Rose looked at him, running her hand on his cheek. "Call yourself a detective? You mean you really don't know why I'm comfortable with what you have to offer and I don't want more than you can give?"
Then it struck him. How could he be such an idiot? He was right, she had never fully been with a man before but that still didn't explain why she had chosen him. "You mean you've never given yourself to a man before? But why are you here with me Rose?"
She looked at him and smiled. It had been all about getting a story but it didn't matter now. "Alec, because I fancied you when I saw you in the dining room. I had no idea when my office booked me in at this hotel that you were staying here. Getting a story had been my priority when I came over to you the other night but not anymore, not when I learned about how serious your condition was. I wanted to be with you because I knew you wouldn't put any pressure on me to go further than I wanted to and you needed someone who was willing to be with you just for that reason, that you couldn't. Don't tell me you've had plenty of offers Alec, you admitted that women usually run away from you."
She had him there, they did usually run away and now this was the ideal situation, they needed each other because they understood each other, they both wanted something that didn't require a sacrifice, him sacrificing his health and making himself even worse than he already was and Rose sacrificing the one thing she could never get back. They both had to be sure they wanted to take that final step and neither of them could at present. It was something they could only gradually work up to. Well he was willing to work up to it, when he was better but was she?
Rose changed the subject. "Maybe you should just take the day off tomorrow eh? I'm sure your chief will understand after today's episode. Why don't you ring and say you won't be in tomorrow then by Monday you'll feel better. Then we can set off around midday tomorrow and we can have the weekend to ourselves?"
What Rose said made perfect sense to him. Maybe he had been overdoing it, he was only going over things to ensure of a conviction, so he wouldn't let Miller down. Maybe he should just leave it and no amount of going over things would make any difference. He had only gone back to work to stave off the boredom, to give him reason to go out of the hotel every day and now he had another reason – Rose. Things had got pretty intense between them in a short space of time, never had he fixed himself onto a woman so fast, even with his ex, they had danced around each other for months, the odd date when they were both off-duty together and it had taken him months to get her to sleep with him, let alone have sex with him but here was Rose, who he had just met and he was sleeping with her and planning a weekend away together. Not that he could now do anything about it, she knew he couldn't and she wasn't even bothered about it.
"Rose, if it makes you happy, I won't go back to work at all. I was just going over evidence for the trial, we have a strong enough case, I was only working to stop getting bored. If you stay next week, I won't get bored and you can keep a close eye on me. Then we'll talk about you going off for the weekend, maybe I could come with you?"
"Alec, it's a long journey, it'll take around two hours. Are you sure you're up to it?"
"We can take breaks can't we? I want to come with you Rose, please? I'm going to need you. If you let me come, I'll give you the story you want, about how I cracked the case and what it did to me. Maybe it could be your last one, a grand exit."
She was no longer interested in the story and was about to tell her editor so but she needed a job if she was going to stay here, in Broadchurch with Alec. He would only be getting sick pay and she would have to support herself and maybe Alec. Then she came up with an idea. Maybe she could do a column where she wouldn't have to travel around. Pick someone out at random, do the research just like she did now but conduct phone interviews and still have the same result. She would have to put it to her editor and she would need some time off but it could work. She thought not to mention it to Alec in case he objected to her still working or she wouldn't get away with it.
"OK Alec, you can come if you want on one condition." He looked at her with his sexy sad brown eyes. "We go next Friday, I have a meeting with my editor to discuss my options and we come back Sunday morning so you can be rested for the trial. Deal?"
"Deal." He would have agreed to anything at this stage, he did not want to be without Rose next weekend.
So now they had stopped pretending they hated each other in public, to the amusement of the hotel guests and staff, they told Becca they would be back on Sunday and Rose drove them down to Weymouth, finding that they could get a ferry across to the channel islands so they took a day trip on the Saturday and drove back late Sunday afternoon. By Monday, Alec was feeling much better after his weekend away and Rose agreed to let him do two hours at the station on provision he had someone check on him and she waited downstairs for him at one. He even apologised to the desk sergeant for scolding him about letting Rose in and Rose also apologised to him. They had talked over the weekend about renting a flat or a house short term since it didn't make sense to pay for a hotel and Alec's salary would be reduced while he was on medical leave and he would have to pay full rate for the room, it would be cheaper to rent something.
