Rose got up and began to pace the corridor. She had some change now and got two teas from the machine, for some reason she hated coffee from the machine way back in her old world and didn't expect it to be any better here.

"Rose, sit down Sweetheart, you're not doing him any good you know. Tell me about him."

"I told you already, he's Scottish, he's divorced with a teenage daughter who doesn't talk to him. He's 38 and a detective inspector, I can't tell you much else, he's been very quiet about what happened in the past, something about a case that went wrong before this one. He blamed that for his health problem. He never admitted he was so ill. He told me he had to be careful and he was going to get help but he collapsed on me. I can't lose him Mum, I can't go through that, not again."

Jackie rubbed her back, like she always did. "He'll make it Rose. Do you love him?"

Rose nodded. "I don't now how it happened so fast, it's only been a few days but somehow, it was like I was meant to be here and meet him, that jump forward brought me to him. It's the first time being here has made any sense."

"I know you never settled like I did, that you couldn't accept it, that's why you never stopped but now you've found someone, maybe you will. You can't go off again anyway."

"I know that. I'll have to get dad to tell me what happened, Alec reckoned that when he shut the device off, it took me forward at the same time."

"But Rose, he shut it down six months after you went missing, they kept it going 24 hrs a day in case you came back, he had people looking all over for you."

"Oh, then maybe it only threw me six months in the future and when he closed it down, it threw me off even further."

"You'll have to ask him. Did they say how long it would take to fix him?"

"I don't know if they can, he's got a less than a 10% chance of surviving, they're trying to fit a pacemaker. They've revived him once when he came in, they don't know if they can do it again." Tears she had been trying to hold back were now falling down her cheeks.

Jackie turned around to face her. This was the second time Rose had broken down after losing a man and if his regeneration counted as leaving her, it was the third time.

"He's still got a chance Rose, not a very good one but it's there. What is it with you and older men?"

Rose thought that was obvious, having no dad to grow up with but she had no excuse now she had Pete back again. Maybe she had latched on to Alec because he was older and was taking care of her but it hadn't stopped her falling in love with him. Did she really love him yet or was she just saying it because that was what he needed to hear before going in there? If he survived, it was clear she would have to decide and quickly.

Still no news, Jackie was trying to get Rose to eat something. It was now almost eleven and he'd been in over two hours but she knew they couldn't rush this and most of it was preparation and keeping him alive. It had been the worst experience of her life, watching the monitor earlier go still then come back to life again. She would give anything to be in there with him, holding his hand, to let him know she was there. He was so much like the Doctor, lonely and dependant on her. She hoped he also had the Doctor's stubbornness.

Pete still hadn't come back and Jackie supposed he was waiting for a hire car to be delivered and keeping Tony entertained. Rose had told her she still had no phone and she was using Alec's personal phone, it was probably the last thing on her mind. Rose was leaning on her mother's shoulder, her eyes closed. She was still tired with getting woken up early, it was late when she had got to sleep, they had just been lying together after they had put some clothes on, kissing.

Her eyes snapped open as she heard a door being opened opposite and a nurse came out, walking over to them.

"Miss Tyler? The surgeon will be out in a moment to talk to you."

This was it, she knew it. Alec was not coming out on his own. Jackie tightened her grip on Rose, who was preparing herself for the worse. If the surgeon was coming to talk to her, it was surely bad news? A few minutes later, a man in a theatre gown came out, taking his mask off and stood in front of Rose and Jackie.

"Miss Tyler, we've done everything we possibly can. His heart stopped after we fitted the pacemaker, it took several attempts to re-start it, there had already been a lot of stain with his last attack earlier."

Rose stood up and ran to the ladies room, feeling sick. She knew it was all over, she didn't need to hear any more.

The surgeon watched her run off. "Mrs Tyler? She didn't let me finish, he's ok, we brought him round so perhaps you want to go and tell her. I'll give you a few minutes, we're just finishing, we'll take him into intensive care, she can come and see him, I'll have a nurse fetch you if you just wait here. It could be a while, we have to set up the machines and we're going to keep him sedated for another 12 to 24 hours to make sure."

"Thank you. What's your name?"

