After all this time

It was unknown to either of them the fact Bob no longer had any legal hold over Rose as Alec heard a click at the other end of the phone. If they had known, Rose would have been on the first train to Aberdeen and stuff giving notice at work, she could always ring Donna and ask to take her holiday as notice.

Instead, neither of them knew where they were going, Rose having hung up without even a goodbye. Alec went back to his room but halfway up, he turned back and decided to call John.

"She said what?" John asked him when Alec told him Rose had said she couldn't risk living up there with him. "Alec, he's probably forgotten about it or found someone else to prey on but either way, if you two get married, he can't touch her."

"I tried to tell her that," Alec replied sadly. "Really I did John but she pointed out she'd put her name down at that guest house and he'd somehow get to know. I asked her to meet me next weekend and we'd get married. I think her hanging up on me means no."

"Alec, call her back or talk to Jackie, she'll make Rose see sense," John suggested, finding it hard to believe. "Just how did you ask her?"

"Does it matter? She said she loved me but she couldn't risk coming back to live here and I've no chance now of getting a transfer. I've been put on a fast-track programme to becoming a full detective constable then take the sergeant's exam and she said I should take it."

"That's Rose," John grinned with pride. "She's always supported you in your career."

"I know she has and we're all proud of how she thinks of others first. That's just it John, she says my career is too important. How can I persuade her she's more important to me?"

"You can only try," John replied. "Let me call her, see if she'll talk to me?" he suggested.

John ended the call and dialled Rose's number. Jackie had watched Rose's reaction as she'd told Alec she couldn't go up to live in Aberdeen.

"What have you done?" she asked Rose.

"It doesn't matter Mum, he'll never wait for me now. I more or less said no to getting married next weekend."

"What? Ya did what?" Jackie covered her mouth in disbelief. "What the hell have you done Rose?"

Rose wished her mother wouldn't keep asking her that. So as the phone rang again, Rose ran off to her room and slammed the door, leaving Jackie to face who she thought was Alec trying to ring Rose back to find out what was wrong.

"Listen 'ere you, don't you go giving up on Rose," Jackie told whoever it was.

"It's me Jackie," John told her before she went any further.

"Oh. So ya heard then?" Jackie supposed, since Alec would have had just enough time to call his older brother.

"Yeah and we have to do something about it Jackie, though I suspect Alec never told me everything," John replied, going back to his London accent.

Jackie wished he'd make his mind up which accent he was using but since he'd left that school in Glasgow, she shouldn't be surprised.

"Well I never heard half of it either but Rose says he'll have given up on her now. All that time though and they were so in love," Jackie reminded him.

"I know that Jackie. Is Rose there? Maybe she'll talk to me?" he suggested.

"No, she's gone to her room. Hold on, I'll see if she'll come to the phone," Jackie replied.

"Jackie, you should get one of those cordless phones you know," John laughed nervously.

"Don't you start, I have enough with Rose tryin' to talk me into getting one. Maybe if I did, I wouldn't have to stay in the kitchen while those two talk."

"Jackie, if I don't talk to Rose, you'll maybe have no need for one," John replied.

Jackie went to knock on Rose's door.

"I can't talk to him Mum," Rose called back as Jackie called her name.

"It's John, he wants to talk to ya," Jackie replied.

Rose opened her door a fraction.

"What's the point? He'll only say I'm being pig-headed and I should pack my things and go up there and get over it," Rose told her.

"Well ya should. Really Rose? Why are you still scared Bob'll get to ya? Can't ya see? He's got you so scared of him but Alec will protect ya, that's why he joined the police in the first place. He won't let Bob take ya away from him."

"How can I be sure Mum? How can I be sure I won't be held until Bob comes for me?"

Jackie had forgotten John was waiting on the phone.

"Have ya thought he's already looked into that? Talk to him, find out if he's been told the police have to hold ya while Bob comes for ya."

"They won't tell him, will they?" Rose replied, her face all red. "They'll know now, I signed my name at that guest house, they know he's with me and he'll warn me."

Jackie shook her head. "Rose, you're talking rubbish now, listen to yourself. Can't ya see that Bob's won, if that's stopping ya marrying Alec?"

