Rose had found Alec in his guest room sorting out his laundry, which was most of it and Rose assured him he'd have it all back, cleaned and pressed by the evening and they just kissed some more after Rose had left it all outside his door in a laundry basket she had brought up to be collected.
"My mother seems to like you Alec and don't take any notice about her rude remarks about shaving, I want you to keep your beard, that's if you want to?"
"I've only grown it since last weekend, thought it would make a change. I didn't set out to impress anyone here, I was going to shave it off again when I went back to work but now I think I'll keep it, since you seem to like it so much. It's not too rough on your skin is it?"
Rose ran her fingers along it, kissing him as she did so.
"No, it's fine, I'll just put some cream on after I've finished kissing you," she laughed.
They had some lunch then Alec drove them back into London and around the sights. He had told Rose he wasn't really that keen on the city but they parked up and walked down the embankment and watched the boats going past. They were near where she had landed the first time she was here but she didn't say anything. Alec said he wasn't keen on going on the water, something had happened when he was younger but he didn't want to talk about it and Rose didn't press him about it. She just took his hand and smiled reassuringly at him.
Alec began to ask her if the press followed her around at all but she assured him they never bothered her unless she was out at a function somewhere and he seemed satisfied. Rose could understand his concern, he had promised Pete he would keep her out of his divorce proceedings but didn't want to be photographed with her, not yet. He didn't want his wife naming Rose as the other party.
They returned in time for dinner, Alec's clothes had been returned much to his relief and he hung his shirts up in the wardrobe as Rose stood in the doorway before they joined Jackie and Pete. Rose went up behind him, closing the door to and put her arms around him, leaning on his back.
"You know if you really want to get on my mum's good side, we could redecorate the nursery for her on Saturday, that's if you have no other plans?"
He took her hands firmly around his waist and held them there then spun her around so she faced him.
"I'm quite good at decorating, I'll have you know, just have the paint ready on Saturday morning although I should have brought some more casual clothes with me, I'll ruin my suit trousers unless your dad has some overalls I can borrow?"
"I'm sure we can find you something suitable to wear for the occasion. Let's go tell her the good news, it will score you extra brownie points."
"What exactly are 'brownie' points? Is it something from your world?"
Rose knew she had put her foot in it, she had to be extra careful what she said.
"Sorry, it's like on my world, young boys and girls went to boy scouts and girl guides and brownies where they learned new skills and went camping and did good deeds, I don't suppose you had them here."
"Oh you mean like youth clubs and life skills? Yes, we have them here, I was a good life-skiller, got all the badges I did," he grinned.
Rose laughed. "I just bet you did. Anyway, whenever you did a good or extra deed, you got extra brownie points and that was a saying on my world, getting extra brownie points meaning you scored a good impression on someone when you needed it, sort of like if they weren't sure about you it gave them that extra incentive to like you. Mum seems to like you but she's just not sure about you but redecorating the nursery will put you in her good books, make her see your willing to make a good impression on her."
Alec smiled. If it made Rose and her mother happy, he was only too pleased to go the extra mile and make a good impression.
"On one condition, I'll help if she relents and lets me stay with you on Saturday night since I'm going back on Sunday."
"Mmm, I think it might take a bit more than painting the nursery to do that but we can try. She did say to be out of my room by midnight, she said nothing about you returning in the morning, did she?" Rose laughed.
"Rose Tyler, you are sneaky," he said, kissing her forehead.
They went down for dinner and told Jackie they would be pleased to decorate the nursery for her and Pete said he would have the paint delivered and two pairs of disposable overalls and have someone cover the carpet for them and Jackie nodded her approval of Alec, welcoming him to the family. Rose was just glad Pete had kept his word and not told her was already married, she would find out later when his divorce came through but they could say he was already getting it when they met, only Pete would know the truth. She didn't know how her mother would react to him being married, she had been bad enough when she had found out The Doctor was a 900 year old alien.
Alec kept his word and left Rose's room just before midnight, fearing the woman would have some kind of detector hidden somewhere and wanting to stay on her good side but he set his alarm for seven, got dressed and went back after a quick shower and tapped lightly on Rose's door and she had immediately opened it and Jackie was non the wiser. They were sat eating breakfast in the kitchen by the time Jackie got up.
