I can wait

Rose wasn't sure what she thought when Alec had asked her that question.

"You have to get the trial over with Alec," she reminded him.

"It would go a whole lot better if you were with me," Alec sighed, knowing he was getting nowhere with this.

"I'm sorry Alec, I just can't come up there," Rose replied quietly. "Look, maybe I could sign a statement or something but as long as mum doesn't find out."

"That would help," he agreed, hoping for something else. "Why don't you write a letter, explaining how your mother got to Paisley and how Bob treated you and when you realised what was going on?"

"Can you help me Alec?" Rose debated if she should agree to it. "It's all really personal."

"I know but I can't help you Rose, I wish I could but it has to be in your own words. When you have done it, send it to the chief inspector of the serious crimes squad here in Paisley, I'll give you the address. Think about it Rose, please?"

"Okay, I'll think about it," Rose agreed as she heard her mother calling. "I have to get ready for work. I'll see ya soon, yeah?"

She scribbled the address on the pad by the phone, tearing it off so her mother wouldn't ask any questions.

"I promise I won't mention it to your mother," Alec reminded her. "I'll see you soon love, we will find a way so you can come back."

Rose went off to work, thinking about what Alec had said and what he'd asked her to do. Did she really want a painful reminder of the past, of her time in Paisley that had only been made bearable by Alec being there? She crossed the road to the store and saw James getting out of his car, Donna just going into the staff entrance.

"Hi Rose!" he greeted her. "What's wrong?" he noticed her glum face.

"Nothing James, I don't want to spoil your day," she replied.

"You'd talk to Donna though?" he wondered as they went inside. "You can talk to me, like you talk to her."

"Even about women's stuff?" Rose managed to laugh. "Alec asked me something, that's all and I don't know what to do."

"Ah, well," James grinned. "It seems my cousin is better at answering something like that," James agreed, seeing Donna making some drinks in the staff room.

"Come on you two," Donna called behind her. "When did the two of ya get so chatty?"

Rose couldn't believe Donna was asking such a question, since she was constantly trying to throw them together. Rose wondered what her friend's tactics were.

"Well," Donna pondered as she drank her coffee. "Seems to me you would be helping put those people away and paving your way back to Scotland. So why are you dragging your heels? What do you think James?"

Rose wished she'd never confided in Donna, who had told her cousin of the dilemma she'd found herself in over returning to be with Alec.

"I want to put them away Donna," Rose told her friend. "I just don't want to be reminded of it."

"Cheer up Rose," James tried to change her mood.

Donna just shook her head at her cousin, thinking he was clueless. She thought it was obvious Rose needed her mind taking off her long lost love up in Scotland, it was clearly going to end in tears.

Alec had got off the phone with Rose, not feeling any better about her agreeing he would go down there soon. He was about to go to bed when the phone rang and he prayed it wasn't Rose's mother, complaining about something he'd either done or not done. It was his chief, Alec wondering if the man ever went home.

"Hardy, I have some bad news for you. The trial is now the week you are supposed to be off so if you want some leave, you'll have to take it the week before. We've got no idea how long the trial will last so if I were you, I'd take the week before, if you want to see that girlfriend of yours?"

Alec had to agree and thought instead of calling Rose and her sounding disappointed, he'd surprise her and arrive a week early. Having decided that was what he'd do, he tried again to get to bed but his door buzzer sounded. Thinking it may be the postman, he looked through the spyhole to see Tess looking around the hallway. He knew he should pretend he'd not heard it and go to bed, letting her walk off but she'd surely seen him looking.

Tess knocked then pressed the buzzer again.

"What do you want Tess?" he asked, feeling tired.

"Did I wake you?" Tess smiled, hoping he was only wearing his shorts.

"Go home Tess, get some sleep," he urged her, hoping she'd take the hint.

"You went off without me earlier, everyone noticed," she replied. "I had to tell them you had something to do."

"You did not have to make any excuses Tess," he yawned again. "I'm going to bed, go home."

"I don't have enough money for the cab fare Alec, I've not been to the cash machine," Tess tried to make him feel sorry for her.

"Then why did you come here Tess?" he wanted to know.

"You know why Alec, now are you going to let me in? You have to face the facts."

He was tempted to ask her again what they were but he was really tired now.

