Not the same
Alec knew things were never going to be the same again for any of them. Rose had made such a big impact on all their lives and there was going to be a big hole. He also knew when Bob got back, well he was glad he wasn't there and Rose was well away from it.
If he had the courage though, he would go round to where Rose had lived and tell the man he had driven the girl he loved away and for what? Some perverted idea the man's friends had and he wanted to be the same? How was his life going to be now she was gone, he wondered as John drove them back then he waited in the car.
He couldn't face his aunt right now, it was going to be bad enough at school. John got back in the car.
"You know the spell is broken now?" John asked him, hoping he'd get his usual parking spot with being a bit later.
"Yes. It was Rose, wasn't it?" Alec wondered. "How did it work exactly?"
"No good asking me," John laughed.
"Well you're the science teacher," Alec tried to laugh back.
"Alec, I don't know how she did it. Like I told you both, it was like there was some sort of invisible force around the two of you. Now she's gone, who knows? I'll have to come clean with the head teacher, that we're cousins, they'll soon find out anyway. I may as well get it over with."
"John, I don't want you to get in any trouble," Alec told him.
"What's the worst they can do?" John asked him as they approached the school and everyone was getting off the buses. "I was taken on permanently, I don't know what will be said. It was no coincidence I got sent there when Rose first arrived. Think about it Alec."
Alec had already thought about it. What had been the chances of Rose arriving, being in his class and John getting sent there? John went off to find the head teacher, wondering what the school policy was.
"Ah, Headmaster," John greeted Mr Sloane.
He wasn't so sure about the man who had taken over last year.
"Doctor Smith. Is there something I can do for you?" he asked John.
"Yes, do you have a moment? I have something I need to tell you Headmaster."
"Is it about Rose Tyler? It's a shame her mother took her out of school in such a hurry," the headmaster told him as people hurried by. "She'll have her school record forwarded. I understand when she came here she'd only just qualified for a place?"
"So I was told," John replied. "No, actually it was about Alec Hardy."
"You mean the fact they were inseparable? Yes, I expect he's quite upset about it? I'm sure you can keep an eye on him?" the headmaster smiled. "You need not be so coy about it Doctor Smith. Despite your name, it's been obvious to me you are more than one of his teachers. As long as you show him no favoritism?"
"No, of course not, just ask him," John grinned, pleased he'd got away with it.
"I see no need, he's going to find it hard the next few weeks. I heard Rose Tyler put paid to a couple of bullies a few years back?"
"Yes, she did and she expected nothing back and chose to spend her time with Alec or helping anyone who needed it. I think a lot will miss her but as for Alec, I'll do what I can," John replied.
He heard the bell go and the headmaster made his excuses to leave.
"Well carry on Doctor Smith. If you hear from her, tell her no need to worry about her report, she was a fine example of how hard someone can work to catch up."
"She was, yes," John agreed. "Alec was a big help to her, helping her catch up for her exams. I'm sure everyone will miss her."
John was right as pupils pushed past Alec and he found himself sitting alone again, the empty chair next to him reminding him how much he was going to miss her. He supposed he could try and make friend with Jamie again, Rose's theory about him had still not been proven but would his old friend be so forgiving?
When it came to break time, Alec sat on their old bench, watching as Billy and his friends were laughing about something, probably him knowing them. He saw John approaching him and assumed he'd not been fired because they were related.
"How's it going Alec?" John asked him. "I know how much you're going to miss her, we all will. You did the right thing, rushing to see her off. I expect she was just trying to spare the both of you?"
"I couldn't have just let her go John," Alec replied, hoping no-one would hear him. "How am I going to go back to before she came here?"
"Alec, do you want to know what I think?" Alec nodded. "I think she came to fill that empty space losing your mum had made. We'd all tried to cheer you up but then Rose somehow came into your life and yes, it was obvious from the start you were a little more than school friends," John smiled.
"You mean you deliberately placed that sprig of mistletoe that Christmas?" Alec smiled back. "She was so scared of getting caught sneaking back home. If I was older, I know what I'd like to do with that Bob."
"I know Alec but that won't bring Rose back. Maybe by the time the summer holidays come around, he'll have forgotten and found someone else?" John asked.
"She wouldn't want any other teenage girls to go through the same," Alec replied. "Anyway, as soon as she's eighteen, he'll have no hold over her, will he? Can you ask my uncle to find out if there's anything he can do about the agreement Rose's mother signed?"
