Rose got Jack into his stroller after they waved goodbye to Alec, she had kissed his cheek and he had kissed hers and the baby's foreheads. It was a far cry from when James couldn't wait to get out of the door, he had only stopped to give her a peck on the cheek and a 'see you tonight', Rose thinking some nights he stayed at college late so his son would be asleep.

Now, here was Alec Hardy, whom she'd met less than 24 hours ago, making plans to go buy Jack anything he needed and giving them a proper home not shared with her mother's hairdressing equipment and women coming in all day, asking what happened to Rose, who was either in the kitchen or her bedroom trying to keep a young baby from crying.

She had felt like a prisoner after she left James, she was stuck in a deep hole she thought she would never get out of but now, had her car not broken down just outside the town, she'd probably be in some cheap boarding house in Exeter doing exactly the same. Was it some sort of fate Alec had been on his way home as she had waited for the car engine to cool down?

Before he'd left, he'd given her his spare key, they had exchanged mobile numbers and Rose had dared to take his picture, though he had protested and said he'd break the phone's camera.

"Rose, I would prefer you didn't do that," he blushed as he pushed his hair back, the phone camera clicking.

"Aw, it's just for your contact picture, you can take one of me and Jack if you want?" she told him, quickly going into the contacts and assigning it, then sneakily putting it on the lock screen, replacing the one she'd taken of James holding Jack she was going to take off anyway.

"Maybe later eh? I'm not sure it is such a good idea yet, well not for me. I have to go and explain to Miller why I am asking about what she did with her son's baby equipment."

"Well maybe you should leave it until I meet her?"

"That's all very well Rose but what do I say to get her to come with me eh? I can't just say oh by the way I rescued someone last night and she's got a young baby and they are staying with me, can I?"

"Why not? You already said she'll think you need locking up, what else can she say?"

"I would rather not think of what she will say. I will drop a few hints, see her reaction and I'm not trying to hide you Rose, really I'm not, it's just somewhat unusual circumstances that brought us together and tonight I'd like us to talk more about what you are going to do. Please Rose, don't pack and leave while I'm gone, will you?"

"No, I said I wouldn't. Where can I go with no car?"

"I will call the garage, see what the damage is and don't worry about dealing with gruff mechanics eh?"

So after cleaning up, making the beds and feeding Jack again, she looked up taxi cabs and got one to the supermarket, opting to put Jack in the trolley seat instead of dragging the stroller and a hand basket around. While Rose was doing all that, Ellie Miller had been out and had just got back so Alec called her into his office.

"Sit down Miller."

"What have I done now?" Ellie protested at him being all mysterious when he'd called her in.

"I'm going to tell you something and you'll be calling the nearest mental institution. On my way back from my check-up last night, I stopped to help a young woman whose car had broken down, in the lay-by just outside town."

"Since when have you been a car expert?"

"Just listen will you? She had a young baby with her, the radiator had overheated but when I poured some water back in, well let's just say the car was going nowhere so I waited with her for the breakdown service."

"Well hark at you, the good Samaritan, so what?"

"She had nowhere to go and not much money so I brought her to my place."

Ellie burst out laughing and everyone outside looked in their direction. Alec got up to scowl at them and pulled the blinds closed.

"Stop it Miller, I am being serious."

"So what are you going to do about it? Where's her car?"

"Been taken to the garage up on the High Street, I am going to call them now but I gave the patrol man my card. I'm going to take care of it, they will take advantage of her situation and charge her twice as much. She and her baby are going to be staying with me, until the car is fixed but she has nowhere else to go so she may stay beyond that."

Ellie decided he couldn't be making this up. "I can get my loft finished over the weekend, she's welcome to that, maybe look after Fred so I don't have to pay a child-minder. So how old is her baby?"

"Six months or so, his name is Jack and she's called Rose, Rose Tyler."

"You, remembering names! Well she can come and stay with me and look after Fred and do a bit of housework in return, does she have any money coming in?"

"Yes, some benefits and she gets an allowance from the baby's father, he sees the baby once a month but I think she will be better off staying with me for now. Besides, I said I would pay for the car being repaired to save her going without anything until she gets her benefits so she is looking after my cottage for now plus it's on the harbour, she can take the baby out more easily, until her car is fixed."

