Is it over?

After helping Rose into her block of flats while James waited for her, Donna was trying to find out if Rose's ankle injury was legitimate or not.

"Don't tell James," Rose was begging her friend.

"Well it was believable," Donna had to admit. "You even fooled James back there," Donna nodded across the precinct to where James was parked on a double yellow line and him hoping all the traffic wardens had gone home.

He'd been worried as Rose had told him to let her out of his car there and Donna offering to help her after James seemed flustered at the thought.

"Well help her out then," Donna had complained as she'd sat in the back.

"Ah, well," James had pondered as they were just past the crossing. "Why don't you help her, then I can stay with the car. I mean in case there are any eager traffic wardens lurking."

"James, for starters, they don't work after six," Donna rolled her eyes at him. "And another, Rose may need extra support."

"Why can't she lean on you?" James had wanted to know.

Rose was already trying to get out.

"When you two have finished, I'd like to go home," she told them as she opened the door.

"Oh, I'll go," Donna gave in, knowing she wasn't going to win this one.

James had watched Rose lean on his cousin for support, wishing he'd had the nerve to go in Donna's place. He knew he had to get over being shy around Rose if he had any hope of comforting her if Alec didn't arrive tomorrow. Would she want him hanging around though? He'd never really got a good look at Rose's boyfriend but Donna had teased him many times that they both looked a little alike. He'd never believed her though, Donna liked to wind him up.

When Rose thought James would have driven off, she emerged from the lift and walked to her flat. She called her mother and Jackie popped her head around the kitchen door. She had been praying all day that Alec was going to show up either later tonight or early the next morning.

"Hello sweetheart. Sorry, there's been nothing from Alec yet," her mother told her.

"It's okay Mum, I have to accept he may not arrive," Rose had to admit as she flopped on the sofa. "If he is coming down, he'll get a few hours sleep before he sets off."

Doubt had already been creeping into her mind over if he'd set off or not. What if that Tess tried to stop him and he actually listened to her? Should she try calling him and see if Tess answered the phone? Her mother seemed to be a mind-reader as she appeared with a mug of tea.

"I know what ya thinking Rose. Ya should get that idea out of your head right now. He won't let that woman change his mind about coming to see ya," Jackie tried to convince her.

"I have to face the worse Mum. I think she already got to him. He's just been going through the motions of ringing me."

Jackie put the mug on the coffee table and sat beside her.

"Ya can't think like that Rose. Ya have to believe he's stronger than that. Look at all the years you two have been together? Why would he even do such a thing?" Jackie was wondering.

"Because she's there Mum and I'm not," Rose was trying to hold her emotions back.

As Jackie was trying to comfort Rose, Alec had got home from work early and thought he was alone as he entered the kitchen but Tess came out of the lounge.

"You're early," Tess commented as Alec took his tie off and undid a few shirt buttons, then wishing he hadn't as it would now encourage Tess.

Tess had already noticed and was taking it as an open invitation to unfasten some more buttons. Before he knew it, they were kissing fervently, all but the bottom two shirt buttons undone but Tess was trying to pull the bottom of his shirt out.

"Tess, I have to get ready to leave in a few hours," he tried to remind her between the kisses.

He knew if he didn't tell her firmly this had to stop, he couldn't go see Rose and talk her into coming back with him. He also knew this was the point of no return and if Tess continued, that would be it. He would give in because he had come close a few times but he'd had his shorts on but he could feel her pressing against him and her hand pulling his shirt flaps out while the other was going for his trouser fastener. He was trying to push her away, grasping her shoulders but she pushed even harder, while steering him to the sofa.

"Stop it Tess," he tried again. "I have to get a few hours sleep before I leave."

"We both know you don't mean to go Alec," Tess replied as she reached for the zip of his trousers and he tried to stop her.

Tess had made her mind up earlier that if this was her last chance to prevent him from leaving, she had to go all out and if that included initiating a sexual act with the man she was making a play for, then so be it. She'd had boyfriends before but nothing serious, about the same she was with Alec currently though the other men had been willing participants, unlike Alec.