"I'll ask him Alec but it's doubtful. Bob will have thought of everything and without seeing the actually wording? Sorry Alec but for now, you'll both have to be content you'll see each other for the summer holidays. She'll just have to be careful."
Alec already knew that.
"She'll have a curfew but we'll have to risk Saturday nights. She used to look forward to going out," Alec told him.
"Yeah, she did," John agreed. "Don't spoil it for her then eh? Watch out for that lot over there as well," he warned him.
"I know. You don't have to give me a lift to and from school, if you don t want to."
"Alec, forget it, I'll still pick you up. Just don't get tempted to confront Bob, understand? I know we all want a piece of him after what he tried with Rose. She's out of it, just be thankful. He'd planned something when he came back, hadn't he?" John wanted to know.
"Yes, I think that's why her mother realized it was serious. I know I should be glad she's out of it but why couldn't she have stayed here?"
John knew his cousin had only got over losing his mother because of Rose and her leaving was hitting him badly.
"Alec, you know why. Let's hope when she comes back for the summer that he can't do anything about it if he does see her. We've no idea what else her mother agreed to."
"Well it must be bad, whatever it was. What am I going to do?"
"Look forward to the summer?" John suggested.
Alec knew John was only trying to cheer him up.
Meanwhile, on the train heading towards London, Rose was closing her eyes that still had tears in them and was thinking of Alec. She should have known when he'd stood on the street corner that he'd follow her.
"Rose, are you okay?" her mother asked her, seeing the refreshment trolley in the next carriage.
"No Mum, how can I be okay?" Rose replied, trying to get comfortable. "He shouldn't have come to the station."
"You knew he would Rose. You think I've been taking no notice of the two of ya. If I told ya what else was in that agreement, it would break your heart. I'm so sorry Rose, for what Bob put ya through."
"I know ya are Mum but it's not helping me or Alec."
"I tried to help ya, I stuck up for ya many a time and that first Christmas, not to mention when ya went away the first time. I should have known back then, when he went on about you not being there."
"Ya made a big mistake Mum, I did try to tell ya. Watch out, the trolley's almost here and we've got a long way to go yet," Rose told her.
They were quiet most of the remaining journey, Rose trying to come to terms she wouldn't see Alec every day and the summer holidays were a long way off. As they finally arrived in London, dragging their belongings to the taxi rank, they went back to their old estate, Rose wondering who was going to take it in turns to put them up for a few nights and they'd never really get to unpack anything.
Jackie tried to spread the word that if anyone with a Scottish accent came looking for her and Rose that no-one knew where they were, just in case Bob came looking himself or he hired someone to find them. She also spread the word she was back to hairdressing again in people's homes but the hardest part was finding themselves somewhere to live and getting Rose back in school.
Rose of course had met up with her old friends, who sympathized with her having to leave someone behind. Her friend Shareen though found it hard to believe.
"Are ya tryin' to tell me ya got a boyfriend?" she'd asked one night after school, Rose not being admitted back yet. "What's his name then?"
"It's Alec but don't tell anyone Shareen. I miss him already, you've got no idea what it was like, leaving him behind."
"Well, I want the whole story," Shareen had laughed. "So, how did ya meet him? Was it at school and what's a grammar school?"
Rose had laughed about it.
"Well, I met him before I knew I'd got into the school. I was in the library and he was sat with his friend. He was the first person to talk to me on the first day in school. I was trying not to let on I wasn't Scottish."
"Bet that was hard," Shareen had laughed.
So Rose told her friend the cut down version, Shareen had persuaded her mother to let Rose stay for a while and Jackie had been to the housing office to play the victim.
"You gave notice in a hurry three years ago Mrs Tyler," the woman behind the counter reminded her.
"Well can I see someone about being re-housed?" Jackie asked, not wanting to discuss things in the outer office.
"I'll see if someone's free," she was told.
When she did get to see someone, all she got was she'd get priority when something came up as she was classed as homeless.
"Why did you leave so suddenly?" she got asked.
"I made a big mistake and followed my boyfriend to Scotland," she admitted. "It turned out to be the worst decision I ever made."
Six weeks later, they were offered a flat the floor below in their old block that had been undergoing repairs after the previous occupants had wrecked it, claiming amongst other things that a Christmas tree came to life and went through several walls. Jackie just reckoned they'd been having a few too many wild parties.