They went sightseeing again, getting a tour bus around the city and getting off at various points. Rose took some photos of him on her phone that he wasn't entirely happy about but Rose said no-one but her would see them and put one as his contact picture and one as the wallpaper.
"I'm just sorry I can't take any of you yet Rose and some of us both together but hopefully by next weekend, the papers will be served and we can relax a little. Once they've been signed by both parties, she can't add anything to it like citing you as the reason I'm filing for divorce."
"Do you think she'll sign the papers without a fuss?"
"If she gets everything she wants but she's not getting sole custody of Daisy, I could go for joint custody but I'll let the court decide that once the divorce comes through. Meanwhile, I'll get temporary visiting rights, probably weekends so you'll have to stay out of the picture but I'll take her out, not to where we decide to live. I don't want her knowing about you until it's all over and it's too late. Besides, the judge will learn she was the one who was cheating on me, there's no proof I did anything wrong, I was the one that was at home looking after Daisy so there's no problem there."
"Well if we look for somewhere to live where no-one knows you, there won't be any chance of her finding out but how are you going to cope Alec, if you're looking after Daisy, you'll be there when your wife gets back home won't you?"
"No, because I'm going to refuse to pick her up and look after her, her mother will have to change her hours. I'll only do it on Monday until she can get her hours approved, she'll just have to make some adjustments, I've been doing it for the last two years, it's her turn to make some sacrifices. Every night I've gone to collect her, gave her tea and helped her with her homework, it's time for a few changes."
"Alec," Rose said, taking his hand. They were down by the river again, about to get the tour bus back to where they had parked the car. "You never even told me your wife's name. It doesn't matter, if you don't want to tell me but you can if you want, I'm okay with it, just so you know." She squeezed his hand and put her arm in his, laying her head on his shoulder. "I love you Alec, it makes no difference if you want to tell me or not."
Alec thought about it. Rose had taken it well so far, even encouraged him to talk about his daughter. He at least owed her that much so she knew what she was up against.
"Her name is Tess," was all he wanted to tell her.
Rose looked up at him and kissed his cheek. She didn't need to say anything else.
They got the bus back and drove to the Tyler residence and went to Alec's room. They just laid down on the bed, Alec's arms wrapped around her. Rose asked him what time he would have to leave on Sunday.
"It's a fair way to drive and I don't want to get back too late, I want to see Daisy before she goes to bed so I'll probably leave after breakfast and make a couple of stops on the way. I'll go straight up the A1 and stop just at this side of Leeds then when I get further up. I'll call you each time but I may not be able to call you when I get back. I'll have to take your name out of my phone for now, just keep your number. I don't want anything to go wrong, I want to appear the injured party in all this, keep everything above board until it all goes through. You understand, don't you? I'm not trying to disown you, I just want to keep your name out of it to protect you."
"Well if you want to keep things quiet, I'm an expert at that, I could teach you a few things, DI Hardy," she teased, kissing his cheek.
"I just bet you can and no more making my neck red, you should have seen it this morning when I got up."
Rose pulled his collar away from his neck and admired her work.
"Told you I could do it further down," she remarked.
"Not just now thanks," he replied. "It's my turn now to do it to you."
Before she could protest, he flipped her over and unfastened her shirt and began kissing the base of her neck.
"Oi, it's going to be seen there unless I wear nothing but high neck shirts and jumpers," she laughed.
"Well I could do it lower down if you prefer," he replied, mimicking what she had said the night before and unfastened some more buttons playfully.
"Just remember, you have to finish the job you started," she laughed, reaching for his shirt buttons.
That resulting in them both losing their shirts and Rose losing her underwear again on her top half as he kissed his way across her tummy. He looked up.
"I love you Rose, you are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time, I'm so glad I went to that conference now. I didn't want to go but if I hadn't, I'd never have met you."
"I love you too Alec, I thought I'd be restless and hate it here but I don't now, not any more. I hate to think you'll only be here tomorrow then I won't see you for nearly another week. I wish I could skip my exams and come with you."
"You need to finish your exams if you want that job. I could support us both but it would be tight. I'll have to pay towards Daisy's upbringing until she's sixteen but I'm not going to pay a penny to my wife, she has a job and a boyfriend and if we're going to live together, I want us to have decent place and I don't want you paying for it all."
