It never mattered

Alec had found he wasn't going to get away with not looking at engagement rings as Christmas got nearer. Up until now, this time of year had been special to himself and Rose, Rose used to get excited at the prospect of him visiting her and there had been when she lived near him and the few years they had gone to his aunt's.

Now he had to face the facts that he wouldn't be spending the holidays with her and that he had found himself with Tess, who despite him telling her rings were off the menu, he'd still caught her looking.

"We could make it official at Christmas Alec," Tess told him two weeks before the actual day.

Alec shook his head. He knew she'd never quit going on about it and he'd have to give in sooner or later. He had to resign himself to knowing Rose wouldn't still be wearing his ring, she'd probably have taken it off and was going out with Donna's cousin James and they'd be thinking of getting engaged.

Tess had though taken the hint and had actually offered to take over some of the bills and as long as she didn't go overboard, he could maybe manage to buy her a decent ring that passed her inspection and was good enough to show off everywhere she went.

"Well okay, you can try a few on," he relented as they sat in a busy coffee shop in the shopping mall.

"I knew you'd be reasonably Alec. It's only natural after we've been together this long," Tess agreed. "So we make the announcement and maybe have a small party over the holidays? My mother and sister are dying to visit or we could get some time off and go down to Sandbrook?"

Alec didn't think having her relatives staying with them was such a good idea.

"See your friend in the personnel department then?" he suggested as they prepared to leave.

"Well we could go to your family at Christmas then go down to see my family afterwards?" Tess replied.

Alec knew his family wouldn't be as enthusiastic as hers would be. Little did he know Tess's mother thought a detective sergeant wasn't good enough for her daughter.

Tess led him into the store she'd been looking in the window of and asked to see a few of the rings she'd wanted to try on, being told to stick to a budget.

"Ah, this one is slightly over," the stuffy elderly salesperson was telling Tess.

"Alec? Can you go over slightly?" Tess asked hopefully.

Alec took her to one side, the salesperson watching as Tess still had the ring she liked the most on her finger.

"Tess. You'll have to cut down this month then?" Alec told her.

"Well we have nothing to pay when I go home," Tess replied.

Alec gave her a warning look.

"Even so Tess, I mean it," he insisted.

"Okay, I agree, I'll cut down even more then," Tess gave in, admiring the ring from all angles.

Alec wondered how she'd agreed since she was forever complaining about cutting down on new clothes.

She settled on the ring, having it put in a dark blue velvet lined box as she refused to go out of the store wearing it and him not asking her properly. Alec though was determined he was going to try and get out of it since nothing about their relationship was romantic. Even at the beginning, she had just waltzed her way into his life and taken over from Rose and he'd been a fool and let her. He figured this was punishment for betraying Rose and he could only hope Rose had found some happiness with James.

It hadn't taken long for Tess to announce she and Alec were soon to be engaged and bets were taken as to how long they would remain engaged before Tess insisted they get married. Everyone also knew it was at Tess's insistence they got engaged and several of Alec's co-workers felt sorry for him, including his friend Carter.

"So she finally got to you," George sympathised just before announcement.

Tess had insisted on a small party, Alec just hoping everyone would fit inside their flat and the neighbours wouldn't complain about the noise and everyone trying to park their cars.

"Tess, insist they all come in cabs," he'd warned her previously.

"Really Alec?" Tess had huffed at him.

"Yes, so we don't have to arrest them for drinking and driving?" he'd suggested.

Tess had then thought about it and maybe it made sense.

Alec came back to the present.

"I know but she won't drop the subject even when I told her not to look at rings," Alec was telling George.

"Well it should be a mutual decision, it was with me and Jeannie," George replied.

"I can't get out of it, it's punishment," Alec insisted.

"For what?" George wondered. Then he realised. "For leaving Rose?"

"Shush, don't let it get back to Tess," Alec warned him. "She thinks she's cured me of her."

"Has she?" George laughed.

"What do you think?" Alec replied.

"Oh, she hasn't?" George hinted.

"I've tried, really I have but this time of year reminds me so much of her," Alec told his friend sadly. "I suppose I have to just accept that Rose would never come back to me now?"

