Neither of them had noticed Alec walking back over the bridge with a bag full of groceries from the caravan site mini-market until he came through the gate.

"Thought I'd got rid of you Miller," he grinned, stooping down to kiss Rose's forehead. "Has she been bothering you?"

Rose took his hand that was on her shoulder. "No but she did raise a few questions such as where were you that night before I left?"

"Now?"

Both women looked at him, he was cornered and he knew it.

"You tell her Miller, she won't believe me."

"He was chasing who we now know was my husband down the track from the hut and he collapsed, I had to go with him to hospital, he was out cold until almost seven in the morning."

"You idiot, why didn't you tell me?"

"How could I? You'd packed and left when I got back and I was too much of a coward to go after you because I knew you wouldn't come back until I did something about it then the investigation was over and the days went by and you never contacted me and you know the rest."

"You two need throwing in the river, honestly, you're like a couple of kids who fell out over a toy. I'm going to leave you to it, you clearly have a lot to resolve and I expect an invite to your new place and one to the wedding."

They both looked at her as she took hold of Fred's pushchair and turned around.

"Oh and Hardy, I'm off to see the chief because if you're coming back to work here then so am I, someone has to keep you in line and Rose needs another friendly face around here, someone to give her baby advice when her grumpy boyfriend decides to work late."

So Alec got his job back with reduced hours for another month and a delayed start and he told Rose everything that night, about Sandbrook, about how he decided to get a pacemaker and why he never contacted her because he loved her but respected her decision and realised he'd made the biggest mistake of his life in letting her go.

They moved into their new house on the Saturday and Monday afternoon, they set off for Sandbrook for Lisa's funeral and Alec had to face his ex wife and tell her about Rose, which went down better than he had expected after she thought her ex was too much of a loser to have a girlfriend let alone get her pregnant. Daisy took to her quite easily and they promised to stay in touch. Alec had almost died of embarrassment, booking into the same hotel where he and Miller had stayed when they'd had to share a room and he had to admit to Rose about the defence teams strategy to discredit him and Ellie.

So as they lay in bed the night before going to London and Alec facing the formidable Jackie Tyler, he told her.

"I stayed in this same room when we started investigating in Sandbrook," he stated after they had tried to have sex as best as Rose could manage.

"This was your room?"

"Not exactly, reception made a mistake, we were supposed to have twin beds but they gave us a double, it was Miller's fault." He thought she would be mad but she giggled.

"So you and Ellie had to share a bed? You'd better tell me you were above the covers and she was beneath them?"

"What do you take me for Rose? Me and Miller?"

"Well you said you missed me."

"I never loved anyone else Rose, you're the only one I ever really loved, more than Tess. I was completely in love with you."

"I was just teasing but have you anything else to add?"

"Yes, might as well. It was the night after Miller and I got accused of having an affair during the Latimer investigation."

"What? Tell me you're kidding? Is that why he got off?"

"One of the reasons. Come on Rose, you knew exactly where I was every night, except for those last two nights, everyone in town knew about us, you should have heard the courtroom when everyone heard."

"I can imagine but really, couldn't they come up with something better than that?"

"Apparently not."

"But you stood up and told them about us?"

"No, how could I? How could I stand up and tell the court I was with Rose Tyler, Vitex heiress and in bed with her every night, it would have been all over the media and you would have found out."

"I would have stood by you Alec, you know that. Pete would have taken care of it."

"I couldn't bring you into it Rose, you know that."

"So he got off because you and his wife were accused of having an affair all the time the investigation was going on and you sat there and let them say it?"

"Everyone knew, including The Echo that we were together, they knew it wasn't true and that was all that mattered. Drop it Rose, we have a long car journey tomorrow. Just say you don't believe it."

He got his answer as she began kissing his bare chest but giggling said, "Really? You and Ellie? You could get the jury's decision overturned."

"No because how long would he have got eh? No, the town's taken care of it, if he goes back there they will kill him and now I'll personally see no-one gets charged for it. That's justice Rose, who were they to judge? They were so easily swayed. He got what he deserved in the end, that's all that matters, now go to sleep love, you have the baby to think about."

