"You sneak," Rose laughed when he told her.
"Well I had to give your mother some warning," Jamie laughed. "Tony's going to be excited now I'll be his real brother!"
"Yeah, bless him, he'll tell everyone at school, we won't need to announce it in the papers," Rose agreed.
"Ah. About that?" Jamie asked nervously. "Do we have to?"
"You know what my mum's like?" Rose reminded him. "We'll just put out a press release this time then, take a couple of photos showing off my ring and say we've not settled on a date yet," she suggested.
"Well I was hoping it wasn't going to be too long," Jamie admitted. "How about April or May? Well June at the latest?"
"Well? Yeah, okay then. Tony can be pageboy, we'll have the wedding in a large marquee in the grounds but what about bridesmaids?" Rose wondered.
"I will leave that to you," Jamie replied as he was more interested in turning the lamp out and just getting under the covers with her with only the light coming from outside.
He was hoping now they were actually engaged, she would finally give in to him, not that he didn't enjoy getting as close as she would allow but he tried not to be too disappointed when it all ended before he wanted. She had claimed he just got her too excited that she couldn't bear any more and he had to believe her. It wasn't as though she didn't take precautions, he knew she did.
They left Brighton and Tony was asking when they were coming back.
"They'll be here soon," Jackie was trying to tell him. "They might have a surprise for ya as well."
"A new boat?" Tony asked hopefully.
"What do you want the most?" Pete asked him.
"For Jamie to be my real brother?" Tony then asked, a big grin on his face. "He will?"
The boy began running around the room, first to his mother, then to the window looking for Jamie's car.
"Wait 'til I tell my friends I'm gonna have a real big brother!" he told Jackie and Pete excitedly.
"You'd better get them to do a press release before he goes back to nursery school Pete," Jackie warned him.
Pete had already thought about that, after the fiasco last time. He called the media department at Torchwood and got them to arrange something and told them he'd get them both to write a statement and hand it in with some photos after the holidays.
The day before the party, Rose was hunting for a new dress, her mother tagging along while Jamie watched Tony.
"Really Mum, I don't know what I'm gonna do about any bridesmaids, all my friends are older," Rose complained as she browsed the rails in her favourite dress shop.
"Well what do other famous people do?" her mother asked, making sure everyone could hear.
Rose hated it when her mother showed her off.
"Use that social media thing for some ideas?" Jackie then suggested. "Ya know, that twitted thing."
"Mum, stop it," Rose warned Jackie as everyone looked at them. "Ya know that's not me."
Rose had given in and got a social secretary to deal with things like that, such as answering mail and passing anything on that needed her attention. The young woman was quite up on modern ways of communication and Rose had been impressed when she'd explained what she wanted.
Things such as answers to simple questions on the two main sites were dealt with but it was made plain on the accounts that it was not Rose herself and that it was run on her behalf. She didn't want anyone misquoting her.
"Well, ya'd better think of something when ya decide on a date. I hope ya gonna announce it tomorrow night?" Jackie asked her.
"I'm not sure yet Mum," Rose admitted as she held up two dresses and went off to the changing room, Jackie following her.
When they got back, Rose took Jamie up to their room.
"Mum expects us to announce a date at the party," she warned him.
"I did say she would," Jamie laughed. "Why don't we just pick a month?"
"Well it might satisfy her for now?" Rose wondered. "No, you're not seeing me in my new dress or my new lingerie, forget it loverboy," she teased him.
"You are such a tease, Rose Tyler," he laughed, going for a kiss. "Let me see if I can entice you?"
She supposed she couldn't blame him for trying as he pushed her onto the bed. The following day, Tony was getting in the way of preparing for the party so Rose and Jamie decided to take him to the park to let him run around for a while. Jamie was pushing the boy on the swings, Rose leaning on one of the posts.
She knew the way he'd taken to Tony meant he was keen for them to have kids of their own but there was that one final hurdle to get over. Could she ever tell him she'd been abused back in her old world by that Jimmy Stone? Jimmy had hurt her but she'd never done anything about it despite her mother marching her into the nearest police station.
She had never forgotten it but he'd been drunk at the time, she'd tried to fight him off and she didn't know because she was so young what had actually happened. She had escaped, gathering what she could when he'd passed out and had gone banging on her mother's door at almost midnight.
She shook the thoughts from her mind as Jamie was teasing Tony about how high he wanted to go.