So Rose registered them at the letting agency and told them they were looking for somewhere furnished preferably, maybe even a holiday let just to get them out of the hotel and they were in luck, there were quite a few holiday apartments all within the harbour area, most with parking and they went to view two right on the seafront and one just on the side of the harbour and they were available for the rest of the season or beyond and would get a good rate for three months or more. They chose a ground floor one bedroomed apartment on the seafront so Alec would have no stairs after his operation and were told it would be vacant the following Monday, the day Alec was to start giving evidence at the trial over in Exeter so they both planned to sign on the Thursday afternoon and Rose would collect the keys and move their things out of the hotel while he was in court. He wasn't happy though, he thought Rose would be able to go with him and she would drive him there every day but they agreed that for one day he would manage and he'd have his own place to go back to.
On the Wednesday night, Rose had by now toned down their nightly activities and moved out of her room, much to Becca's amusement after they told her they were moving out of the hotel together. They usually just lay together, just touching and Alec said he felt well enough to play around a bit more, giving Rose involuntary feelings which made them both giggle as they enjoyed each other. Rose had called her editor saying she had a proposal for a new column and there was really no need for her to follow the intended subjects around and that she needed time off.
Friday, they set off after breakfast, Rose left her things in the hotel room and just packed an overnight bag for her and Alec. She went to her office first, her editor wanting the lowdown as to why Rose was opting to stay in Broadchurch and base herself there. Rose had to admit she had fallen in love with Alec Hardy and was staying to look after him throughout the upcoming trial and his impending operation. Her editor wasn't surprised, it did happen sometimes and she accepted Rose's idea of doing the column from home and granted her leave. Alec was waiting downstairs for her and asked how she had got on.
"It all went fine, I got my leave and I start my new column, well it's not really new, just re-vamped. No more travelling and following someone around you'll no doubt be very pleased to know. Really Alec, I'm surprised you didn't arrest me for stalking you," she joked as they sat in a nearby coffee shop.
"Well I did consider it but you were just too cute and very sneaky the way you did it although I could have hauled you in for getting into my office under false pretences," he joked back.
Then it was crunch time – Alec meeting Rose's mother, the formidable Jackie Tyler who was well renowned for disapproving of her daughter's choice of boyfriends and made it quite clear to anyone who passed her inspection that she would be down on them like a ton of bricks if they dared to hurt Rose.
It was around four when they got to her mother's block of flats. Rose had gone back there when it became uneconomic to have her own place when she travelled around all the time so Rose just popped back every couple of weeks to see her and catch up. Alec took it all in his stride, Jackie had been warned in no uncertain terms to treat him with kid gloves and that he was seriously ill and didn't fancy calling for help if her mother slapped him. Jackie had made afternoon tea, sandwiches and cakes and frowned when Alec said he wasn't allowed cakes but she was appeased when he accepted some biscuits. She excused herself and hinted for Rose to join her in the kitchen.
"So how did you managed to bag yourself a detective inspector then Rose? Are you sure you want to have to look after him though? I mean if he's got to have an operation, how long will he be off work?"
Rose hadn't even thought about it, they had never discussed it. They had paid in advance for the apartment and had got a further discount as apparently the owner of the block would rather receive any kind of income than have it empty and have to be maintained and there were a few other long term residents in the block already who were there for the season. They had decided as soon as Alec was well they would look for something more permanent but it gave them some freedom and being on the seafront Alec could get a little exercise and they could go for walks in the evening.
"I don't know Mum but we've taken a little apartment on the seafront for three months so hopefully he'll be better by then. I want to look after him, he's got no-one else, he's all alone down here and the only person he used to know has moved away. Then he's got the trial next week, he needs someone with him to hold his hand when it starts getting to him and someone to make sure he gets to the hospital for his operation."
"You're taking an awful lot of responsibility for him Rose, you've only known him for two weeks and only last week you were complaining about him when he wouldn't give you an interview. What are you doing about your job, how are you going to support yourselves if he's off sick?"
"We have that covered Mum, that's why we paid for the apartment in advance, it was cheaper than staying in the hotel and there are no stairs and I'm sort of keeping my job, just cutting out the travelling."
Jackie was sort of satisfied and try as she may could find no fault with Alec himself, who she could have easily fancied herself if Rose hadn't beaten her to him even if he did have a scruffy beard and looked like he'd forgotten to buy blades for his razor but if Rose cared about him enough to be prepared to look after him, who was she to argue?