She didn't yet know if she loved Alec but she certainly liked him a lot, mainly because he'd been out of her reach, until she'd decided to try and win him over a few weeks ago. She'd hoped to have him to herself this week but he'd gone and changed his holiday but she'd been determined it wouldn't put her off.

Now, she had a few short hours to prevent him leaving, to bring his girlfriend back with him after persuading her it was safe to return. She'd not wanted the man who scared Rose to remain free to prey on others but being kept out of jail had now become a deterrent for Rose trusting Alec he could keep her safe.

"Stop it Tess, that won't work," he was trying to deter her as they were face to face.

Tess hovered over him and tried to stop him moving her hand, his on top of hers, which was still on his zipper.

"Oh, I don't know?" she teased as she smiled at him and slowly, she was winning as it was going down.

Her hand hovered over the gap it had made and Alec was desperately trying to get her hand away.

"Stop fighting it Alec," Tess was telling him as he almost panicked.

He knew the next few minutes would be crucial, if he could no longer control himself with Tess, he could no longer be with Rose. He had become that sort of man over the last few years, he and Rose had begun having sex at fifteen, they had thought they had been mature enough and it had been glorious. Every time he was with Rose, it filled him with excitement he couldn't describe. Now, Tess was about to take that away from him because he couldn't in all good conscious be with two women at the same time.

Even if Tess tossed him away when she'd got what she wanted – that of preventing him being with Rose, he could never go back to the woman he'd loved since he was thirteen. He was staring at the woman who was about to prevent him seeing Rose again, Tess was nowhere near as attractive as what Rose had grown into but she was there, whilst Rose was afraid to even step foot in the country.

He wasn't aware he was holding his breath until he let it go, when Tess grabbed him and made him let out an involuntary moan. Tess had a bigger smile on her face as she pushed him onto the sofa and ran her fingers on his stomach, then went to pull his suit trousers down and saw his shorts were bulging.

"Now you're getting it Alec," Tess teased him as he found himself helping her pull his trousers off and she went for her skirt button and zip, letting it fall to the floor as she stood up to slip out of her shoes.

Alec didn't know what had come over him, it wasn't the same as when Rose had teased him but Tess had some kind of hold over him and she knew it. As he moved over on the sofa to let Tess climb on him, she landed directly over him and he found himself grabbing her panties and pulling at them as she went for his shorts as she raised herself up slightly. As she moved her hands, she grabbed hold of him and directed him where she wanted.

"Alec, you never told me if you liked to take the lead," Tess was teasing him as they touched.

He thought really he didn't have much choice, Tess was the one who liked to be in charge as she finally lay on him without moving again and he let his climax wash over him a short time later. It wasn't the same as being with Rose, Tess liked to just get on with it, unlike when Rose would tease him for several minutes. He was waiting for Tess to move but she was taking her time.

"What's your hurry Alec?" Tess wanted to know, annoyed that even now, he was insisting she moved. "You can't still be wanting to go away now, surely?"

She moved onto her side, running her fingers across his chest, the bottom two shirt buttons having been unfastened as Tess had moved on him. He'd even been aware she'd unfastened them and that she'd got one hand under him and made him raise himself up to encompass her at some point. He'd never had to get Rose to do that, Rose had known exactly what he wanted, even the first time, they had both moved together in harmony.

He'd been aware Tess had been trying to get him to do what she wanted and she'd not cared about what he needed but he'd gone with it none the less. She was a bigger woman than Rose and heavier and he'd no idea how he'd not noticed before as she'd struggled to unfasten her blouse and slipped out of it whilst propping herself up on one hand and he'd held her hips to steady her.

Then as she'd thrown the item over the top of the sofa, she'd then struggled to unfasten her bra clasp and hinted for some help.

"You've unfastened it before," she'd whispered to him as she'd straddled him and he'd moved his legs to keep her firm.