"Tony, ya know what mum said," Rose called over to him as the boy leaned over to stare at the ground.
"He's just excited Rose," Jamie told her as Rose tried to catch the swing. "He'll be fine. Come on Tony, roundabout next."
They got back and handed Tony over to his nanny, who had just arrived to take charge of him for the rest of the day and during the party. Rose knew her mother liked to take her time getting ready for a party. Maybe no-one noticed the difference between her and the other Jackie in that department.
"So, don't forget, we say May," Jamie reminded her before Rose went to get ready. "Want some help love?" he waggled his eyebrows.
"Ha, you wish!" Rose had to laugh. "Give me an hour to have a soak in the bubble bath."
"As long as you don't get out first eh?" he replied.
He went off to find Pete, who was in his study.
"Pete, can I ask something?" Jamie wanted to know as Pete turned the screen off. "What happened here that night? Rose was staring into space while we were out. I can only think something had reminded her of that night."
"I wouldn't worry Jamie, Jackie still remembers the other side of it," Pete told him. "I doubt it'll ever go away fully. Have you two started working on that press statement yet?"
Jamie just gave him a grin so Pete assumed not.
"I'd get on with it before Jackie gets the press in again," Pete laughed.
"Rose is worried that she's got no bridesmaids," Jamie admitted. "Maybe she should run a competition or something? Maybe those who follow her on social media?"
"Wouldn't that rule a lot of the younger ones out?" Pete wondered.
"She should run a competition in a girl's magazine or something," Jamie then joked.
"I'd be careful if I were you," Pete also laughed.
"It's not a bad idea though," Jamie tried to be serious.
Rose had got out of the bath and was just getting dressed when Jamie joined her. He'd been delayed by Jackie.
"Ah, Jackie. I was just saying to Pete about bridesmaids for the wedding," he told her.
One thing Jackie wasn't sure about this particular likeness of the Doctor was that Jamie wasn't afraid of her. He spoke his mind and hadn't run a mile after getting over the initial shock of announcing to the press that he and Rose were dating. She had put his reluctance down to the fact that he'd wanted Rose to himself and not for their relationship to be public knowledge.
"Well, what about it?" Jackie wanted to know, since she was about to check on Tony before getting ready for the party.
"I thought you might be able to talk Rose into agreeing for some magazine or website to run a contest, to pick some girls from different age groups. She has quite a following by all accounts," Jamie grinned at his almost mother-in-law.
That was another thing Jackie was going to have to face. A version of the Timelord as her son-in-law and none of them could really talk about it in full. What Jamie would make of it was anyone's guess. Pete was satisfied he knew enough of Rose's past that everyone was comfortable with but Rose had nearly given the game away after revealing too much when she'd first met Jamie.
Luckily, Pete and Jake had caught on and been able to cover it up but it had been a close call and it had led to Rose taking up with Jamie.
"Have ya said anything to Rose?" Jackie wondered.
"No, not yet," Jamie replied, sure that's what he'd already said. "We thought it would be better coming from you. What do you think?"
"It might be better in a magazine?" Jackie thought. "Not all kids are allowed on the internet and quite right if ya ask me. She could talk to her secretary about it, after the holidays," she suggested.
"Great, I'll leave it with you then?" Jamie seemed pleased with himself. "Best go make myself presentable for tonight then?"
Jackie thought that meant spending an hour in front of a mirror getting his hair to stand up how he wanted it. They were all going to have a light meal before everyone arrived, since there was only going to be party food being served to the guests. Jamie was then arranging with Pete when would be the best time to make the announcement.
"After everyone's arrived I suppose?" Pete thought the most likely time as Rose and Jackie went off to greet early guests.
Up in Sandbrook, Alec had just about survived Christmas but hadn't been happy about being dragged to a party of a friend of Tess's for the new year.
"Come on Alec, one more party is not going to kill you," Tess had argued during the day as he waited to take Daisy to Tess's mother's.
"Tess, this is the last time," Alec warned her while he waited.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tess wanted to know. "I thought we may try and make up in the new year?"
"That was your suggestion," Alec reminded her. "It depends on a few things, such as how much time you spend with Dave at work."
"You know I've cut down, mainly because he doesn't want much to do with me now," Tess admitted. "See, if I try, then you can."
"I wasn't the guilty one, was I?" he replied as he heard Daisy's room door closing.