Rose went to pack most of her things and they loaded up the car and said goodbye to Jackie and went off to the hotel they had booked for two nights. On Saturday, Rose showed Alec around London on a tour bus, getting on and off at popular places and having lunch in Leicester Square. Later, Rose wanted to go see a film in 3D which Alec wasn't too sure about but he enjoyed it and they ended up getting a taxi back to their hotel which fortunately was in central London and they fell asleep exhausted after their day out.
Alec was not looking forward to having to be driven to Exeter on the Monday morning, leaving Rose to pack the rest of their things and get the keys for their temporary apartment then move everything herself but she said she would manage and she did, she had everything moved by the time Alec got dropped off. She even had time to arrange for a local laundry to collect twice a week since there was no washing machine and had been food shopping for what they would need for a few days.
The next day, it had been arranged that Rose would take Alec to the court from then on and get a parking permit since she was escorting a Police Officer giving evidence and when they arrived, she waited with Alec while he was called after he introduced Rose to Ellie Miller, his ex work colleague, as his partner, not his girlfriend because now Rose was more than just his girlfriend, she was keeping him in check and hardly ever let him out of her sight unless someone else was with him which both amused him and terrified him that she taking it all a bit too serious if she wasn't planning on staying once his operation was over and had to convince himself she was, that she wouldn't put herself through this if she was leaving and talking about getting somewhere permanent.
All the while they had been together, almost three weeks, neither of them had confessed they loved the other, somehow it just didn't need to be said but Alec was determined he was going to tell her how he felt before he went into hospital and Rose herself was also determined to tell him the same because she knew she loved Alec, she just needed to tell him.
The trial was finally over and Alec was relieved. They went out to celebrate, inviting Ellie but she declined, she had nothing to celebrate and Rose felt sorry for her, asking if she could stay in touch with her to which Ellie had replied she needed all the friends she could get now so the two women swapped phone numbers. Ellie had taken Alec to one side to say what a difference Rose had made to him and that she was glad he had seen sense and got a girlfriend and was getting an operation.
The appointment was made for Alec to see the surgeon who said Alec looked remarkably better than the last time he had seen him and asked who Rose was. That made Alec think long and hard. He was going to say girlfriend or partner in reply and settled for partner – for now, because now he had something solid with her and he wanted her to more than his partner, if she could put up with him permanently and now they really needed to talk before he was admitted. The date was set for him to go in, the following Monday and he would have to stay 24hrs before his operation and be tied down if necessary, they knew too well of his discharging himself but Rose assured them he would be no trouble this time, she would make sure of that even if she had to handcuff herself to him to get him to stay which Alec believed she really would and when they got home he teased her about it no end.
"So Rosie, you would really handcuff yourself to me to get me to stay in hospital eh?" he asked, settling in bed facing her.
"Yep, if it means you don't get up and walk out because you have a promise to keep in case you've forgotten?"
He had – almost, although he had said it in haste at the start of their rocky relationship when he first kissed her outside her hotel room what seemed like ages ago now. He remembered vaguely retorting that she should see him when he was well, meaning that if she thought he was good now then she was in for the time of her life when he got better but that had been before he knew her reason for being satisfied with what he could give her and he'd not mentioned it since. He was thinking now that once he was well and could offer her more that she would run away because she had admitted she stayed with him because he offered her comfort and not an ultimatum – to have sex with him properly or get out.
It hadn't been a problem but it would be pretty soon if things went well and now he had every confidence that it would now he had someone to live for but did he? Would she run away as soon as he was back to his old self? There was no alternative but to get this over with even though he didn't want to confront her about it, he had to know where he stood now it was all finalised for him to go into hospital, he was doing it for her as much as himself. He had to convince her somehow he would wait for her and not be hasty, he would give her time and if she wanted him, he was hers.
"No Rose, I hadn't forgotten but I said that before you told me why you stayed with me. So I need to know Rose, do you want me to keep my promise?"
Rose looked at him, clearly not ever expecting to have this conversation. "Alec, when I said I'd never given myself to a man fully, I didn't mean I never would do. I've never met anyone like you before who treats me so well and understands why I can't just give in because you never asked me to, mainly because of your illness but when you're well again, we'll talk about it, if you want?"
