The stars were going out

Chapter 1

Rose fell in love with Alec Hardy the first time they had met though it took them a week of arguments for him to get her into his hotel bed and then he had to admit what was wrong with him. It all started when Rose went down to dinner the night she arrived after a long drive from London. Her mother had questioned her destination.

"Broadchurch? Why the hell would you want to go to Broadchurch Rose? Oh don't tell me, it's that detective isn't it? I thought you were over that?"

"I am Mum, honestly. It doesn't bother me any more. I just want a week by the sea. It will be quiet down there anyway, no-one wants to go to a murder town. I've book six nights at a hotel, The Traders and I'll be back next Sunday so don't worry. Crikey Mum, I used to go off all the time, it's not like anything's going to get in my way, it's just a normal holiday."

It was Sunday evening, Rose was packing and Tony wandered into his big sister's room.

"Rose, are you going away again?"

"Aw come over here big guy. It's just for a few days. Did mum send you up here?"

"No but I know she doesn't want you to go either. Will you bring me a present back?"

"Yeah, of course I will. How about a boat or something you can play with in the bath?"

"Yeah! Thanks Rose."

"I'll see you before you go to school in the morning, you break up soon don't you?"

"Yeah, Friday."

"Then when I get back, maybe me and Mickey can take you out."

The boy was satisfied and went back to his room. Rose switched on her TV to catch the news and saw the detective again – Alec Hardy. She no longer saw the Doctor in every man she laid eyes on and this detective was no different. If only they'd had more success locating her own world, she would have been joining the other teams being sent out to find him again instead of daydreaming that one of the teams would find the right one and she would find him again.

The thought of him made her shiver but what if he'd changed already?

The next morning just after breakfast and kissing her mum and brother goodbye, she put her cases in her Tardis blue car and drove to the coastal town of Broadchurch. She managed to balance her cases and her laptop bag and was about to close the back door when she heard a voice behind her.

"Can I help you with those?"

She turned around to see a young man with an ID badge around his neck that read 'Olly Stevens, Broadchurch Echo' and Rose realised she had parked right outside their office. Just her luck for a reporter to spot her.

"No, I'm good thanks, just going across the road to the hotel, 'erm Olly."

Olly stepped back and took the handle of one of her cases.

"It's no bother, Miss Tyler. Sorry but I know who you are, what brings you to our town?"

Rose was about to say something serious like she was here for bracing sea air or the golden cliffs but she was a bit tired from her journey and decided to be catty instead.

"Well Olly, I came to get away from nosy town reporters but so far I'm having no such luck but you might as well wheel my case over for me since I left all my servants at home."

Olly just looked at her and grinned. Whatever Rose Tyler was going to throw at him he was going to take it. He'd had a secret crush on her for years, following her in the social media and gossip columns for the last few years since the chairman of Vitex announced he had married her mother and adopted her even though he knew he would never get to meet her but now, she was in his town and he was helping her into the hotel opposite his office. Things were looking up for him.