"Dad. I wondered where my flowers had got to." Rose greeted him.
"Most of the guests have arrived I think," Pete replied as he put her mug of coffee down. "It's a nice day out there," he pointed to the window with the curtains still closed.
"I'm not taking any chances there are any photographers climbing trees," Rose laughed. "They could have bypassed Jake's security team."
"He's doubled it, don't worry," Pete tried to assure her. "I'd worry more about the guests selling photos to the magazines."
"Thanks Dad," Rose laughed nervously.
"I think your mother's looking for Tony and Jamie," Pete told her, to see if she had noticed the detective passing by.
"They'll be in Tony's play room," Rose replied. "I suggested to mum that Jamie could keep Tony occupied."
"Ah. Did you tell that to Alec Hardy? He was just heading that way," Pete asked her.
"Yeah, I was out looking to see where you were with my flowers and some coffee," Rose had to admit.
"Well for goodness sake Rose, don't tell that to Jamie," Pete warned her. "You know how jealous he gets. Now I know why he hates Mickey so much."
"What?" Rose stopped smelling her bouquet.
"Come on Rose, you must have known?" Pete was surprised.
"I knew they hated each other Dad but not why. Just because I used to go out with Mickey, when I was nineteen?" Rose was even more surprised. "I didn't think Jamie would go that far?"
"Just you be careful Rose," Pete warned her. "Yes, I know he can be over-protective sometimes but there's a difference between defending you and picking a fight with a bloke over it."
"He's not done that for a long time Dad," Rose reminded him.
"I know, especially if it's with a Torchwood contractor," Pete tried to joke. "Well, do you want the father of the bride talk now or when I come back to escort you downstairs?"
"I thought we'd just had it?" Rose smiled.
"I know how much you love Jamie, I remember when you too first met," Pete replied. "I also know how Tony looks up to him. He's done nothing but go on about Jamie being his big brother for real."
"I know," Rose agreed. "Well, I'd better start getting changed."
She didn't want to tell him of the conversation she'd just had with Alec Hardy. Why had she joked about it so easily to him anyway? She should have just sent him to where Jamie and Tony were, not get involved in conversation with him. What was it about the detective?
Alec had gone up the attic staircase, hearing Tony saying he was going to beat Jamie on this lap and Jamie saying they had to go downstairs soon.
"Your mum will be looking for you," Jamie was laughing.
"Ah but Jamie, the wedding doesn't start for ages," Tony had complained.
"You have to get ready," Jamie was just reminding him as Alec walked in.
"That's why I'm here," Alec spoke up, making Jamie turn around and forget about the race.
"Right. I told you Tony," Jamie replied as Tony's car passed the winning line and he was jumping up and down.
"I won!" Tony was cheering.
"Hey, I got distracted," Jamie then complained. "Some timing you have Alec."
"I was not aware it was a contest," Alec told him. "Jackie sent me to get the both of you."
"Yeah, never shoot the messenger," Jamie then grinned. "Come on Tony, I'll help you get dressed. Have you seen Rose?" he then asked Alec.
"Very briefly and no, she had not got changed," Alec admitted.
Jamie was relieved to hear that, he didn't want anyone seeing her in her wedding dress until she appeared in the grand marquee Jackie had hired for the occasion. He hadn't known the reason why she had chosen that as opposed to having the ceremony in the mansion until earlier, when it had been chaos.
"Hey, Alec," Jamie called after him as Alec went to his room to change into his best suit. "Is your daughter getting nervous?"
"I've not seen her since breakfast, her mother is seeing to her dress," Alec replied.
"I bet it was a bit of a shock when she won?" Jamie asked him.
"Yes, she's never won anything before," Alec admitted.
"I would have thought a wedding would be the last place you'd want to be? I mean you and your wife don't exactly look happy to be here?" Jamie had observed.
"I could take offence to that but you're right, about myself anyway. I promised Daisy we would both be here for her," Alec replied.
"Hey, sorry pal," Jamie patted Alec on his shoulder.
"It's fine, believe me. No, I'm afraid Tess doesn't look at me the way Rose looks at you," Alec admitted. "You are a very lucky man."
"I know," Jamie laughed. "I'd best go see to Tony then."
Alec continued to his room and Jamie joined Tony.
"He looks like you," Tony told him.
"I know Tony, hope Rose doesn't get us mixed up!" Jamie tried to shrug it off.
Tony started laughing.
"Yeah, mum would get so annoyed."
