They drove up to London in the early hours of Christmas Eve and arrived just after nine, Tony all excited to see his big sister.
"Rose! You're here," he greeted her, almost colliding with Alec. "Hello, sorry," Tony added as Alec held onto him.
"That's quite alright young man, since you have not seen your sister for a while."
"Are you Alec?" Tony asked, looking at him. "You're her boyfriend?"
"Yes, I am. Maybe we should all go inside?" Alec asked as Jackie stood in the doorway.
"Mum, Rose is here with her boyfriend," Tony shouted from behind the car.
"Tony, what's mum said about shouting?" Rose asked him as he tried to see what was in the large Christmas carrier bag.
"What did you bring me Rose?" Tony asked her.
"You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Let's go get some breakfast, I'm starving."
"You could nibble on me love if you're hungry," Alec grinned as Tony left them.
"Thanks for the offer but I don't think mum would like it if you're on the menu."
"Maybe not?"
"Come on, she doesn't bite," Rose encouraged him, looping her arm in his.
"I should hope not."
After the Christmas party, where Mickey had spent all evening sulking and Rose had been showing Alec off to her friends, Alec wanted her to open one of the presents he had got for her while they had gone off shopping on their own a few days before.
"Well just one or have you got a certain one in mind?"
"One I do not want you to open in front of your mother, she may yet throw me out. She did not look happy when you told the staff to put everything in your room."
"Chill Alec, she knows we're together, it's not like we've not been together for over three months. We live together, we never hid that from her."
"Well she was looking at me all night like I was going to disappear at the stroke of midnight. What was all that about?"
Rose knew what it was, it went back the Christmas the Doctor regenerated right in front of them and Alec was now a constant reminder.
"She's just gettin' used to having you around grumpy. I told ya, someone left me, she's a bit suspicious."
"I still do not understand how someone could leave you."
"It happened, it's over. I'm not gonna step in a time portal and leave ya."
"Torchwood has time portals?" Alec joked.
"Near enough, stand in front of a device and get zapped to another dimension, call it what ya want. So, which present to ya want me to open? Would that be the small one wrapped in red glitter paper?"
"How did you guess sweetcheeks? Unwrap it and then I can unwrap you."
Rose picked at the sticky tape carefully.
"Are you going to re-use the wrapping paper Rose?" Alec queried, raising an eyebrow.
"I thought only Scottish detectives did that?"
She unwrapped the paper to find a more skimpy than normal red bra and panties set, that Rose thought she would never get into but that was probably the idea.
"Aw, thanks Alec, I'll go put these on then you can take a photo."
"Rose, I have photos of you wearing all the underwear you possess but I prefer the ones where you are only wearing your knickers."
"If you ever got caught with those on your phone, you'd get locked up," Rose grinned, throwing the wrapping paper at him.
"I cannot re-use that now," he complained, putting it in the waste bin. "If I got caught with those photos Rose, I would make a fortune from selling them to the trashy Sunday papers, it would keep them all going for a month and they would each have a different set."
"If ya used the money to pay for a pacemaker, I wouldn't even mind," Rose replied as she turned for him to unzip her grey sparkly dress.
He leaned down to squint at the tiny hook at the top and kissed her neck.
"I may take you up on that sweetcheeks. Are you going to put that underwear on in the bathroom?"
"Yeah, don't get too excited when I come out wearing it, I'm not spending Christmas Day in the heart unit of the nearest hospital."
"I have survived seeing you naked and semi-naked for three months every night and morning. I think I will survive a little longer eh? No making noises tonight."
"Huh you can talk, mister," Rose grinned, holding up the knickers and twirling them on her little finger.
Alec went to grab them but she pulled them away.
"I could also help you into them?" he offered.
"That would just get you going off earlier, you don't want to spoil your record of doing it just at the right time."
"Why do you always make it so bloody easy for me? Honestly Rose, I have never known a woman like you before, you know exactly when to stop me. Is there something you are not telling me? You always change the subject when I ask you if you have not have your first time yet."
"You mean you can't tell lover?"
