"I nearly had to stop a fight downstairs in the parking garage," Jake laughed when he'd told Pete what it was about.
"Really you two," Pete looked at Jamie then at Mickey.
"You gave me a job, you said nothing about him coming back," Mickey pointed sideways to Jamie.
"Well what did you expect?" Jamie wanted to know.
"Stop it," Pete told them both again. "Mickey, I told you it was until Rose and Jamie came back."
"Well the way it was put, I thought they'd be away for longer," Mickey huffed.
"Well Rose wants to come back home to plan the wedding," Jamie replied sarcastically.
"Well I can see you two won't work together," Pete decided. "I'll give you any job you want, either of you but Jamie, you know more about the artefacts than Mickey does so Mickey, take some time off and think about it."
"I didn't have to come back," Mickey made a face as he clenched his fists.
"You asked to be let back mate," Jake reminded him. "How did ya know Rose and Jamie had gone away anyway?"
"I saw it in the papers, when there was an article about Rose," Mickey had to admit.
"You were still following what she did?" Pete was surprised.
"Well, what's wrong with that? Just because she took offence at what I said?" Mickey wanted to know. "You know I always did watch out for her Pete."
"That's my job now," Jamie objected. "I take great care of her, I don't need your help, Ricky."
That made Jake smile as Mickey had told him the old Doctor used to call him that, even though he himself had lost this world's version of Mickey, who had been called Ricky.
"Oi, it's Mickey," he objected. "Why'd ya call me that? What's Rose been telling ya?"
"Leave it Mickey," Pete warned him, knowing what he could be like.
He knew there were some things Rose had never told Jamie, he knew about the Doctor but not how he'd changed his appearance.
"Take my advice Mickey and go think about your position here, unless you want to move Jamie?" Pete asked his almost son-in-law.
"I don't know Pete, it's what I've been doing and Rose taught me a lot," Jamie replied.
"Well you come back to work then, you'll be on your own though?" Pete was sure Rose would be otherwise occupied. "Did Rose say anything about it?"
"She's downstairs, we left her talking to Martha," Jake grinned.
That made Pete smile, since she was meant to be Mickey's girlfriend and Martha had been excessively jealous that Rose had been Mickey's girlfriend at one point. No-one had bothered to actually tell Martha that had been in another universe.
"Well you need to clear them both," Pete told Jake.
"Well I'm not staying if they both come back," Mickey declared.
"Stop sulking mate," Jake advised him. "Just stay away from her."
"I'll make sure he does that," Jamie promised, not liking the thought of Mickey upsetting her when they had a wedding to plan. "She's only coming back for a while anyway, don't go upsetting her," he warned Mickey.
Jake went off to meet up with Rose, since he had to do a back to work assessment, telling Jamie he'd send for him later. Mickey caught up with Jake at the lifts.
"I thought you were on my side?" he asked Jake.
"I'm just tryin' to keep the peace," Jake held his hands up in defence as the lift arrived. "Go to personnel and tell them Pete's put you on paid leave, unless ya know what job ya wanna take?"
"I was doing okay in that one. You could've warned me they were coming back," Mickey complained as Jake pressed what floor they wanted.
"Hey, I only just found out myself," Jake told him as he pressed Rose's number on his phone. "Rose, meet me in my office will ya?"
Rose left Martha after laughing at the way Jamie and Mickey had been locking horns in the parking garage.
"I bet they're still both doing the same up in Pete's office," Rose laughed after Martha invited her to her office for coffee.
"Yeah, talk about taking an instant dislike to someone?" Martha agreed. "So they'd never managed to meet before?"
"No, Mickey just left after we fell out and no, I can't tell ya what it was about," Rose told her as her phone rang.
They agreed to be friends and Rose went off to meet Jake and Jamie had gone back to what had been his department. He didn't think he'd have been bothered if Rose hadn't been going back as well, not that they saw much of each other at work, Rose had her own job to do.