"Alec won't want me if I'm constantly looking over my shoulder for the police to pick me up," Rose told her. "Have ya forgotten John's on the phone Mum? Tell him thanks for his concern but I can't go up there, marry Alec then get torn away from him, not again. It's bad enough ya dragged me back down here when I was sixteen and I stopped being with him all the time."

"Rose, I brought ya back to keep ya safe," Jackie reminded her. Then it dawned on her. "You're protecting Alec from it happening again."

Rose closed the door, thinking about what her mother had just said. Yes, she was protecting both of them but would Alec already know if the police in Aberdeen were just waiting for her to appear? That was why she'd not signed her name on her last visit there, hoping to stay anonymous. She knew Alec would never have mentioned her surname to anyone he worked with.

Jackie had gone back to the phone, John about to hang up and redial.

"She won't come to the phone," Jackie told him. "She thinks she's protecting Alec, if Bob comes along and forces them apart again."

"Jackie, he won't be able to. I'll call Alec back, get him to find out if they even know about picking Rose up if she steps foot in the town again. She got away with it before," John reminded her.

"She didn't put her name down, Alec did the booking for that guest house," Jackie told him. "Do ya think they made her sign her name? She'd never have signed otherwise. Maybe the police asked for co-operation from guest houses and hotels?"

John sometimes wondered why Jackie pretended to be dumb when she could be exactly opposite at times. Just maybe though, the police thought it a waste of time going after a young adult who was old enough to know what she was doing. He said goodbye to Jackie and called Alec back.

A young female voice answered the phone.

"Is Alec there?" John asked.

"Are you his brother?" she wanted to know. "Do you both look alike?"

"Ah, a bit," John laughed, having remembered to change his accent back and wondering why he'd never become an actor.

If he had, he'd give that young upcoming David whatever his name was a run for his money, he'd seen the actor in a play recently and swore it was himself when he was younger. That made him realise Alec was not his baby half-brother anymore.

Alec went down when he heard a knock on the attic door, the teenager standing aside to let him pass.

"I thought it was your girlfriend again," she grinned at him.

"She's my fiancée," Alec replied as the girl followed him downstairs.

Was Rose still his fiancée though, he wondered. Until he heard otherwise, he was assuming she still wanted to be, he'd just have to somehow get stationed south of the border and settle for taking the slower path to being a full DC and wait a few more years to take the sergeant's exam. She would surely go for that and with her working, they would manage.

As he picked up the phone receiver, he thought he would call her back and say he would turn down the offer and finish training as a DC in London – there, that was it, he had no reason to stay here now.

"What did she say?" Alec wanted to know as John said he'd spoken to Jackie.

"Rose wouldn't come to the phone but don't give up on her Alec, not after all this time. I know others would give up but not you two. What are you going to do about it?"

"See my chief and say thanks for the offer but I want a transfer to London," Alec replied.

"I should think so as well," John half laughed. "Now call her back and tell her and don't take any excuses she won't come to the phone, I told Jackie to get one of those cordless ones I don't know how many times."

"Rose has tried as well, trust me," Alec sighed. "She keeps telling her mother she won't have to go in the kitchen when I call. What do you think she'll say?"

"Who, Jackie or Rose?" John joked. "It depends when you can get a transfer, you might have to wait."

"I hope not. I might go in and talk to the sergeant now about it, since he'll want to know about the extra calls," Alec replied.

John wanted to suggest that Alec checked if there was an actual alert on Rose but if he gave her name, he may have some explaining to do and if there was, Rose would still have to stay away.

With a glimmer of hope, Alec tried to call Rose back.

"It's no good Alec, she won't come out of her room," Jackie had tried after keeping him waiting. "Give her a few days sweetheart, she'll come round. Donna will talk some sense into her at work."

"I hope you're right Jackie. I'll see my chief tomorrow and set things in motion," Alec replied.

"Alec, don't do anything just yet, see if Rose will come round," Jackie told him.

"Well I'll just ask for now, it may not be possible yet. Did she tell you I asked her to get married, next weekend?"

"Yeah and she said no, daft thing," Jackie laughed. "She thinks she's protecting the two of ya."

"I should be protecting her Jackie and I would, if she was up here with me. Jackie, can you talk to her, tell her Bob may have already given up?"