"You are? Well I have not had the pleasure of being a woman's first. I was thinking you must have a reason for stopping me penetrating you fully but you do it so well, I thought it was to stop me killing myself in the process. Mind you, with you on top I am hardly likely to give out on you that I won't recover. Rose, you should have told me."
"How was I to know you'd never been with someone who's not had their first time? Me and Mickey only fooled around, he didn't even get as far as you have and I mean that literally. I thought you'd have guessed after three months. Well if ya want me properly, the next two nights are the best time, I'll be on my monthly a few days after that and that injection I get might be good but it'll lessen the effects. I have to go get another one soon."
"Then don't bother? What are the chances I will actually get you pregnant? If I do, then I will pester the hospital for an appointment or even sell those naked photos of you."
"You would as well, wouldn't you? Aren't you glad Pete keeps us out of the papers?"
"Rose, we never go anywhere to get in the papers," he told her, finally unzipping the dress and Rose stepping out of it, her cleavage plumped up over her black lacy bra and her hips revealed by her skimpy black thong that Alec loved to run his finger under the strings and tease her.
"You are wearing your touch thongs Rose," he observed, since she'd got dressed in the bathroom after her shower earlier and he'd missed it.
"Yeah, I know you like these, how was I to know you were getting a reputation in the lingerie shop of buying bra and knickers sets?"
"They all know me in there now, no-one bothers me any more, they just nudge each other and ask if you liked the last lot I bought. I will have you know I chose that set myself with no help," he told her proudly.
"No help?" Rose teased him as she picked up her dress and he saw his chance to put his hand on her rear.
Rose tried to straighten up, putting her hand behind her to get him to let her, the dress in her other hand.
"Hang this dress up for me babe, I'll go freshen myself up for you and put these on, you'd better hope they fit, did you get a size smaller this time?"
"You are a size 10-12?"
Rose looked at him.
"No, a 12-14, I should write it on the back of your hand or anywhere else you're always looking at in the mirror, don't think I've not seen you while I'm putting my clothes away."
"Only getting ready for you sweetcheeks," he grinned back, rubbing her rear with the hand not now holding her dress.
"Well go get some practice, you still have your trousers on, I want them off by the time I come back in from the bathroom."
Alec let go of her rear and gave a mock salute.
"Yes Ma'am, got it."
"When you've got your clothes off, you might want to open that small present wrapped in the blue paper? Then I'll call you when I'm ready and you can catch what I'm wearing now."
"This has turned out to be one hell of a Christmas Rose. I never thought I would survive another one but if anything will finish me off, then I would rather it be having sex with you, come here."
Tossing her dress on the chair, he took the underwear from her and gathered her in his arms and kissed her senseless, one hand on her rear and the other hand under her bra fastener, trying to get the clasp with two fingers and his thumb. He pulled the bra away from her and whistled while she was still recovering.
"Do I have a photo of you just wearing those black lacy knickers love?" he smiled, holding the bra out to her.
"Probably, you should catalogue them all and put them in different folders."
"You mean like you organize your underwear? Makes sense I suppose? Let me take one before you go in the bathroom, I can check later."
Rose smiled and picked up the new red underwear as he got his phone out of his pocket and posed for him, the red underwear in one hand and the black bra in front of her exposed cleavage.
"You will be the death of me Rose Tyler, the way you wear just a pair of knickers around the bedroom. So, I open the small blue present?"
Rose nodded and giggled. "Want me to wait while you open it?"
He unwrapped the present carefully and brought out the contents, a very brief pair of cotton shorts, the tight fitting kind.
"Now you can show yourself off to me," she teased as he held them in front of himself. "I could help you if ya want?"
"Are you really tryin' to finish me off? I still have to survive Christmas dinner with your family. I don't think your ex boyfriend likes me very much."
"He'll come round, forget him. Mum will sort him out if he starts."
"Is that why your last one left you?"
"Mickey put him off, yes. It took him some time to even realise I wanted him to be my boyfriend instead of just a friend."
"Well he can think again if he tries to put me off, I will have him arrested for obstruction."
"Aw, I love it when you get all protective. Well take your trousers off then?"
"Oh, you want me to put these on while you go get changed?"
"You know I do lover."
