Rose only heard one half of the hurried conversation Hardy was having as he tried to get dressed one-handed, Rose getting out of bed to get him a clean pair of shorts and some clean socks and Hardy smiling at her. He put the phone down and finished getting ready.

"I have to go Rose, whoever it was, they were just seen hanging around your old B&B, I'm getting picked up in five minutes and Miller's not answering her phone again. I know who it is Rose, you know who it is as well, don't you?"

"Yes, you made a point of saying you were taking me back there earlier. Can't you just bring him in for questioning?"

"No, I have to catch him in the act. He will have gone up the fire escape again, hoping the window was open. The landlord threatened the cleaner he'd finish her if she ever left it open again. I think he'll be gone now but I have to go, everyone thinks you're still there, if I don't show up, it will seem suspicious. I'll be back as soon as I can, I'll take the room keys, it's got the side door key on it as well."

"Be careful Alec." She kissed him goodbye and he left the room.

Hardy had a car waiting for him, he didn't want to go on his own, it added authenticity to his visit although he didn't knock on the door since the call had not come from Rose herself. He'd just said to inform him if anything took place there. As expected, no-one was around the back, then his phone rang, it was Miller.

"I don't want to hear it Miller, be in my office at nine in the morning. Fortunately, whoever it was didn't get in this time and Miss Tyler was not disturbed and I don't want you saying anything to her. She's been through enough."

All he got was a "Yes Sir" although Miller thought he was taking this too personally and hoped he wasn't stupid enough to get involved with a witness.

He went back to the hotel and got undressed in the dark, trying not to wake Rose but she heard him. "It's ok Alec, come back to bed with me."

He got in at the side of her when she moved over and she snuggled back up to him, never asking him any questions. She understood, better than his ex had and she'd also been in the police but had complained when he'd been called out. He knew Rose wouldn't, if he stayed with her but things would start to get even more awkward when the case ended, there would be the trial and she would have to testify, they would have to keep apart in court, never give a hint they were involved but he was falling in love with her and even that wasn't putting him off any more.

The next morning, Hardy was confident he almost had the killer and the person who had threatened who he now considered to be his Rose. He wouldn't be lenient with who he now was 99% certain was guilty. The phone being switched on would finally prove it the phone belonging to the dead boy, the only piece of evidence he was waiting for.

He kissed Rose goodbye before going down to breakfast, they still were being careful in front of people and he came back for her later to take her to work. He even came into the caf at lunchtime, to see if his suspect had shown up and Rose had warily served him tea and a sandwich, trying and failing not to make eye contact with him. She so wanted to tell people about him but knew she couldn't, not yet. She knew he'd not just come in to see her though and someone was absent again.

Rose should have seen it, she should have realised when Hardy had told her certain things and she realised she should have told him some things as well and she was going to when she got to the station, things that didn't seem relevant at the time because they had come from someone else. She got to the station but Miller was sat at her desk. Rose suspected Hardy was purposely keeping her there. She could hardly look at Miller but it wasn't her fault and she knew Hardy would have given her a real roasting about her phone being off again, he'd told her before he had left that she wasn't answering her phone.

It got to half six and Miller was still working, Hardy suddenly came out of his office. For his plan to work, he had to get her to leave.

"Miller, might as well get off now, I'll be leaving as soon as Miss Tyler has finished anyway. Make sure you double check your phones again, don't let your kids anywhere near them."

Miller was fairly certain they hadn't anyway. "Yes Sir." She got her things and said goodnight to Rose.

Rose tried not to show anything was wrong but she couldn't look at the woman the same but managed a "Goodnight Ma'am"

After Miller left, Rose went into Hardy's office and sat down, she no longer went for the formalities.

"Alec, I forgot to tell you something, that DS Miller told me a while back, after her return from holiday. I didn't think anything of it. Was any money found at that boy's house by any chance?"

Hardy got up and sat on the leather sofa next to her. He never discussed the case with her.

"How could you know that?"

"Because DS Miller told me when she came back, they would have enjoyed their holiday a lot more if her husband had not miscalculated how much spending money they had."

Hardy looked at her. "Why didn't you say something before Rose?"

"Because I thought nothing of it, I'm sorry, I should have said something."

"No, it's ok, don't worry about it, you weren't to know, it was told to you by someone else."

He took her hand and squeezed it. Anyone could walk into the outer office so he kept it to a minimum and got up.

Rose also got up. "Better get back to work then. Oh, another thing. I was thinking back, to when I got dragged into those bushes, there was that smell. Whoever you think it is and I know you can't say his name yet, had he been to the dentist?"

