mounted above the fireplace was a flat screen television. Several abstract paintings decorated the walls of the room, which was painted a light, calming shade of blue. She set her stuff down and went to examine the kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the window over the sink, which had a lovely view of the ocean. She opened cabinets and drawers, taking stock of pots and pans, utensils and dishware. She reached into the back of one cabinet and pulled out a fancy electric kettle. Tea. She could murder a cuppa right about now, but of course, there was nothing in the house. She sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was tired of driving, but she knew there was no avoiding the inevitable trip she'd have to make to Tesco's. She left the kitchen in favor of further exploring the little cottage. She was pleased to see that the single bathroom had a giant claw-footed tub and shower. A bath. That was another thing she was in desperate need of, as the hours of driving had pulled all her muscles into tense knots. She poked her head into the bedroom. It was simply furnished. A four-poster bed, two end tables, a large armoire. Smaller than the bedroom of the flat she had shared with John, but as it was only herself now that was of little consequence.

She pulled her mobile out and shot a quick text to Pete, letting him know she had arrived safely. Still, she found she was exhausted, and slightly queasy. Maybe a little kip would do her some good. Not caring that the bed wasn't even made up, she collapsed onto it and gratefully shut her eyes. Just a little kip, and then Tesco's.

Ellie Miller pulled into her driveway and shut off her car. In the rearview mirror, she saw that a car was parked in the driveway of the old Tyler house, across the street, but that no lights were on. She frowned as she got out of the car. She knew the house belonged to Peter Tyler, of Vitex fame, but she hadn't seen the house occupied in ages. No lights were on, either. Perhaps someone had broken in? She pulled her mobile out of her pocket and dialed quickly.

"Hardy," a gruff voice answered after three rings.

"Hey, it's Ellie. Listen, it may be nothing, but I just came home and there's a car in the driveway of the old Tyler place. There are no lights on, though. I'm wondering if maybe someone didn't break in. Think I should go investigate?"

"I can't make it out there right now. I'm on a call. If you're going to go investigate, please be careful. You don't want to catch someone in the act, have them turn violent on you," Alec warned.

"Well maybe I'll just go over and check the doors and windows. Maybe ring the bell, see if anyone answers. I can always call for backup if I see anything suspicious," Ellie said, already making her way across the street.

"Alright. Call me when you've had a look," he replied before ringing off.

Ellie walked up the steps to the porch. All the windows were closed, the glass in tact. She tried the front door. Locked tight. She attempted to peer inside, but it was too dark to see anything. She walked around the house, checking all the windows. Nothing seemed to be amiss. She walked back up the steps and rang the bell. She could hear it chiming in the house, but nothing else. She rang the bell again. A light flickered on from the depths of the house and she could hear someone shuffling about. The door opened, revealing a worn looking blonde woman on the other side. She looked as though she had just woken up.

"Hello there. I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, but I live right across the street. No one's been in this house in ages, I was just worried someone might have broken in. You don't look like a criminal, though," Ellie said.

"No, not a criminal," the blonde replied wryly. "This is my step-father's summer house. I came on holiday."

"Well that's nice. It'll be good to see the old place occupied again, even for a little while. Ellie Miller," she said, extending her hand.

Hesitantly, the blonde woman shook her hand. "Rose Tyler. I'd invite you in for a cuppa, but I haven't had a chance to run to the store yet. Laid down for a kip, ended up sleeping much longer than I meant to."

"Well, allow me to welcome you to Broadchurch. Why don't you join me and my kids for dinner? We're just ordering pizza, but you look knackered and I imagine you're hungry. No good shopping on an empty stomach," Ellie chided.

Rose smiled, but it barely touched her eyes. "That's very kind of you, but it must be getting late. I probably should be getting to the store."

Ellie flapped her hand dismissively. "The Tesco's is 24 hours. Besides, the later you go, the less crowded it'll be. Please, I insist. Join us for dinner."

The other woman's shoulders slumped and she stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her. "Yeah...alright. I am actually kind of hungry. Haven't been in a while."