Jamie tried to see the funny side but failed so he just helped Tony get into his suit as the young boy wanted to mess around.
"Your mother won't be happy if we're late," Jamie warned him.
"Aw, Rose will be late, dad said so," Tony replied.
"Did he?" Jamie asked.
"Yeah, dad said she's supposed to be late," Tony grinned.
"I hope she's not too late then," Jamie was getting worried as he'd not thought Rose would go with the tradition.
Then he thought she maybe would, to get him worried. He certainly hoped that neither Alec Hardy nor Mickey Smith would be in the line to kiss the bride, not that Mickey Smith had been sent an invitation as far as he knew anyway. Jackie wouldn't do that to him, would she?
He wasn't so sure though, they all went back a long way, would Jackie think it was being cruel or kind not to include him on the guest list? He'd just gone with the list he and Rose had come up with and left it with Jackie to get the invitations printed. He dreaded to think of the postage costs.
He'd been surprised that Pete had insisted on paying for everything, including the honeymoon, which Rose knew nothing of where they were going. He'd thought a nice ten day romantic cruise would do just the job, a couples only one that departed from Palma, then on their return, five nights in a holiday resort on the island of Majorca.
He'd even arranged a honeymoon suite but had insisted to Pete that he paid for that. Pete had just smiled and agreed whatever Rose wanted extra, Jamie was responsible for, not that Rose wouldn't pay for some things herself. Jamie now had to learn that Rose could be very independent, ever since she'd stopped working to plan the wedding. He suspected she still got a generous allowance from her stepfather or Torchwood were still paying her.
Alec had got changed and had made his way downstairs and gone into the kitchen to grab a cup of tea before the event. Jake had gone in for a break and was sat at the kitchen table.
"Just checking if you're Jamie or Alec," Jake grinned as Alec sat down, the buttonholes box still there. "Best get a flower, trust Rose to have picked roses and not red carnations," he laughed.
"Yes, very astute of her," Alec agreed, getting one from the box along with a pin.
"Did she look nervous at breakfast?" Jake asked, since he'd had his earlier.
"Ah, she was not present," Alec told him. "I expect she had hers in her room?"
"Yeah, that would have been her mother's idea," Jamie nodded as he joined them after handing Tony to his mother. "So we didn't see each other. Jackie thought I was trying to sneak in Rose's room last night. I was only saying goodnight to her."
Alec just bet he was.
"She didn't catch us in the conservatory though," Jamie then laughed.
Alec remembered only too well how things had been when he and Tess had got married. Tess hadn't gone for all that last minute sneaking around.
"You did well to stay away then," Alec replied. "I think I will check where my daughter is."
"Yeah, she's a great kid Alec, bet she's full of nerves now it's nearly time though," Jamie wondered.
"If her mother is fussing over her, then yes," Alec had to agree. "She will be ten time worse."
"You should have seen Tony when I handed him to Jackie," Jamie grinned as Jake got up.
Alec got up as well to see how Tess and Daisy were getting on but they were just coming downstairs, the other bridesmaids behind them.
"Dad, how do I look?" Daisy asked him, her hair now up loosely.
"You look perfect," Alec smiled, getting his phone out to take a photo.
"I hope you brought a proper camera?" Tess asked him as the others passed them to sit down without ruining their dresses.
Alec went in his pocket and brought a compact camera out.
"Yes, the batteries are fresh and I have spares," he answered. "It's also a new storage card. Stand right there Daisy while I take a few photos."
Jackie came out of one of the other room and seeing Jamie coming out of the kitchen, grabbed hold of him.
"Look after Tony while I go check on Rose," she told him, Jamie thinking he'd best do as she said. "I'll send Pete down and you can all go out to the marquee, I don't want you seeing Rose."
"What about the bridesmaids?" Tess wanted to know.
"They're supposed to wait here for Rose coming down. Her father will then escort her to the marquee and they follow," Jackie replied, Alec thinking she had it well organised, "Jamie, keep Tony with you and take him to sit at the front."
"Anything I can do to help?" Alec asked her.
"Yeah, can ya watch Tony when Rose goes to join Jamie?" Jackie asked him.
"Mum, I want to stay with Jamie," Tony complained.
"Jamie's going to be busy," Jackie told him. "Jake will tell ya when to step up with the rings."
Jackie went off to see to Rose, Jamie was stubbing his toe on the wooden floor of the hallway and Jake put his hand on Tony's shoulder.
"Don't worry mate, just remember what we practised," Jake advised the boy.