Now, there were a few weeks before John brought Alec down to take her on holiday with them. Jackie had quickly got a phone installed and Rose and Alec had called each other a few times a week. When Rose had called him, he'd felt slightly better.
"So, how are you settling back at your old school?" he'd asked her.
"It's difficult, you're not there to start with and when I answer questions that I couldn't before, everyone stares at me."
"Poor you," Alec had felt sorry for her. "Only a few weeks now, then we can be together. I miss you every day Rose."
"I miss you too Alec. I told my friend Shareen all about you, I've not told anyone else though. We used to tell each other everything before I moved to Scotland. Anyway, I can't wait until you two come down. What do ya think if I get my mum to let ya stay in my room? John can have the sofa then instead of the chair."
"Really? Would she agree?" Alec asked hopefully.
"She owes me, remember? She can hardly refuse for just one night. She knew anyway, that we were together that way, after she took me to the clinic that time."
"Did you have any trouble registering when you got back?" he wanted to know, worried she hadn't.
"Yeah. Don't worry Alec. It won't be long now and when we get back to your house, well we have the rest of the summer to be together. I've been saving up, I hope I have enough money to last."
Little did either of them know that Alec's uncle had got to know some disturbing news.
Bob had been furious to find Jackie and Rose were gone when he'd arrived home. Just when Jackie had planned it, he'd no idea but he knew it must have been fast. He'd gone in the bedroom and seen she'd been reading the agreement she'd signed, that he'd tried to keep most of it from her. She must have read it as he'd left, Rose must have said something to her.
All his plans were in pieces. He had to face the friends who had waited all that time, the ones he'd promised Rose would comply when he got back from Aberdeen. He wouldn't have minded but the job hadn't really needed his attention, someone else could have easily handled it. Now Jackie and Rose had gone, his friends would leave him out completely now.
They would maybe not even let him explain. It had taken him a while to find someone with a young teenage girl who would do anything he asked and whose teenager would be prepared to make friends with his friends' teenagers but Rose had to go and get herself a boyfriend from school and shun all his friends, hadn't she?
Well just let her come back to see this Alec during the holidays. He was not going to give up so easily, she wouldn't be able to stay away for too long, she'd be up as fast as a train could carry her to see him. So he'd got his agreement out that Jackie had signed, looking at the bottom of it that she'd not been meant to read. He knew she'd tell Rose, maybe not right away so the first chance he got, he was going to do something about it.
Alec's uncle had been making enquiries subtlety so as not to arouse any suspicion he knew of someone who may have devised such a thing and he'd finally put it all together.
"I'm sorry," he'd told John and Alec's dad, two weeks before they were going on holiday and Alec had gone out.
"Well I don't know how they're going to take it," John had replied, a bit stunned at the news Bob would go so far to get Rose back.
"Well he's done it, I don't know how," John was told.
"Well I know what Alec will do when he finds out," his dad had told them. "He'll want to stay down there with Rose for the rest of the holiday."
"Can't say I'd blame him really," John agreed. "I bet they've been making plans and now, we're having to spoil them."
"Well I think we should delay telling them until after the holiday," Alec's dad suggested. "Let them have the holiday, they've been looking forward to it."
That agreed, they prepared their plan for John and Alec to go get Rose and hint that Alec should take plenty of clothes and other things with him without letting on something was wrong with his plan for Rose going back with him.
"We can't let on to him," John told Alec's dad. "They'd planned for Rose coming up and staying for Christmas and the new year as well. I guess Alec will be missing?"
"Well we'll all miss them but I'm not even going to try to suggest to Alec he stays here for it," his dad smiled.
The end of term was looming and Rose hadn't decided if she was going to stay on or leave, since most of her friends were leaving to either take up training or try their luck getting jobs. Shareen had got taken on in a beauty salon.
"There must be something ya want to do Rose?" Shareen asked her.
"I wanted to go to college with Alec," Rose replied. "I think I might stay on another year then apply. Alec was going to apply early for the police college in Glasgow."
"Well good luck to him then. Have ya thought which college though?" Shareen asked her.
"Well if Bob forgets about me, I can go to college up there with Alec. If not, I can get a job, since I have a place to stay," Rose told her.
Rose got accepted to stay on in the sixth form, though there weren't a lot wanting to stay so she thought she may have a better chance. At least she'd be able to tell Alec when she saw him. As the time got nearer, Rose had been helping her mother after school and getting tips for odd jobs like washing hair before Jackie got to someone's flat and she'd also some money left from when they'd had to move.