Rose's odd response gave Ellie a brief pause, but she brushed it off. "Wonderful. I'm just across the street here," she said, leading the way. The nanny greeted them at the door.

"Tom's doing his homework and Fred's watching cartoons," she told Ellie.

"Great. I'll pay you Friday then?"

"Yeah, that's fine. See you tomorrow," the nanny replied, gathering her things and slipping out the door.

"How's pepperoni? That okay with you?" Ellie asked as they stepped into the kitchen.

"Yeah, of course. Pepperoni's fine," Rose replied.

"Great. I'll just call the order into Alonso's," Ellie said, sliding her mobile from her pocket. She dialed the pizza joint and placed her order. "Cup of tea while we wait?"

"Oh God, yes please," Rose answered, sounding relieved. "I'd give my left arm for a cuppa right about now."

"Well there's no need to do that," Ellie said, filling the kettle and setting it on the stove to boil. "So, what brings you to Broadchurch? Anything in particular?"

"No, not really. I just...needed to get away. From London. My step-father has the house here, that's really the only reason I came," Rose replied. "It seems nice, though, from what I saw driving through town."

"Oh, it is nice. For the most part. I mean, I'm sure you've probably heard about the unpleasantness last year...but we're moving to put it behind us."

Rose's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What sort of unpleasantness?"

This time it was Ellie's turn to raise her eyebrows as she reached into the cabinet to pull out two mugs. "You mean you haven't heard? About the murder?"

"No. Honestly, I'd never even heard of this place, not until my step-dad brought it up."

The kettle whistled and Ellie pulled it from the stove. She plunked a tea bag in each mug and poured the hot water over them. Pulling the cream from the fridge, she considered what she was going to say next. "An eleven year old boy was murdered. Danny Latimer. My oldest son Tom's best friend, actually. The whole town was rocked. Still...trial's over now. The murderer was convicted. People are trying to move on."

Rose accepted the cream from her, and splashed a generous amount into her tea. She stirred in sugar from the bowl on the counter, and regarded Ellie over the top of her mug. "I'll admit, my work kept me pretty busy. I didn't pay much attention to the news. I'm sorry about your son's friend. It's always terrible...when people are taken before their time."

Ellie didn't miss the hitch in Rose's voice when she said that last sentence. "Who did you lose?" she asked softly.

Rose scrubbed at her face. "I barely know you. I shouldn't be unloading my baggage on you. Especially not when you're the one buying dinner."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to," Ellie replied, feeling guilty.

"No, it's alright. It was my fiance. He was killed in a school shooting a couple of weeks ago. That's why I left London...the memories. It was just too much," Rose said, tears beginning to squeeze their way out of her eyes.

"Oh, now I've done it. I am so sorry," Ellie said. She gave Rose an awkward hug, then passed her a box of tissues. "Please, let's just forget I even brought it up."

Rose dabbed at her eyes. "You had no way of knowing. Besides...I have to talk about it eventually. It's just hard to admit that he's gone, y'know? I wake up in the mornings, expect to have him next to me...and then I remember. But enough about me. What about you? Are you married?"

Ellie shifted uncomfortably. This woman really ididn't/i know anything about the Latimer case. "I was. Married. I'm divorced now."

"That must be hard when you've got children," Rose said sympathetically.

Ellie nodded. "I make do," she replied, eager to change the subject. The doorbell rang, effectively interrupting the conversation. "Now who could that be? Can't be the pizza already," she said, excusing herself to go answer the door. She peeked through the curtains, and saw Hardy standing on her porch.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she opened the door.

"You never called me back. I just wanted to make sure everything was alright," he said, not waiting for her to invite him in.

"Sorry, I got caught up. I'm just having tea with the neighbor," she said, shutting the door behind him.

"Take it there was no burglar then?" he said.

"Turns out not," Ellie replied, walking back into the kitchen. "Rose, this is DI Alec Hardy, my boss."

Rose turned around to look at them, and gasped. Her mug slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor. "Oh my God," she breathed, stumbling towards him. "It's...you."

And then she fainted dead away.