"Yes, that's why Miller was late."

"It could have been the smell of that antiseptic mouth rinse dentists use and he might not have been wearing a scarf that muffled his voice, it might have been his mouth that was sore after treatment."

"Have you ever thought about being a detective Rose?"

Rose laughed, in her dreams. She went back to work and Hardy came out wearing his jacket and sat on a desk waiting for her.

"Anything else you can think of that you missed?"

"He's not been in the caf for a good while and the last time he was in, he pulled his young son away from me for no reason. That's how he got my information, isn't it?"

Hardy just nodded. He was sat at Miller's desk and noticed her notebook wasn't around, she must keep it with her. It would have Rose's details in it, it had been handed out on a plate, why had he not seen it sooner and acted on it?

"I'm ready to go Alec," Rose said, rousing him from his thoughts.

They walked out and as usual he said he would wait downstairs. After all, what could happen in a Police Station? Hardy just stepped out of the lift downstairs when he saw the door to the stairs closing, thinking it was an officer or one of the other cleaners and went to sit on one of the chairs to wait for Rose. Seven minutes later, he noticed the lift was still on the second floor. Rose was always down in five or six minutes. He got up and opened the stairs door but he couldn't hear her coming down. He was worried. He shot up the stairs to the second floor and there was no sign of her until he rounded the corner to the cleaners room and Rose was lying on the floor by the open door as he shouted her name.

"Rose, come on, talk to me." He checked her pulse, she was only unconscious thankfully.

He got his mobile out. "This is Hardy. Get an ambulance to the second floor cleaners room now and don't let anyone out of the building. Tell them to bring a stretcher, someone's unconscious up here."

"Who is it Sir?"

"Rose Tyler, the cleaner, tell them she has a head wound and be quick."

He knew not to move her in case of serious injury and checked her pulse again. She had a very nasty gash on her forehead and her left eye was beginning to swell. He took her hand and held it. "Please Rose, please wake up. I love you."

While he waited, he called the desk again. "Did you lock the doors, did anyone get out?"

"Sir, DS Miller's husband left a minute before your order could be carried out."

"Well, what was he doing here?"

"He said she had left something on her desk."

He was going to chew the desk sergeant out when he knew Rose was safe, now was not the time. His plan had backfired and his Rose had been hurt.

A few minutes later, an ambulance crew came from the lift and he stepped aside and picked up her things as they put her onto a stretcher and the lift opened. One of the crew asked her name and Hardy told them.

"She's Rose Tyler, one of the cleaners. I came up and she was just lying there. She's a witness in an investigation, I was supposed to be seeing she got home safely every night. I always waited downstairs for her but she didn't come down."

Hardy was furious with himself, the other man must have gone down in the lift as he'd come up the stairs or must have heard him, the stairs door was open, he would have heard footsteps on the stairs and fled in the lift, that was why it was still on this floor, he must have called it after he himself got out. Why hadn't he noticed, why hadn't he waited upstairs with her? He knew he should call Miller, it was still all circumstantial and he knew it, all speculation but Rose knew.

The attacker must have sensed last night that Rose was so uneasy at being there. He should never have taken her. Then when the window to her old lodgings was locked, this had been his last resort to get to her. He had let Miller have enough time to get home for the attacker to sneak out of the house and get somewhere they were supposed to walk home and go for both of them but he had never anticipated this, that he would be brazen enough to walk into the station and attack her, he had intended for him to have enough time to get to the B&B and he was going to suggest they wait around and see if the attacker showed up if nothing happened on the way back. He couldn't have known they were taking a car now or maybe he did.

Riding in the ambulance with her, not daring to even hold her hand, when they arrived at the hospital, she was still unconscious. They got her into the emergency room and Hardy was asked her name again, saying he didn't know her personal details, he was the detective that had found her. They stitched the gash on her forehead and put something on her eye to reduce the swelling, Hardy thinking she still looked gorgeous.

Rose was moved to a side room until they could take her onto the ward and he pulled the curtain closed, taking her hand. "Please wake up Rose."

A short time later, he heard her moan. "My head, ouch. Where am I? Alec?"

"I'm here Rose, it's ok, you're in hospital, I found you. Do you remember what happened?"

"I remember opening the door to the cleaners room and it was flung in my face."

"Rose, I'm so sorry, I should not have just left you up there."

He touched her cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb. "From the inside or outside?"

"I was just coming out, I heard a noise and I thought it was you or one of the other cleaners. The next thing I knew, the door hit me, the security lock must have hit me and I was falling to the ground."