"Rose, I need you to know something. I won't pressure you into giving yourself to me, I'll give you all the time you need, it's just that it would be special for me too, I've never been with a woman like you who has never had real sex before. I know you're scared Rose, I can understand that, I was scared too my first time, which was quite a while ago I admit but there's no need to be scared of me Rose, I won't take advantage of you, I want you to be willing to be with me. Will you Rose? Will you let me be the one you give yourself to? I love you Rose."
Rose could feel tears forming. Alec was so kind and gentle and all the things she had read and heard about him to her were complete lies, they were not talking about this man, this Alec Hardy laid here with her. He was scared of making her think he was pressing her to give herself to him and he was about to go for a major operation, one he was told he had a 60/40 chance of surviving and what she suspected he was willing to risk just to be with her. She knew one day this would happen, she would fall in love with a man and she had fallen in love with him.
"Alec, I love you too and yes, I want you to be my first." She burst into tears and held onto him tightly as he wrapped his arms around her and comforted her. She was supposed to be the one looking after him.
Alec had been told no exertion and no physical activities until he was admitted which meant that they shouldn't try anything, not even what they had been doing before but he didn't care, he wanted Rose to lay on him and wanted her to touch him, to show her he really loved her and that he would wait for her.
They fell asleep, Rose draped over him as usual at his insistence that nothing would change between them and they fell asleep every night that week the same way after just feeling each other, getting a little bolder each night until the Sunday night when Rose absolutely refused to let Alec into bed without his shorts on and she had a cami-top and knickers on before they both started something that was going to need finishing and Alec was in no fit state to do so as they got closer each night to Rose giving in.
"Something to look forward to when you come out of hospital and you're given the all clear" was all she told him as she got comfy on him and he put his hand up her cami-top but got a slap when he tried putting his hand elsewhere to which he pretended to sulk but he knew she was right, they were so close she would have given in then he wouldn't have stood a chance with his operation, she would have certainly finished him off good and proper but what a way to go he'd thought but he had a responsibility to get well for her, he couldn't leave her now. Not when they were almost there.
The time came for Alec to be driven to the hospital in Dorchester, the local one didn't do operations and so Rose had booked a nearby hotel for herself and Alec when he first came out to save travelling even though it wasn't that far, she could use the extra time to be with him. Rose had resumed her column and had just put the first one in so as they wouldn't be short of money while he got back to work. He was waiting to be called in to see the surgeon but before he was, he turned to Rose. They had not discussed what would happen if something went wrong and he didn't pull through, something Rose was clearly distressed about when he'd said they needed to talk about it, she was having none of it.
In the few minutes they had before he went in, they were alone and Alec took the opportunity to try to bring up the dreaded subject that if he wasn't coming out, he had made provisions for her to be his next of kin and had instructed a solicitor to take care of everything and he handed her a business card.
"Rose, I know you don't want to talk about this but it needs to be said. I love you Rose Tyler, I wouldn't even have been here if it hadn't been for you, I would have backed out of the operation, I know I would but you gave me something to live for. So take this card, they'll take care of everything. I've left instructions that you are my next of kin and for my ex to be informed. Please don't look at me like that Rose, we should have had this conversation before now but I knew it upset you but there's no putting it off now. I'm coming back to you Rose if it's truly possible, I won't give in, I'll fight to come back to you. Rose will you do something for me?" he asked. Rose nodded tearfully.
"Say you'll marry me Rose, then if I don't make it then I'll go knowing you said yes to me and if I survive, we'll make plans when I'm well because I mean it Rose, I want to marry you."
Rose burst out crying, she couldn't control her tears any longer. She loved him so she said "Yes."
They managed a hug and a kiss before they were called in and all the risks were laid out before them and this time, Alec told the surgeon that Rose was his fiancée and asked if she could be given 24hr access to his room and being told it could be arranged. He was taken to his room and the surgery scheduled for the next morning. Rose stayed until she was asked to leave to give him chance to rest but not before they had kissed and they held each other for as long as was possible. Rose said she would be there early so she was sat by him when he woke up but they both knew neither of them could sleep alone.