"I won't drop the rings Jake, honest," Tony promised.
"You'll be fine Tony," Alec agreed. "Come on then, we should get going."
Alec followed the others to the marquee and Jake led them past the guests, who were taking their seats after being asked whose side they were on. He found himself on the front row on Jamie's side but he wasn't going to insist he sat on Rose's side, no doubt all the chairs were reserved or Jackie was evening out the number of guests.
He supposed Jake was going to be Jamie's best man, though he knew nothing on the man's family. Jake came over to talk to him, glad that Alec was on the end.
"I'll bring Tony over to you when Rose appears in the entrance," he told Alec.
Alec nodded and put his specs on to read the order of the wedding ceremony. He saw Rose was walking down the aisle to a popular wedding related song, then the couple had their speeches they were given each other. After that, they would make their vows if no-one spoke up to object to the marriage and they would finally be declared husband and wife.
After the register had been signed, Alec noticing a decorated screen in the corner, everyone would stand while he expected everyone would be throwing wedding confetti as the couple walked by, to another popular wedding song and the guests following the procession of the bridesmaids carrying Rose's dress.
He couldn't find fault with it, at least the guests didn't have to sing and the whole thing wouldn't take that long. He supposed some weddings did go on a bit, mostly for show but it didn't seem that Rose wanted to show off that much.
Pete had gone downstairs to wait for Rose as her mother helped her finish off putting a necklace on that Jamie had bought her, which was her 'something new'. She had borrowed a silver bracelet of her mother's, she had blue and white flowers in her garters that were holding her white stockings up she had bought for the wedding but she'd had trouble with something old.
"Rose, come on, we don't have time for this," Jackie was telling her as the time was drawing near.
"Mum, I need something old, it's tradition here as well as back home," Rose reminded her.
"I know, I got married a few years ago, don't forget," Jackie laughed.
"Well, what did you have that was old then?" Rose wanted to know, not being able to remember.
She thought she'd have trouble remembering her own name when the time came at this rate.
"Got it," Jackie declared as she went off, leaving Rose to worry even more.
"I found this in one of the drawers, it must have got left," Jackie explained when she came back with a small silky purse with a satin ribbon to fasten on a wrist. "It looks old to me."
"Geez Mum, it must have been one of hers," Rose put her hand over her mouth as Jackie went to tie it on her other wrist.
She didn't have time to argue as there was a tap on the door.
"Come on you two, the photographer wants some poses before you go downstairs Rose," Pete announced. "Then he'll wait as you walk downstairs, where his colleague will be starting the video recorder."
Rose thought that had to be her mother's idea, to keep a visual record. Then Pete saw what his wife had been doing.
"Jaks, where did you find that?" he pointed to Rose's wrist.
"In one of the drawers. Sorry Pete, I should've told ya," Jackie replied.
"No, it's fine. don't worry about it," Pete assured her.
"Dad, I can take it off," Rose was now worried over it.
"No love, you wear it," he insisted. "It had been given to the other Jackie by a great aunt, when…" he trailed off.
"I'm so sorry Pete," Jackie went to him and hugged him.
"It's the past, there's nothing I can do about it. You wear it Rose," he still insisted. "I know you two didn't hit it off that night. She came back inside, before you and complained about you speaking out of place. She never said what about though."
"Pete, we can talk about this later," Jackie told him as she let go. "We have to get going if ya want that film doing."
"Mum, leave the photos and do them at the back of the marquee before I go down the aisle," Rose suggested.
"I'll tell him, see you in the marquee," Jackie replied, trying to give her a hug. "You look amazing sweetheart, your real dad would be so proud of you. I'm glad you got to see him that one more time."
"What did she mean by that?" Pete wanted to know.
"The first Doctor, he took me back to the day my real dad died. I saved him but things started going wrong so he had to sacrifice himself to get things back on track," Rose admitted, giving him the short version.
"I see then?" Pete replied. "Rose, it would be my pleasure to escort you downstairs and into the marquee."
"Thanks Dad," Rose smiled back at him. "You're like him in so many ways, I sometimes wish I'd met ya sooner and my mum had met you when you first lost the other Jackie. Ya wanna know what she had against me?" she asked him.
"Later Rose, whatever it was, she would have taken in the wrong way, knowing her." Pete told her. "I don't blame you, she was getting very bitter towards the end but she didn't deserve to die like that."
"I know Dad, I wish we'd got there sooner," Rose replied. putting her arm in his.
