The next morning, they both wondered what had happened that Rose was up against the window and Alec was on the outside of the bed, Rose now leaning on him with his arm around her. Rose vaguely remembered him mumbling something and felt herself getting shuffled around but Alec didn't remember anything of the sort. He woke up to find Rose lying on his shoulder with her arm over him but he did remember having an argument with her which had resulted in him saying he was going back to sleep then turning around to her, what the hell had he been thinking?
It was one thing waking up from his never-ending nightmare of getting pulled out of the river but another to wake up again with a beautiful blonde with her arm around you, a blonde that was engaged to another man, albeit his double and thousands of miles away. As he became more aware, the said blonde was wearing his t-shirt and a skimpy piece of underwear and nothing else, feeling embarrassed about his hairy legs.
Rose was becoming more aware he was moving. ''Morning Alec and no, I didn't forget who you were, I'm quite aware you're not my fiancé, I don't need reminding of that fact. How are you feeling?''
''Fine, I didn't need for you to stay all night you know, I'm capable of sleeping on my own. Now can I please have my arm back?''
Rose tried to move, realising he was taking most of the room up. ''Yeah, you looked like you could sleep on your own, waking me up at two in the morning, you don't have to thank me for being concerned about you. If you let me out of bed, I'll go make some tea and just exactly how did I get over here when you were leaning on me?''
Alec gained his arm back somehow and raised his arms above his head, resting his head on them. ''How do I know? Maybe you crawled over there on your own?''
''Very funny Alec, you shoved me over here after you shuffled around.''
''I don't remember that, maybe I was just trying to get away from you?''
''Yeah? Didn't do such a good job, did you?''
She was now leaning over him, resting on her elbow, tempted to put her other hand on his stomach as his t-shirt had ridden up when he stretched but he was watching her, like he was daring her so she rested it at her side. It was he who moved one of his arms and touched hers.
''I'm sorry, for arguing with you when you were just trying to help me. Let me make it up to you, I'll go make the tea, I need to take my pills anyway. The thing is Rose, I never accept help, it's nothing personal against you. Not many people know what's actually wrong with me, just my ex partner, my ex boss and a few others.''
''I'm honoured then but seriously Alec, it's ok, I half expected you to be awkward when I offered to help but let me do this one thing for you, take you to the hospital and see what your options are, please?''
''Stay there, I need my pills and my morning cup of tea and I'm not debating this with you until I've had both.''
''I can go get dressed while you make the tea,'' Rose offered as he pulled the duvet back and she got a better view of his hairy legs, not bad for a man's plus his hairy arms.
''In a rush to get out of my bed? You couldn't get in it fast enough last night,'' he smirked, getting out of bed slowly since he didn't want another dizzy spell.
He knew his symptoms were worsening but he didn't want to admit it to her but maybe she was right, maybe if he left it any longer he wouldn't get a choice. Rose lay back on the pillow, debating if she should make a run for it. She hadn't thought last night when she'd heard him call out, he was clearly in trouble when she had gone in his room and she was worried he would do it again, well that was what she tried to tell herself, maybe she was just as tired of sleeping alone as Alec was but what about James, out there in the Nevada desert?
James could have come over for the weekend if he'd wanted, at his own cost but since he got discount being a 'Frequent Flyers' club member, he could have made the effort, especially as she had told him Alec was impersonating him. She missed him sure and she shouldn't have been so quick to climb into Alec Hardy's bed last night but despite him doing nothing but being prickly with her, she was liking him in ways she shouldn't be contemplating whilst wearing James's ring.
She told herself to get a grip and crawled over to get out of bed, just as Alec came back with two mugs of tea.
''I'm a coffee person in the mornings Alec but thanks, I'll make an exception.''
Alec sat on the edge of the bed, holding both mugs as Rose scrambled over to sit beside him, trying not to let her spill the contents as she put her hand on his arm.
''Go on then, try to talk me into seeing the consultant without having to wait another three months.''
''Is that how long they told you?''
''Not exactly, it was three months last September, I might have missed a few appointments hoping they would give up but they haven't. Now I'm getting letters telling me to contact them urgently.''
''Alec, if you weren't holding that mug of tea I'd slap you silly, why did you let me go on about paying for your operation?''
''You seemed to enjoy spending your money, who was I to spoil it?''
''You are so infuriating Alec Hardy.''
''So I've been told, you don't know Ellie Miller do you? You two would get on well. Are we going for breakfast only there's still ninety minutes before they open, you can sneak over and retrieve your belongings and move your car. I think it's best you go over on your own.''
''Oh no you don't, you're going with me, how do I explain where you are?''
''Tell them I've flown back to Nevada, the real me can grow my beard back and go back to being the hardass detective and you go to the paper tomorrow and tell them you've chosen somewhere.''
''You've been thinking about this and you couldn't tell me? Why doesn't that surprise me, you really are a pain in the ass detective.''
''Wouldn't want to ruin my reputation, would I? You can go get dressed now, there's no need to discuss me going for an operation.''
''Really? You gonna go without a fight?''
''I may do, if you stop bugging me.''
''Someone obviously needs to. I'll go get my stuff then meet you back here, how do I get to the back of the chalet?''
''Turn left at the end of the road towards the harbour, follow the road until you see a gap then drive down the field.''
''I hope it's not muddy, maybe I'll just go park in the harbour car park until the press have gone then I'll use the front car park. If we both go over together and are seen driving away, they'll have no reason to stay, will they?''
