When Rose got home, she no longer felt like going over what she had told Ellie. Ellie couldn't offer her any advice that her mother wouldn't have come up with so Rose resolved herself to going back to how it had been before their holiday and hoped she would get away with not getting pregnant. If she did, she would just have to tell him if it came to it, she could hardly deny it was his, she had told him she could never go with another man, no-one had compared to him.

She never said anything when they arrived to meet him the following Saturday, Alec secretly hoping she would change her mind and come Friday night and stay with him but he got the usual message to meet at the shopping mall and she would see him at six. The way his week had gone, he wasn't really in the mood to even argue with her, he knew full well what she could be like when she wanted to be, as much as he still loved her.

Grace had noticed the change in both their moods since their holiday and just before he was due to go meet Rose, the girl asked him what was wrong.

''Why doesn't mummy kiss you goodbye properly now Daddy? She's been really sad.''

''I know princess, you have to help her to stop feeling sad, can you do that?''

''Yes Daddy, she talks to auntie Ellie about you all the time. Will that help?''

''I don't know Grace, maybe. I think your mum just needs for you to give her extra hugs, I'm sure that will help, don't you?''

''I think it might. Tom and Danny wanted to teach me to skateboard but mummy wouldn't let them.''

Alec smiled, glancing in the rear-view mirror at his young daughter. In no time at all, she would be six and he was going to miss her birthday again. Well not without a fight he was. He would give Rose until next weekend then he was going to do something about it. Hopefully, he should hear about his transfer soon and a vacancy had arisen in Dorset, he wasn't quite sure where and although Rose had said she lived there, he had no idea where she actually worked, why would he? There were several police stations around the area but maybe he should check with his boss, not that he would tell him he supposed.

He knew Rose was awaiting her exam results but surely if she was due the promotion, they wouldn't advertise the job? He couldn't just come out and ask her where she actually was, she was now barely speaking to him again. That holiday week had been just what they needed and the two weekends after but now, it had set them back almost a year. He greeted Rose as he took Grace out of her car seat and the girl held on to him as she was handed to her mother.

''Don't forget to kiss mummy goodbye. Can I go home with you tomorrow Daddy? Can mummy come?''

''I don't know Grace, Rose, is it ok?''

''Yeah, I'll collect her from there tomorrow but can we make it from ten until four?''

''Sure Rose, anything you want. We could meet for lunch at one?''

''No, it's best not. Come on Grace. Did you give her something to eat?''

''Yes, she's fine. Rose, we need to talk love, you know we do.''

''Not now Alec, maybe when I collect her tomorrow.''

Alec watched them drive off to the hotel, his newly mended heart was in his mouth, it really hurt after they had got so close to getting back together again, maybe she would talk tomorrow? The following morning though, things were just going to get worse when he set off to meet Rose and passed a newsagents with the sign outside for 'The Sunday Herald' about his recent case. He risked stopping to pick up the trashy newspaper and read the front page with the headlines 'Sandbrook case falls apart due to police blunder.'

He didn't have to read any more. Since he had declined to comment, Tess Henchard had seized the opportunity to put the blame on him for giving her the evidence to take back when she had clearly told him she had somewhere to go and it was his fault it was stolen by not taking it back himself because he was too busy mooning over his ex wife and trying to get her back. She also said at least two other women in the department were chasing him since he had got divorced but refused to comment she was one of them, citing that she and Alec had been an item before he had got married and that was all.

He sat in the car by the side of the road, debating what to do when his phone rang – damn, it was Rose, probably wanting to know why he hadn't been waiting in his usual place, the first time since they began the arrangement he had been late and she knew it.

"Sorry Rose, I got delayed, I'll be there in a few minutes and I have something to tell you.''

He thought he should come clean, Rose knew about Tess and he had joked on holiday she had been trying to lure him back, Rose had even said if she tried again she would pay a visit and scratch her eyes out, something he wouldn't have minded actually watching. He pulled in at the side of Rose since he no longer considered she would think he was simply going to drive off with the girl and never bring her back, that wasn't his style. He picked up the newspaper and noted Grace was still in her seat but it was a busy car park.

''Have you see the morning paper yet?''

Rose took it from his hand. He had not yet told her Ashworth had walked free but he surmised her boss may have told her. Rose had found out a few days ago and meant to tell him how sorry she was about it after all that hard work and he had been excited last weekend that he could finally get it finished and now, according to what she was reading, that cow Tess had rubbed salt into the wounds.

Rose smiled at the part where Tess stated two other women where chasing him apart from his 'mooning' over his ex wife, well at least she had got a mention but she wasn't going to let him off that easily.

''So who is she then Alec? Care to tell me now?''

''Don't be ridiculous Rose, there is no-one else chasing me and as for Tess, what the hell I ever saw in her I don't know. The other was my DC but we had a talk and I put her in her place, Tess is just pissed she got told about having her car broken into after she tried to say it was my car.''