"Sometimes there's no pleasing you Alec," Tess told him. "I can't try any harder Alec, it's down to you now. We could make a clean break in the new year, you have to want to try as well though."
"Seriously, are you two arguing again?" Daisy complained as she came downstairs with her arms folded.
"Have you been on that phone again?" Alec wanted to know.
"Why do you care?" Daisy asked cheekily. "I bet wherever Rose Tyler was, she had a better time than I did."
"Stop going on about her," Tess warned the teenager. "Whoever writes on her social pages, puts what they want."
"Stop spoiling it Mum," Daisy huffed. "I know it's not her but they keep in contact with her."
Alec just shook his head in despair. Teenagers such as his daughter were so impressionable where the likes of reality stars were concerned. Why had the Vitex heiress become popular all of a sudden just because she'd chosen to admit she was dating? It surely had to be her mother behind it, if Daisy were concerned, it would be Tess.
The engagement party was a complete success, all the women admiring Rose's ring and the men patting Jamie on the back and telling him he was a very lucky man.
"I already know that," Jamie admitted to someone Pete knew as they refilled their drinks and Rose had a circle around her. "We went travelling a while back, keeping men away wasn't easy."
"I bet it wasn't," the other man agreed. "She was so shy when she arrived here with her mother, she's come a long way."
"I remember when she first arrived at Torchwood," Jamie smiled. "I could tell she fancied me."
They both laughed and Rose heard them, turning around to smile at Jamie. She thought she was the lucky one. Losing the Doctor had been hard and she'd gone off afterwards to learn to live in this world and Pete had never told her Jamie was already working at Torchwood.
She could have stayed away from him but she'd reckoned she deserved some happiness in the end. Pete had somehow come across Jamie after she'd gone back to her own world and he'd figured that if she ever did find herself back here, she might find some comfort in him.
Well, it had happened and Pete had got a bonus. Jackie had settled for him and he'd not only gained a stepdaughter, he'd gained a young son, who after Jackie and Rose had been taken care of would also get a share of his Vitex fortune and his shares in Torchwood though Rose hadn't been made aware of that.
Rose excused herself and crept up behind Jamie, putting her arms around his neck.
"Hey, enjoying showing off?" Rose laughed.
"You're the one wearing the ring love," he laughed back. "How long's this party meant to last?"
"No idea. Wanna sneak off to the conservatory?" she teased him.
They were about to but were caught by Jackie.
"Where are you two off to?" she caught hold of Jamie's free arm, Rose half draped over him.
"Just five minutes Mum?" Rose pleaded with her, half letting go of Jamie but Jamie still hold of Rose.
"It's your party," Jackie reminded them both. "At least wait until it's nearly over."
She pointed them both back inside the large room and went off to fuss over something else.
"She doesn't miss much, does she?" Jamie commented to Rose as he handed her a glass of champagne from a passing waitress.
Rose didn't take the glass off him, leaving him holding them both.
"What's wrong now?" he wanted to know.
"It just reminds me of something, that's all," Rose admitted. "That night, when I was here before."
"Rose, you have to stop love, every party reminds you of that night," Jamie warned her. "Once we're married, we'll have parties at our place."
"Yeah, sorry," she told him as she took a glass, thinking she'd best get over it before she told him too much.
When it was almost midnight, Rose holding off the drink until then, everyone was gathering in the large entranceway and Jamie had been elected to be the one to go outside and let the new year in. So he gave Rose a kiss and went out two minutes before and thought back to when Pete had sent Rose away to be trained and had never mentioned she may be going to work with him, let alone ending up agreeing to marry him.
In Sandbrook, Tess had been on at Alec about trying to look like he was enjoying the party and when he'd been asked to be the one to see the new year in because he was Scottish, he'd only agreed because Tess had scowled at him and he knew there would be trouble when they got home.
Earlier, she'd already had a bit to drink and she'd whispered that perhaps when they got home, they could make an early start on patching up their marriage. Alec though still hadn't decided if he actually wanted to or not or if it had been left too late.
Maybe Daisy was right, the life of a certain personality was more interesting than her own parents' one was and he doubted it would ever get better. He was determined he wasn't going to get the blame for it though so he would try and make the effort when they got home because the way Tess had been drinking, it wouldn't take much to please her.
Little did he know it was going to cause even more trouble for him than he already had.
The next morning, Rose was in a very good mood, now officially being engaged and Jamie had gone down to fetch breakfast for them both.
