Where Rose is

Alec was back to saving again, to be able to take Rose away on holiday whilst Rose was saving so when she could go back to be with Alec, they could afford a place to live. Alec had made enquiries for when he started the police academy properly and he had to reach a certain criteria for accommodation which included being married.

He wondered how he could get around that. He had talked many a time on the phone to Rose about it.

"You have to change your mind Rose," he was telling her.

"I don't like the thought Alec, that you'll be up there while I'm stuck down here."

"I know but it has to be better than nothing? We can talk about when I come down for my birthday," he tried to persuade her.

So, John took him down for his nineteenth birthday, celebrating it by going to Brighton for the day and going on the rides at the end of the pier, which was John's treat to them and Jackie had been talked into going with them. While she and John waited for them coming off a fast-moving ride, she asked how he was getting on with the art teacher.

"It's going slowly Jackie," John had to admit. "I'm not sure it's going anywhere really."

"Well coming down here in the holiday's ain't gonna help ya," Jackie laughed as she saw Rose clinging hold of Alec on the ride. "Take a look at those two."

"I know Jackie. I see students going around with each other all the time but none of them look like those two. I was saying to Alec's dad that they should take the plunge and get married."

"Tell me about it," Jackie replied. "Nothin' but Rose going back to Scotland's gonna change her mind, trust me, I've tried 'til I'm blue in the face. Do ya have any more ideas?"

"Get them a marriage licence and drag them to the registry office?" John suggested, a grin on his face.

Jackie was still laughing when Rose and Alec joined them.

"What's so funny Mum?" Rose wanted to know, still feeling dizzy and leaning heavily on Alec. "My head's still spinnin'."

"Rose, stop swaying then," Alec tried to hold onto her.

"Huh, easy for you to say," Rose complained, trying to brush her hair back and Alec patting it. "Roller coaster next?" she asked.

"Rose, you don't have to go on another ride right away," John was laughing. "Those passes last all day. Let's all go get a drink?"

By early evening, Rose declared she'd had enough so they made their way back to his car.

"I wish I could be here for your birthday," Alec was telling her as she leaned on him in the back seat.

"Yeah, I know ya'd be here if ya could Alec. I've managed to save quite a bit ya know? When do ya get to know about gettin' somewhere provided?"

"They won't back down on the rules Rose," he replied. "There are limited places and priority goes to married couples. There may be a new scheme coming out that you get accommodation paid for if you get stationed away from your home, so maybe I can see if I qualify? I was waiting until I find out before I told you."

"Really? That's great news! How do ya think that'll work then?"

Alec tried to explain it, hoping he'd not heard it wrong.

"All we can do is wait and see. I'll keep asking about it. Another year and I'll maybe qualify for proper training Rose, then I should be able to apply for it, if they start the scheme."

"Yeah but then it's another year before I can join ya," Rose reminded him.

John was listening with interest, hoping Alec hadn't got it wrong when there was a glimmer of hope.

"Hey Alec, when you start proper training, maybe you can get stationed just the over the border, say in Carlisle or somewhere," he suggested.

All the rest of the holidays, Rose was buzzing with enthusiasm at the thought. It pleased Alec they now had something to look forward to and another year, they could plan on getting married. He had booked their holiday, now more confident than the year before, he'd even planned their journey but John was again insisting he took them.

So the first week of August, they were walking hand in hand along the beach in Broadchurch, Rose looking at a cottage on the side of the cliff and hinting to Alec one day she wanted to live there.

"Have you seen how many steps there are?" Alec was objecting as Rose insisted they pass by it.

"So? We wouldn't get bothered," she replied with a grin.

"If it would make you happy? I've still not seen a police station here though? Still, with John giving me driving lessons, I'm going to try to put a few hours in with a driving instructor then go for my test, then see if I can pass the police one."

"Hey, that's great! Can ya afford to get a car though?" Rose wondered.

"Well, I have to pass my test first and get some experience driving a police vehicle. I might be able to borrow one then. Remember we were talking about me maybe getting stationed just over the border?"