When everyone had left Pete's office, he had a feeling they wouldn't be seeing Mickey any more but that was his decision, he could stay away from Rose if he really wanted to. He called Jackie to warn her that there'd been a bit of a showdown, in case Rose called her.
"Well what did Mickey expect?" Jackie wanted to know. "He was the one who started it on the way back from Norway."
"I know Jackie," Pete had to agree with her. "According to Jake, he and Jamie were almost fighting down in the garage."
"That's not like Jamie," Jackie was surprised. "I mean I know he's defensive of Rose but still?"
"So he never mentioned he got into a fight with someone when they first started working away?" Pete told her.
"He never!" Jackie had to laugh. "Well at least he sticks up for her, can't say Mickey used to do much of that, except when the Doctor first came along," she recalled.
Jake was asking Rose some questions about going back to work and passed her to go back, which Rose said was a good thing he had.
"Ya know the rules," Jake grinned as he stamped the form to send to personnel that she was back and didn't need a living allowance any more.
"So, what happened in Pete's office then?" she wanted to know.
"Daggers at fifty paces," Jake laughed. "I think Mickey's left over it to be honest."
"He doesn't have to," Rose told him. "Can't ya tell him?"
"Rose, ya know what he's like," Jake reminded her. "Let him cool off for a while. So when are you and Jamie setting a date then? I was gonna ask him if I can be best man, or did I ask him before?"
"Me and Martha were talkin' about bridesmaids. Would ya believe Jamie told mum to suggest starting a competition in a teen magazine?"
"That'll cause a riot," Jake had to laugh even more.
"Well maybe not if I promise something in return for the magazine running it all?" Rose wondered. "How else am I gonna get any? I can promise the magazine an exclusive on wedding coverage."
"After the fiasco of your engagement?" Jake was still laughing.
"Don't remind me of that," Rose smiled. "Best get to work then?"
A few weeks later, Rose gave in and had her secretary contact a few of the most popular girls magazines that catered for 12-18 year olds and since one of them had several in the same group, she decided to go to them.
"So, Miss Tyler," she was being asked by the head of the publicity department. "What exactly did you have in mind?"
"Well, exclusive details of the wedding, photos on the day and since I want four bridesmaids in the age groups I mentioned, to choose a head bridesmaid who'll get to spend the weekend with us. Things like the dresses can be discussed later," Rose suggested.
"Sounds good," the woman agreed. "Then we'll talk again when we put a few ideas together but what kind of competition? Do you want them to answer a question, guess the date?"
"Hey, that's a good idea," Rose agreed. "We could give a choice of dates I suppose but maybe we should just keep it simple? Just have them send their name and age and where they live? They'll have to get to London themselves so they'll need their parent's permission. Have one of them sign the form giving consent maybe?"
"Well when do you want to start?" Rose was asked.
"Well it'll have to be soon, we wanted to get married no later than June," Rose admitted.
"Well, leave it with us, we won't do anything until we get your approval," Rose was assured.
She expected they'd keep their word, if they wanted to beat their rivals to the exclusive rights to her wedding.
That sorted, she went off to tell Jamie, whom she knew would be pleased his idea had worked.
"I just happened to think it may work," was all Rose was going to admit to him when asked how it had gone.
"Then we have to set a date," Jamie reminded her. "That will have to go in all the papers I expect?"
They didn't usually mess around at work but disappeared for a while as Rose told him all the preparations would be worth it.
Rose heard back from the magazine and the plans were put into place. Just a simple contest was arranged and Rose agreed only those with permission could enter and when the choice was made, it would be checked again.
When the twice monthly magazine appeared in the shops and newsstands, Rose and Jamie's photo's were all over the front page and a special four page pullout had been included with how they had met and their romance, how Jamie had formerly asked Rose to marry him and loads of other information that teenage girls wanted about a celebrity wedding.