"I'm Mr Graham, senior cardiologist at Exeter hospital. It was touch and go, I'm told he should have had this done eighteen months ago, he's very lucky. Maybe having someone to come back to finally gave him the will to come back. I'll talk to her later when we've got Mr Hardy settled in ICU."

The surgeon went back inside and Jackie picked up the carrier bag and went in the ladies room after Rose. Rose was sat on the floor in the far corner, hugging her knees and sobbing loudly.

"Rose, it ok, he's still alive! You rushed off before he'd finished telling you. Ok, so that wasn't the best way of putting it but that's how they talk I suppose."

Rose looked up. "Are you certain Mum?"

"Of course I'm certain. Why would I lie to you? It was touch and go, they're putting him in intensive care when they've finished. Someone will come and get us when he's settled, he's being kept under sedation for now. The surgeon will talk to you when they've got him settled."

Jackie helped her to her feet. "Get cleaned up Rose, then you can go and see him."

Rose managed a weak smile and grabbed a paper towel to dry her red face. "Doesn't mean he's not out of danger though, does it?"

"I don't know Rose, it's up to him now but he knows he has you, that's probably made all the difference. You have to think positive, for his sake."

They came out of the ladies and went to sit back down. Jackie said she would call Pete and find out where he was while Rose went to see Alec.

"You should call Ellie and let her know, she was worried."

"I know. The funny thing is, they didn't get on before this and she tried to warn me off him."

"I'm sure she was just watching out for you."

"Yeah, I know that now. She didn't make it easy, with me just turning up and discovering I'd lost four years and my family and Alec was the only one who really cared."

"I'm sure she cared as well Rose but if Alec had taken it over, maybe she thought she was trying to protect you from being overwhelmed."

"She said something about him getting obsessive but he was just being friendly, maybe she didn't realise. We were at her house last night for dinner and Alec thought she was trying to find out just how close we were."

Jackie smiled. "Did she find out then?"

Rose smiled back. "Well we did snog in her front room but she didn't catch us, unless she had a hidden camera."

Jackie laughed. At least Rose had cheered up since she had arrived.

Pete had been busy after Ellie had dropped him and Tony at a hotel just around the corner from the hospital and had booked a double room for Rose and a family room for them and arranged for a hire car to be delivered. Getting Tony some lunch after settling in their room, he waited for the car. He didn't want to take his son back to the hospital, Rose was clearly involved with this Police detective and as much as she loved and had missed her family, she needed to concentrate on him getting through his operation.

He had been horrified to discover what was wrong with the man she had found, that he had let himself get so bad and he was sure if he hadn't been rushed to hospital in time, he wouldn't have made it. Tony was sat on his bed watching cartoons on the TV and playing with his toy zeppelin and Pete tried calling Jackie.

Back at the hospital they were still waiting for Alec to be moved when Jackie's phone rang.

"Pete, he's ok, he's out of surgery, isn't that great?"

Jackie sounded enthusiastic even though she had never even met the man. It was enough Rose was with him. "They're just taking him to intensive care."

"That's good Jaks, Tony's had his lunch, I think we'll stay here for now, we're just around the corner. I got a room for Rose."

"I don't think she'll be leaving just yet, I'll stay as long as she wants. I've tried to get her to eat but she won't. I've got no English money either."

"Ok. I'll come back round and make sure you've got some, there must be a bank close by, Tony and I will have a walk and I'll get coffee and sandwiches for you both."

"Thanks Pete, see you soon."

A nurse came looking for them and took them to the ICU, Rose being allowed inside while Jackie waited with Alec's things. The first thing she did was kiss his cheek then sat on the chair, getting as near as she could and taking the hand that wasn't attached to the machines. Jackie watched her through the glass in the door, smiled and sat back down to wait for Pete turning up.

A nurse came in to check the readings and smiled at Rose, who had just closed her eyes, still holding his hand.

"Am I in the way?" she asked, yawning.

The nurse shook her head.

"How long will he be out for?"

"It's hard to say, maybe 12 to 24 hrs, the surgeon will advise you, he'll be in shortly. I have to stay here now, sorry. Don't mind me, lots of people sit holding hands with their loved ones. It helps when they wake up, to feel someone is there."

Pete arrived with lunch for them and he knocked on the door to the ICU, taking Rose by the hand and leading her out.