"Yeah, I remember Alec. Did ya find anything out?" she asked him, rubbing his arm.

"Only that it's difficult. Seems like everyone wants to start there before moving south. All I can do is apply when it's time and hope for the best."

The holiday over, Rose not wanting to leave, they made their way back to London. John came back down to take Alec home but they'd decided Alec would wait until nearer Christmas to come back and take another extra course. He'd tried to say it wasn't that important he did but Rose was insisting just before he left.

"Alec, if it means ya could get started proper training?"

"I know Rose but it means a long time apart."

"Yeah but just think, if it helps ya become a detective quicker?" Rose insisted.

Alec was already worried that Rose was agreeing too fast to him furthering his chances of being in the academy earlier. Would it be any easier in London though or would it be even tougher? They hadn't mentioned him transferring to London, even when he'd got qualified lately and he wondered if Rose had given up.

He'd toyed with the idea of passing all his final exams and asking to be stationed in London but renting a place would be twice as expensive as anywhere else, even if he did get a living allowance. He'd just have to wait and see what happened.

Time dragged slowly for the pair of them as Alec tried to concentrate on his studies during the next holiday instead of going to visit Rose. He'd gone home for the weekend and John was trying to cheer him up.

"I was thinking Alec, well maybe I could apply for a job near your college and get a two bedroom apartment, then next year, you can come and stay with me?" he suggested, throwing a newspaper down where he'd been looking at advertisements.

"Are you being serious?" Alec wondered.

"Well yeah, if it gets Rose up here faster? Then you wouldn't have to look for somewhere and she could use the money she's saved plus a bit more for the both of you to live on? Why don't you think about it?"

"I don't need to think about it," Alec smiled. "Best not tell Rose yet, until it happens and you get a job."

"Well I'm not with an agency any more, that goes in my favour and I have a good record. Why don't I start looking? It wouldn't be until next September anyway," John replied, seeing his little plan had finally worked.

He'd talked to Alec's dad about it, whom he'd now accepted as his stepfather, well he supposed it was about time, the fact wasn't going to go away that the family had accepted he and Alec were half brothers. His real brother had remained elusive and his cousins had accepted it better than Peter had.

Alec's dad had been all for it, finally accepting that no matter how much he protested, Rose and Alec would be living together anyway, given they now went on holiday on their own.

"You don't have to do that John," he was told.

"I want to do something for them, shake them up now they're at least engaged. I know starting out together is a bit daunting and maybe they'd rather be on their own but if they have somewhere to live? It has to be better than them being hundreds of miles apart?"

"What about when Alec's ready to be assigned?"

"Well he can opt to stay in Glasgow, can't he?" John has grinned.

Now, John was just waiting to apply to a few schools and colleges in the Glasgow area, Alec trying not to give any hint to Rose, who would drive him crazy. He was now officially worried. He'd got on better than expected and had been accepted into the detective's program even though he was still only nineteen but he still had to work hard and study part time. He'd been told no more taking time off except for Christmas and the new year and he was to get some experience being assigned to a police station and if all went well, another two years and he would qualify.

That wasn't what he was worried about though. He'd told Rose he'd no longer have time to see her except for the odd long weekend and that was if he could get away. He was worried John had failed to get a job in Glasgow, the competition for placements being tough and John had even tried going back to his Scottish accent to apply. Alec's only comfort was he'd not told Rose of their plans so she wouldn't be disappointed as well. It was bad enough for him and she'd taken the news of limited holidays fairly badly after he'd told her on their return from holiday.

Rose was at home for the holidays Alec would have been visiting. She was still working part time for her mother and for an agency and was considering accepting a job at the department store she'd been sent to as a temp.

"Ya should take it Rose," her mother was trying to tell her one evening.

"I don't wanna let you down Mum."

"If it's more money and permanent," Jackie tried to encourage her. "I know Alec can't come down sweetheart but ya did half expect it."

"He was planning to," Rose replied, waiting for him to call her. "He got offered a tiny room living with one of the sergeants, it's not what he expected."

"Ya already told me," her mother laughed. "Still, another year, or so and ya can both be together. Is he looking for places?"