Ten minutes later, Alec was doubting he would fail to impress his girlfriend, well his partner, she was much more than his girlfriend and while Christmas shopping, he had sneaked off to do something about her becoming his partner more permanently, well as long as he had anyway. She was his friend, his lover and his reason to get himself fixed and he would, as soon as he got up the courage to have the stupid pacemaker fitted. Why was he still putting it off even when he had the letter tucked inside his jacket pocket?
He sat on the edge of the bed, wondering why she was taking so much time when she'd only gone in the bathroom in a skimpy thong and she'd had a shower earlier but then he thought she was probably giving him time to get undressed.
"Rooose, why are you taking so long sweetcheeks?" he called to the bathroom door when he'd had enough of waiting to see her in the underwear he'd bought her.
He was getting quite a reputation in the lingerie shop on the High Street and thought it must surely be the talk of the town that he regularly bought his young blonde girlfriend sexy gift sets but thankfully, not too many people knew who she was.
"Keep your shorts on Alec, I'm coming," she called back, looking at herself in the tight underwear and wondering how she'd stuffed her breasts into a bra that was a size too small. He knew what size she was, he was forever buying her something and he'd seen the labels when he'd taken her bra off.
She opened the bathroom door slightly and held her other knickers on the end of her finger. Alec was still standing nearby, thinking he had never been teased as much in his life as Rose did. She made him feel ten years younger and a lot fitter than he really was and when he got a letter from the hospital other than to say he'd get an earlier appointment than the one he had in March if one came up he'd take it.
He'd not even got around to telling Rose he'd been offered a date for his surgery, he'd caught the postman while she was busy and put the letter in his pocket, she never went through his pockets. He was convinced though she got a kick out of fingering his shorts while sorting them for washing and putting them away again.
He took the black knickers from her and her bra followed. Then she held one leg out and Alec smiled. He went to get his phone as she switched off the bathroom light and posed for him. The photo added to his growing collection, he went up to her.
"Very impressive Alec," she smiled at his bulge. "How did ya manage to fit in those?"
"I was tempted to call for assistance but I can see you were having the same problem?"
He stared at her breasts heaving over the top of the red bra then at her hips.
"Did you mean it, about me not taking anything?" she asked, touching his bulge through the cotton material.
"Yes Rose, I meant it, we will take our chances and I have something to tell you. I got a date for surgery, in March and I was going to keep it as a surprise. Did you find my other surprise?"
"You mean these being a size too small?" she pointed to her lower half. "You really got a date for your surgery?"
"Well besides those and yes. Rose, there was something else at the side of that present, I thought you would ask what it was?"
He crossed over to the dresser where there were a few more presents and pulled out a blue velvet pouch.
"Oh, I thought that was to cover you?" Rose smirked, feeling through his cotton briefs.
"Very amusing sweetcheeks, maybe I could get some use out of it when I have shown you what is inside?"
He thought about leaving her wondering, she must have realised by now it was a ring.
"Maybe we should just leave this for tomorrow?" he continued, going to put it back.
Rose grabbed his hand. "You've told me about it now Alec."
"Yes but now I come to think about it, perhaps now is not the right time, since we are both in the very briefest of underwear."
"I don't care Alec, show me."
Rose stared as he brought out an exquisitely cut diamond ring and took her left hand.
"Marry me Rose?"
When they finally crawled over each other to get into bed, Alec thought to hell with his condition. If Rose wanted him to be her first, then he was going to go all out to make sure he was and if he suffered afterwards, it would be well worth it. As they lay afterwards, Rose on her front and Alec laid over the top of her, kissing her shoulder and one of his hands under her, he whispered how much he loved her.
"I love you too Alec but one more time of having sex like that, you won't see our wedding day."
"I know love, I wanted to make the extra effort for you and I hope it was satisfactory, since you did not stop me this time from going all the way?"
Rose was still getting used to the feel of the ring on her finger.
"Maybe we should have waited until tomorrow before you asked me to marry you?"
"I did say that Rose," he told her, moving her hair to kiss her other shoulder.
"Yeah, you did but I can imagine the look on my mother's face in the morning when she sees my ring."
"Yes and I can see the look on your ex boyfriend's face when he arrives for Christmas dinner."