"I will lend you the money Tess, just go home," he told her wearily, opening the door.

"You've not been to bed?" she asked, sounding disappointed as she looked at him with only a few shirt buttons opened as he'd attempted to get undressed, twice.

He went in his pocket for his wallet but Tess put her hand on his arm and made him open the door wider, trying to get in but Alec put his hand on the door.

"I don't want any company Tess," he tried to tell her as she tried to get inside again.

"You know you don't mean that Alec," she whispered in his ear as she pulled on his arm and trying to put her other around his neck.

"Stop it Tess," he tried to protest again as she inched her way past him and pulling him around.

He did notice there wasn't much space between them but he knew she was trying to tempt him again. He didn't want to give in to her but he was missing Rose so much. Could he wait another few weeks until he saw her again when Tess was clearly offering herself to him again. He had to give Rose the chance to come back, didn't he?

"Just take the cab fare Tess, please," he asked her again.

"I don't want your money Alec, you know that," she replied as he tried to get a ten pound note out and she tried to brush it away.

That resulted in her getting closer to him and she went to try and kiss him, putting her hands on his shirt collar.

"Tess, this has to stop. I'm going to see Rose," he told her as he tried to move her hands.

"Then go see her and end it," she suggested, fighting his hands away.

"I can't Tess, I have to give her a chance to come back up here. Once we put those people away, she may decide it's safe."

"Alec, she would have come back now they've been caught," Tess reminded him. "You can't keep giving her more chances."

She tried again to kiss him and he found himself kissing her back. Tess was intent on getting him to give in and at present, he had no way of stopping her as she got him to close the door.

Rose was trying to get through the day by telling herself she had to get over her fear of going back to be with Alec. At lunchtime, James was still trying to cheer her up.

"Hey, maybe we can all go see a film, maybe Saturday night?" he suggested.

"You two go ahead," Rose replied.

"No, it doesn't matter then," he decided, looking at Donna.

"He's trying to stop you feeling sad," Donna insisted.

"Sorry," Rose nudged James.

"It's okay Rose. I felt the same way when I split with Reinette. Did I tell you about her?"

"Several times, spaceman," Donna pretended to yawn.

"Sorry, it's just, well Alec's coming down soon," Rose replied, trying to remember if she'd told him before.

Everything had become a blur lately, Rose thought. Alec had tried to get her to get some time off and consider going back with him.

"Donna, I need some time off," Rose admitted, making James drop his fork on the plate, him managing an 'Oops' as Donna shot him a glance.

"If ya do, are ya coming back?" Donna wanted to know.

"I'm not going up there yet," Rose replied. "At least I don't think I am."

"Ya mean he's gonna kidnap ya?" Donna laughed. "Not before bloody time either."

"Would he, really?" James asked worriedly.

So far, he'd managed not to blurt out to Rose or his cousin that he was having feelings for the blonde deputy manager of the ladies department.

"Well it wouldn't be before time," Donna told him. "Keep up, spaceman. They've known each other since they were thirteen and I've lost count of how many times Alec's asked her to get married."

Nope, James thought to himself. His cousin had no idea that Rose gave him feelings every time she sat next to him, nudged him or smiled in his direction.

"Is that true Rose?" James asked without thinking. "I mean, you will marry him, one day?"

"I want more than anything to get married," Rose replied. "It's just never happened. Alec's gonna get tempted by Tess, I know he is, just because I won't go join him in Paisley."

"Ya don't know that Rose," Donna tried to assure her, James finding himself nodding in agreement.

"Don't think I don't know her type, there's plenty where I live," Rose told them, putting her plate to one side and Donna placing it on top of hers.

"What's her type?" James wanted to know.

"Mouthy," Donna laughed. "Plus someone who knows what she wants, anyone but Alec."

"I've no way of stopping her, Donna," Rose reminded her friend.

"Well duh, ya could if ya went up there," Donna mocked her.

"Why won't you go back?" James asked innocently.

"It doesn't matter," Rose told him. "I'm not explaining it."

"Sorry Rose. It must be hard then?" James apologised.

"You have no idea," Rose replied, finishing her drink. "Sorry James, it just takes a lot of explaining and it's very personal."