''You never told me that bit, that cow. Now I will scratch her eyes out, not that it lets you off the hook for not telling me about your illness Alec, you shouldn't have kept that from me and it's gonna take some time for me to get over that. Ok, we'll meet for lunch at one, for Grace's sake, she never stopped last night because I only kissed you on the cheek.''

''Ok, meet me back here at one. Thanks Rose, please love, let's just forget all this eh? I was an ass, I know I was.''

''I'll think about it, Grace is getting impatient. Where shall I meet you?''

After lunch, Rose followed him back to their old apartment but never allowed herself to be alone with him and they left just before four, Rose strapping Grace into her seat. The young girl was used to her parents putting her in the car and talking for twenty minutes or more recently, kissing for twenty minutes before her dad finally let her mother go.

''So Rose, can you come Friday next week maybe? Come and stay with me?''

''I don't know Alec, I really have to think about it but I'll call the newspaper, tell MS White what I think about her, that's for certain and you can tell Tess if she tries another trick like that to watch out or I'll tell her boyfriend's wife about them.''

''You wouldn't love, would you?'' He tried to put his arms around her but she held him at bay.

''Watch me and no, you can't get round me like that Alec Hardy, not so easily.''

''Aw come on Rose, just one kiss, a proper one or I may just get Grace to talk your ears off about it on your way home.''

''You would as well, wouldn't you? Any news about a transfer yet?''

''Not anything definite but I'll no doubt get knocked back for a few now, I might be limited as to where I can go. How's your training going?''

''Fine, another three weeks and he leaves, well maybe four but I think he has other plans to leave early. Bye Alec, take care.''

''You too love.'' He opened the car door and leaned in to kiss his daughter's forehead. ''Bye princess, remember what I told you.''

He got back out and went to kiss Rose's cheek but caught her lips instead. ''Bye love, let me know when you get back eh?''

He watched them drive off, slightly more optimistic than yesterday when she had driven away but he knew he was going to have to do something drastic and now on top of that, he had to salvage his now tarnished reputation and confront Tess once and for all.

He did – the next morning, calling her into his office before his chief hauled them both in, tossing the folded newspaper at her before she even closed the door.

''What the hell Tess? What were you thinking talking to that reporter? It was bad enough it all leaked out but this? Is this what you do because I turned you down again?''

''You should have taken me up on my offer, after your wife left you. We still could Alec, I know she's backed off again due to you going back to your grumpy self last week so don't bother denying it. I could make you forget about her, if you wanted?''

''Seriously? Is that the best you can do Tess? No, 'sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to that reporter, I'll call her and take it all back'?''

''I don't regret what I said Alec, have you sorted out that DC of yours yet? She was pretty miffed the last time I saw her.''

''Go to hell Tess, I wouldn't go back to you if my life depended on it and as for Jones, I put her straight and if she starts again, she'll get a reprimand on her record. I'm leaving soon, just to set the record straight, I already told Jones but I thought I would leave you until last, I did not want to spoil the surprise.''

Tess laughed. ''Who's going to take you now Alec? I was only offering because I felt sorry for you anyway.''

Alec decided to play Rose's card. ''Tess, you're not fooling anyone, least yourself. I will get back with Rose, sadly you won't be around to see it but I may invite you when we get re-married and I told her, about your attempts to get me to go back to you and she told me to tell you she will tell his wife if you don't back off.''

''The little cow, who does she think she is?''

''My ex wife now get out of here and you mention my name to a reporter again and I'll be the one telling his wife and I'm not interested in what you have to offer Tess, no-one compares to Rose.''

At that point, Alec had no idea if Rose was even going to take him back after he had been so stupid in not telling her but things had been looking up slightly since yesterday. He had been so miserable during the last week, he should have taken notice of that reporter but at least Rose had said how sorry she was about it, that was so her and believed him about Tess and Jones but taking him back was going to take some work on his part.

By the end of the week, Rose had decided to just go up on Saturday as normal but agreed to go to the apartment though she said she wasn't staying there. She was feeling miserable anyway, she had messed up during the week over something and her boss had chewed her out, putting doubts on her actual promotion and she was due her monthly on Saturday or Sunday having miscalculated when telling Alec and it would be a good way to be able to tell if she had got pregnant that Sunday morning. Even if she had got away with it, there was no need now to start taking something, or was there? Was she ever going to forgive him?

He had been stupid, yes, for not telling her he was seriously ill and left it ten months before doing something about it. Would he have done if she hadn't asked him to go on holiday with them or would she have been told he'd died on an investigation or on the operating table. Then what? How could she have even told their daughter her dad was gone after she had left him and both of them could have done something about it, she could have stayed and made sure he declared it and taken a few weeks off to get himself fixed and he needn't have been so stubborn and got the pacemaker earlier.

Most of all, how had he even got in such a state in the first place, even before his episode in the river, it must have already been happening to him which could explain why he had been off with her even before they had discovered Pippa in the river but they would never know. So Friday night, Rose called him and said they would stay with him on Saturday night but she wasn't quite ready to actually do anything but sleep there and he had said fine, he would take the sofa bed if she insisted, he just wanted her there with him and his plan to get her to take him back may just work.

TBC