Rose tossed and turned in the hotel room hoping Alec wasn't doing the same or threatening to leave if they didn't let Rose back in to stay with him. They had her number of course, just in case but she planned on not leaving the next day until he was out of danger and only then when he needed to rest. She was up by six and out of the hotel just after and in his room by six thirty, getting a look from the staff on duty. Alec woke up when she took hold of his hand, not meaning to wake him. After saying 'hi' to each other, Alec wanted her to climb on the bed but she said she'd better not, not in the hospital so they just kissed as best they could until the door handle made a sound and Rose got a stern look from the Sister in charge who had come to check on him.
The nurse came back later and told Rose they were going to prepare him for surgery and suggested she went to get some refreshments and he would still be here when she got back so she found the café and got a drink and something to eat and eagerly went back to his room. She followed the orderlies as they wheeled Alec to the theatre and they had a few minutes before he went in but he was getting sleepy. The surgeon came out and told Rose not to worry, his chances had greatly increased, probably due to her looking after him properly and him taking his medication.
Rose had one last thing to say to him as he was being taken in. "Alec, don't you make me wait out here for you, you'd better come back out again, you have a promise to keep."
He was taken inside before he could reply. She went to find a seat where she could see the door and prepared herself for a long wait. A nurse came out a few minutes later, asked if she was Rose and said that Alec had heard what she had said and for her not to worry, he intended to keep his promise and she still had something to give him. The nurse said Alec had told her Rose would know what that meant. She did. That meant he had every intention of making it and he was going to fight.
What seemed like hours passed by until the surgeon finally came out and said they were taking Alec to the recovery room and it was like a great weight was lifted from her but he also said he would be closely monitored for the next 48-72 hours and he had to have no excitement and he had to remain calm for him to get used to his pacemaker. Rose promised she would see he behaved but the surgeon somehow doubted that. Rose did manage the impossible, just sitting and holding his hand, both of them making plans together.
Alec was released a week later on the premise that he take it easy and went out for an hour every day and report back to the hospital in a week. The first night Alec was back, they went for a walk along the seafront and went out to the café next to the river and each night they would just lay on the sofa watching TV and kissing then on the Sunday, Rose drove them up the coast and they found a jewellery shop that was open and Alec bought Rose a solitaire engagement ring then when they got back, Rose had just got into bed to find Alec had taken his shorts off and he attempted to take her cami off saying he felt absolutely fine.
"Fine, but I'm not explaining it if you end up back in hospital, I'm going to make you sign a disclaimer if you want to start something Alec Hardy."
Alec laughed. "I'll gladly sign it for one night with you Rose Tyler. Come on, we've had enough time apart, let's pick up where we left off shall we? Do you remember where we were?"
Rose pretended to think about it and Alec seized the opportunity to remind her by successfully getting her to take her knickers off. Slowly, without Alec getting over-exerted Rose was one step nearer to giving herself to him and finally it happened, the night he was given the all clear from the hospital. They married a few months later in Broadchurch, Rose's mother coming down and they invited Ellie because they still hardly knew anyone and found a house to rent just a little further down from the apartment they had been in and settled down, deciding to get used to the fact they were married before planning to have a family, which Alec was keen to have since he had missed out badly.
Rose went on to write her column from home instead of chasing around all over the country for interviews and made it even more successful than it had been although Alec's had turned out to be the most read edition ever in the history of the magazine as it seemed people were curious about the detective who had solved the Broadchurch murder and his comeback from a damning failed case and overcoming his illness but most of all because Rose had put in his defence that he had been grossly misjudged and had no idea he was stepping out of the limelight only to be in it even more and how he had coped and overcome his battle with his illness and solved the case almost single-handedly. It could also have been because he had opened up to Rose eventually and let her quote him as being relieved that the case had been solved and he had been disappointed it had taken so long to see the obvious – that the guilty person had been under his nose all the time and he had talked and even sat across the dinner table with the killer.
Rose put behind her the hectic life she had led, running around the country after spoiled reality stars and those who thought they had been badly done by because Alec had been a far more deserving case than any of them put together and none of them had been through what Alec had been through and she thought that was why she had been so attracted to him, he hadn't wanted the recognition and the glory, he'd just wanted a quiet life which Rose had not wanted to give him when she had first arrived in town. Well that and she finally admitted to herself that he did look a little like a certain Scottish actor that had annoyed the hell out of her by trying to chat her up all the time when she couldn't stand him. Yeah Rose, just you keep on thinking that.
The End
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