"That okay Rose," James smiled, patting her hand and hoping Donna wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

"Leave it James," Donna advised him. "She'll tell ya, if she wants to."

"Yeah, sorry Rose," he grinned, quickly moving his hand. "Forget going to the pictures, it was just an idea. I mean I didn't want it to sound like a date, you already have a boyfriend."

"Quit while you're ahead, spaceman," Donna laughed. "Give me the dates ya want off Rose."

Rose left Donna to make the arrangements and hoped it wouldn't be a problem but Donna had somehow managed to put herself more or less in charge and was up for a promotion. She didn't want to start taking advantage of Donna's new position though.

Now, she could count the days until Alec's return and try to forget that Tess may be trying to tempt Alec to end things. That though was going to be easier said than done.

Alec had been unsuccessful at keeping Tess at bay. They had kissed for several minutes, Tess had got his shirt off and they had got down to their underwear but as Tess had tried to tempt him further, he was thinking about Rose while Tess was guiding his hand onto her cleavage and he'd fought her off when she'd gone for his shorts. They had fallen asleep and now his alarm had just gone off and he felt someone sleeping on him. He only just realised it wasn't Rose and managed to stop himself calling her name and touching a certain part of Tess's anatomy where Rose liked to be woken by him touching her.

"Wake up Tess, you have to go home first and get changed," he reminded her.

"You can come in and wait," Tess suggested.

"It would be quicker were I to wait in the car," he replied, trying to move the arm Tess had been lying on.

Had it been Rose, she would have rubbed it better for him.

"It would be more enjoyable," Tess teased him as she made sure he got a good view.

She leaned over and began kissing the hairs on his chest. Alec hoped she didn't know he'd imagined earlier that it was Rose doing these things. Tess however was trying to break him down, piece by piece and she was winning. He had no willpower left to stop her, he may be seeing Rose in a few weeks but how was he going to hold Tess off, until then?

Tess had already gone for his shorts, twice and tried to grab his hand and indicate for him to go for her rather high leg revealing panties. Now, she had him pinned down again, her cleavage hanging over her bra and she was running her hands across his chest, avoiding his appendix scar that he'd never really talked about with Rose.

She'd asked him once what it was and never asked again.

"We'd better get ready to go," Alec reminded Tess. "In the morning, you'd best go home and stay there."

"Don't be like that Alec. Surely you find this enjoyable?" Tess wanted to know.

He wanted to say yes, he was so close to giving in, even though Tess was nowhere near on the same level as Rose. If Rose refused to come back with him in a few weeks time, what would he do then? Would he give up everything to go be with her?

He'd do so in a heartbeat but she wouldn't let him. He'd worked hard to be where he was now, in the serious crimes squad and he'd made a name for himself for helping arrest Bob and his friends. He may have got nowhere in London but at least he'd be with Rose.

Tess was determined to get an answer out of him after he'd been in the bathroom. He'd been careful and taken what he'd needed with him, just in case she decided to make them late by detaining him for longer than was necessary.

"You never answered me, Alec," she reminded him as they got into his car.

"Why do you always need an answer Tess?" he complained as they drove off.

"Oh, so it's supposed to be enough you slept with me?" she huffed. "That's all we did," she reminded him. "You're still holding out for Rose."

"Maybe I am Tess, so what?" he replied. "Can you really blame me?" he wanted to know, hoping she'd say forget it then.

She didn't as she replied, "Get her out of your system, if you must Alec and when you come back without her, you know I'm more than willing to take her place. I can wait."

That was what he was afraid of. What if Rose refused never to come back while Bob was still there, even if the man was locked up. There again, more importantly, what would he do if the man Rose feared got off? He still had a few more weeks before he could see the woman he really loved but that was about to change as they got to work.

"What's wrong with him?" one of Tess's friends asked her as he walked off after locking his car. "So, has he given in yet?"

"Almost," Tess smirked at the idea he was about to, once he got Rose out of his system once and for all.

"Don't you feel guilty that he has a girlfriend already?" she was asked.

"His girlfriend's in London, isn't she?" Tess replied.

Alec's sergeant wanted to see him when he got inside.

"Change of plans Hardy," Carter laughed as Alec made himself a drink.

"What?" Alec dared ask his superior officer.