"Yes, we do and I don't want he or she to grow up thinking his or her father was having an affair with their aunt Ellie, do you? Tell me who the defence lawyer was, Pete will have them struck off so they can't do it to anyone else, how many other people's lives have they destroyed trying to get a scumbag off the hook? How would they like it if he remains free and he does it again, wherever he's gone?"

He supposed she had a point and Sharon Bishop deserved some justice of her own for defending a guilty man who wasn't man enough to take his punishment, what was it to him if she was at the wrong end of Peter Tyler's own style of justice?

"I'll speak to Pete about it when we get there so just relax princess, we have to face your mother first."

Rose smiled to herself. "You mean you have, teddy bear."

After getting a slap then a hug from Jackie Tyler, Alec was accepted back into the family with a stern warning that if he upset Rose again, even the fact he was a police detective wouldn't save him. He figured he deserved it. So the next day, they set off for the maternity unit and Rose waited her turn, never letting go of his hand all through the scan and being handed the card containing the photo.

"So Miss Tyler, do you want to know what you're having?" the nurse asked, smiling at her.

Rose looked at her man who just nodded.

"It's going to be a boy, congratulations."

After celebrating that night, they made their way back to their new house in Broadchurch and spent the rest of the week and weekend relaxing and Alec pampering her hand and foot and enjoying every second of it. Pete had called to say that Sharon Bishop had received a severe warning and wouldn't be doing the same to others in a hurry and they had called in at the new office of The Broadchurch Echo to publicly announce they were back together and there was absolutely no truth to any suggestions that Alec and Ellie had been having an affair during the Latimer case and Olly took a photo of the happy couple, Alec's arms around Rose's growing baby bump and gazing at her that anyone could plainly see how much in love with each other they were.

They had decided to stick with the story that Rose had just gone home for a while but they had never stopped loving each other, which was perfectly true, they both knew that. So just three months later, Alec had left Ellie in charge while he took leave and Rose was preparing to be admitted into the local hospital and Pete and Jackie had just arrived and Jackie was fussing after her before Alec got home. They had left Tony at home, under protest because they didn't want him missing school and it was going to be too much having him around, Jake was taking good care of him along with the rest of the staff.

"Mum, stop fussing, will ya? I've got everything I need and Alec will bring anything else."

"Well excuse me for wanting everything to be ok for my first grandchild then? When's himself gonna be home?"

"Soon and he has a name."

"Don't I know it. I hope the baby doesn't look too much like him."

"Mum, that's not fair."

"Well it's bad enough he looks like that alien but another look-alike? Are you ever gonna tell him Rose?"

"Never, I told you that's all gone now. Don't forget Ellie and the boys and the Latimers are coming over for tea."

"I know, I bet little Freddy has grown again, bless him and I'm looking forward to seeing Beth's little one, what's her name, Lizzie. What a shame about Freddy's dad. Just think Rose, if I hadn't made you see sense, you wouldn't be here now, waiting for that daft boyfriend of yours coming home and that baby of yours wouldn't know his father either. Would you ever have told him?"

"Maybe, I don't know. He was just so infuriating Mum, so stubborn but I never stopped loving him."

"I know Sweetheart. Now let me finish making this tea party before everyone gets here. Oh look who finally got himself home."

Rose turned around, Alec just in the hallway hanging up his jacket he wore in all weathers and Rose loved to see him wear. She went out to greet him, he picked up a basket filled with baby things that the office staff had collected, with some influence from Ellie.

"Aw, that's cute," Rose said, picking out an orange rabbit and waving it at him.

"From everyone in the office and they all wish you luck tomorrow. I said you didn't need luck, you had me," he grinned, trying not to squash her as he put his arms around her neck and nuzzled into it, then spied Jackie watching him with her arms crossed and glaring at him and backed off. Since when couldn't he cuddle his partner in his own house? Since her mother had just arrived.