Now, she was trying to get him to change places, carefully as she grabbed his rear again and Alec was trying to oblige. He'd missed having physical contact with Rose and the first few nights last week with her had seemed tense to him, though he'd not said anything to Rose about it.

Now, he was nipping at Tess's cleavage and she was encouraging him to initiate contact again, hardly giving him time to recover like Rose used to do by grabbing his rear and putting her legs around him. As he began to enter her again, he knew he could never go back to Rose now. He had made the choice, not willingly and he had just lost his true love.

He'd been willing to lose everything and go be with Rose, had Tess forced him into making this decision? While not directly, Tess had played some part in it but he should have been firmer with her when she'd begun to show signs she was interested in him. He'd not though so there was only himself to blame as he heard Tess let out a moan of pleasure, followed by his own as she tightened her grip with her legs around him.

As Tess lay under him, showing herself off to him and pointing to his appendix scar Rose had hardly noticed, she ran her finger down his chest before he moved to try to get off her.

"What's your hurry Alec?" she asked him again. "Stay here a bit longer. We can call for some food."

She reached to put her arms around his neck so he nipped at her cleavage again and she went back to kissing his neck, Alec hoping she'd not dare make a mark on him. As Tess had got lost in what they were doing, Alec was trying not to get engrossed in it but was failing.

When they both got up, Tess heading for the bathroom to freshen herself up, Alec called the local takeaway for some food then debated whether he should warn Rose he wouldn't be going to see her. How could he be with her now, he asked himself again. He put the phone down just as Tess shouted from the bedroom.

"I brought a few more things over Alec, I thought I may as well," she called to him.

What had he let himself in for, he wondered. She was slowly moving in, something he'd longed for Rose to do.

"Did you hear me Alec?" Tess asked him as he was staring into space when she joined him in the lounge.

"What? Yes, I heard you Tess," he replied.

"Then what do you say? Are you going to let me move in then?" she wanted to know. "I don't have long before I have to move out of where I am now," she reminded him.

"I will think about it," Alec had to agree.

Tess went off to the kitchen, Alec not seeing the look of satisfaction on her face. She knew she had won, he wouldn't pine after his old girlfriend now. So far, he'd been the best she'd been with. Had he noticed she'd had a previous sexual relationship, with a senior officer back where she came from – Sandbrook? She had only had casual relationships since then, no-one had compared to Tom Springer.

That had been part of the reason she'd applied for training up where she was now, since the man's wife had found out and threatened her, even though she'd been friends with Adele and they'd grown up together. Her friend had changed after meeting the deputy police chief, bragging she'd done well for herself bagging such a prize of a husband.

She had threatened Tess verbally and had even posted a letter through her door so Tess had had enough and taken the opportunity to further her training. She intended going back at some point though, maybe with Alec, if he stayed away from Rose. She went up behind him, putting her arms around his waist and teasing him by going for his shirt buttons again.

"Stop it Tess. You got what you wanted."

"Does this mean we're together Alec?" she wanted to know.

"I don't know Tess," he replied as he stopped her putting her finger in the gap between two shirt buttons.

"Well, make your mind up Alec," she replied, fighting to accomplish her mission.

She was interrupted by the intercom as their food arrived. He knew even if he could live with what had just taken place, his conscious would betray him if he got down to London and he wouldn't be able to face Rose. He paid for the food and he and Tess ate in silence but once they got to bed, Tess initiated the sexual activities they'd had earlier, assuming that from now on, she was his new girlfriend.

She was quite pleased with herself as she lay beside him afterwards, she tried to guess what he was thinking about but she just hoped it wasn't Rose and that he'd was thinking about letting her move in with him by next week.

Rose had gone to bed, not knowing if Alec had set off to see her or not. Jackie had felt sorry for her as they'd had a late night drink and she'd tried again to persuade her to join in at bingo the following night. She had an awful feeling Rose was going to be upset when Alec didn't turn up.

