"Rose, you are going to that clinic tomorrow?" he asked as they realised they were sitting in cold water, the bubbles almost non-existent.

"Yeah, I am now 'cos I want more of this Alec, I'll put up with the protection tonight but I don't want you to use it, unless we have to."

"Good, neither do I love. Be careful getting out, here let me help you?"

As she got out, Alec holding her arm, she got rather a good look at him, smiling to herself.

"I know you're looking Rose."

"Can't blame me can you? I think I might be over my shyness."

"Pass my towel will you?" he asked, putting his hands on the sides to ease himself up.

She picked it up after wrapping hers around her, holding it out.

"Come and get it," she teased, laughing as he tried to reach it.

"If you make me get out for it, you are going to regret doing so, Miss Tyler."

"Never!" she laughed back.

He stood up and holding onto the side, got out carefully, Rose watching him.

"Well don't say I never warned you," he laughed as he grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist and then went for her. "Don't go waking Jack, come here."

He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, Rose grabbing her nightdress and underwear after he emptied the bath and they'd dried off a little. He lay her on what had now become their bed and unravelled her towel, Rose going for his.

"Just you wait a second, we don't want any accidents do we?" he warned her.

"I really hate those thing though those new ones aren't that bad I suppose. I can't wait until we don't have to use them any more," she sighed as the towel parted and he got up at the last second, pulling it around his waist again.

He was soon back, going to see if Jack was still asleep and pulling her up, they finished getting dried and he passed her the nightdress but she shook her head and throwing off the towel, got into bed, Alec having turned down the duvet at the corner. He reached for the small packet and sitting on the edge of the bed, set about his task, hopefully for the last time until she got herself sorted. As he got into bed, even though it was still early, it was getting dark and he turned out the bedside lamp, making sure the baby monitor was switched on and climbed over her.

Putting her arms around him, she knew now she wanted to stay with him, she was falling in love with him and he would be a great dad to Jack, should he want the job and so far, he seemed like he did. As they moved together, Rose keeping her noise to a minimum, Alec could no longer resist her, having had to stop himself in the bath and now, neither of them could wait until he could stop wearing something and were free to express their feelings once and for all.

As Alec finally came away from her, she ran her fingers through his hair, going to kiss him and whispering, "I love you Alec," into his lips.

He didn't think he had heard her right as he stopped mid-kiss.

"Rose?"

"Oh, is it too soon?"

"No love, it's not, I thought I misheard you, that's all. I love you too sweetheart."

They kissed some more then when Alec went to get cleaned up, he put his shorts and t-shirt on and went to check on Jack again, Rose thinking he was overdoing it and he'd told her not to fuss so much. She heard him on the baby monitor as he found young Jack awake.

"Now, what are you doing awake then? Was your mum making too much noise eh?" he asked the baby, picking him up as Jack made noises. "Did you lose your new toy? Come on, you go to your mum while I get you a drink eh?"

Rose quickly put her underwear and nightdress on and sat up in bed as Alec carried the boy in, who was clutching the yellow soft duck he'd been given earlier.

"Hey you, you should be asleep," Rose told him as Alec handed the boy to her, Rose sitting him against her raised legs.

"I will go warm him a drop of milk, see if that will settle him, maybe you were a wee bit too noisy eh?"

"Thanks, it was your fault, wasn't it Jack?"

The boy put his fist in his mouth and flung his legs around, Rose catching them.

"Don't you get all giddy, you don't usually wake at this time."

"That we know of love, he might do, he was just laid awake watching that light-up star mobile you got from Fred Miller, he seems to like it, since I got batteries for it while we were out."

"Yeah, thanks, I forgot, good thing you didn't, right Jack?"

The baby gurgled in agreement and Alec leaned over him, Jack going for his beard.

"I will really have to trim this, is he tryin' to tell me something do you think?"

"Maybe that he knows the difference between you and his dad? No, that's daft."

"Not so daft love, the test will come next Sunday, see if he will go to both of us."

"It sounds like some kind of contest," Rose remarked, trying to get Jack's fist out of his mouth and getting her hand wet.

"It is not a contest but he has to live with the fact I look like his real dad. Come on Rose, you must know what I am getting at? Don't you?"

"Yeah, I get it, you want to be his dad as well, don't you?"

"You mean you never thought about it?"

"Yeah, I did, I was gonna leave it up to you, when you were ready? Is it too soon for you?"

"No, it's not too soon but before you say that in public, maybe we should go to the paper first?"

"Why? What business is it of anyone's if they think you're his dad or not? We wouldn't have this problem in London or a bigger town and I don't want to go to the paper, let that reporter write what he wants, you deal with him how you want if he gets too much and speculates if you're his dad or not, I don't care."

"Finished?" Alec smiled, getting up.

He left her to think about it and went downstairs, carefully avoiding the high-chair he'd started a habit of putting up before going to bed. Getting some fresh milk, he put it in the clean baby bottle and warmed it for thirty seconds on a low heat in the microwave, just to take the chill off and went back upstairs.