"Where's Jamie going?" Tony wanted to know as he and his nanny entered the kitchen.
"Never you mind," Jackie told him, not wanting to explain. "They'll be in before they leave."
"Can I go stay with them?" the boy asked.
"They have to go back to work," Pete told him.
"So they've finished going around then?" Jackie asked. "About time, I had enough of Rose before."
"Be careful Jackie," Pete warned her. "I've not broken the news to Mickey yet. I hope now he's got a girlfriend, he won't be too bad when I have to move him."
"So he was doing Jamie's job?" Jackie wondered. "Wasn't Rose helping Jamie but Mickey can do it on his own?"
"I don't get why Rose doesn't want to tell Jamie everything," Jackie admitted.
"Maybe she will, when they get married?" Pete wondered.
Jackie caught Rose before she left, trying to make out the idea for the bridesmaids was hers.
"Your idea?" Rose eyed Jamie as he tried to sneak off. "Not so fast you," she warned him.
"Well Jamie might have mentioned ya had no idea about where to get any," Jackie had to admit.
"So you two thought most of the teenagers in the country should compete against each other and I'm supposed to pick two or three?" Rose asked. "How am I supposed to pick them?" she wanted to know.
"Well maybe not compete?" Jamie suggested. "Have them answer some questions? Maybe such as why they want to be your bridesmaid, in their own words and pick them out?"
"You're gonna volunteer to judge 'em?" Rose asked him.
"No, not me," he grinned, looking at Jackie.
"Hey, it wasn't my idea," Jackie turned on him.
"Thanks Jackie," he mumbled, making Pete laugh.
"I ought to make both of ya judge them," Rose tried to be serious. "I have to do something though, I can't have all grown-up bridesmaids. If I choose a popular magazine and give them an exclusive interview, they might offer to judge it?" she wondered. "I'll get my secretary onto it maybe but besides choosing three girls to be bridesmaids, they'll have to be one special prize," she added, looking at her mother.
Pete could see where this was going and supposed Jackie deserved it for getting involved.
"The prize could be being the head bridesmaid and staying overnight for the evening reception," he joined in, making Jackie look at him. "Plus the girl's parents. None of it can be done without their agreement if they're under eighteen," he reminded them.
Jackie gave him one of her famous 'wait until I get you later Pete Tyler' looks and went to get Tony, who was diving a toy zeppelin all over the place. Pete gave Rose a wink, Rose smiling back at him and Jamie thought he was lucky to get away with it.
"Did you put mum up to it?" Rose asked him on the way home.
"Me love?" he asked innocently. "I was only trying to help, I thought it would be a shame having no young bridesmaids. Well, back to work tomorrow then? That's if you want to? What's Pete doing about Mickey's position?"
"He's not said anything to me. Maybe he left it to Jake, he's neutral in all this?" Rose suggested.
Pete had caught hold of Jake before the new year and had asked what he thought about moving Mickey.
"Want me to tell him?" Jake suggested.
"No, it's my responsibility," Pete had told him. "When he arrives after the holiday, tell him to report to my office. It's best he hears before Rose and Jamie arrive. It won't be so bad for Jamie but I don't want Rose to face him."
"Maybe they've both forgotten?" Jake had wondered.
"Would you?" Pete disagreed.
So the following day, Mickey was getting ready for work, Martha having stayed over and regretting it.
"I knew you'd make us both late," Martha was complaining he'd taken too long coming out of the bathroom.
"No-one will be on time Martha," Mickey objected.
"Huh, you won't have to deal with all the hangovers and those ringing in sick," Martha disagreed. "It should be compulsory they have a sick note after the holidays to get away with it."
"Come on Martha, we've all done it," Mickey laughed.
"You might have done," Martha muttered under her breath. "I wonder if those rumours are true?"
"What rumours?" Mickey stopped what he was doing.
"Oh, you've not heard then?" Martha knew she'd made a big mistake, having being told a few days before. "The boss's stepdaughter and her boyfriend coming back to work. They're due for a medical," Martha replied, not knowing Mickey's past history with Rose. "I thought they were still away."
"Hey, so did I, I took their job," Mickey huffed. "When was I gonna be told?"
"Maybe they'll keep you on?" Martha patted him on the shoulder as she looked for her car keys.
Then she saw the look on his face.
"Mickey, what aren't you telling me?" she wanted to know. "Did you know them? Oh don't tell me she's an old girlfriend or something? Are you kidding me?"