Alec was doing his best not to stare at her legs that were distracting him from getting up, he was waiting for her to make the first move to go get dressed. He put his mug down and motioned for Rose to pass hers, wondering if she was actually going to leave or watch him getting dressed. Before either of them knew what was happening, Alec had pushed her back down on the bed and was leaning over her, his hand on her bare legs and finding out just how skimpy her underwear was as he ran his fingers under the t-shirt she had borrowed.
''You've still got my t-shirt, I want it back before you leave.''
''Come and claim it back, Jamie.''
''I'm not Jamie but just out of curiosity, what did you call him that you didn't want to tell me?''
''Nope, I'm not telling you, I can't call you that.''
''Maybe you're right, you can leave now if you want, you've just been driving me mad sitting there and I wanted to know if you'd be tempted to use my razor to shave your legs, you don't by the way.''
''I could have told you that, detective, are you always so nosey?''
''I wouldn't be a detective if I wasn't, would I now? Well, do you want to get up now?''
His hand stayed where it was as he kept his balance with his other hand on the bed. Rose knew she was playing with fire and shouldn't get involved with him, he was stubborn and not going to go get that operation unless someone shoved him in the operating theatre and tied him down and even then, what were his chances? She was tired of having men who disappeared on her, especially when they all looked alike. What were the chances of that? She lost the Doctor and found James when she had given up hope of ever settling in this version of the world and now, James was away and she had found Alec but could she cheat on James?
She reached out for the hand that was rubbing her thigh, his thumb going over one particular spot that felt rather good and held his hand there, her other fingered his newly cut hair that had been styled similar to how James had his sometimes, then she touched his cheek.
''I'm sorry Alec, maybe I'd just best go and you never see me again, I'll tell the press you sneaked out of the back of the hotel and got into a taxi in the early hours of the morning, they wouldn't know then I'll leave town and you can go back to being yourself.''
''Rose, I don't want you to go but if you think you should, then I won't stop you and I won't threaten not to go see about the pacemaker just to keep you here, I will go, first thing tomorrow but first, I want my t-shirt back.''
Rose reached both her arms out and put them around his shoulders, pulling him over and making him move the arm he was leaning on onto her arm and began kissing her neck softly as the hand on her thigh moved onto her stomach and further up the t-shirt as Rose clung hold of the back of it as he smoothed his over her exposed skin.
Alec glanced down to see her underwear only just covered her, seeing her hips and being tempted to get her to move backwards further onto the bed but somehow she sensed it and began to shuffle her way further on as he moved his legs so he was over her, crawling after her.
''You're taking a long time claiming your t-shirt back Alec,'' she teased.
''Are you sure you want me to take it back?''
He leaned down and kissed her tummy, then her hip as Rose gripped his shoulders. Suddenly, she moved her hands and put then around his back, pulling his own t-shirt up.
''Only if you'd care to swap with me?''
Letting go of her, he pulled his t-shirt over his head with a little help from Rose, revealing his hairy chest that she brought one hand to the front and touched it, just near his heart.
''Alec, let me stay here and look after you, until you get your pacemaker?''
''Don't worry about me Rose, you have your own life to live, you and what's his name.''
Rose smiled. ''Then this is how I chose to spend my free time, making sure you go get your operation, I was only going back to London to an empty apartment, this is much more homey than there.''
''What about him Rose? You wear his ring, what will people think if they find out I'm not him? I have a hearing to go to next week, remember?''
''Once the press have their story, they'll leave town, don't worry, I won't say anything.''
She took his hand back and placed it on her tummy again and he leaned down to kiss it again.
''If you keep tormenting me, I won't need to go to hospital Rose.''
''Then what are you waiting for, you want your t-shirt back, take it, I'm not stopping you, you're the one delaying it.''
Twenty minutes later, Rose was getting dressed, having got up wearing the t-shirt Alec had slept in after she offered no resistance as he pulled the one she was wearing over her head as he kissed his way further up, Rose ruffling his hair as his legs were dangling off the edge of the bed and either side of hers and trying to balance himself on his hands half resting on her hardly covered hips. Rose was murmuring softly as he placed kisses across her top half, making her forget she shouldn't even be thinking about this, let alone let Alec Hardy be doing it and taking James's place but James never did this to her if she admitted it, not the way Alec was alternating between kissing each part then licking her with his tongue and they hadn't even got around to kissing yet.
Five minutes before he finally let her up, they had spent with their legs entwined as Alec tried to stop himself falling off the bed as his hands moved onto her shoulders and skin touched skin as they kissed, briefly for a few seconds until Rose melted into him and let go.
''Wow, that was some kiss Alec, been a long time has it?''
''What do you want me to say? I've been divorced quite a while now and the only female company I had I either worked with and I'm not kissing Miller or the hotel owner who quite rightly turned me down after she had to get me to the emergency room.''
''I'm sorry Alec, I didn't mean anything by it but with your hair like that and your beard trimmed, you're a very good-looking bloke and I can't understand why women stay away from you.''
She ruffled his hair as he moved away, he tossed the t-shirt he had been wearing to her and pulled her up but held onto her and pulled her close.
''Maybe it's my prickly nature, which should have also put you off so why was I unsuccessful on that score eh?''
''You don't know me very well, I had plenty of practice with the friend I lost and James, well I couldn't wind him up if I tried and I think I missed that.''
''So you and this other friend of yours, were you just friends or was there something else?''
''Nope, only friends and I only snogged him once but I was being possessed at the time so it didn't count then before I had the chance to do it as myself, he'd gone to fight the Cybermen and I lost him. I did get chance to say goodbye though, a few months later, there was still a tiny gap between the two universes and he got a message through, we had to go up to Norway though, that was where the gap came through.''
''You talk weird Rose do you know that?''
TBC