Rose had been thinking about what she'd just said, if they didn't go to the paper, who knew what that reporter would make up?

"Pass him here love," Alec told her as he got in beside her.

"You need some sleep Alec, you've got work tomorrow."

"It's not that late, it won't take long, will it Jack?"

The baby agreeably drank the milk and then began to yawn, resting against Alec's raised legs so handing the empty bottle to Rose, he carefully moved so she could kiss Jack goodnight and making sure he had the duck, laid him in his cot.

"Night Jack, you be a good boy and go to sleep now eh?" Rose heard him tell Jack on the monitor.

When Alec got back in bed, he took his t-shirt off and Rose snuggled up to him.

"He really likes that duck you got him."

"Aye, he does, maybe it's due to the fact it's the first new thing I have given him? He's very alert for his age you know?"

"He's almost seven months, he takes a lot of notice now. He really enjoyed it in the sea, if I'm still ok next Saturday, we'll take him in the swimming pool, will you be able to go in?"

"I can sit with my feet in the water in the baby pool," he smiled, leaning against her and kissing her hair. "You smell really good after that bath love, let's make Sunday nights our shared bath night eh?"

"Yeah, I'd like that but I get a few minutes on my own first?"

"You drive a hard bargain Rose. So, is that settled you call me his dad, just in front of him for now?"

"I really don't know Alec, it's gonna be confusing for him."

"Why is it eh? He is not the only child who is told he has two dads and he won't be the last either, it's the best thing to do and if you don't want to face that reporter, I will pay him a visit tomorrow and warn him off. If he then prints anything, I'll go for him."

"Well maybe we can just say my car broke down, you rescued me and I'm showing you how grateful I am?" she asked, settling her head near his heart, careful to avoid the exact spot.

"That's what you were going to say originally love. You don't have to be careful with me, I'm fine now," he told her, referring to his slight scar.

The next morning, they settled into their routine of the last few days though Rose dressed Jack while Alec prepared his milk and cereal but Rose was still unsure about carrying her son downstairs and while Alec waited, he went up to see why they hadn't appeared and found Rose looking at the steps from Jack's bedroom door. Knowing there was something wrong, he held his arms out for the baby.

"Is there something wrong love?"

"Yeah, can you take him down?"

"You should have called. Tell me what's bothering you? Are you frightened of carrying him down the stairs?"

He would surely think she was crazy.

"Yeah, a bit. Alec, I lived in two apartments, with lifts, well when the one in mum's block hadn't broken-down and I was grounded. I've never had to carry him down a narrow staircase. I'm a bit nervous about it."

"You will be fine with him love, I will take him down today but maybe tomorrow, you follow me down carrying him until you get more confident?"

"Yeah, I can do that, sorry."

"Don't apologise for caring about your son's safety Rose, you could have attempted it and lost your nerve and dropped him or fallen. You just have to get used to it."

"I will Alec, I'm sure I will."

"Want me to come back for you?" he smiled before turning around, Jack firmly in his arm.

Rose managed a weak smile. "No, I've got it thanks."

Before he went to work, Alec put up the playpen again while Rose was looking up health centres and baby clinics, finding there was one with everything she needed up in the town.

"I'll go and register Jack at the baby clinic, I should be able to get him in. Did you want to come with us?"

"I think everyone in any official capacity knows who I am Rose, if you don't want this to get around the town just yet?" he smiled, putting some more toys in the playpen as Jack sat in the middle – with his duck.

"Yeah, not one of my best ideas. Maybe you could go with us another time?"

"I will, let everyone get used to us first eh? What do you think Jack? Do you want to be seen with me?"

Jack made a few noises and handed the duck to Alec, who smiled again and took it, waving it at him and making him laugh.

"Right, I'm off and I will make sure the garage is getting on with your car, then you can get out and about again. Maybe we should get another car seat at the weekend, save swapping it around?" he asked, Jack taking the toy from him and laughing. "Don't forget to look for a changing unit, then I will take the bed down and see if I can get it stored."

"Won't it go in the shed?"

"Doubtful, it's not bigger on the inside love," he smiled, waving to Jack. "Come and kiss me goodbye eh?"

Rose had plenty to do when she had sent Alec off with a proper snogging, telling him to wipe that look off his face before he got to his office or he'd never hear the end of it from Ellie. She washed the clothes that would dry on the airer when she got back from the clinic then got Jack ready to go out and called for a taxi that could take buggies since Alec had the car seat and not left her the keys. He said he would ask about putting her on the car insurance but the police were paying for it so he doubted he could ask his boss about putting his new girlfriend down as a driver.

Ellie was already at her desk when Alec walking in, trying to heed Rose's advice but Ellie had already spotted it, not saying anything until she knocked on his door and sat opposite him.