"Never mind mate, she might, one day?" George wondered.

"Never in a million years," Alec had to admit.

"You never know, it could be less?" George pondered. "Maybe less than twenty?"

"That doesn't make me feel any better Carter," Alec shook his head.

"Well I bet it is and I also bet Tess will have you going back to wherever she came from as well," George laughed.

"She mentioned something about Sandbrook," Alec admitted. "I have no idea where that even is. Just as long as she doesn't want to go where Rose and I used to go on holiday."

"Where's that then?" George tried to get him to admit.

"It was by the sea, Broadchurch. Rose loved it there," Alec recalled, making him feel even worse. "Can we leave the subject?"

"Sorry mate," George told him. "Do you really expect to leave here? Why didn't you move to London then?"

"I have no idea? Rose wanted me to, all the time but the training opportunities are much better up here," Alec told him. "Hence Tess coming up here."

"Sorry Hardy. Still, when you last visited Rose, you should have kidnapped her and brought her back with you, before Tess really got her claws into you," George laughed.

"It was already starting to happen, that Tess had her sights on making me involved with her. It never mattered to her that I had someone else. She took my not being able to get Rose to come up here as a sign of weakness." Alec admitted.

"Well if you ask me, it was," George agreed.

"Don't remind me," Alec insisted.

Tess was bragging to her new colleague how she had worn poor Alec down.

"So you got him to leave his fiancée then?" she was asked.

Tess smiled at the thought of how she'd managed to trap Alec.

"Well yes but it had been on the cards long before I met him," Tess admitted. "It was only a matter of time."

Her friend didn't know whether to congratulate her or tell Alec she felt sorry for him. Tess had obviously latched onto poor Alec shortly after she'd arrived here and had probably offered to listen to how much he missed this Rose.

"I'll be making a small list soon, for our engagement," Tess then told her friend. "We haven't got a very big place and Alec will only complain."

Her friend was silently hoping she wouldn't be one of the guests. It was one thing to listen to Tess bragging all day but another to see poor Alec out of his depth with all Tess's friends around.

"What about Alec's family?" Tess was asked. "I mean don't they live in the town?"

"Well yes but I don't really get on with them, especially his half brother," Tess had to admit.

Her friend thought no wonder, if she'd got Alec to leave someone they'd liked for her.

"Don't be offended if not everyone's invited," Tess added. "We'll go out one night instead."

Her friend thought she couldn't wait, Tess would probably make poor Alec pay for it whether he wanted to or not. Maybe he'd insist Tess went on her own though, if he had the courage?

Alec's family hadn't taken the news very well when they'd gone to visit on the following Sunday and had showed them the ring Tess had chosen. Alec's aunt had got him in the kitchen on the pretence of helping her clear up and Alec's dad, his uncle and John had known what was coming.

"What's going on?" Tess had wanted to know as the other three were pretending to be buried in various sections of the Sunday newspapers.

"Oh, I expect they just want to catch up?" John replied, still using his English accent in front of her.

"How come you have and English accent then?" Tess had then wanted to know.

"Ah, I do it at school," John laughed. "Anyway, I'm moving down there soon, Sarah-Jane wants to take up a job down there and I've agreed to go with her."

"Alec never said anything," Tess told him.

"Didn't he?" John tried to sound surprised. "Hasn't he mentioned Sarah-Jane? She took a job with a magazine and she didn't now how long it was going to last. I've already got my name at several agencies down there. It was easy so I don't know why Alec couldn't get on down there."

John then got a glare from his uncle, since it was still a touchy subject that either Alec hadn't left to go after Rose or why she'd not come up here.

"What?" John asked innocently.

In the kitchen, Alec was answering several questions his aunt wanted answers to.

"We're all very disappointed at the news Alec," he was being told.

"I know, Auntie. It was Tess's idea," he admitted.

"That's no excuse Alec," his aunt scolded him. "All that time when you could have got Rose to come up here or even you going down there. Then you know Tess for five minutes and you're getting engaged. What happened?"

"I've lost Rose and deserve to," Alec replied. "I gave in to Tess after I got back from seeing Rose. I thought she'd have come back with me afterwards but she didn't."

