Rose sat in her hotel room waiting for Alec to call her back or for DS Miller to call her. She didn't really like the woman but if Alec could get her to look into it, his involvement would be a bare minimum and they could still move in together. While she waited, she remembered she hadn't asked Alec about phone and TV so she sent him a text saying did he wanted the full works so she rang about getting the full package and had noticed the satellite dish and the phone point so she went back online and was about to get signed up when it asked for her details as Alec wanted to pay for everything so she'd have to wait until he got back. Alec had mentioned he didn't like signing up for anything online so she'd have to phone them later but she could see to having the utility services changed to Alec's name as she just put on the form they would pay the bills directly with the option to change it.
She had not heard anything by noon so she went off to meet Alec in the caf near the Police Station, who were getting to know her by now and waited for him, hoping he'd have some good news for her. When he arrived, he said he'd told Miller about it and she had requested all the details from the officer who had been in charge of the case and was still sifting through everything but she actually seemed pretty interested in it because she wasn't one for letting things rest and she believed an injustice had been done by not pursuing the case. Alec had told her that it was Rose's husband and that he had befriended her since her arrival but had to say there was no other reason why he was helping her other than he thought she deserved some sort of closure to it after all this time and he had her permission to chase it up.
"Rose, if Miller gets this re-opened she'll be pleased with herself for doing it and she might ease up on me a bit but also it will mean my name isn't mentioned so she will call you when she gets to know anything. Tell her we're just friends, I have enough trouble with her as it is, I don't want anything to spoil things between us because well, there is something I want to discuss with you tonight after we've sorted the house out. I know there are things to do because I want all the bills in my name and this afternoon I'm going to follow something else up but I'll tell you later. How have you got on this morning, did you get anything done?"
Rose nodded. "I got some things done by saying we would pay the bills directly with the option to change it but I couldn't get the TV and phone done without you. I did the Council Tax in your name and they will send a bill which we'll be able to pay monthly. I can change all my things and then you can do yours but I was going to find out today about going back officially to my maiden name. Alec, I don't want to cause any embarrassment between us by people referring to me as Mrs, they might get the wrong idea and I don't want to explain all the time I'm a widow."
"That was what I wanted to discuss with you. I was going to find out for you but if you go to the Town Hall to the Registrars office, they'll be able to tell you. It might be really easy and it might not take anything legal form if you just go back to being called Miss, you could still keep the Tyler-Smith if you wanted to but just check it out first before you change all your documents and bank. You still have a week to get it all done before you start your new job so you should be able to do it before then. I curse the internet sometimes but it can be useful for some things."
Rose just smiled as he told her about how the internet was mostly the cause of his problems with his last case before he'd come to Broadchurch and hadn't helped his popularity in the town, that and the newspapers. He agreed though that now, he was forced to change his mind since it was helping to re-open John's case and if Rose could resolve this once and for all, he would be quite happy to spend the rest of his life with her, if she would have him. Even if nothing came of this, which he doubted now because he had told Miller more than once she was like a dog picking at a bone that it wouldn't let go of, something would come of it. With new witnesses it would increase the chances and also put into question why they were not approached, especially in light of the newspaper article.
He was surprised though that Rose didn't have an actual copy of the newspaper from that time or if it was the fact she didn't live in that area and was not aware of it. It was only a weekly paper so she might not have known about it. He didn't want to say anything but she had a very good chance if the driver was caught she would receive a substantial amount in compensation for the whole sorry affair, for the police failing her and the actual accident and she wouldn't have to do anything to get it, they would be all over her with it. He would have to keep a very firm grip on it though and make sure she wasn't exploited over it which was why he was going to suggest to her go back to her maiden name permanently before she changed all her documents over.
"Rose, I have to go back to work now but please, go get some advice about your name and I want you to know that it's no embarrassment to me if you want to keep the Tyler-Smith or even use Mrs if you want. I don't care much about what people say, I'm more concerned of how it will affect you when we are seen together, I don't want people thinking we're having an affair or for you to have to prove otherwise but it's up to you in the end, whatever you decide, I'm with you."
