He gets to Rose's place in record time, and feels the Anger melt away when Arctic Monkeys comes onto the radio, the same song they listened to when they went ice skating. He can almost picture her in the passenger seat, wiggling, dancing, singing along extra loud. He remembers her crying when he called her perfect.

Perfect girls don't cheat, right?

He parks outside Rose's building, and takes a deep, calming breath, counting backwards from ten before stepping out of the car. it's a trick one of his old counsellors taught him, to retain and control his anger. Doesn't stop him from being seriously nervous as he runs inside, bounding up the stairs to her flat. He paces around outside her front door for a good minute before he can actually muster up the courage of knocking.

He hears footsteps padding over to the door, and it swings open. And a man is standing there. "Uh, Rose!" he calls. Then sure enough Rose comes out from the kitchen. She notices Matt at the door, looking like a dishevelled puppy and smiled. "Matt, hey, I didn't know you were coming over?"

She moves to stand next to Jack, waiting for Matt to speak. He can't form words, he doesn't know what to say. "Matt, everything okay?"

"Oh Rosie you were right," Jack says "Not my type at all."

Rose rolls her eyes, "Shut up. None of the guys you date are my type!"

"Hey, you slept with my boyfriend in college!"

And then Matt smiles. Jack is gay. He's never been so relieved for someone to be gay in his life. "Sorry, yes, forgot to call. I was just… passing by and I thought I'd pop in. if you're busy, than don't worry about it."

"Oh no, come in!" Rose says, she steps aside and Matt comes in, shrugging his coat off and hanging it on the rack. She kisses him lightly on the mouth, just once. "Matt, this is my best friend in the whole world."

"Jack Harkness," the man says, reaching out his hand. He winks as Matt shakes it, and Rose rolls her eyes. "Oh stop it!" she says, swatting Jack lightly on the arm.

"I was just saying hello," Jack laughs!

"It's never just Hello with you!"

"Fair enough." Jack shrugs. He heads back towards the kitchen, to check on dinner, and Rose clasps Matt's hand tightly in hers. "We're making soup, if that's alright." She says.

"Yep, soup! Love soup! Nothing beats a good bowl of soup!" Matt says, grinning. He throws his arm around Rose, tucking her into him. She looks up at him, confused. "What's got you in such a good mood? You looked distraught five minuets ago!"

"I'm just... happy to see you." Matt says. And it isn't entirely a lie. He is happy to see her. He's always happy to see her. "Okay." Rose shrugs, twisting out of his embrace. "I'm gonna help Jack in the kitchen."

"Okay. I've got to text Amy anyway, tell her I won't be home for tea."

"Tell her I said hi!"

As soon as Rose rounds the corner, Matt fumbles in his pockets for his mobile. He quickly sends a text to Amy:

EVERYTHING SORTED. HE'S GAY. THEY'RE BEST FRIENDS. WON'T BE HOME FOR DINNER.

He receives a reply immediately.

Apology accepted.

That makes him feel guilty. He shouldn't have shouted at Amy earlier, and he knows that.

I'M SORRY. YOU'RE ALWAYS RIGHT.

She responds quickly again.

I know.

oOo

the next few weeks fly by in a blur of work and Rose and Amy and Rory. He isn't surprised when suddenly, its five days until Christmas. And his mum is inviting him to a huge dinner, with all his brothers.

"And bring this girlfriend you've been telling your brother so much about!" she says. Matt rolls his eyes, he's going to strangle David. "Yes mum." He nods.

"And what about my darling Amelia and lovely Rory?"

"No, it's okay mum. They're going to Rory's dads down in Leadworth."

"Oh, okay, give them my best. Tell them to come and visit me soon."

Matt rolls his eyes at his mum, and at Amy and Rory sniggering in the corner.

"Love you Aunty T!" Amy calls out. Matt can hear her chuckling in the phone.

"Oh, tell Amelia I love her too."

"Mum," he whines "I swear you like Amy and Rory more than me!"

"Oh, be quiet. Now I'll see you Christmas day, 2pm!"

"Yes mum."

"And Rose?"

"I'll ask her- wait, how do you even know her name?"

"David tells me everything."

"I'm going to kill him." Matt mumbles.

"What was that?"

"Nothing mummy, I'll see you Christmas. Bye."

He hangs up quickly. Before turning to Amy and Rory who just laugh at him. "Aw, sometimes I think Aunty T wished if I was the daughter she never had."

"Shut up. Onto more important things," he says, waving the house phone at her before clicking t into the hub "How am I going to ask Rose? What do I say?"

"Um, i don't know, how about 'fancy coming to my mums house for Christmas? The obvious choice, really." Rory says sarcastically, sipping his tea.

"Bastard, shut up!" Matt says "What if she doesn't want to come? It might me a bit much, you know what my mum's like. Plus all ten of my brothers, and their wives. And their kids? Jesus Christ!"

Amy rolled her eyes "Matt, you're mum has managed to fit everyone in every year. If nineteen of you could fit in that rickety old house, I'm sure one extra can fit. Beside, she's got that huge circle table. That could easily fit twenty of you!"

Matt shrugs, "I suppose your right… I just don't want to overwhelm her, you know?"

"You're family? Matt how could you not overwhelm her. You're introducing her to your ten brothers, five of their wives and at least two of their kids. But Rose is a strong girl, she'll be fine." Rory says, but it doesn't totally reassure him. "You're worrying over nothing. The only things you should be worrying about is a) if Tom's going to wear that dreadful scarf and b) is Paul is going to flirt with her. Actually, mark B as a definite. You know Paul could never resist a blonde."

"Oh, shut up Rory! He'll be fine." Amy says. Rory just smirks and goes back to his paper.

"Right, I'm going to call her, and ask her now." Matt announces, checking his watch. "10pm isn't too late to phone, right?" he asks worriedly.

Amy raises one eyebrow sarcastically "Matt, the nights she isn't here, or you aren't there, you stay up on the phone all hours anyway."

Matt blushes deep red, and Amy laughs at him. "Oh, shut up!" he says, before darting into his room and dialling Rose's number.

oOo

"So who's do you reckon David will bring this year? Martha, Christina, Elizabeth?" Rory asks. Amy laughs. "According to Matt he was dating some girl called Astrid but I spoke to Paul the other day, and he said David's dating some girl called Joan. Either Joan or Astrid, I can't keep track."

"Astrid, interesting name."

"You know what David's like. Loves something new. But he never loves the girls, not really. Remember poor Martha? She was so in love with him… it was ridiculous."

"Remember Donna, oh she was brilliant, wasn't she?"

"Oh yeah, she was hilarious. But she left to travel in Egypt, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Rory said, "I remember that. Shame really, she was good for him. He liked her more than the others."

"True… do you think Tom and Sarah-Jane will bring K-9 with them?"

oOo

"Matt?" Rose yawned into the phone. Matt felt anxious.

"Sorry, if you were sleeping don't worry." He says, flopping back on his bed.

"No, it's okay, I'm just a little tired. What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow when I come over?"

"Oh, it's just, my mum rang me earlier. Every Christmas she does this big Christmas thing for my family… my brothers and all their wives and what not. She invited me… well, she invited us? I mean- that's if you want to come, no worries or anything. Just, if you wanted, I guess. Because, we've been going out for a while now, and maybe you'd want to meet my brothers… but, I mean, it's cool if you don't or whatever-"

"Matt." She says, stopping his babbling. He catches his breath. "I would love to go to your mum's Christmas day. Sounds lovely."