"You really are being serious aren't you? So what do you want from me?"

"Anything of what's his name's that he no longer needs."

"Hang on, you know her son's name and you don't know mine?"

"Oh, I know his name, I was just seeing your reaction. I mean anything of Fred's that you've not promised to give to Beth Latimer."

"Well Lizzie's still in her crib so I've got everything really but I promised her the cot, the baby's too young for anything else yet. I could lend Rose them, her son will be out of them when Lizzie is old enough, if she sticks around. I'll get them out of the garage when I get home and bring them around and see what Beth says about the cot."

"Thanks Miller, I appreciate anything you can lend her since I don't know how long she's staying. We talked about it last night but things are still not clear, I think she will leave when her car is fixed."

Ellie noticed he looked disappointed at the thought. "You're really taken up with all this, aren't you? Admit it Hardy, she's got to you."

"Maybe she has, I just want to help her. She split up with the baby's father three months ago and she's been living in her mother's flat in London. Her mother runs a home business and Rose has to stay either in her room or the kitchen with the baby all the time, the weather has been too bad lately for her to take him out."

Rose hadn't actually told him that but he could guess why she'd stayed indoors most of the time, it was no fun dragging a baby out in the rain just for the sake of it.

"Poor thing, now you're making me feel sorry for her. Ok, I buy it, when can I meet her?"

"Across the road around twelve, I told her to meet us there, she was going up to the supermarket to get things for the baby. She was so tired this morning, I got him up and fed and changed him. Don't look at me like that Miller, I looked after Fred for you did I not?"

Ellie was trying not to laugh too much. From her coming back for the trial and him dragging her into the Sandbrook case, they had spent a lot of time together, he'd even pushed Fred around in his stroller and looked after him on the odd occasion and now, he'd taking someone in, she thought he'd have learned his lesson after what Claire Ripley had done to him.

Just before twelve, having got back from the supermarket with the better brand of nappies, more milk and other baby food and the groceries, Rose changed Jack again, stuffed what she was going to need into her shoulder bag and was on her way to meet Alec, seeing the catering area he'd told her about but having to walk all the way around to it.

She was just at one of the stalls waiting to order tea for two when she saw a woman walking towards her in a sort of uniform and wondered if it was Ellie Miller.

"Are you Rose by any chance?" Ellie asked, looking at Jack, who was trying to bite his toes and halfway got his sock off.

"Yeah, you must be Ellie Miller? Hi. Where's Alec?"

"He was still talking or rather shouting at the garage owner where your car is. He called them earlier and they said to ring back at twelve, I wouldn't like to be them right now. So this is Jack?" Ellie asked, leaning over and grinning at him. "Hello there little man, you're going to lose your sock."

"It's a new thing, trying to bite his toes," Rose smiled as she paid for the tea and was told it would be brought over to her when she also ordered two baked potatoes with cheese and salad, hoping Alec would be ok with it.

Ellie laughed and ordered a coffee and a sandwich while Rose sat at a nearby table. Back in his office, Alec was barking orders down the phone.

"Well you are dealing with me, not her so tell me again why you can't get a radiator for her car until Monday?"

The man tried to explain they had to order it in and while they did that, they would take the old one out and check no more damage had been done.

"So how much is that going to cost and when will it be ready?" he asked, scribbling down the total amount including tax and labour charges. "So I have your assurance that is the total? You had better not keep calling back saying you have found other problems with it and it will be ready on Tuesday. I will be paying for it and collecting it for her so it had better be ready on Tuesday afternoon."

Fairly satisfied he hadn't been completely ripped-off, he got his jacket and headed downstairs and across the road, seeing Rose talking to Ellie, who was tickling the baby's foot and making him laugh. He felt like that was now his job but pulling on his tie, went to join them.

Rose just had to give the game away, didn't she as Alec sat next to her and she greeted him with a big smile and put her arm in his, kissing his cheek.

"Hi, I ordered lunch for us. So, what about my car then?"