"Rose, you'll not do him any good if you don't eat something. He's right there, he's not going anywhere. Have you called Ellie Miller yet?"

Rose shook her head, swallowing the bite of sandwich she had taken, not realising she had been so hungry.

"Then now's the time."

Rose finished her lunch and switched Alec's phone on. She should have grabbed the charger she supposed. She retrieved the number and used Pete's phone instead.

"Ellie, it's Rose, he's ok, he's going to make it."

"That's good news Rose. Are you staying down there?"

"Yeah, my stepdad got me a room where they're staying, thanks for taking him. Alec's in intensive care, I'm going to stay as long as I can but I haven't got anything with me."

"I'm sure they can go get some things for you if you ask them."

She got off the phone and Pete said they would go back to the chalet and throw some clothes into a bag and pick up a charger. So giving him instructions how to get to the chalet and the key, they went back to Broadchurch and Jackie said they would put the things in her room and she would come back later. Rose then went to sit at Alec's bedside and waited for him to wake up. She turned the chair around to face him and took his hand, rubbing her thumb over it gently.

"Please wake up Alec, I need you," she leaned down and whispered in his ear.

The nurse came over, bringing the more comfortable armchair instead of the plastic one she was using. She smiled at Rose and took the other one away.

"How long can I stay?"

"As long as you like Miss Tyler. The surgeon has left now, he was called away but the doctor who assisted him will be here soon. Mr Hardy will have round the clock care until he regains consciousness and then he'll be moved to a single room and monitored."

Rose had just closed her eyes again when she heard the door opening and the nurse touched her shoulder. Rose got up and walked over to the doctor. He explained that the surgery had gone well but they had trouble reviving him a few times and the final time it had been a few minutes but he had fought back. He assured her she could stay as long as she wanted but advised her not to stay overnight and to leave her details if she was leaving.

Pete had found access to the chalet and Jackie had gathered what she thought Rose would need, noting she hadn't taken long to buy some new clothes and that she had probably been sharing a room with the detective judging by the look of things. Pete found a phone charger and Rose's old phone, wondering why she hadn't bought herself a new one yet. Tony was admiring the model boat in the window.

Rose had fallen asleep, lulled by the sound of the machines that Alec was hooked up to, his chest still bare and shaved slightly. She was leaning her head on the side of the bed, slightly on his arm. She wanted him to know she was there. Jackie came back, persuading her to go to the café with them after she left Alec's personal number she was using, charging the other phone up. They left Rose alone again, Pete promising to come back for her to walk her to the hotel later on.

Rose was finally persuaded to leave just after nine, saying she would be back at seven in the morning and was promised if anything happened or he woke up, they would call her. She couldn't sleep, seeing his face lying beside her and smiling at him. She had set the alarm for six thirty and was in the hospital just before seven but he hadn't woken up. Taking some tea in with her, she turned the chair back to face him again and waited for him to wake up. She got as close as she could and linked her hand with his.

While her eyes were closed, the nurse checked all the readings and the doctor came in and put something in his drip to wake Alec up slowly. His eyes started to twitch and slowly he took in his surroundings, aware something was on his arm. It was Rose's head and she was asleep. He smiled weakly and the nurse noticed, coming over to check on him. He just pulled a face that said "Ssh!" and the nurse smiled.

Rose woke with a start and lifted her head, a hand squeezed hers. "Hey, you're awake at last."

"Hey yourself. How long have you been asleep there? Did you stay all night?"

Rose got up and moved the chair, leaning over and kissing his cheek. He moved his head, indicating he wanted a proper kiss but he still had a breathing tube inserted so it was rather awkward.

"No, I got a hotel nearby. Alec, my family came back."

"That's great Rose. I'm really pleased."

He had just survived against all the odds and now it was time to find out if his new love was going to stay. He needn't have worried.

Meanwhile back at Broadchurch Police station, the murder investigation was going on, Ellie doing her best but out of her depth and knew now, she was not ready to become a DI but she was in charge until Hardy came back, if he ever did. That depended on if Rose was staying, her family had moved away, it seemed she would go back with them. Her phone rang, saying that Beth Latimer was downstairs, wanting to see her. She walked into the interview room.