"I'm sorry Alec," his aunt sympathised. "I know you tried? Anyway, John can maybe look Rose up, when he gets down there? Sarah-Jane got offered a job and she recently got this big old house left to her in her uncle's will, so they have a place to live."

"Where is she today then?" Alec wondered.

"She heard you were coming over with Tess, she doesn't like her and that's not her, everyone likes Sarah-Jane," his aunt smiled.

"As opposed to liking Tess?" Alec raised his eyebrows. "I can't get Rose back, not now."

"Alec, you should have got married a long time ago," his aunt pointed out. "You and Rose loved each other so much."

"I know but it's done with," Alec told her. "I don't want John reminding her of me."

"You look less alike now," his aunt smiled. "Well marry Tess if you must but don't expect any of us to be enthusiastic about it, not like we would have done with Rose. Alec, I've not been well you know?"

"I know Auntie Mary and I'm sorry we don't come over much," Alec apologised.

"I know it's not you and you do come round in the evening sometimes, though that's got less," his aunt had noticed. "I've always tried to watch out for you after you lost your mother."

"I know you have and I'm thankful for that," Alec told her.

"Well I promised her I would and I'd also promised to have told you at some point about you and John," she admitted. "Does Tess know?"

"Why would I tell her?" Alec wondered. "She only knows we're half brothers, I don't need to tell her how that came about."

"You and Rose had no secrets from each other," he was reminded. "That shows you don't trust Tess, Alec."

"I'm sure there are a lot of things Tess has not told me," Alec replied. "One being why she really came to work up here, just after I got back."

"She couldn't have known about you Alec," his aunt pointed out.

"Couldn't she? If she was considering coming to train up here, she could have looked up the single officers," Alec told her.

"That's going a bit far," his aunt smiled.

"Is it? If she was looking to replace a current boyfriend or someone she shouldn't be involved with and she had to move for some reason? Why wait for me to get settled eh?" he wanted to know.

"You should maybe talk to John about this," his aunt advised him. "He's better at this sort of thing."

"It's hard to catch up with him these days, since Tess swapped our days off without asking me first," he replied. "Besides, he'll just tell me it's my own fault, I expect."

"He's always willing to listen to you Alec," he was reminded.

"I know but now he's moving away?" Alec replied.

"You know you can come round here any time you want," his aunt smiled and going to put her arms around him. "When did you get so tall?" she laughed as he bent down slightly. "You really do take after John."

Alec thought not so much, John had more sense than he did. John had met Sarah-Jane and he'd never even noticed his half-brother was close to getting married himself. Instead, he'd let Tess lead him on and forget about being engaged to Rose.

When they'd got home, Tess wanted to know why he'd left her to talk to his aunt.

"Tess, do not even think about coming between me and my family, understand?" he told her. "If you really must know, my aunt hasn't been well, I was checking up on her. Don't do that to me again. So, when's this engagement party?"

"Why not make it Christmas Eve?" Tess suggested, not wanting to leave it long.

James had worn Rose down and they'd agreed to compromise and that they'd just remain engaged and that they'd make the announcement when they went to Donna's party.

So on the day of the party, he finished work early as it was his last day anyway and he was going to pick Jackie up and they'd get a taxi the short distance to Donna's house.

They'd told Jackie they were going to make the announcement and for her to act surprised. On the way back, Jackie made a point of telling him he should have insisted they got married.

"I don't want to push her Jackie," James admitted to her. "I don't want her to run away. This time last year she was engaged to Alec."

"Ya don't have to remind me," Jackie replied. "If ya ask me, he should have done the right thing and ended it properly, never mind just not turning up that time."

"Yeah, she was really upset," James recalled. "She doesn't talk about it much though. Jackie, I've tried every way I can to convince her it won't happen again."

"I know ya have," Jackie agreed. "So go on then, what's this new job of yours again?"

James had decided it was time to leave the department store and show his true colours by getting himself hired at a sixth form college teaching history.

After Rose had moved in with him, he'd slowly admitted what he'd trained for before she'd even met him and now with the baby arriving in less than three month's time, he would quit his job at the store and use his teaching skills.