He knew there was no escaping Miller's attention now but he'd not said anything about how they had spent the night together, even though it was only a few kisses. He gave Ellie a warning look telling her she'd better not say anything, he'd told Rose earlier he wasn't trying to hide her or anything but now his DS knew it was more than him just rescuing her.

"It is being taken care of and will be ready on Tuesday and I will collect it for you. So have you two discussed baby equipment?" he asked as their lunch arrived and looking at the baked potato was grateful she'd not ordered tuna since he hated any fish that didn't go with chips, now he could eat them again.

"I was just going to tell her," Ellie objected. "There's everything really but I'll have to check with Beth about the cot, the other stuff she won't need yet. I'll bring everything after work, there are some boy's toys and some clothes I never got rid off, if you want them?"

"Yeah, I'd appreciate anything you have, I had to leave things behind. I had everything Ellie but I had to let it all go when I left Jack's father. Well I didn't exactly want to leave but I had little choice, we just weren't getting on."

"I never meant to pry Rose, these things happen but hey, you ended up in a seaside town, you'll love it here, my two boys loved going down to the beach when they were babies. How long are you planning on staying?"

Rose glanced at Alec. "Listen Rose, I can get my loft finished over the weekend, it's yours if you want it?"

"Thanks Ellie but I'm going to be staying with Alec, I have to work off what I owe him for my car since I can't afford to pay it all at once for another two weeks."

"Well the offer still stands, if you ever get tired of looking after him."

Jack decided he was missing out on being fed so Alec being the nearest took the feeding bowl Rose had got out along with a jar of something Alec pulled a face at and said it was 'mushy'. He put the bib on Jack and began spoon-feeding the boy whilst trying to finish the remains of his lunch.

Ellie grinned at her boss being all 'domestic' and could only imagine what was already going on between the two of them since Rose had kissed his cheek and taken his arm and the baby was happily accepting the food given to him by a stranger but he'd said he'd fed and changed the boy that morning so maybe Jack had already got used to who had once been her grumpy, miserable boss.

Ellie made her excuses and left them to it after saying she would throw what she could find into her car and be over around six.

"Thanks Ellie and don't worry about the cot, we can go pick one up tomorrow, can't we Alec?"

Alec was trying to clean a squirming Jack's face covered in a brownish coloured remains of his food, Alec not even wanting to know what it was made up of.

"See you back at the station Uncle Alec," Ellie grinned as she got up.

Alec could only scowl at her while Rose giggled and patted his shoulder.

"Now see what's happened," Alec remarked as he put the dirty baby wipes in a nearby bin and Jack was making noises that he wanted his milk that was sat on the table Rose had poured in a bottle earlier.

She'd got some proper baby milk from the supermarket and was about to reach for it when Alec sat down again and picking it up, leaned down to hold the bottle in place as Jack grabbed hold of it.

"You're really good with him Alec, he never did that for James."

"Maybe he was too young then?"

"No, I don't mean taking the bottle, he always made a fuss when his dad tried to feed him."

"I told you Rose, babies are very sensitive, they know when someone is uncomfortable with them. Maybe that is what drove James away in the end? I mean if he felt Jack wasn't comfortable with him, it works both ways."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right Alec. So what about my car? Is it just the radiator?"

"As far as they know. Don't worry, I told you I was taking care of it for you. When you get the baby things from Miller, you will be able to let him play safely while you get on with things and tomorrow, if there is no cot, we will go down and get one. Now Jack, you take the bottle from your mum, I have to go now."

As if to respond, Jack moved the bottle from his mouth and grinned at Alec as he let go and got up, leaning down to kiss the boy's forehead. Rose moved over and Alec leaned down to kiss her cheek, since there now seemed very little sense in hiding the fact they were together but would everyone think the baby was his? Jack was about the right age for everyone to believe he'd met Rose just after solving Danny's murder so he was going to have to come up with a plan and soon, especially if Miller's nephew caught on.

"Maybe when you get home and Ellie brings that equipment round, I can make us something nice for dinner?" Rose asked, taking hold of Jack's bottle.

"Yes, that would be good. Why don't you take him down on the beach for a while?"