"I've tried Alec, she's not having any of it though, she's got it in her head and she'll not let it go. Can't ya come down and see her?"

"I don't get enough time Jackie, I could have got an extra day off to get married, that's all. John would have collected her. You have to make her see she'll be okay."

"I'll try, that's all I can do," Jackie offered.

Over the next few days, Jackie tried to talk some sense into Rose but failed. She'd even called the store and spoken to Donna, who had told Rose she was off her head not marrying Alec. Alec had gone back to the chief after talking to the sergeant he stayed with, who had advised him he was giving up a great opportunity. As Alec waited for the chief to summon him to his office, he was getting some more advice.

"Tell the chief you're willing to finish qualifying as a detective constable and you'll go anywhere south of the border," Alec was being told. "Is Rose wanting to stay in London?"

"No, she said anywhere, we joked about it," Alec recalled.

"Well I'd stay as close to the border as ya can lad, unless you want to change your accent?" the sergeant laughed.

"My brother did that, well he still does now and then. Is the training different?" Alec wanted to know.

"Aye lad, Scottish and British law differs somewhat, you'll have to learn the difference. It may take you longer to qualify and get put in for detective sergeant," the sergeant warned him.

"I don't care as long as Rose is with me," Alec replied, looking up from his desk as the sergeant stood above him, drinking tea.

"You don't talk about her much though," the sergeant noted. "You've never mentioned her surname or what she does for a living."

"She works in a big department store in the centre of London," Alec told him, trying to avoid giving her name, since Rose was now paranoid about it.

He was spared further questions by the sergeant's desk phone ringing, since Alec assumed the chief wouldn't call him directly.

"Alec, he'll see you now," he was told.

He knocked on the chief's door and was told to enter.

"Are you sure about this Alec?" he was asked.

"Yes Sir. I'm grateful you had faith in me to offer me that training but I love her, I have done since we were teenagers. There's a reason she can't come up here to live, which I can't speak of, she made me promise."

You're very loyal to her then, she's lucky to have someone like you. When were you wanting a transfer? It not only depends if someone has a vacancy for a trainee detective constable but if they have the resources to let you continue your training."

"I know Sir, I'll consider anywhere over the border," Alec replied.

"Well, just say when you want me to process it then. I'm told it depends if you can ask her to wait a little longer."

"I asked her to get married, at the weekend but she said no," Alec admitted, his heart sinking yet again.

"I'm sorry to hear that Alec. I thought she would have been delighted at your chance to get promoted sooner?"

"So did I Sir but she told me it was important I went for it. She's the one who wanted me to do my training up here, she's never insisted I do it down there," Alec told him.

"She's willing to travel to anywhere in Britain to be with you but not up here?" the chief asked him. "I'm curious but you don't have to explain it Alec, she must have her reasons?"

"Yes, she has. All I have to do now is call her and hope she will go for it, that she's not given up on getting married."

"She must be something," the chief smiled as Alec got up.

"She is, Sir," Alec replied proudly.

That over with, he only had to convince Rose he'd be south of he border sooner rather than later. It didn't quite go to plan though. Rose had got it in her head Alec would take her refusing to go up there and get married the wrong way and think she never wanted to get married, her mother and Donna trying to persuade her otherwise.

"You're such a dumbo," Donna was telling her one lunchtime, a week later. "You don't want me to process that holiday request in May then?"

"I don't know Donna, I've not spoken to him since. I tell mum to talk to him."

Donna scowled at her. "What are you doing Rose? What are you thinking? You're not gonna throw it all away, are you?"

"I can't go live up there for a few more years Donna, I've tried to tell him," Rose admitted.

"Yeah but you won't tell me why," Donna huffed, holding her coffee cup in both hands.

"I can't tell anyone Donna, not just you. It's something that happened when me and mum lived up there," Rose told her friend.

"What, is the Loch Ness monster after ya?" Donna laughed. "Or Hairy McFairy?"

"Stop it Donna. Maybe I'll tell ya, one day. So, ya were saying about us coming over to your mum's for lunch next Sunday?"

"You're changing the subject Rose," Donna replied. "Yeah, mum wanted to meet you though she thought it would be rude to just ask you. Granddad might come round but you'll have to put up with him going on about his stargazing."