Jackie had been pleased no-one had met anyone Scottish but she'd had to warn them that Rose's boyfriend was coming down so Alec thought it would be best John asked all the questions if they got lost finding their flat. The day after school had finished, John and Alec were getting ready and Alec's dad was watching him.
"There's plenty of room if you want to take extra with you," he told Alec.
"Because we don't have Rose's things Dad?" he asked as he looked at the t-shirt Rose had insisted they'd bought the same "I don't need reminding."
"Alec, you'll see her tomorrow, don't be so gloomy. I'm just saying."
"I know Dad, sorry. I guess I'm nervous at seeing her again?"
"Alec, she'll be just the same," his dad laughed.
Rose was nervous as she packed and hoped Alec's aunt would let her use the washing machine.
"Rose, calm down," her mother had told her.
"Mum, ya know ya wanted to make it up to me, for me leaving him behind?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Jackie asked.
"Well ya can make it up to me when he stays overnight, in my room."
Jackie thought she should have known this would happen. Rose was getting older and no longer thirteen. She knew she should object but Rose had been so disappointed when they'd had to leave.
"Well okay, on one condition, that you promise me you're still on those pills."
"Yes Mum, I'm still on them. Please tell me ya didn't agree in the first place because ya thought I'd give in and let Bob push me toward that Jimmy?" Rose asked in horror.
"What? Rose, how could ya think that?" her mother asked indignantly. "Honestly, I had no idea things were going that way at the time and ya were spending a lot more time with Alec. I really didn't know it was leading up to that, I swear Rose."
"I hope not Mum? Tell me ya didn't agree with it?"
"I thought it was just friends Rose, I swear. All the others on Saturday lunchtimes, their kids getting on with each other when they got older. It seemed so innocent and Jimmy's parents had settled on you, they didn't want him going with that other girl," Jackie tried to explain.
"Ya should have known by that Mum. What was wrong with her, not that I agree with why," Rose replied.
"Are ya kidding me Rose? I expect they didn't think she was good enough for him? I mean you went to the grammar school to start with, I expect they thought that made you better?" Jackie wondered.
"Well tough, I told them it was never gonna happen but by now, Bob must be pretty mad, if he's been excluded again?" Rose asked.
Jackie was dreading to think what Bob had done after he'd got back. She just hoped he wouldn't act on the part he'd hidden from her that gave him the right to get Rose back in the event she ever went back to Scotland, let alone Paisley. If only she'd insisted on reading it properly before she'd signed, instead of taking his word for it.
"Rose, just be careful when ya go back with Alec."
"Mum, we've already agreed that I'm indoors before Bob's due home from work. He's not gonna know I'm even up there, is he?" Rose asked.
"Well still be careful, ya don't know all his friends," Jackie warned her.
"Ya mean he had more than those at the pub and who used to visit?" Rose panicked.
She saw her mother had gone quiet.
"I didn't even know them all," Jackie admitted.
"Great, that means I won't be able to go into the town or even to the library. Well we'll just have to go to other towns, that means extra bus fare and I've already been saving like crazy. I'll have to rely on Alec paying some of it then."
"Sorry Rose, I never thought about it but Bob's likely to have told them to watch out for ya," her mother replied, not wanting to say how far Bob would really go.
If Rose found out, she'd be put off and maybe Alec would go as far as coming down here for the rest of the holidays but at least she would be out of Bob's clutches. If he found Rose was up there, he'd carry out his plan to have her brought to him and made to stay. The authorities would make sure she did and she wished she could do something about it but Bob had been too clever for her and thought of everything.
She couldn't tell Rose the full extent to what she'd unwittingly signed and even then, Bob would make more of it and find a way to keep Rose until she was eighteen and she'd never see Alec again. At least being in London she would be able to, even if it was only in the school holidays.
Rose was even more horrified at the thought.
"Ya mean he might have spread my photo around and his creepy friends will be straight on the phone to him?" she asked. "We won't be able to go anywhere then."
"I'm sorry Rose. Ya should be okay locally though?" Jackie hoped.
"Well at least he doesn't know where Alec's aunt lives, even if he gets Alec's address," Rose replied. "It's not like he can have me arrested for walking around so we'll just have to chance it."
Jackie just smiled at her daughter as she went back to packing. Would Bob go that far and get the police involved? She dreaded to think about it.