"Yeah, he'd like that. See you later then, Jack, say 'bye."

She took the bottle away and Jack held his arms out to Alec so Rose took one of his arms to get him to wave.

"Bye for now, you go play on the sands with your mum for a while eh?" Alec told him, kissing Rose's cheek again and being thankful they were tucked in a corner out of the way but a certain Olly Stevens had been on his way back to the newspaper office across the road and had seen his aunt with Hardy and another woman with a baby in a stroller.

So he'd crept a bit nearer, seen his aunt leave then Alec taking the baby's bottle then kiss the woman's cheek. Now he was intrigued and had to find out what it was all about. At his uncle's trial, he'd seen a woman with brown hair with Hardy a few times, then she'd been arrested but his aunt wouldn't say much except it was an old case and it would all be revealed sooner or later.

Was that why Hardy had been away from Broadchurch after the trial had ended? To bring his girlfriend and baby back to live here? This was going to make a hell of a story.

Hardy had been expected to leave Broadchurch after Joe Miller had been locked up but he'd stayed and taken that blue chalet by the river so how had he met her? Olly had not seen her around before so they had kept it all secretive and now the trial was over, Hardy must have persuaded her to come and live with him.

Olly saw Alec walk off so he got up and headed across the green and into the newspaper office, calling upstairs for Maggie and ignoring his mother sat at a desk typing something.

"Hey sunshine, where are you going in such a hurry?" his mother asked him as he shouted "Maggie" and was halfway up the stairs.

"Maggie, you'll never guess what I just saw?"

"Not now Olly, I need something for the front page and there's nothing going on around here. Did you talk to your aunt about that old case of DI Hardy's? Maybe we can do a story on him, how he was on death's doorstep and solved an old case? Oh, I've got a better idea. Find out where he went when he left town for a week or so and why he decided to get himself fixed and if you can, how he got his job back. Why are you grinning?"

"If you stop I'll tell you," Olly grinned, sitting opposite her.

"Don't be cheeky Olly. Well? This had better be good."

"Oh it is, I've just seen DI Hardy across at the catering stalls, with a young blonde and get this, there was a young baby in a stroller and Hardy looked like he was feeding the baby and he kissed the woman's cheek when he left them."

"What? Are you serious? Oh petal, that is a story. Well don't just sit there, write down what you know and go find her and get the story and pictures. Find out who she is, where she's from and more importantly why she's arrived all of a sudden. Maybe Hardy didn't know about the baby and she's come to tell him?"

"No Maggie, he knew the baby, I'm sure of it the way they were acting and he was leaning over the stroller. I couldn't see if it was a boy or a girl, I was too far away. He may have been hiding her away somewhere during the trial and he's got her to come and join him."

"Well get on with it then, I need to get it ready for Monday. Thank goodness we only print once a week now you have that news blog or whatever it's called. This is exactly what we need to get the town interested again. I had another offer today but I turned them down, some paper from Bristol wants to take us over and use us for getting the latest news from the area to save them sending reporters down all the time."

Olly knew his editor wouldn't give up the paper without a fight, she had down-sized to save money when things had got tight. He got up and going back downstairs was relieved to find his mother on the phone so he wouldn't have to answer why he was in such a hurry. Who was the mysterious blonde with Hardy and why were they being so open if he'd been hiding her away?

His imagination was working overtime as he set off to see if she was where she was earlier but she had gone so he walked past the police station hoping Hardy was around but he wasn't so he walked along the esplanade to see if he could catch up with her. He spotted her a bit further down at the edge of the beach, the buggy empty and Rose sat on the sands with the baby jumping up and down.

She looked up when someone stood in front of her and not having her sunglasses with her, squinted against the afternoon sun.

"Can I help you?" Rose asked, reaching for her mobile on the blanket.

"Don't be alarmed. I'm Olly Stevens, Broadchurch Echo. I saw you and DI Hardy earlier and I wondered what the story was, you're new in town."

"Well aren't you the clever one? So you saw us together? Big deal. What makes you think I want to talk about it?"

"I saw enough back there, you and Hardy fussing over the baby. Is he the father?"