Notes: I'm glad that some of you are enjoying this story! Since crossovers don't get much visibility on this website, if you wouldn't mind sharing it with some of your friends, I'd appreciate it! I've got some very interesting plans coming up as we approach the actual start of season 2, so I hope you'll stick with me! Huge thanks goes to my amazing beta reader, TheDoctorMulder!

Chapter 7 – Home for the Holidays

The Vitex holiday party was on Christmas Eve. She had been visiting with her parents and little brother for a couple of days already. They were very happy to see her, to see that she was eating again and that she looked much healthier than she had when she left London. Jackie had been beside herself when the hospital had called after she collapsed, but she had trusted the nurse's assurance that Rose would be taken care of in Broadchurch.

Rose was wearing the same red dress that she wore on Friday. The memory of their argument still stung, but Alec's insistence at seeing her when she got back made her believe that just maybe, she hadn't destroyed everything after all. The party felt so different from the last several years; different from those years that she had been here with her husband. It felt more like the time she had been stranded here before the stars went out. She missed him terribly, ached for him every day. But right now, she really wished that Alec were here with her. She felt a little bit guilty about that, but not as much as she thought she would.

"Penny for your thoughts," came the voice of Pete, interrupting her mental ramble.

"Oh! Just, uh, thinking about Broadchurch," Rose replied quickly.

"You like it there then?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, yeah, it's great. Thank you for arranging it all for me. I've made some friends and I really like it there," she told him honestly.

"So, what were those deep thoughts all about, then?" Pete pressed with a raised brow.

"I... well, I have this... really great friend there. Met him the first day of work and he's been really supportive. Got me back into the real world, you know?" Rose began.

"That's fantastic, sweetheart, but I have a feeling there's more to it than that?" he replied knowingly.

"Yeah, well, I know he's interested in me, so I decided to kind of give it a try. But then, he said that it was too soon for me and I couldn't possibly be ready to move on yet. I just... I just feel like it's not really moving on. I'll always love the Doctor and I'll always miss him, but that doesn't mean that I have to be all alone, does it?" Rose asked, frustrated by her inability to really explain herself.

"Other people will always have their opinions, Rose. Opinions about what your relationships should be like. Take my first Jackie, we were hiding our divorce for the sake of the media. They'll say it's too soon. They'll say you're forgetting him already. But the truth is, it isn't about them. It's about you. I know that the Doctor loved you, both of them did. And all he ever wanted was for you to be happy, Rose. If you've found someone that can help you be happy, even without the Doctor, then I think he must be very special," Pete assured her supportively.

"Thanks, Pete. I'm glad someone understands," Rose responded with a small smile.

"So, why isn't he here with you, so we can meet this... friend of yours?" Pete teased.

"Couple reasons really. First, being that we fought about whether I was ready for a relationship right before I left to come here. Second, is the far bigger and far scarier reason with regard to you and mum, and the media. Believe me please when I tell you that it has nothing to do with the reasons that I want to have a relationship with him. He knows about it and he's OK with it and..." Rose babbled and her speech became faster with every word.

"Slow down, Rose, what is it?" Pete question in confusion.

"Alec looks like the Doctor," she admitted quietly.

Pete blinked a couple of times in shock. "When you say looks like..?" he began.

"Like Rickey and Mickey, like the two Jackies, like you and my real dad," Rose explained. "But he doesn't act like him. Not at all. He isn't a parallel Doctor and he's completely different in every other way, but he looks exactly like him physically. The media will never understand," Rose told him and shook her head worriedly.

"I"m glad you told me about it before the media caught wind of it. Let's talk about this more before you go back tomorrow, alright?" Pete suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you for understanding, Pete," she replied gratefully and gave him a hug before he went back to visit with people at the party.

The next morning, Tony woke everyone bright and early to open presents. Once again, Rose was reminded of the years before her husband had joined them in the parallel universe as she sat on the sofa by herself, watching her family enjoy the holiday.

"Happy Christmas, sweetheart," Jackie said as she sat down beside Rose and gave her a hug.

"Happy Christmas, mum," she replied.

"Rose, Pete told me what you said last night. About meeting someone. And I wanted you to know that I think it's wonderful that you have new friends. You know how hard it was for me after your dad died, to find anyone that I could really connect with. The Doctor would want this for you," she told her daughter reassuringly.

"Thanks, mum. I think so too. I really miss him, you know? I wish... I wish that I could talk to him, just one more time," Rose replied shakily and a few tears escaped her eyes.

Jackie seemed to be lost in an internal struggle before coming to a decision. "Sweetheart, I wasn't sure it was a good idea really, but the Doctor knew that your lives were dangerous and he left something with me a few years ago. Said it was just in case, or whatever, but I can see now why he did," she said.

"What is it?" Rose wondered as she wiped her damp cheeks.