"Martha, it was a long time ago, forget it," he tried to convince her.
"You have some explaining to do Mister," she decided.
As Rose and Jamie went to work, Jamie wondered why Rose was so quiet.
"I'm sure Pete won't have you bumping into Mickey," he tried to assure her.
"Ya don't understand Jamie," Rose told him as they arrived at the underground car park.
"Then tell me," Jamie tried to get her to talk to him. "I know you fell out."
Rose let out a nervous laugh.
"He reminded me of something, I couldn't forgive him," Rose admitted.
"Has it to do with you coming here?" Jamie tried to guess as they heard another car following them as Jamie tried to remember where his parking space was.
Then he did remember as another car pulled into it.
"What?" Jamie called out. "I suppose that's him then?" he asked Rose as Mickey got out, since Martha was in her own car and Jamie was in the way.
Then, Jake arrived to see Jamie and Mickey in a stand-off, having just found out where Mickey had been allocated to park, since someone had thought the space went with the job and Jamie had been away.
"Ah," Jake grinned as Jamie got out to face Mickey.
"Who are you then?" Mickey dared ask before seeing Rose. "Are you that Jamie Smith then? Rose, is that you?" he then saw her trying to hide. "You did, didn't you? You had to find someone else who looked like him."
"Mickey, why do ya have to have such a big mouth?" Jake told him. "Rose, why don't ya go up to reception an' wait there? Mickey, you knew about Jamie," he reminded Mickey.
"I was away a lot, wasn't I? Finding a way back to warn the other world," Mickey objected.
Martha had got out of her car and joined them.
"I know the reason you went off Mickey Smith," Martha told him. "Everyone knew it was to find Rose."
"Hey, I never asked him to," Rose spoke up as she got out of Jamie's car.
"Hold on," Jamie looked at Mickey. "I know I look a bit like someone Rose used to know. Is this why you two fell out?"
"Jamie, I never even knew about ya," Rose reminded him.
"That's true," Jake backed her up. "Rose was catching up on her education then sent for training."
"So everyone was told," Martha said sarcastically.
"Keep out of it Martha," Mickey warned her.
"Charming," Martha huffed. "Forget it, get yourself another girlfriend Mickey," she told him as she got back in her car to wait for Jamie to move.
"Mickey, Pete wants to see ya, so move into a visitor spot until this gets sorted out then Jamie can park there," Jake decided.
"So I'm getting thrown out of my job?" Mickey wanted to know.
"No idea mate, more than likely get moved if Rose and Jamie are back," Jake replied.
"So they did decide to come back?" Martha asked. "It helps to be related to the boss."
"I'd watch it if I were you," Rose warned her. "So who are you then?"
"Martha Jones. You must be non other than Rose Tyler then?" Martha replied. "You got engaged?"
"They did what?" Mickey stopped staring at Jamie.
"The other day, Jamie asked me on Brighton pier when it was all lit up," Rose admitted, any chance to show her ring off again.
"I would have thought you'd be busy planning your wedding then?" Martha remarked.
"We've not got a date yet so work it is," Rose replied.
"Then why can't Mickey keep his job?" Martha asked, wondering why she was still defending him.
"You must be joking, look at them," Rose laughed as they continued their staring contest. "No way."
"I still want to know how much I look like the friend you lost Rose," Jamie reminded her.
"Jamie, ya need to speak to Pete, mate," Jake told him. "Rose can't tell you."
"Then wait for me," Jamie insisted as he got back in his car, prompting Martha to back up.
After they all moved around, Jamie followed Jake and Mickey up to Pete's office, leaving Rose and Martha to go to their jobs.
"Men!" Martha laughed.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Rose agreed. "Jamie can get really jealous. When we were away, he nearly had someone fired 'cos of the way they looked at me."
"I wish I could get Mickey jealous. So, what's with you two then? I know you used to know each other before you came to work here," Martha told Rose.
"It's a long story, some of it I can't talk about, honestly. I'd best go get my ID or wait for Jake coming back. Nice to have met ya Martha."
"You too Rose. Do I get a wedding invite?" Martha asked cheekily.
"Yeah, sure. My mum and Jamie are plotting how to get me some bridesmaids by running a competition for teenagers," Rose laughed.
"Actually, it's not a bad idea," Martha agreed. "Get everyone involved, it'll be a great publicity event."
"Maybe too much," Rose laughed.