"You already know the trial's been brought forward, at least for the majority of them. So if you want to see your girlfriend, the boss wants to know if you'll be going the week before you planned on going. What's it going to be? Who knows when it will be over, the other bloke's trial's on when the court's finished with them. He's getting tried with them but also on separate charges regarding your girlfriend, her mother and others who have come forward."

"Rose is willing to send a written statement," Alec replied. "She won't appear in person though."

"Well, that's something then? We would have done better if she agreed," Carter sounded disappointed.

The rest of the evening, Alec was debating if he should call her and say he'd be a week early, then he decided he'd just surprise her and not bother telling Tess he'd changed his plans. She'd had a nerve getting her leave at the same time he'd meant to be off but she was probably trying to impress her friends.

So, not telling Rose, who he found out a few days later that his boss had received a statement from her, he told John he was going to surprise Rose by going down early.

"Do you think she'll be pleased?" Alec asked cautiously on one of his rare visits to his aunt's house.

"Of course she will," his aunt laughed. "Tell her we all miss her and maybe when it's all over, she'll come back?"

John took him to one side after lunch.

"Is the barracuda still bothering you?" John teased him.

Alec had told him nothing of Tess's recent advances.

"She'll get the message, if Rose comes back with me or joins me after the trial," Alec told his older brother confidently.

He just hoped he was right, Tess was beginning to worry him that if Rose still refused to come back to him, she would wear him down and it was taking every ounce of his strength not to let her. He'd made sure Tess went home every morning since his narrow escape, much to her disappointment and he'd had to appease her by saying if Rose wouldn't return, then they'd talk about it.

He hoped they wouldn't have to but at least he'd be in court for a few weeks and Tess would still be working nights but he still hadn't told her he was going to London early but she found out the day before he was setting off. She caught him on the Friday morning.

"When were you going to tell me Alec?" Tess confronted him suddenly.

"What are you talking about Tess?" he pretended not to know.

Things had been very tense between them since he'd started driving her home and warning her not to get a cab to his place and expect him to let her in. He knew it was the only way to get her to back off until he'd seen Rose.

"Don't deny it Alec, I heard the news that the trial's been brought forward. You're going to see Rose sooner rather than later, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am going to get a few hours sleep then I am setting off to surprise her. I did warn you I was going Tess."

"I booked next week off Alec, I didn't think you'd go through with it and still go," Tess admitted.

He dropped Tess off and went to try and get a few hours sleep. He planned on being outside the store where Rose worked for five thirty and hoped she'd spot him opposite or when she crossed over to catch her bus. He thankfully made good time once he got on the main road and as he entered London, he hoped he wouldn't get caught up anywhere.

Donna had been trying to get Rose to go out with her and James after work but Rose had made up an excuse to get out of it. So James was trying to persuade her as they were leaving.

"Come out with us Rose, we can go see any film you like," he suggested as they waited for a rush of employees to get out of the way.

"Why is Donna coming back into town?" Rose wanted to know.

"Ah, well," James started to say. "Actually, I hoped you would agree that it was just the two of us? Just as friends?"

"Sorry James, I'd best just go home, I'm not really in the mood to see a film. See ya on Monday?"

"Well, okay then. It was just an idea," James replied. "Want a ride home?"

"Nah, it's a bit out of your way," Rose smiled, glancing across the road and seeing someone sitting in a car between the bus stops.

"I have to go, sorry. I think that's Alec, over there," Rose replied, her heart pounding.

"I thought it was next week?" James sounded confused.

Rose didn't reply as she crossed the road and Alec got out of the car.

"Alec! What are ya doing here?" Rose greeted him as he went to put his arms around her.

"The trial date was brought forward, to the week I booked off. So it was come down early or wait. Was I interrupting something over there?" he indicated to where she and James had been standing talking.

"What? Oh, it was just Donna's cousin who I told ya about," Rose replied, seeing James had disappeared.

She had never told James he reminded her of Alec, well maybe more of John.

Alec helped her into the car, just as James came around the corner of the staff car park entrance, seeing Alec only from behind, with his hand around Rose's waist as he bent down to kiss her cheek. James knew full well that they were supposed to be engaged but Rose had chosen to take her ring off but now, it seemed like Alec was back in the picture so where did that leave him?