They left the caf and Rose asked him for directions to the Town Hall and since it was up in the town itself, went back for her car, thinking she could go back and do some more shopping later where she went yesterday. She had some luck at the Town Hall and found out it was quite a common question. She really wasn't quite ready to let go of her surname just yet but considering she was now involved with Alec and the fact she knew in her heart now she was not betraying her husband's memory, she resigned herself to start making the change back to Rose Tyler but in her heart she would always be Rose Tyler-Smith because John had been the love of her life, the only man she had ever loved until she had met Alec Hardy and it was inevitable now she was moving in with Alec that society at large would make something out of nothing and make life difficult and she couldn't put that on him.
She would make it plain she was a widow if asked any awkward questions by any authorities but she sure as hell wasn't going to explain it to the nosey-parkers of the world. She was finally admitting she was actually falling in love with him.
She drove back to the shopping centre and bought some soft furnishings and chose some window blinds but would have to go back since she didn't have any measurements. She wished now she had asked to borrow the keys since it was mostly cut and dried the place was theirs but measuring on your own isn't much fun and she wanted Alec to be involved in as much as possible. No doubt there would be a few arguments but they would be able to make up later. She also went to look at beds thinking that maybe Alec wouldn't want to sleep in the bed she had shared with John and they would need one for the spare bedroom and rang him to ask him about it but he said it was fine, maybe just get a new mattress for it later when they had got settled but agreed they'd need bedroom furniture for the spare room and said he'd take the day off tomorrow and they'd go back and choose. He said they could try and get the keys early and measure things and he might get some of the blinds up before they moved in but would have to go to the DIY store to get tools.
Rose got back to the hotel and dragged her shopping in with her again, much to Becca's amusement as she had thought Rose had come in with enough stuff the day before and had seen her dragging Alec out to bring more things in and wondered where they had put it all. She caught Rose just as she was waiting for the lift and asked her if she had time for a coffee and a chat. Rose agreed and Becca showed her into the sitting room and went to get the drinks. They talked for a while about where they were both from and why they'd moved but Becca became sorry for her as Rose came to the part that she was a widow as she was going to make some catty remarks about Alec but as Rose was telling her how Alec was helping her move on, she kept them to herself and thought she was just being catty herself about it because he'd not asked her again after she had turned him down last year.
Rose asked Becca if she and Alec had ever got together because she'd got the impression something had happened between them at some point. Becca just laughed when Rose came out and asked her and said he'd asked her once and she'd turned him down because he'd just come out of hospital after she and another resident had found him unconscious of his bathroom floor and she had called an ambulance and gone to the hospital with him and she was scared of it happening again if she had taken him up on his offer. She did admit though that she suspected he was only asking her because he was lonely and it would have only been a casual fling and that Rose had nothing to worry about, she never pursued him and wasn't interested in him and he'd never asked her again and she had never see him bring anyone back to the hotel and he always came back every night except when he was in hospital.
Becca then asked her if she and Alec were involved or was it just friendship but Rose declined to answer just saying there were a bit more than friends and that he really had helped her get over her husband's death and that the reason why they were both moving out was because she had found a house she liked but it was too expensive for just her and he was sharing the costs with her. Becca sort of believed her but after seeing the two of them together over the last few days doubted Rose was telling her the entire truth.
Rose said she would see Becca later and went back upstairs to get changed for Alec getting back and still had a few minutes so she called her mother and told her she had got things going about re-opening John's case and that it was someone who worked with Alec who was looking into it, explaining to her that he couldn't get involved in it but if things went well they could get to know something soon. Rose told her she was getting the keys tomorrow and Alec was helping her move in on Saturday and putting some blinds up for her when her mother asked the multi-million dollar question was she sleeping with Alec Hardy?
Rose couldn't answer without incriminating herself so she pleaded the fifth amendment but her mother wasn't having any of it.
"Rose, I'm not judging you but you've only just met him. I know you need to move on but Sweetheart, don't you think it's a bit quick?"