James had got home, he still had Donna's address book and she'd not even asked for it back so she must have known he had it. Donna had been amused that her cousin couldn't bring himself to help Rose out of the car and hoped he'd get the hint to call her and see if she was okay over the weekend. She had wondered why her friend had come up with her ankle as an excuse when Rose had clearly been feeling a little out of sorts. She decided she'd confront her friend on Monday morning to see if it was a woman's problem or she was just upset over Alec.

The next morning, Rose was disappointed Alec hadn't woken her up by knocking on the door in the early hours and they could have spent some time making up. She tried to eat her breakfast but her stomach was churning and not just with butterflies either.

"Try to eat something Rose," her mother was encouraging her.

"Sorry Mum. I thought Alec would have got here by now or at least rung," Rose replied.

"I know sweetheart, so did I," Jackie admitted. "Are ya coming shopping?"

"I think I'll just wait in," Rose had decided.

"Well I hope he's here when I get back," Jackie laughed as she cleared the cereal bowls away, Rose's still half full.

Alec had woken up, found Tess lying on him and not so gently moved her so he could get out of bed.

"There's no work today Alec, come back to bed," Tess yawned, trying to get where he had laid.

"I'm going for a shower," he told her.

He put some clean shorts and a t-shirt on and went into the living room instead, staring at the phone. Should he call her and tell her he couldn't face what he'd done and it was best they ended it or did she already know it was all over? He picked the phone up and hoped John was already awake.

"Alec it's a bit early," John remarked when he answered. "I thought you were seeing Rose this weekend? What happened?"

"I did something really stupid John. I can't face Rose, not now," Alec admitted.

"So, Tess finally got to you, little brother?" John replied.

"Can you call her?" Alec wanted to know.

"Alec, you have to face her," John warned him. "She deserves for you to tell her yourself."

"I think she already knows, after last week. I said I had something to ask her but how can I now?" Alec wanted to know.

It made John sad that after all his half brother and Rose had been through, another woman had come between them and succeeded where Bob had failed.

All day long at work, James had missed Rose like crazy and his cousin wasn't even there for him to complain to. He saw Rose's friends in the cafeteria at lunchtime, laughing and pointing in his direction so he could only assume they were talking about him and Rose.

If Alec hadn't turned up, she was going to be a mess on Monday morning. At home time, instead of heading for Chiswick to see Donna, he turned towards where Rose lived, having memorised her address and the way she had directed him last night. He thought about how she'd given precise directions and even Donna, who had sat in the back hadn't contradicted him when he'd repeated something. His cousin knew he was stuck on Rose and occasionally prompted him to do something about it, inbetween telling him Rose was out of his league.

Well tonight, he was going to do something about it. He'd had this feeling all day long that Alec hadn't arrived and Rose was feeling sad and it had got stronger as the day had gone on. He arrived at the estate Rose lived on, seeing her block from the road. He went past the crossing and made sure there were no double yellow lines and sat for a while.

Inside Rose's flat, Jackie was getting ready to go out.

"Sure you'll be okay?" she was asking Rose as she patted her hair.

"You go mum, I'll be fine," Rose insisted.

"Well okay, go over to Shareen's if ya get lonely. I bumped into her earlier," Jackie insisted.

Jackie had gone downstairs and met her friends and relations and they all set off behind the estate to walk the short distance to the club they belonged to. James had got the courage to get out of his car and walk back to the courtyard or did it class as a precinct, he wondered as he passed some shops.

He'd memorised Rose's flat number and when he reached the door, he was presented with the intercom but dare he press the buzzer? He closed his eyes and willed himself and then waited. Rose was up like a flash, thinking Alec had been delayed. She'd been thinking all kinds of things during the day, as to why he was late arriving but the most strong was the one he wasn't coming.

"Hello?" she asked cautiously.

"Ah Rose, it's James. Please don't get mad at me but I, well, I just wondered if you were okay? I mean with hurting your ankle and not being at work?"

"How did ya know what number I lived at ?" Rose wanted to know. "Did ya get it off Donna?"

"Ah, no. Please Rose, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Can I come in?" he asked cautiously.

"Well okay, I suppose?" Rose relented.