"Some little computer thingy. Wait here, I'll get it for you," Jackie insisted and left the room. She returned a few minutes later with some kind of small device, about the size and shape of a coaster, but slightly thicker. "I hope it helps, love," she said as she handed the disk to her daughter.

"Thank you, mum. I'll just..." Rose replied. She took the disk carefully and stood to find a private place. Jackie nodded at her with a supportive smile.

It was a little too cold outside to sit in the garden, so Rose went up to the bedroom that she used whenever she visited and sat on the bed. She spun the little device around in her hands for a moment and looked at it. There was a big, red button on it that obviously activated whatever it would do. She smiled fondly at his love of big, red buttons and realized that he must have made this himself.

Rose figured that it must be some little recorder of some kind and bolstered herself to face the message he had left for her. Her mum had said that he gave it to her a couple of years ago, so he had prepared for the worst a while back.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the button. Her heart stuttered a moment when she saw the little hologram of her husband. It reminded her painfully of both Emergency Programme One and that horrible first time at Bad Wolf Bay. The image of the Doctor smiled sadly before he began talking.

"Hello, Rose. If you're watching this, then something has happened to me and I'm not with you anymore. I left this with your mum because I trust her to know when you'll need it. There are a few things I think you'll need to hear if I'm not there. First and foremost is that I love you. I've loved you from the start, you know that now and you know that the other Doctor in our home universe will love you for centuries to come. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to send you back to him. So, here's the other things that you need to hear. Help people. It's what you do best, love. Share that compassionate spirit of yours with the world. Please try to smile again. Your incredible smile could light up entire galaxies, so don't let it disappear forever. And make new friends. Find more hands to hold. It was so hard for me when you were gone, to accept other people travelling with me. But you can, Rose. And you should. I want you to be happy, that's all I've ever wanted for you. So, do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life. I love you." The hologram froze as he smiled at the end of the message.

Rose wasn't sure exactly when the tears had started to fall, but they must have been flowing for a while considering the size of the wet patch on her sleeve. He was right. It was exactly what she needed to hear. She tucked the little device into her bag and gathered all of her things. She was going back to Broadchurch today and she resolved to fix everything with Alec as soon as possible. He made her happy again and she refused to let that go.

It was a day earlier than she expected to be heading back, but she knew that she needed to fix this now. Pete assured her that they'd have a chance to talk more later regarding the media issues that would likely arise. After many hugs and goodbyes to her family, Rose took a taxi back to the airport to take a zeppelin back to Broadchurch. As she waited, she sent Alec a text message, 'About to board the zeppelin, we need to talk.'

The reply came a moment later, 'Can I meet you at the airport or maybe the coffee shop?'

'The airport would be fine, my car is there. Flight lands at 4:45.'

'I'll be there,' he responded.

Rose smiled at her phone and barely contained her nervous giggle at seeing him again.

###############################

Alec paced nervously at the airport. He knew that he had messed up when he told Rose that she shouldn't be ready for a relationship yet. She made it clear to him all the time that she didn't see her husband when she looked at him. It wasn't about who he looked like. They were good friends and she had said that she didn't want to be alone anymore.

That settled it in his mind. She wanted to be close to someone again and it seemed like she wanted that someone to be him. Hadn't he been asking for a sign to help him figure out when she was ready? Well, his sign metaphorically just smacked him in the face.

He could see her coming down the steps of the zeppelin. She was dressed in jeans and trainers and a warm coat. Her hair was tied back into a loose pony tail, but quite a bit of it had fallen out over her face. As soon as she entered the airport, he moved to take her bag from her and feeling daring, leaned down to kiss her cheek as he took the small case.

"Hello," she said with a smile.

"Hello. Did you have a nice visit?" he asked politely.

"Yeah, it was nice. Vitex parties are always a bit stuffy, but it was good to visit with mum and dad and Tony for a bit," she replied and led him towards where she had parked several days ago.

"Wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow, so this is a nice surprise. Where did you want to go? To talk, I mean," he wondered as he placed her bag in the back seat before climbing into the passenger side. He had taken a taxi to the airport when she said that her car was already here and assumed that she had some idea of where she'd like to have this post-argument discussion.

"Can we..? Would it be too awkward for you to go back to my place?" Rose asked tentatively.

"No, that's fine. You've been travelling. Of course you'd like to get home," he replied.

The drive back to Rose's house as quiet as they were both lost nervously in their thoughts. He carried her bag inside when they got there and Rose excused herself for a moment to freshen up. Alec sat on the couch in the living room, where everything had changed between them less than a week ago. He noticed the box on the table. He had left the gift there on Friday. Partially because she had told him to leave and partially because he didn't feel that it was his place to insist on keeping her gift at the time.

Rose entered the room and sat next to him. He could see her steeling herself for the conversation and in an uncharacteristic move for him, reached to take her hand. She stared at their clasped hands for a moment and smiled wistfully, as if remembering something. Rose noticed his curious look at her.

