AN: Hey there. Before you read this 'chapter' you should know that this probably is not the final version. I was bored and wanted to write something. I just binge-watched season 3 of Broadchurch, so I decided to take a chance. Remember that I am not a Broadchurch expert, and that English is not my native language.
None the less, please enjoy this prologue of a story in the making.
Tom and Fred were asleep, thankfully. It had been a hard and awful day. Their dad would hopefully never return to Broadchurch. He already had done more than enough damage. And if he dared to do so, Ellie would gladly throw him of the cliff. She could tell Tom already missed his dad. But his dad was another person than the Joe from the present day. He would learn that the hard way, eventually. The gaping hole Joe had left behind in their family was something Ellie couldn't handle on her own. Tom was hitting puberty, and would need a fatherly figure in his life. Soon enough Ellie's motherly instincts would be too childish for his liking. Fred on the other hand was too young to remember his father in the future. And he still needed a mother to comfort him. She counted her blessings.
At first, Ellie was appalled when she heard of the secret meeting Tom had with Mark Latimer. The situation was strangely familiar. Why would Mark do such a thing after what happened to his son? Did Tom learn nothing from his best friend, and father of all people? She was stunned. But she got it now. Mark was the closest thing to a father for Tom. And Tom was the closest thing to Danny for Mark. The two needed each-other. They played soccer and Fifa, that sort of stuff. Ellie and Beth would have tea and discuss their lives together. Cloe was more than happy to play with little Fred and Lizzie. It was almost too perfect, especially because of the tension between the two families a few months earlier.
They were determined. Joe couldn't break them. He was someone from the past. A vague memory. At least they tried to see him like a stranger. It was hard, especially for Tom. Ellie got over him quite quickly, much to her own surprise. But he disgusted her more than all the crime scenes she had seen together. Yes, they were happily married. Yes, he was the love of her life. But he broke it all. Killed their love stone dead. For Tom the situation was much different. He had half of Joe's genetics. Called him 'dad'. A divorce is just a document away. Joe would remain his father forever. He didn't experience the events the same as Ellie. His mother was involved in the investigation, she knew all the details. Knew everything what Joe did. Tom was spared most details. He still had the innocence of a child. The naivety of a child. To him, his father was suddenly labeled a 'bad guy' while he couldn't imagine his dad harming anyone, let alone someone like himself.
Ellie hoped time would heal. She knew that wouldn't be the case, but hoping never hurt anyone.
Alec Hardy hated Sandbrook. He thought, maybe if he returned to this village he would feel at home again. He missed Daisy the whole time he was in Broadchurch. She had grown so much. All of the sudden her dolls were put away. Her pink bedroom full of toys had become a messy room full of clothes and make-up. She would roll her eyes at her parents and was obsessed with her phone, texting friends. She was not the sweet little girl Alec Hardy had left behind when he took over Danny's case. Every day he would learn something new about her. He had missed being a dad.
Of course, he would think of his daughter every day when he was in Broadchurch. They would call every so often. But there are some things teenagers don't share with their dad. He had to discover those things from observing her. For instance, she had a crush. And he liked to tease her. She hated it. He loved it. Being a dad.
Other than Daisy, he hated Sandbrook. His apartment was drab. His job boring. Social life was none-existing. Alec Hardy was not a very social man to begin with, but every human being needs someone to talk to. Daisy was very good company, but some things are not to be discussed with your teenage daughter. His health for example. The nightmares of Sandbrook. He needed a friend.
He hadn't talked to Miller in a long time. Was she still called Miller? How was Tom doing? He didn't know. He was too proud to call her. If she wanted to talk to him, she should have called him by now. She clearly didn't feel the need to do so, so Hardy didn't bother to make contact.
He would eat dinner with Tess and Daisy once in a while, which was nice. But it was still a bit awkward between him and his former wife. Thankfully Daisy didn't mind, so they were focussed on her most of the time.
Other than those evenings, his life ws rather boring. As said before, his job was pretty dull. He would come home to his sad flat, eat his take-out and watch the telly. He would occasionally text Daisy about her day. Sometimes he would go to a pub, listen to other people's gossip, observe the locals. That was pretty much it. Sandbrook. Alec Hardy's life consisted of Daisy and not much more. He missed the excitement of Broadchurch. He loved his daughter very much, but soon enough he would be sick of this routine. He needed more. He needed to get out of Sandbrook.
AN: Hope you enjoyed! Feedback is more than welcome and feel free to correct my spelling, grammar or errors from the plot of Broadchurch any time.