"Well, this is it. Are you going to be Rose Smith or Rose Tyler-Smith?"
Rose thought that was a very good question. She hadn't yet decided and would see how she thought about it when it came to signing the marriage certificate. Trying to walk downstairs and lifting her dress at the back, she tried not to get nervous as the bridesmaids took hold of her dress for her, Daisy taking the centre, one at either side and the youngest in front with a basket of rose petals Jackie had ordered with the rest of the flowers.
Some guests had gone outside the marquee to get photos of Rose approaching it and Rose began smiling and stopping to pose for a few moments as the guests went back inside. There was a space at the back for her to compose herself out of view, Jackie waiting for her. She just had a few moments as the photographer got a few shots of her preparing herself, trying not to let it bother her.
She knew it was one of her mother's daft ideas to embarrass her later on. Pete took her arm and patted her hand.
"Well, everyone's waiting for you Rose," he reminded her.
Rose glanced down the dozen or so aisles on either side, seeing Jamie standing with Jake after Jake had seen her arrive at the back. Jake had sent Tony to sit with Alec, Tess had also sat next to Tony, leaning over to ask why the boy was there as they waited.
"I promised I would look after him," Alec told her behind Tony, who wanted to look for his sister.
"She's here!" Tony announced loudly as he caught sight of her walking with Pete.
Everyone stood up as Rose approached the front, Alec included but he had a large lump in his throat. Why hadn't he taken any notice of her before now? He'd not had any interest prior to Daisy being chosen to be a bridesmaid so why had he got any now?
If he admitted it, he was totally jealous of the man she was now getting married to. To make things worse, Jamie had stepped forward to greet Rose and took her hand and for a brief moment, Rose looked his way, smiling as she did so. Was the smile for him or the groom?
Of course it wasn't for him, he told himself as everyone was seated and the music died down. Why would it be? She was just being polite yesterday and this morning, she looked totally in love with the man she was standing next to as she was giving her little speech.
Rose had turned towards Jamie, him taking both her hands.
"Jamie, before I met you, I was sad because I'd lost a friend and I went away to try to forget and buried myself in training. Then on my first day at work, there you were and I didn't feel alone any more. You more than filled the gap that I thought would never close. I love you so much Jamie."
Alec felt like rushing out but Tony had sat on his lap without him noticing, the boy probably wanting to get to the couple standing there. Jake had noticed and thought if Alec didn't pay attention, the boy would be rushing forward before he was given the small cushion with the rings on.
Had he noticed Alec looked jealous earlier in the kitchen? This was turning out to be a jealousy match between the two men, something was going to give before the day was out, he was sure of it. As Jamie told Rose how he felt, Jake then picked up the cushion and Alec nudged Tony forward as the local vicar began the ceremony.
Now, Jake was just waiting for Alec to stand up and oppose the union but he saw the look on Alec's face when Rose was asked if she took Jamie to be her husband and she answered with an enthusiastic "Yes." Jake was certain Alec was biting his tongue and forcing himself to stay quiet.
Jake thought he'd have to keep an eye on the detective later on and in the evening, it was just a shame he himself wouldn't be there in the morning when Alec left. Alec had noticed Jake was moving towards him and got Tony to stand up, not that it took much effort on Tony's part. He'd heard the boy going on about Jamie becoming his big brother and idolised him.
Before he knew it, the vicar had declared Rose and Jamie husband and wife and everyone stood up to clap as more music began to play when they went to sign the register.
"What's it to be eh?" Jamie was teasing Rose as she signed first, Pete being there to sign for her.
"Are you not going to be Mrs Rose Smith?" the vicar asked cautiously.
"Yeah but I might use both names sometimes," Rose decided.
"Trust you," Jake was joking as Jamie signed.
That over with, they emerged from behind the screen and everyone stood again, both phone and camera lights flashing.
"Are you taking photos or not?" Tess was asking Alec as he was just standing there. "Daisy will be disappointed if you don't."
Alec got the camera out of his pocket and Tess grabbed it from him, turning it on as the bridesmaids took hold of Rose's dress again.
"Doesn't Daisy look lovely?" Tess was asking him.
"What? Yes, of course she does," he agreed, Tess glaring at him.
Tess swore that if Alec hadn't told her he'd not been keen attending the wedding, that he was miles away and daydreaming about the bride. She wished him good look with that as the happy couple were about to pass by them but they stopped to kiss so everyone could capture them with their various cameras.