"Mum, it's been over two years, Alec is helping me, he's been a real comfort to me and no, we're not having sex if that's what your asking. We have just been spending a lot of time together and he's been there for me. I've told him everything because I didn't want to keep any secrets and he's accepted that it's taking me some time to get over John's death because I thought I was betraying his memory but maybe I'm not after all. He wouldn't have asked me not to move on if I lost him, we never even talked about it. We were never jealous of each other, we had no reason to be. We loved each other deeply and I thought no-one could ever replace him but Alec is the first man who has understood that. He went through a really bad divorce and he was hurt because his ex wife cheated on him so he knows what it's like to be alone, to think no-one else cares but we're helping each other to move on and maybe we'll stay friends and we'll take it from there."
"Rose Tyler, I don't know what you mean," her mother laughed. "Anyway if you share with him at least I don't have to worry about you being alone, what with him being in the police but I'll only judge him once I've seen him, it's your life but be sure it's what you really want so you might as well tell me if that's what you've already planned."
Rose had to finally admit that she had already ask Alec to share. "OK, you'll find out anyway when you come down, yes I am going to share with him but I told you the truth about the not having sex part. We are romantically involved but never gone too far. He accepts I'm trying to get over John and he's been so patient about it. Maybe if I finally get his accident resolved I'll be able to move on with Alec. I'm sure you'll like him, he's a lot like John in some ways. Don't worry, there will be somewhere for you to stay when you come down but if I choose to share with Alec, I don't want you slapping his face if it's in the same room. He's very protective and he's insisted on paying the rent deposit and all the bills for the house but if he thinks he's paying it all he's in for a shock."
It was nearly time for Alec's return so she said goodbye to her mother, promising she would let her know one way or another about the case. A knock came on her door and she made sure it was Alec and greeted him, letting him lift her off her feet as she clung to him in a long kiss. They had time before dinner to sort some of the things out for the house, Rose having to ring about TV, phone and broadband, handing the phone to him to give his details but because they were in a quiet area were told it could all be installed the following Wednesday since the dish and phoneline were already in place. Rose told him she was going back to her maiden name and was going to make all the changes online as far as she could and would make a start in the morning then they would go choose furniture for the spare bedroom and see if they could collect the keys early to get the measurements. She also told him she wanted to pay for some of the things though, it wasn't fair he was paying for it all to which he reluctantly agreed but only the food and other household items they needed then he told her what he'd been wanting to say to her earlier.
"Rose, after I asked DS Miller to look into John's case, which by the way is looking extremely good as she's now been in touch with the officer who was in charge and he's agreed to find the witnesses who weren't interviewed at the time so we could hear something soon. Anyway, she told me you could claim compensation for his death which wouldn't involve you having to do anything, you should have been told that when it happened plus my Super got hold of it, which I was trying to avoid but I left my involvement with you out of it, said that you wouldn't have to do anything but sign a form. What do you think Rose?"
She couldn't say anything because all the money in the world could never compensate for losing him, all she wanted was the person who knocked him down to be stopped from doing it again. She had been bitter when it happened, why should the person who knocked him down be allowed to just go about as if nothing had happened? Had that person been living two years knowing they had run someone over with a clear conscience? If they felt guilty they would have come forward, knowing that the person they had knocked down must have had a family but if they hadn't cared, been selfish that they had robbed someone of a boyfriend, husband or a son because they didn't want to be caught, why should they have their freedom? She realised she still felt the same, having tried to forget it but now she had a chance to bring them to justice, them feeling guilty or not, they should be made to face the consequences of their actions.
Alec was looking for her answer, did she want to be compensated? Alec was going to take care of her, she knew that but if it was due to her, the authorities would just get it if she didn't claim it. She hadn't exactly suffered but it hadn't been easy either. If she'd had the money she would have never gone out to work, would have locked herself away, going to work had given her a purpose. Alec was getting worried when she didn't reply but gave her chance to think.
"Rose, just think it over, even if they never find the driver, you are still entitled to it. The other thing I wanted to say was, I want to take care of you, Sweetheart, I want to look after you, it's not about finance, it's about looking after you and I would rather you turn down the compensation because I don't want people thinking it's about the money, you know it isn't. We can live comfortably without it but it's up to you."