Just then, a nurse came in with a clipboard. "Miss Tyler? You had concussion. We need some more details."

After some difficulty, she answered her name and date of birth, Hardy surprised to learn she was only twenty six and she gave The Traders hotel as her address, asking if they wanted her home address as well. Then she gave that and her next of kin, Jackie Tyler. Rose was taken onto the ward asking for some painkillers, it was now after nine and the ward sister was not happy that Hardy had gone with her, after he flashed his ID and said he had some questions for her about the attack. He was told to be as quick as he could. That's what she thought.

After pulling the curtain around, he leaned down to kiss her. "I bet I look a right mess," Rose complained. "Did you bring my purse?"

Hardy produced it from the bedside locker, the nurse had handed it to him on the way to the ward. "Don't go looking in the mirror Rose," he smiled, taking her hand. Then he got closer and whispered, "You're still beautiful."

If Rose's face was not already red, it was now. "Aw, you're just trying to make me feel better."

"Remember while you're in here, call me Detective."

"Yes Sir."

"I was worried when you were a minute late down and it was a good thing that I was, you were lying on the floor with a nasty gash. If the security lock hit your eye, how did your forehead get cut? Unless that caught you and he hit you? As soon as I found you I ordered a lockdown but he'd just left."

"You mean who we think is responsible?"

"Yes, he fell for it but I missed him, he got out but it was him, definitely. I had intended to lay a trap for him. I didn't think he would go to the station. I'm sorry Rose, I let you down."

Rose caught is hand. "No you didn't, it wasn't your fault."

"He tried last night but he obviously couldn't get in the building so he went to the Police Station on some pretence. He must have gone up the stairs as I went down in the lift, Miller must have told him I would have left by the time he got there but she knew I waited for you. He just got lucky."

A nurse asked if it was ok to come in and Hardy drew the curtain back. Rose was given some painkillers for her headache and Hardy was asked to leave so she could get some rest. He said he would leave when he was ready or when she was tired.

"Alec, please, you can leave now, go back to the hotel, I'm sure they'll let me out in the morning."

"I'm going to call Miller and tell her. That way she'll repeat what I say and he'll know it didn't work. The other cleaners would have found you an hour later but you would have been unconscious all that time, who knows what damage could have been done?"

"Don't think about it, I'll be fine. I may have to go a bit heavy on the make-up for a while though," she smiled.

Hardy took her hand. "I'll be back in the morning to see if they'll discharge you, then I'll take you back to the hotel and you stay there, I'll tell the caf and your supervisor at the station you won't be in tomorrow. Try and get some sleep."

He leaned over to kiss her again but she leaned into him and he held onto her, holding her close as she leaned her head on his chest. She resisted saying out loud she preferred him without his shirt on.

Hardy went back to the station to pick his car up and drove back to the hotel where he didn't feel like answering any questions as to why Rose wasn't with him. He went to their room, opting to sleep in the bed he had been sharing with Rose. She was beautiful and far too young for him now he knew how old she actually was. Rose must have known he was older than her but she didn't seem to mind but when this was over, they needed to talk. He called Miller and told her what had happened and that Rose was in hospital with concussion, telling her Rose had been attacked. If that didn't rouse her suspicions nothing would. Couldn't Miller see it? She was too blind and she was accusing him of being too familiar with Rose.

Hardy was out early the next morning, he was at the hospital by eight, asking if Rose was being discharged. He had to wait but finally, the doctor said she could leave after saying she should stay off work for a few days. Hardy said he guaranteed she would. He had some room to talk, he had never rested when he'd been told.

He took her back to the hotel and said for her to take her lunch there and not to go out, unless he called her and they needed to talk when he got back later. Becca Fisher had looked horrified when she saw the state of Rose and began fussing around her, telling Hardy she would make sure Rose didn't leave and for her to come downstairs and talk to her if she got bored in her room. Rose ended up going down just after eleven and joined Becca having some coffee, Becca doing a bit of fishing to see if Rose and Hardy were involved but Rose gave nothing away.

After lunch, Rose having to pay for it since it wasn't included, Hardy phoned her. He had been busy all morning, grilling the desk sergeant about what time their unwanted visitor had arrived and he had indeed just gone upstairs as Hardy had got out of the lift. He wasn't going to let Miller in on it just yet and had sent her out.