She pressed the door button and James heard it click. He pushed it slowly and made his way to the lift, not sure what the steps would be like. He arrived on her floor and made his way to her door and rang the doorbell.

"Hi Rose," he then grinned as Rose opened the door.

"Come in James."

"I'm not disturbing you am I?" James wanted to know. "Did Alec arrive?"

"No, I thought it was him when you rang," Rose admitted. "I don't think he's coming now."

"I'm sorry to hear that Rose, really I am," James replied as she led him to the living room.

Rose turned around, James could see she was about to cry.

"Do you maybe want to tell me about it?" he asked

"There's nothing to say. Ya heard me and Donna talking," Rose reminded him.

"Ah, yes. Bit hard to miss?" James smiled as he recalled their lunchtime conversations about Alec this and Alec that. "Rose, you were expecting him not to come. Why exactly?"

"You really wanna know?" Rose asked as she sat on the chair and indicate for James to sit. "There's someone he works with, Tess. I think he's seeing her."

"Oh. Sorry," was all James could think of. "Why would he do that?"

"I have no idea, except that she's up there and I'm not," Rose told him.

"Then why don't you go to him?" James asked, thinking that wouldn't help his cause.

"I can't," Rose replied as she got up to reach the box of tissues.

James got to it first and offered it to her.

"Then why does he stay up there?" he wondered.

"It's complicated. We agreed he'd do his police training up there," Rose started to tell him.

"Hasn't he finished it yet?" James was puzzled.

"He's only reached detective constable, he's going for the sergeants exam," Rose explained as she took another tissue.

James dared to move closer.

"Yes but if it keeps you apart, why can't he transfer down here? Didn't he ask?"

Rose stopped and looked at him.

"Leave it James," she warned him. "We talked about it but he didn't do anything about it. He wanted me to go up there, every time we discussed it."

It wasn't quite true but she couldn't recall how they had left things. Maybe that was why Alec hadn't made his way down here, even though he'd said he was coming to get her. Something had obviously changed his mind – something called Tess?

"It's Tess," Rose suddenly called out, making James jump.

"Sorry? You mean the Tess he works with?" James wanted to make sure.

"There's only one. She's got her claws into him, I should have known. What's she got that I haven't?" Rose asked. "He's left me, I know he has, he's given in to her, just 'cos I was a bit off with him last week, 'cos he came down a week early."

James was doing his best to keep up but when it came to women, he was always lost.

"He was supposed to come down this week?" James asked.

"I bet she made him change it," Rose replied. "He told me it was because of the trial."

"What trial?" James wanted to know.

"Never mind," Rose insisted. "Maybe she didn't make him come down?"

James shook his head. Rose was certainly messed up by the sound of it.

"I'm all confused," Rose admitted, getting up.

"Do you want me to leave?" James offered.

"What? No, please stay. Do ya want a drink?" Rose suddenly remembered her manners.

"You sit down, I'll make one," James replied thinking she did seem confused.

Then without warning, Rose felt faint and he just caught her in time.

"Rose, sit down," he suggested as he led her back to the chair.

"It's okay," Rose tried to insist.

"No, you almost fainted. What's wrong?" James asked.

"I'll be okay, honestly. I could do with that drink?" she smiled.

James went off to the kitchen, looking in the wall cupboards and getting what he needed. He knew exactly what Rose drank, he'd memorised it. He took the drinks back in and asked if she'd eaten.

"Mum made me a salad earlier, I've not eaten much today," Rose admitted.

"Well I've not eaten yet. Do you have a takeaway menu?" James smiled.

He rang the takeaway and ordered some food and half an hour later, he answered the buzzer and offered to go pay the delivery person. Mickey Smith had been wandering around, got a part time job in a garage but it didn't pay much so he'd bought a small car and doubled as a fast-food delivery driver.

So when Mickey went into the takeaway and Cha-Cha gave him an order for Rose's block of flats but the name was 'Noble', he didn't know it was for Rose. He went upstairs and along the balcony and when James answered the door, they came face to face. Mickey tried to hold his temper when he thought James was Alec.