Pete was watching the early news having checked in with Jake and Tony giving his dad a report on the afternoon soccer match he had played at school. Everyone arrived for tea and Jackie made a fuss over the latest addition to the Latimer family and when everyone had gone home, leaving Rose with even more baby gifts, Alec helped her into bed and made sure she was sleeping then went to find Pete, who was watching TV.

"So Alec, you all ready to have your life turned upside down?"

"I have done it before you know but maybe Rose will teach me something I don't know."

"Oh you can bet on that, she's Jackie Tyler's daughter."

Alec smiled and thought of the woman upstairs who hopefully tomorrow would be bringing his new son into their lives. Everything went to plan the next morning, Alec drove to the hospital and Rose got settled into her room. Since she had private medical insurance, she had agreed with the hospital she would wait 24 hrs and if there were no signs of the baby arriving, they would start her off but just before four that afternoon, she was resting and Alec was trying to amuse her by telling her about where he grew up in Scotland and Jackie had finally stopped nagging him to let her daughter have some rest.

"So we've decided on the name then?" he asked hopefully, rubbing his arm she had been leaning on.

"Well yes though I'm not calling him Jamie for short, just because it sounds more Scottish," she half joked.

Jackie decided to put in another appearance and Alec just wished she would go back home, to London.

"Alec Hardy, I want a word with you."

Rose smiled and Alec knew he was in trouble again, for what, he didn't know and never did. She would have found something, that was certain.

"Listen 'ere you, are you gonna marry her before that baby comes?" Jackie asked, once out of the room.

"What? Why have you brought that up now Jackie?"

"Because she loves you, you great big Scottish dunce. Do you know how many nights I sat up with her when she left you? Well do you?" Alec shook his head and she carried on. "She wouldn't have cried like that if she didn't love you so you've had three months and you've done nothing about it, why not?"

He wondered if he had her permission to speak now. He did as she glared at him.

"I was scared Jackie, I was scared if I asked her, she would walk away again and take the baby with her, I couldn't risk that."

Meanwhile, Rose was texting Ellie, telling her that her mother had cornered Alec and Ellie wanting to know word by word what it was about. Rose was just laughing when she felt a pain.

Alec was not being let off the hook. "Well go do something about it, go call the vicar or something because my daughter is not having that baby until you marry her. You love her don't you?"

"Yes, you know I love her."

"Well call that young vicar, what's his name and get him here, pronto."

Pete had now joined them and looked at Alec, then his wife.

"If I were you, I'd do as she said Alec, even I wouldn't argue with her at this point, you're on your own mate."

Alec got his phone out of his pocket and looked at it. Then they heard Rose call out, "Alec! Get in here now."

They all rushed in, including the nurse, who began timing her contractions and calling for the ward sister. Alec was holding her hand and sat behind her, supporting her. Rose began to relax again and he let her go, motioning to Jackie to take his place.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rose asked him.

"I have something to do, something I should have done a long time ago. Don't you have that baby yet."

Rose stared at him, then her mother as he walked out of the door, Pete patting him on the shoulders and whispering, "You're doing the right thing Alec."

"Is that Paul?" he asked when the phone was answered on the other end.

"What can I do for you DI Hardy?"

Alec and Paul were not exactly friends but just barely tolerated each other.

"Can you come down to the local hospital? Rose is about to go into labour and I want to marry her before the baby comes."

"I'll be right there, better late than never, detective. We'll take care of all the finer details later, how close is she?"

Alec heard another yell, something about him getting his skinny arse in the room or she wouldn't be responsible for what she did to him.

"Close, you'd best hurry and if you get a speeding ticket, I'll haul in the traffic cop and bust him back to walking the beat and you can tell them that, tell them you're under orders from me to get to the hospital to marry us." He heard another yell, only this time it was his future mother-in-law, now that was a terrifying thought and one reason he hadn't dared bring the marriage subject up these last three months.

"Alec Hardy, get in here now," he was reminded.

He gritted his teeth and went back in. He had no ring to give her but he knew at that moment it was the right thing to do, seeing her cradled in her mother's arms, sweat on her face, a grim look and her eyes looking at her swollen belly as she suddenly looked up and asked "Where the hell have you been?"