It had been advertised in advance so newsagents had been swamped with orders from new customers not wanting to miss out on it as the contest had also been announced. The closing date had been issued, teenage and almost teenage girls were getting excited the date was going to be announced and teachers were trying to stop them whispering about it to each other in class.
Three such girls in the town of Sandbrook were all getting equally excited. Two were cousins, Pippa Gillespie and Lisa Newberry and then there was Daisy Hardy, who hadn't been very happy lately when she'd found out her dad was still in the spare room after having failed to make up with her mother in the new year.
Alec had tried his best but Tess hadn't been making it easy. He thought she'd rather had a nerve to tell him he had to want it to work when she put in minimum effort, especially after she had a false alarm at the end of January when she thought she may be pregnant. She had lost interest in him again after that. Daisy had gone to a friend's one evening when Alec had been finishing eating.
"Alec, I don't know about you but I think we should go for a proper separation," Tess declared.
"You want me to move out?" he asked, a bit confused.
"Well maybe not right away?" Tess supposed. "We should go apply for one, try not to let Daisy know just yet. Just act normally."
"She already knows Tess, in case you have not noticed," Alec pointed out to her.
"Well, just stay here then, as long as we both agree?" Tess relented. "We could get a separation any time I suppose?"
"Yes, we should try and keep as we are, at least for now," Alec agreed. "Were you thinking of going back to Dave?"
"No, what makes you think that?" Tess wondered. "Did you hear Daisy on the phone to her friend?"
"I gave up listening to her Tess, all she does is go on about that Rose Tyler," he replied.
"Well you've not heard the latest then have you?" Tess replied. "About the wedding. I heard her tell Sally the reason why she suddenly wanted me to go in the newsagents with her to place an order for that teen magazine so she wouldn't miss the next one."
"You agreed?" Alec was surprised. "What next eh?"
"Let me tell you the rest. There's some kind of contest to be one of the bridesmaids," Tess told him.
"You are not going to let her enter are you?" he asked.
"Come on Alec, how many are going to apply?" Tess wanted to know. "Let her spend the money on a stamp if her friends are doing it. Besides, she'll never forgive me if I don't let her."
"That's just it Tess, you give in to her every single time," Alec told her as he got up.
"You should try it sometime Alec," Tess replied, going to clear the kitchen table.
"Don't make me out to be the bad guy Tess," he objected.
Across the town, Pippa and Lisa were sat in Pippa's neighbours garden and Lisa was practising plaiting Pippa's hair as Claire was watching them while drinking tea.
"When's Lee going to be home?" young Pippa wanted to know.
"Any time now sweetheart," Claire smiled at her. "Lisa, that's very good, you should get some training."
"I don't know Claire," Lisa replied as Pippa tried to turn her head.
"Lisa, will you get that magazine for me then?"
"I'll try sweetheart but they may all sell out," Lisa told her, knowing how much of a fan her cousin was of Rose Tyler.
"What magazine's that?" Claire wanted to know. "There's a newsagents by the salon."
"Pippa, it's in those others as well," Lisa reminded her.
"They're for older girls," Pippa pulled a face. "I'll let Claire try, it might not sell out there. Mum wouldn't order it for me Claire," she complained.
"I'm sure there was a reason, did you tell her why you wanted it?" Claire asked her.
"There's a competition, to be one of Rose Tyler's bridesmaids. I'd do anything to win a place," Pippa grinned.
Claire had to let out a laugh.
"Sorry. Well I suppose you'd stand as much chance as anyone else?" Claire told the girl.
"Lisa could do my hair for me," Pippa smiled up at her cousin.
"So I'm out of a job then?" Claire teased her as she heard the front door open and Lee shouted for her.
"Oh, you have company?" Lee licked his lips as he stepped out to join them, putting his arms around Pippa and Lisa. "Hello girls."
"Give me the name of the magazine and I'll order it for you," Claire offered.
"Thanks Claire," Pippa got up from the stool she'd been sitting on. "Do you like my hair Lee?"