Rose started to giggle. It was way past midnight but neither of them cared too much.
"That was amazing Alec, see, I told you we hadn't tried every way of having sex."
"That you did love. Since you are going to be off limits, we will have a repeat tomorrow night."
"Just you be careful you, we go home the day after."
"Rose, we need to think about moving you know? It may take us some time to find a place we both like."
The next morning, they fooled around until they heard voices in the hallway.
"But I want to go in and see Rose," Tony was protesting to his mother.
"You can't go barging in any more Tony, you're gettin' too old now."
"But Rose used to let me."
"Yes, I know. Go see your father while I go see if breakfast is ready and no sneaking any presents from under the tree until we all get there."
"Yes Mum. Where's Alec?"
"How do I know? In one of the guest rooms probably." Then she thought to herself, "Fat chance of that if Rose has anything to do with it," which was why she didn't want her young son running into his sister's room and interrupting something or worse still, catching Alec in there and telling Mickey and Jake over Christmas dinner.
Over breakfast, Jackie was trying to get over the fact Rose had gone to bed without an engagement ring and come down wearing one. Well, she thought to herself, at least they got engaged and shared a room.
Mickey was sulking all through lunch, especially when Tony asked what an engagement ring was.
"It means I asked your sister to marry me," Alec tried to explain as the staff cleared the table to bring in the Christmas pudding.
"What's marry Mum?" Tony turned to his mother.
"Tony, it's like mum and dad, they're married," Rose tried to tell her young brother.
"Oh. Does that mean you're having a baby?"
Everyone burst out laughing, all except Mickey, who didn't seem to be finding any of this amusing.
"Not yet Tony," Rose smiled. "Give us a bit of time, yeah?"
They all went into the larger family room and Tony wanted Alec to help him with a puzzle Mickey had got for him. Mickey looked a bit put out, since he'd intended putting the 3D model of Tower Bridge together with the young boy. Mickey took the chance to excuse himself but Rose got up and followed him out.
"I didn't know he was gonna ask me to marry him last night Mickey."
"It's nothing to do with me Rose, I've not been your boyfriend since we came here the first time. It was always you and the Doctor and now, you've got Alec."
"I really love Alec, he's so different but he needs me as much as the Doctor needed me."
"And I never needed you?" Mickey asked her.
"Me and you were pushed together by the estate and my mother's expectations Mickey, we never really stood much of a chance of it lasting more than a few years."
"So you'd still have left me even if the first Doctor's hadn't come along?"
"We'll never know, will we? You will come to the wedding?"
Back in the family room, Jackie was thinking of asking what had prompted her now almost as old as her future son-in-law to suddenly propose on Christmas Eve, or had it been the early hours of the morning?
"So, are ya gonna get yourself fixed Alec?" she suddenly asked him.
"I told Rose last night, I have a date for the surgery. I was waiting for the right time to tell her."
"So she said yes because you told her?"
Alec was not used to being drilled by his future mother-in-law.
"I told her first, then I asked her to marry me. I intend to get through the surgery."
"I should hope so as well, Rose has had enough of men leaving her."
"She told me but never went into great detail. I expect she will confide in me once we are married."
Pete was listening with interest and hoped if Rose ever did tell the detective who had succeeded where both Mickey and the Doctor had failed, despite being ill, he would accept Rose wasn't who she appeared to be.
The festivities were coming to an end on boxing day and they were preparing to travel back down to Broadchurch late afternoon.
"Can I come with you?" Tony asked as he sat on her lap.
"It's cold down there Tony and we really don't have the room. All my things are in the spare bedroom. Maybe in the spring? Me and Alec are gonna look for another place anyway."
"I thought you liked it there Rose?" her mother asked, still staring at Rose's engagement ring.
"We do but we only got it until March. We have to start looking sooner or later."
Alec came to her rescue after taking some luggage out to the car.
"Rose and I are planning on starting a family soon Jackie."
"Already? You just got engaged."
"Yes and I also got a date for my surgery so we need to move. Rose did tell you the pacemaker may not work?"
"Then whatcha doing planning on starting a family for you plum?" Jackie had to ask.
He put his arm around his fianc e. "So she may have something to remember me by."