"Ellie, what's going on? I tried to call DI Hardy but got told he wasn't available. Is he still with that Rose Tyler? Why is she more important than finding my son's killer?"

"Listen Beth, it's not like that. We're all doing the best we can and no, he's not with Rose Tyler. Well not exactly."

"Then what's he doing then? He should be out there, bringing the killer in and now, the headlines are full of Rose Tyler, my Danny's been forgotten so don't tell me he's not with her, I saw them together and they looked very friendly towards each other."

"Beth, I can assure you, it has nothing to do with Rose Tyler coming back."

Beth got up and went towards the door. "If I find out what they said about her and Hardy is true and he's with her instead of working, I'll tell every newspaper about it."

Ellie could understand her anger but not when Hardy had just survived an operation.

"Beth, listen to me. I know you're angry but taking it out on them won't help."

"Don't think I don't mean it Ellie because I do. I can understand her family missing her but it doesn't take a senior detective to look after her."

"Beth, he just got out of heart surgery, leave him out of it."

"What? Are you serious? He was leading the investigation and there was something wrong with him? Oh that's just great. You can't even put a decent detective on the case?"

"Listen here Beth, no-one knew there was something wrong with him, he never let on and it's probably the stress of the case that's made him worse so don't you dare think that no-one cares."

Ellie got up and stormed out of the room, leaving Beth to think about her words.

When Jackie got to the hospital, Rose and Alec were talking quietly, holding hands after Rose got up from leaning on his shoulder when she heard the door opening. The nurse had just left them since it wasn't doing any harm and the man had just survived against all odds. Rose introduced her mother to Alec, Jackie managing not to come out with he looked like someone they used to know, Rose had made it quite clear no-one was to tell him.

Pete came in later to take Rose back to the hotel, after they moved Alec to a private room on Pete's instructions, he still carried quite a bit of weight despite being gone a while. The next morning, Alec was looking a lot better and having some breakfast when Rose walked in. He still had a few wires in him but not as many as he did have and he was able to take his breathing tube out during the day so Rose pulled the curtain around and they managed to get some serious snogging in.

Just over a week later, Alec was allowed back home to the chalet, under orders to take it easy. He was getting dressed after Rose had gone to get him some more clothes and Pete was waiting outside, having moved Jackie and Tony to a hotel in Broadchurch, the one right next to their chalet. Rose was sat watching him.

"Something to say Rose?" he asked, fastening his shirt.

"I missed you Alec, you died on me, a few times."

"So I've been told. I'm sorry I scared you. I'll make it up to you as soon as I'm completely well."

"I know you will. So, how about two weeks in Majorca yeah? As soon as you can travel. We'll go by zeppelin, spend a few days with my family then move down to a hotel in Palma and just relax by the pool."

"I'm not going in the water, you know that?"

"I'll get you to change your mind but you have to tell me what happened to make you frightened of it."

"I will, one day and I'll just be happy watching you in your bikini. Now let's go home."

"We'll have to move soon you know, unless you want to spend the winter there?"

"I don't think so, especially if the river rises up, we could go floating down it overnight and I told you, I don't like water."

"Then why did you even take it?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Rose smiled and they went to get his discharge papers, Rose had already taken his other stuff back home and had got a new mobile, meaning to get a photo of Alec to put on the screen and his phone number. The car had been returned to the station and he was keeping his mobile for now. Ellie was no nearer finding out who had killed Danny Latimer and they were now almost four weeks into the investigation.

Alec was under strict instructions not to get caught up with the investigation from Rose but allowed Ellie to come round and talk to him and Rose had got a laptop and mobile internet and Alec used it to keep up to date with what was happening, to stop him going crazy at home. He was allowed out so they would just go and have dinner with Rose's family and a walk around the harbour and after two weeks, Jackie and Pete decided to go back.

"You're coming over then?" Jackie asked on their last evening.

"Yeah, soon as Alec can travel. He was determined to see this case through but I'm not letting him do much, am I Alec?"

Alec shook his head - he was working things out. He may not be able to go out much but he could think, take a look at the case from the outside and it was all coming together. He just had to bide his time, now he had some.

The End!

Continued in 'The missing heiress returns'