"Something he told me once. Sometimes all you need is a hand to hold," she explained. She took a deep breath and told him, "I knew you would be worried about it being too soon. Knew it as soon as I realized that you were interested. I just didn't think you'd be so against it."

"I'm not. I just..." he began, but Rose shook her head.

"I know. I surprised you with it and I'm sorry about that. I talked to my parents about it while I was there. Not the... sex... part, but starting a new relationship. And they told me the same thing that my husband would have. That my husband did, in fact. Mum had a message to give me. He knew how dangerous our lives were and he gave it to her years ago, just in case. He told me to make friends, be happy and ... have a fantastic life," she explained and smiled shyly.

"And are you happy?" he questioned.

"You know what I was like when I came here, Alec. You brought me back. You saved me from killing myself. If there is anyone on this planet that can make me happy again, it's you," she admitted and clasped both of his hands in hers.

"You deserve to be happy, Rose. Not sure how I rate at being the lucky sod that gets to be with you, but I'll take what blessings I can get," he teased. "I'm sorry that I questioned your judgment. You are the one that gets to decide when you're ready."

"Thank you, Alec. I think I'm ready," she whispered and leaned in to kiss him.

This kiss was relaxed and languid, so different from the fevered passion of Friday night. He pulled her into his arms and deepened the kiss with a sigh. Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her fingers into his hair.

"If we're together, Alec, the press are going to talk. They'll say awful things about the fact that you look like John did," Rose warned him as he moved his mouth down her jaw and onto her neck.

"I know all too well what the press can do, Rose. And I don't bloody care," he growled and latched onto the skin of her neck, sucking at the tender flesh hard enough to make her gasp.

Giving in to the feelings, Rose straddled his lap as she had before and tugged his t-shirt up over his head, revealing a smattering of soft chest hair over his well toned body. She then pulled her own shirt off and replaced her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer. He revelled in the feeling of her skin against his. Alec reached up her back to unclasp her bra and tossed it across the room for the crime of concealing her perfect breasts.

Rose giggled at him and then moaned lustfully as he began to suck on the prize he had revealed. She pressed her hips against him rhythmically as he nibbled on her playfully. "Will you be alright this time?" she asked and placed her hand over his heart.

"If we take it a little slower and I keep my pills nearby, it should be alright. And if not, what a way to go," he growled and thrust his hips up against hers while wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.

Rose groaned then and pulled him up off the couch to go back to her room. He placed the pack of pills on the bedside table and took one of the condom packets out of the drawer to put next to it for the time being. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her over to stand between his legs. Alec grasped her bum and nuzzled the soft skin of her belly as she once again, dug her fingers into his hair. The feeling of her fingernails scraping his scalp spurred him on and he brought one hand off of her behind to unclasp her jeans.

Alec tugged the tight denim down her legs, bringing her knickers along with it. She stepped out of the fabric when it hit the floor and groaned when he firmly grasped her arse. Rose whispering his name brought a chill up his spine and he breathed in the scent of her skin, bringing his hand around to touch her intimately. Sliding his long fingers into her, it was his turn to groan as he discovered how wet she was and knew that it was for him. She spread her legs a little wider to give him room. He took full advantage and pushed a third finger inside of her. Rose was panting now, her eyes closed and her hands braced on his shoulders as he touched her.

He could feel her getting closer to the edge and sucked hard on the nipple in front of him to urge her on. She gasped and thrust her chest harder against him, her hips moving in time with his fingers.

"So close. So, so close," Rose whispered.

Alec groaned and flicked his thumb over her clit. Whether it was the sound or the touch, it was enough and Rose dug her fingers into his shoulders as her orgasm ripped through her. He slowed his movements to bring her back down gently and wrapped his other arm around her waist supportively. She leaned against him for a minute before rolling over him and onto the bed. While she caught her breath, Alec stood up to remove his own trousers and pants. He gazed at her lustfully. Her hair clung to her face with a sheen of sweat and her skin was flushed in all the right places.

He climbed back onto the bed next to her and kissed her sweetly. She hummed happily and rolled on her side to face him on the bed. Rose's hands wandered over his body, exploring every little dip and curve that she found, finally settling on his bum and squeezing playfully. He chuckled at her and rolled so that he was on top of her. He placed light kisses all over her face and neck as he rubbed against her thigh.

Rose sighed happily and wrapped her hand around him, stroking firmly. He growled her name into her ear and reached for the condom packet on the table. She helped him with it and positioned him at her entrance with a warm smile. He sank into her warmth and kissed her softly. The last time they did this, it had been fast and needy. This was slow, but no less passionate. His body slid against hers, enjoying every second of the heaven he was floating in. There was no sound but that of their breathing and the occasional whisper of the other's name between kisses.

He pulled her against him tightly as his body tumbled into blissful oblivion and she followed him closely, panting softly into his ear. They rolled onto their sides, still wrapped up in each other. Alec tossed the condom into the small waste bin in the corner and they curled up together and fell asleep.