"Yeah, he's keeping an eye out Mum. It depends if he's still in Glasgow though? He says his trainer is very keen to put him forward for training on the job."

"Well that'll be in Glasgow, won't it?" Jackie asked her.

"I really hope so Mum. I really do."

Seeing each other at Christmas was a relief for both of them, Alec all excited that there was now a real prospect he'd be made a detective constable without being put on the streets and having to then work up to it.

"It's really great to see ya, finally," Rose was telling him on his arrival.

"You too Rose, I miss you. I know I can't come down much any more but we'll manage, won't we?"

Rose buried her head in his shoulder.

"Yeah, we'll manage. It's not too bad at the store ya know, I'm hoping to get in the ladies department, when they stop having me train in every other department."

"Be careful they don't make you the lift operator," Alec teased her.

"I had to do it one afternoon," she replied. "Geez, I wish I'd stayed working with my mum now."

Alec kissed her forehead.

"Well, you got that over with. Anything else they've missed out?"

"Door person?" Rose giggled into his shoulder as they lay in bed.

Before he left, they arranged he'd go down for the long Easter weekend.

"Don't worry, I'll get him here," John was laughing as they were leaving. "Thanks for getting that folding bed Rose."

"Well it's the least I could do," Rose tried not to look embarrassed. "Ya are booking that week off in August Alec?"

"Of course I am, I'm not missing out on that," Alec replied.

When he asked at the training college, he was told August was the busiest time and others had already beaten him to it. He had to call Rose and tell her.

"Well, we'll leave it until September then?" she suggested.

"I know Rose but I thought you'd be disappointed?"

"I am Alec but we have to make the best of it, yeah?"

So Alec went to book the holiday, unaware it would be their last one. So much was going to happen once Alec went into training on the job. They had a long weekend over the Easter holiday, celebrating Alec's twentieth birthday then only had the week away and Alec was already fearing the worst, that Rose was already unhappy with their arrangement. John had noticed on their way back, since he'd insisted on collecting him.

"Stop worrying Alec," he was trying to tell him.

"Easy for you to say," Alec replied, thinking of her seeing them off and how tearful she had been.

"I noticed you took a bit longer than normal," John smiled. "Are you going home or am I taking you back to the college?"

"Where Rose is, that's my home," Alec told him sadly.

"Sounds like a song title," John tried to change Alec's mood.

Rose was behaving just the same as she got back home.

"Honestly Rose, you've got so used to having six weeks with him," her mother was pointing out.

"I don't need reminding Mum," Rose told her. "What am I gonna do Mum, I'm gonna lose him, I know I am."

"Listen 'ere Rose, that boy, or should I say young man is not gonna leave ya. Stop thinking like that. He's finding it as hard as you are to manage."

"I know Mum, it's just not seeing him as much. There's over a year before I can go up there, unless I risk it? Surely Bob can't do anything if I marry Alec?"

"Ya don't know that Rose, ya have to be careful. I'm sorry I ever dragged ya into that."

"I know ya are Mum. I'd never have met Alec if we'd not gone to live there though. He was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Yeah, I know sweetheart, now stop being so miserable and look forward to his next visit," her mother laughed.

Alec thought Rose was distant when he arrived just before Christmas. He'd sent her a photo of him wearing the uniform he'd been given, though it was only standard issue and he didn't have to wear it and it had made her proud of him.

"Another hairstyle?" Rose was teasing him on their first night together since their holiday.

"I have to keep it short while I'm still in training," Alec replied. "Rose, there's not that long to go now and I'll be sent out somewhere, maybe even closer than I thought."

"It'll still be in Scotland though," Rose replied sadly.

"I know, there's nothing I can do about that until I graduate. Rose, going there early meant I never had to go through normal college, remember?"

"Yeah, it just seems so long ago now. Will ya be able to come down for the Easter weekend?"

"I'll try to do better than that, for my twenty first birthday," he replied, lifting her vest top to kiss her.

"You'd better, Alec Hardy," Rose laughed, ruffling his newly cut hair.