A few weeks later, Rose had been told how many entries had arrived at the magazine's office but as requested by Rose, none had yet been opened. She thought it best that she should go to the office herself, pick out four envelopes at random rather than hire staff to open them. Then with four envelopes on a table, before she opened them, she would pick one up for the prize of being the head bridesmaid and sort out the details.
Having picked one out of four, Rose opened it but handed it to the editor to read out whose name it was.
"Daisy's a nice name," Rose remarked. "Ha, that's gonna be funny, with my name. So has she got permission?"
"Yes, she has," the editor noted, making sure the entry was correct. "She lives in somewhere called Sandbrook, I'm not sure where that is."
"No, never heard of it," Rose agreed, using the letter opener on the next envelope.
She opened the next one, handed it over then went for the last one.
"Oh, this is strange," the editor remarked. "This girl is from Sandbrook too. Mind you, there's something strange, about the parent's signature."
Rose went to have a look. When Pippa had collected the magazine from Claire, Claire saying she didn't want paying for it, the girl had gone home excitedly to show her mother.
"Very nice Pippa but all celebrity weddings are the same," Cate had told her.
"This one's Rose Tyler's Mum," Pippa reminded her. "Can I enter the contest to be one of the bridesmaids? Please Mum?"
"What? How are you even going to get there?" Cate had then asked her.
"You or dad can take me and besides, parents are invited to attend," Pippa told her.
"Do you know how much a hotel will cost if we have to stay over?" Cate reminded her. "We have that other wedding soon, your dad won't want to attend another one so soon afterwards. Especially when we don't even know the people who are getting married."
"Mum, she's famous," Pippa had insisted. "My friend's would be so jealous."
"I thought you said that magazine would be sold out?" Cate had then noticed. "Did you get Lisa to get it for you?"
Pippa had then had a guilty look on her face.
"Claire got it for me," she had then admitted.
"Pippa, you shouldn't have asked her," Cate had been cross.
"Claire offered, when we were talking about it," Pippa told her. "So can I enter? I need your permission, you or dad need to sign."
"No Pippa, it shouldn't even be open to girls of your age, what is that woman thinking of?" Cate then told the poor girl.
Pippa had then got upset and gone to her room, tempted to forge her mother's signature but how would she get to the wedding? She dried a few tears that had formed and thought maybe Lisa would help her out and even if she didn't win, she could honestly tell her friends she'd had a go at it.
So Pippa's entry had been rejected when the editor called the number Pippa had given, since she didn't think it would do any harm if she didn't win.
"It's what magazine?" Cate answered, after her afternoon drinking session. "What do you want?"
She had forgotten all about Pippa's attempt to get herself invited to some celebrity's wedding.
"Is that the mother of Pippa Gillespie?" Cate was asked.
"What's she done?" Cate wanted to know.
"Well, she entered a contest, to be a bridesmaid at Rose Tyler's wedding," Cate was told.
"She did what? I told her she couldn't enter and no, I didn't give her my permission so you can pick someone else," Cate told the woman. "She's not been told she's won has she?"
"No, we had to check first," the woman told her. "Well, sorry to have troubled you. Please don't be mad with your daughter, I expect a lot have entered without getting permission as well."
"Well, they're not my problem," Cate told her before hanging up. "Pippa's going to know about this when she gets home," she turned to the man on the sofa, who was laid with one arm behind his head.
"Go easy on her Cate, I heard her talking about it with Claire and Lisa," Lee told her. "Have you finished that drink?"
"You'd better go before Pippa gets home," Cate told him as she went towards him.
"Trying to get rid of me so soon Cate?" Lee grinned as he pulled her down onto the sofa. "So, tell me again how things have got bad with Ricky that you've come to me to get back at him?"
Cate was about to raise her arm when he grabbed it.
"You're so full of it Lee," Cate told him. "I'd rather be staying here that weekend instead of going to that wedding with Ricky. I know what he'll be like, with that flask of his and what'll be in it."
"I could do with some more of that, for Claire," Lee laughed.