"You're just too good for your own good Alec Hardy. You'd make someone a good husband," Rose replied, turning him around so she could lie on him again.
"Don't joke about it Rose, I was a good husband or at least I thought I was. I didn't drive her away, she went on her own. I made a mistake and now I'm going to put it right after I paid for it. Just how long will you stay with me Rose? What if she won't sign the papers, what then?"
Rose had been asked that question before, when she thought she could give The Doctor forever and look where that ended. What if Alec was right and his wife wouldn't sign the papers? Would she be prepared to still live with him knowing they could never get married? She had been through all this before but couldn't tell him. She had broken her promise to stay with The Doctor, she couldn't promise Alec forever if he was never going to be free.
"Then we'll just have to give her an incentive to sign them, won't we?"
"Oh no you don't Rose Tyler, you are not giving that woman money to sign the papers, no way. I won't drag you into this, not under any circumstance so forget that idea right now. I won't let you get involved with this, never Rose."
Rose leaned up on one elbow and studied him. She had no choice.
"Alec, I don't care what my stepfather said, I can look after myself. If she wants money to leave you then she'll get it but I wasn't talking about just giving her money, I meant you could name me as the other party, admit we've been having an affair or we could get positive evidence she was the one having the affair so she couldn't get out of it and she'd have to sign, let the judge decide, then it won't matter if she signs or not, will it?"
Alec looked at her, there was much more to her than she was letting on and it wasn't just the fact she was from a different universe, it was much more than that. She had grown up faster than she should have done. Maybe it was having to deal with the Cybermen but he suspected it was not that alone.
He pulled her back down and kissed her.
"Well, let's just see what happens and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I do have proof and probably half of the station knows about her affair, except me, they were always talking behind my back. I don't think it will really be much of a problem. You still didn't answer me though, just suppose she won't sign and the judgement goes in her favour, will you still stay with me?"
"Alec, don't ask such questions, what do you take me for? Do you think I'll leave you if you can't get a divorce? We'll work it out. I promise, I'll still be with you, whatever happens. I'm going to be honest with you now Alec and you may not like it. I once promised someone I would stay with him forever and do you know what happened?" Alec shook his head. "We got separated, I ended up here and he stayed in our original universe, that's what happens when you think you have all the time in the world, it gets snatched away from you and there's nothing you can do about it. I'd promise you forever Alec but I may not be able to keep that promise and I'm scared of making it again, scared somehow it will all end up like before."
"Then what can you promise me Rose because I'll take whatever you've got. You don't have to promise me forever, just promise me what you can give me and it will be enough. Your love is all I need Rose and if for some obscure reason I can't get a divorce, we'll find a way, you'll just have to put up with being branded the other woman."
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her.
"Well so long as I'm not a kept woman I don't care," she laughed. "I promise you Alec, I'll give you whatever time I can, that's all I can do."
"Then I'll take it Rose because you are more than worth it. It was that Doctor, wasn't it? You promised him you'd stay forever and you got ripped apart but that wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known what was going to happen. You didn't break that promise Rose, those Cybermen broke it for you, you would have kept your word if they hadn't come along. It's okay if you can't promise me the same, I understand you're afraid to say it again, I really do, just promising me whatever time you can is more than enough, it's all I can ask. I do love you Rose, you know I do and please, don't let us have this conversation again, I won't ask you any more. I'll stay with you whatever happens for as long as I can."
Rose looked at him. She was here to stay, she wasn't going back under any circumstances, not even if she got the chance. She might have had the time of her life, travelling with The Doctor but he would never settle down and it have been great and she had loved him but Alec needed her, The Doctor would understand that. She had to make a commitment to Alec now, he was here with her, not a universe away.
Rose sat up and looked at him, not bothering to cover herself up. Alec stared at her, never really looking at how beautiful she was, tracing his finger from her neck all the way down, looking at her with his brown eyes that said he really did love her.
"Well if we're not discussing this again I've just got one more thing to say, I will stay with you Alec, forever, no matter what and if something does happen, it won't be because either of us wanted it that way."
She leaned down to kiss him and he whispered back, "Forever Rose."