Jackie got up and Alec took her place. "Nowhere princess, just had a call to make, you're doing fine, just relax."

"Why do men always say that?" Jackie asked. "They don't have to go through it all and they're the ones who get us in that state."

"Well we do have a bit of help," Alec insisted as Rose braced herself against him again, just waiting for her waters to break, nearly getting his hand broken again, there would be a bruise at least.

"Yeah, is that right then? Just because you never bothered to check the date."

"Neither did you, princess. You started it and I did know what date it was."

Pete took Jackie's hand. "Come on Jaks, they're having their first lover's tiff."

"You knew?" Rose asked.

"Of course I did, I'm a detective."

She would have hit his arm if another pain hadn't hit her first. The nurse asked if she wanted something for it.

"No way, I'm not missing out on anything."

"It won't stop you, it will just take the edge off."

Alec nodded, he hated to think she wasn't going to take anything to help but wasn't letting on.

Just then, Paul Coates tapped on the door and put his head inside. "Did someone order a vicar?" he asked, smiling at the couple, Rose huddled against Alec. Jackie and Pete followed him and they were followed by Ellie, who had just arrived and had seen Paul getting out of his car.

"What's all this?" Rose asked. "Am I dying or something?"

"Can you all give us a minute?" Alec asked. "You too nurse, just a moment, I promise she'll be ok."

They all left and Alec shifted so he could look at her face.

"I know I was an ass Rose, not following you when you left but I would have come to find you, when it was all over but I wasn't sure you'd want me back and if you hadn't, well I would have wished I'd never had that pacemaker fitted because you were my life Rose, I've never loved anyone the way I love you. Your mother asked my why I never asked you to marry me. It was because I was scared of losing you again but I want this baby to have my name and I want you to have this baby, our baby as my wife so Rose, will you marry me?"

Rose would have answered had she not been in agony again but she managed a 'Yes' in a funny voice and reached up to kiss him.

Alec yelled for them all to come back in, not wanting to disturb her. So Paul did the formalities and said they could see to the paperwork later and he would take care of it but as they kissed, to everyone clapping, Rose realised she was going into labour and everyone was ushered out in a hurry except for Alec.

With lots of encouragement from her now husband and Alec thinking he was going to have to go get a cast put on what he thought was his now fractured hand, after over an hour of yelling and cursing on Rose's part, telling him it was all his fault and then telling him she knew what date it was as well and she would have told him he had a son even if she hadn't had the courage to face him and ask him to go through it with her.

After she got cleaned up and they had been handed their son, James, Alec taking some photos, Rose was moved to a more comfortable room and she was allowed visitors. When everyone finally left after getting thrown out, Alec being allowed to stay, the baby had been moved into the nursery for the night and Alec was going home to get some rest, when his new wife let him go, they were laid with Alec just on the edge of the bed and Rose snuggled at his side.

"Why did you come back to me Rose? I didn't deserve you."

"Because what my mother said actually made sense to me Alec. She said it wasn't fair, not to tell you and for the baby to grow up, never knowing you and I realised how selfish I was."

"I was the one being selfish and when I found I had survived the operation, the first thing I thought about was you, that I should tell you, then I got caught up in winding up the Sandbrook case, it all happened so fast and that night you came back, Ellie had given me another lecture that I should at least let you know I was still alive and when I looked out of that window and saw you, I thought I was daydreaming, that I was seeing things. I love you Rose, I've always loved you since the day I almost knocked your brother over to get to you."

"You daft lump. I never stopped loving you and goodness knows why I said yes when you asked me out for a drink that day but my mum was right about one thing."

"What's that princess?"

"You did deserve to know, you're gonna make a great dad."

She reached around to kiss him and fell asleep in his arms and Alec Hardy never thought he would live to see the day his beautiful Rose would come back to him and give him a son and for the first time in his life, he knew he had done something right and silently thanked Jackie Tyler for making her daughter see sense and Ellie Miller for telling him he was an ass for letting her go.

The End!

You can now read what happened that made Rose leave after they had fallen in love in 'A love goes away' which you can find on my profile page