"Aw, I'll look forward to meeting him then," Rose laughed.

"Think yourself lucky my cousin's still away, you should hear the two of them when they get together. He's on one of his 'travels' again."

"Lucky him," Rose smiled.

"Yeah, he'll settle down, one of these days though mum's just about given up. He used to live with us, when we were kids. His mum and dad died in an accident."

"Aw, sorry to hear that. I never knew my dad, he got run over by a car when I was a baby. Mum was nearby, they were going to a wedding. They all heard this noise and went running out but it was too late by the time someone called an ambulance."

"Listen to us two, gettin' all gloomy," Donna tried to laugh. "Back to Alec then? What do ya think it's doing to him, you saying no?"

"You're as bad as my mum," Rose replied. "I just can't live up there Donna, he knows that. He has to accept we have to wait and he can't."

"How do you know?" Donna asked her.

Rose let out a nervous laugh. "Come on Donna, I know him and if he wants to get married right away, what's gonna happen when I can't stay up there? It's over Donna, I know it is."

"After all this time?" Donna questioned her. "Come on Rose, don't give up now."

"It's not that easy Donna. I don't want to give up but let's face it, how's gettin' married and me living down here gonna help?" Rose asked her friend.

"Then don't. Can't he get a transfer?" Donna wondered.

Rose let out a nervous laugh. "He has to finish his training first, no-one will take him on until he does."

"Why, would he have to start all over again?" Donna wanted to know.

"Come on Donna, lunchtime's nearly up," Rose tried to change the subject.

"You're not getting away with not answering," Donna laughed.

That was what Rose was worried about. Her friend meant well but there were things she couldn't tell Donna. Alec had taken Rose's silence badly, John advising him to let her come round in her own time. He waited and waited, ringing Jackie when he knew Rose wouldn't be home and Jackie telling him he was maybe in for a long wait.

It came to Christmas and Rose was not so enthusiastically going around the supermarket with her mother, on her day off.

"Come on Rose, show a bit of interest," Jackie was telling her as they looked at turkeys in the freezer.

"There's not much point mum, we might as well just get a turkey joint," Rose replied half-heartedly.

"We have to make the effort sweetheart. Ya never know, John might go and drag Alec down."

"Stop it Mum, please. Even if he could get the time off, he'd choose to go home," Rose told her.

Jackie put a heavy bird back in the freezer.

"He'd jump at the chance of coming down here and ya know it Rose. He calls, every week," she had to admit.

Rose almost ran the shopping trolley into someone, muttering a 'sorry'.

"You are kidding Mum. Why didn't ya say something?"

"Ya wouldn't talk to him so what was the point?" Jackie wanted to know. "Well, would ya talk to him?" Rose remained silent. "See? So why should I tell ya that he asks about ya before he says anything else."

Rose felt a tear forming but held it back.

"Well he won't want to get married now, will he?"

"Rose Marion Tyler, have you heard yourself? I thought I'd brought you up better than to give up on the man you've loved since ya were thirteen? Call him, on Christmas Day."

Alec had managed to get a few days off, the sergeant taking pity on him that he'd not got away last year so John was collecting him.

"Any news from Rose?" he asked Alec as they drove back to Paisley on Christmas Eve.

"No, I called yesterday and Jackie said she'd talked to Rose but she still thinks I've given up on her. Why am I still stuck up there John?" Alec replied.

"You tell me little bro?" John laughed. "Haven't you got some holiday to come?"

"Yes but what's the point John? If I go down there and she won't even see me?" Alec replied.

"Well, I'm going to call her tomorrow and make her see some sense," John was insisting. "If you don't talk to her, I'm going to disown you."

They drove on, arriving late at the new apartment his dad had bought after selling the house Alec had been brought up in and where he and Rose had spent all that time in his room when his dad was out. It wasn't far from where Rose had lived with her mother, which was why Alec wasn't looking forward to spending even two nights there.

His dad had decided to downsize, since Alec was never home and had put the remaining profit from the sale into a special account, to pass on towards if Rose ever came back, it would be a deposit for an apartment or a small house. Alec had told his dad he wouldn't be touching it when he'd been told.