"Here you go," James offered Mickey the money, having the exact change.

"Okay mate," was all Mickey could say, wanting to know where Rose was.

He'd not seen her since the beginning of last week, when he'd seen her with Alec as they'd been coming back from somewhere. He had no reason to know that James wasn't Alec but Mickey did wonder about the accent. Maybe the Scotsman had been down here a while and was trying to blend in?

James was trying to remember if tips were included.

"Something else?" Mickey looked puzzled.

Rose was sure she'd heard Mickey's voice at the door.

"Something wrong?" she called out.

"No, it's fine. I have it," James called back to her as he fished in his pocket for more change.

His granddad had always told him he should have change in his pocket. Mickey could see over James's shoulder and could see Rose in the lounge doorway. Why hadn't she ever noticed him when he'd been around? She'd teased him as a teenager, then she'd disappeared for three years but when she'd come back, the bloke in front of him had kept visiting.

James gave Rose her food and they sat at the kitchen table.

"Feeling better?" James asked as they ate.

"Yeah. Sorry about earlier," Rose smiled. "Thanks for the food."

"Don't worry about it," James was trying to be modest. "Don't tell Donna I was here, will you?"

"Why not?" Rose wanted to know.

"She'll think I was fussing,: James replied.

"Are you?" she teased him.

She got up to dispose of the food cartons and James got up to leave.

"Ya don't have to go James. Not if ya don't want to?"

"Well? If you want me to stay a while longer?" he offered. "Where's your mum anyway?"

"She went to bingo," Rose replied. "She won't be back until around ten."

"Well I'd best be gone before she gets back then?" James replied. "Won't she be expecting Alec to be here?"

Rose began to panic. Did James suspect he looked like Alec? James could see she was troubled by something.

"Rose. Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sorry. No, I think she knew he wouldn't come down. I have to accept he's found someone else, because I wouldn't go join him up there. It was something that happened when I lived up there."

"You don't have to tell me, unless you want to?" James asked.

"Maybe one day?" Rose tried to smile. "Want to watch some TV?"

She was about to try kissing his cheek, for cheering her up, she told herself but he moved and she caught the side of his mouth. James expected her to move but she didn't and he turned into it. A few moments later, when they parted, James had a big grin on his face and Rose looked dazed.

"Rose?" he asked as he looked concerned again.

"Yeah, it's okay, I'm fine. Hello," she smiled.

"Hello," James grinned back. "That was some kiss Rose. You did mean to kiss me?" he wanted to make sure.

"Well yeah. Did you?" Rose also wanted to make sure.

"Well actually, yes. I have to be sure what you said though. Is it over, with you and Alec?"

"I think so. I mean he's not even rung me to say he's not coming. He's staying with her, he has to be."

"I'm sorry Rose. That kiss was really nice but if you need time?" James wondered.

"Yeah, can we just stay friends for a while longer?" Rose wondered as he took her hands in his.

"Well yeah, 'course we can. Anything you want Rose. Best not say anything to Donna just yet? She dropped her address book in my car. That's how I knew where you lived," he admitted.

"Yeah, sounds about right," Rose smiled as they went back into the lounge. "She didn't ask ya to give it back?"

"She'll be expecting it tomorrow. Rose, would you like to go out though? I mean for Sunday lunch?" he wondered.

"Oh. Well yeah, that would be nice or maybe afternoon tea? Why don't ya come here for lunch, then we can go out?"

"Lunch here?" James panicked.

"Yeah, mum doesn't bite, honest," Rose teased him as she insisted he sat in the chair as she sat on his lap.

"Well, I suppose I can risk it?" James wondered. "She won't slap me, will she? I mean if she was expecting someone else to be here?"

"James, I think my mum knew something I didn't and she didn't say anything. I think she knew he wouldn't come. Forget it, it's finished."

James was relieved to hear it. His patience had paid off and it was Alec's loss if the man wanted to throw away what he'd had with Rose.