Then he had his breakthrough. He was down on the beach, meeting up with Miller when he got a call, the missing mobile had been switched on. He rushed back to the station to a waiting car and followed the tracking device on his work mobile which led him exactly where he expected. He sent the driver to the other side of the field across from where the signal was coming from, walking the rest of the way, telling the driver to carry on slowly to the Miller house. He didn't want to spook anyone. He came to the house and walked in the front door, which had been left open. He saw Miller's eldest son watching TV with his younger brother but no-one else was in the house.

He followed the signal to the outhouse and opened the door. There stood Joe Miller with the missing phone in his hand. Once back at the station, he broke up an interview Miller was conducting and took her to one side to break the news to her. Then he called Rose and asked her to get a taxi to the Police Station.

Once in his office, after DS Miller had left, he told Rose and asked her if she would go with him to tell the family, he wanted them to meet her. Once at the Latimer house, he introduced her.

"This is Miss Rose Tyler, she witnessed the events on the beach that night and this is what she got for her troubles. She was threatened in person and by phone then she was attacked last night. We have the person responsible in custody and he's been charged with murder, threatening behaviour and assault, to which he's admitted all three. I won't go into details now but we'll keep you up to date. You can make arrangements to bury your son now."

Mrs Latimer got up and crossed to where Rose was sitting. "I'm sorry for what happened to you Miss Tyler. Thank you for what you did. Detective, who was it? Who killed our son?"

Everyone gasped when told. Hardy took Rose back to the station where she was asked formerly if she wanted to press charges. She did, there was no way she had gone through all that for nothing. Finally, after Hardy held a press conference, he went back to the hotel just as Rose was leaving the dining room so she stayed until he'd finished eating.

"So what happens now?" Rose asked once they were alone in the hotel sitting room with their drinks.

"Well, you'll have to testify at the trial and you'll have to give evidence about what happened to you but don't worry, I'll be there. I'll be able to take you there and back but we won't be able to sit together. I want to take care of you Rose, I want to you stop working two jobs and let me look after you. I'll find us a place to live, not here, up the coast, if you want."

Rose sat closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Finally, someone who wanted to take care of her, not the other way around.

They had just got to their room when a knock came on the door. Hardy went to answer it, it was DS Miller. He let her in and she was a little surprised to see Rose but not too much. Then she saw Rose's face.

"Rose I'm so sorry for what you've been through but you have to understand I had no idea. I should have seen it, you being threatened and him being out, then my phones being on silent."

Rose went up to her and put her hand on Miller's shoulder. "How could you know? Are your boys alright?"

Miller nodded. Then she spoke to Hardy. "I let you down Sir what can I say? I was there telling you keeping the witness safe should have been my job when it was me who was leading him right to her. He must have taken my notebook when I was asleep."

Miller finally left and Rose just wanted to go to bed, her head was still aching. She was going into the bathroom to get changed when Hardy stopped her.

"Nothing has changed Rose, I almost lost you last night. When you were lying on the floor in the station, I just wanted you to wake up. You never heard what I said. I love you Rose."

Rose put her arms around him and they kissed. "I love you too Alec."

Then Hardy helped her undress and she helped him, sort of. He wouldn't let her sit in front of the mirror, he told her she didn't need to. He lifted her over to one of the beds and laid her down, climbing on top of her and then made her call his name, the name he had always hated until he heard Rose saying it as they made love again.

Afterwards, trying not to fall out of bed, Hardy lay on his back with Rose on top of him, trying to avoid her sore eye and the plastic stitches on her forehead.

"I love you Alec," she whispered as she settled down on him.

The last thing she heard after "I love you too Rose," was Hardy saying he was going to get his old room back.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Six weeks later, Rose and Hardy had found a nice cottage to rent in Charmouth and Rose had left the caf while she had been in court in Exeter and got a part-time job in a Tea Shop in the village. Rose had to do most of the moving from the hotel once they found something they liked, it was only a holiday cottage but Hardy had negotiated with the agency and got it for the rest of the summer while they looked for something permanent and he was arranging to have his furniture sent down from Scotland to a local storage depot in Dorchester.

Rose had to tell her mother now so the following weekend, Hardy drove them up to London since Rose's injuries were healing nicely and a bit of make-up covered most of what was left and she got away with it. Her mother was impressed Rose had bagged herself such a handsome detective but swore blind he looked familiar from somewhere even though she had already seen him on the news.

Rose was handed a compensation form to sign, for loss of earnings and for physical damages which she didn't want but Hardy insisted she take it. She had been a witness and endured her injuries as such so she was entitled to it so when the money came through, she invited her mother down to stay and sprung it on her that Alec Hardy was now her fianc .

The End!