"Well Jackie, I'm teaching at the local sixth form collage, it's not been open long," James started to explain. "Apparently, the history teacher who started there was teaching at two and he got offered the other job full time. I went to the agency and just got lucky."

"Well it was lucky then?" Jackie had to agree. "Did Rose tell ya that her history teacher at the grammar school was Alec's half brother? It's a wonder he didn't get found out he was related to Alec though?"

"Oh I don't think it would have mattered," James told her. "As long as no favouritism was ever shown?"

"Well maybe?" Jackie wondered. "He used to help Rose a bit though."

"Well that was bound to happen," James admitted. "She doesn't talk about being at school up there much."

"Well she wouldn't, would she?" Jackie replied. "I mean I dragged her away from her friends and put her in it. I was tryin' to show off."

"Leave it Jackie, I know you don't like to talk about it," James insisted. "So how am I going to get Rose to agree to get married?"

"No good askin' me," Jackie laughed. "Talk to Donna about it?"

James knew that wouldn't do, Rose seemed to have made her mind up for now so he himself had to make her see that he didn't just want to get engaged then leave it. You never knew how much time you were going to have and Rose knew that first hand. Alec had deserted her despite them being engaged and he supposed Rose wasn't sure any more.

Donna's party went well, Donna hushing everyone when it got near midnight to make it official that Rose and James were engaged.

"For those of ya who've been wondering, yes, Rose is wearing a different engagement ring so come forward you two," she indicated to James, who turned to help Rose up. "Rose, James, I know ya've not been trying to hide the fact you're having a baby," Donna laughed as everyone else did.

"No Donna, we've not been hiding it," James agreed.

"Good. So it's now official as I announce the engagement of Rose Tyler to my cousin, James Noble," Donna put on her best voice.

Everyone there clapped and cheered, patting James on the back but sparing Rose by some of the women trying to hug her instead. After more celebrations and Donna giving them both a lecture that she wanted to be maid of honour at the wedding and they'd better not make her wait long, they ordered a cab to take them home, Jackie staying with them and hoping Donna would be in a fit state to cook the next day.

"That went well love," James remarked as they got ready for bed after they'd persuaded Jackie to call it a day.

"Yeah but those things Donna said," Rose replied. "About her wanting to be maid of honour? How can we tell her it might take a while?"

"Well love, we never told her an actual date," James pointed out. "All we have to do is say we've not decided yet."

"Do ya think that'll work?" Rose wondered as he helped her.

Well James hoped it would, since it could take Rose a while to say yes.

Tess and Alec's party had gone slightly different since there were less people there and Alec only knew some of them by sight. Alec took the chance to hide mostly in the kitchen which was where his friend George caught up with him.

"It's supposed to be your party as well Hardy," George grinned at him. "Anyone would think you were trying to hide."

"She wanted the party," Alec nodded to where he could just about see Tess laughing with her friends.

"Don't worry, if she tells Jeannie anything, I'll let you know," George told him as he patted Alec on the back.

"Tess never even bothered none of my family wanted to come," Alec admitted. "Not even my half-brother and his girlfriend."

"They didn't want to come?" George asked him.

"No, not really. Not after me and Rose never got chance to have one," Alec also admitted.

George took the hint that Alec didn't want to be reminded and went off as Tess approached.

"What are you hiding in here for Alec?" she wanted to know as she picked up another tray of nibbles. "At least come and talk to some of them with me?"

By the time the party was breaking up, Alec made his excuses and went to start clearing up. They'd been invited to his aunt's for Christmas dinner and Alec hadn't really wanted to help Tess cook for just the two of them.

"I hope no-one's going to bring the subject of Rose up at your aunt's," Tess told him as they decided to leave some of it.

"Of course not Tess, don't be so paranoid," Alec insisted. "We're going because you insisted on going home for the new year, remember?"

Alec could only hope her family would ignore him during their stay, him being engaged to Tess or not. So the next day, Rose and James were enjoying themselves with Jackie and Donna's family and Alec's family were trying their best to not bring up how Christmas used to be in their house when Rose had lived up there.

Poor Alec was trying especially not to think about all the times he and John had gone down to be with Rose and Jackie over the holidays and his family hadn't minded in the least that they were both missing.