Rose was not abandoned

Chapter 18

Tony didn't want to leave but when they got back in the car he was talking non-stop to Rose and she was sad she was leaving him but was going to ask Alec if he could come and visit before the end of the summer holidays, providing they had found somewhere. When they got back home, Tony excitedly told his mum what they'd done and told her he had to hold Alec's hand because he was scared of going on a boat, which amused Jackie no end and Rose knew he would never hear the end of that now. They had some time before lunch so Rose wanted to make a start choosing what she was taking with her and suddenly realised they would have some explaining to do to Becca when she went back. She contemplated booking into a different hotel and Alec would keep his room at The Trader's but stay with her but he said it wouldn't matter where they stayed it would be the same and it would all blow over soon anyway.

So while Rose went to pack, Tony wanting to help her, Alec rang the hotel and checked that if he was paying for a double room he was entitled to have someone else with him and Becca already knew who he was talking about and just said there was no point in denying that he had gone after Rose Tyler and was bringing her back and said it made no difference to her but she couldn't guarantee people wouldn't still talk about them in the dining room. Alec thanked her and said they would be back tonight and tried ringing Ellie again but she still wasn't answering him and had to assume she had finally taken her nephew's side and had fallen out with him even though she had warned him. He thought about checking how Rose was doing but thought she needed some time with her brother.

Mickey decided to put in an appearance after all and had accepted Jackie's invitation and Jake arrived as well and Tony always got giddy when his uncle Jake was around and had him chasing him all over the house until he was caught and carried under Jake's arm to the dining room and everyone was laughing. Rose said she was going to miss their Sunday lunchtimes together and Tony asked what was wrong. He went running out of the room when Rose said she was going away and she was going to go after him but Pete got up and went after his son and said he would explain it to him in a way he would understand. Pete came back with him and Tony was crying, saying Rose was being mean and leaving him as they tried to explain that Rose wasn't going away forever, she would be back and he could go visit her whenever he wanted to and Alec went up to the boy, knelt down to him and put his arm around him and said he was going to look after Rose and they were going to live by the sea where Rose would be happy and he could come down for holidays to stay with them.

The boy stopped crying and looked at Rose who got up and hugged him, Alec got up and put his hands on the boy's shoulders as Rose pulled him to her, Jackie was about to get up but Pete stopped her as Rose told him she would never leave him forever, it was just for a while. Tony pulled away and looked at his sister, then at Alec and stopped crying but ran to his mother's side and climbed onto her. He soon forgot about it and went back to his seat after being reassured by Jackie that Rose would never leave him and that Rose was just going to live with Alec, throwing a glance at him for taking her daughter way.

Rose went to finish packing and Alec was about to join her when he was confronted by Mickey who wanted to know exactly how he had met Rose and why she was going back to live with him. Alec was a bit annoyed that Rose's ex boyfriend from another universe was challenging his intentions towards her. Alec reminded Mickey who he was, a senior Police Officer who didn't have to answer to him and for the sake of Rose he was prepared to let it go. Mickey wasn't going to let him, telling Alec he had looked out for Rose since they came here and wasn't going to let her make any mistakes in choosing the wrong man but Alec wasn't one to beat around the bush and told him it was none of his business, that Rose could choose anyone she wanted to be with and that she had chosen to be with him and he intended to take great care of her. Mickey wasn't going to let it rest however, he'd read up on what had happened the day before and told Alec he hadn't been even able to protect her from a local newspaper and that Pete Tyler had to intervene.