"You look cheerful this morning, things going well then?" she asked him.

"Yes, you could say that. Has your nephew said anything to you?"

"Why should he?"

"He went after Rose on Friday afternoon, while she was out."

"She never said anything yesterday. Why would he do that?"

"He probably saw us together and thought it would make a good story. I went by the office on Saturday but he was out, your sister was there, defending him."

"Depends what he's done, she changes sides easily. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"I can handle him, he had better stay away from her next time and just come to me. What is it with the press lately?"

Ellie got up and went back to her desk, sending a warning to her nephew – 'Stay out of Hardy's way, he's after you.'

Olly was upstairs in the newspaper office, Maggie was still going on about a headline for the next edition and he wasn't being all that helpful.

"Come on Olly, you promised me a story," Maggie was telling him.

"I tried Maggie, I almost had one but Hardy warned me off," he grinned, showing her the message.

"Since when did you take notice of him petal? Go on, see if you can catch up with him, what was it about anyway, what's he telling you to back away from?"

"His new girlfriend and a young baby."

"Really? They were together? When?"

"I saw them with my Aunt Ellie on Friday then I saw them just across at the food stalls on Saturday, she was carrying the baby from around the back of the pub and he took the kid from her as they sat down. She has to be staying with him, he lives around there somewhere when he couldn't get that blue chalet back."

"Well go on then, don't sit there Olly, get me a headline and quick. If you can't find him, maybe he'll be meeting her at lunchtime?"

Rose had been dropped off at the health centre and was filling in Jack's registration card for the baby clinic, a trainee coming over to him and leaning down to greet Jack.

"Hello there, what's your name then?"

"It's Jack, hello. I'm having trouble with this form, maybe you can help me?" Rose answered without looking up.

She soon saw where she'd gone wrong and went to hand the card in. She was told if she waited, they'd fit him in for a quick check-up so while she was doing so, she sent a message to Alec, taking a photo of Jack holding his duck, having been keeping a close eye out that he didn't drop it or leave it somewhere but it had a little loop on it so next time she strapped him in the stroller, she was going to fasten it on.

Alec smiled when his message tone went, seeing Jack with the toy he'd got him and the message saying he was waiting to be seen. He sent a message back asking about what she was going for, getting one back saying she wouldn't forget, not after last night. Ellie had seen the smile on his face and went to see, since everyone was still talking about him.

He had learned how to put a photo on his phone's lock screen and home screen so he assigned it to the lock screen of his personal phone and showed it to Ellie when she asked what he was grinning at.

"Aw, he looks really cute, did you get him that? I didn't see it yesterday."

"We went to Dorchester after lunch, I was looking after him while Rose had an hour on her own. She's had a hard time finding someone who would look after him, when she was at home."

"Not even her mother?" she asked, a bit surprised.

"Don't ask Miller. I don't know the last time she went out properly anywhere, do you know any reliable babysitters?"

"Yeah, Chloe might or if not, bring his folding cot over and I'll have him for the night."

"I'm sure Rose will appreciate that, thanks Miller. I will suggest it to her but she will be wound up this coming weekend, Jack's dad is coming to visit him."

"She said, I take it you're not keen?"

He sat back in his chair, folding his arms. It reminded Ellie of what he'd been like when he'd first arrived, Rose had certainly changed him the last few days.

"I don't have to like it, he's Jack's dad, I can't change that. Did she tell you we even look alike? She says it makes no difference to her, they hadn't been together for a while, she was not looking to replace him."

"Maybe not but what were the chances? Well maybe the weekend after, if she can bear to part with him, or if you can. You seemed to enjoy yourself yesterday?"

"Aye, we may take him to the swimming pool on Saturday afternoon."

"Does she know about you and water, I mean what really happened?"

"She never asked. It's over now, I got justice. Did you want something?"

"No, just to see what that silly grin on your face was for, they're all talking about you again."

"Well you are the senior officer out there, tell them to get back to work."

Rose was getting Jack weighed and being asked how he was progressing, being told he was doing well for his age. She asked where the family planning clinic was and was directed to a unit behind the centre so she went to register for a doctor for the both of them, being told to ring in two days to see if they had been accepted, which was fairly standard since she'd moved back to her old one when she'd left James.

Her final stop was the family planning clinic, getting put back on pills again but it didn't help her with her short-term problem.

"So, Miss Tyler," the nurse was saying to her, smiling at Jack. "Any questions? You've had them before?"

"Yeah, for three months after I had Jack but I split from my partner, Jack's dad. I've got a new boyfriend now, Jack and I have just moved here but since I've got to wait until next week, is there any chance of getting something to take afterwards?"

"Well there is, when are you due?"

"Saturday or Sunday, it varies. Is it still a week after I start taking them before I'm covered?"

The nurse nodded, going to the cabinet.

"You usually have to go to a pharmacy for these but I can give you a limited supply for ten days, that should cover you. Take one as soon as you get up, before food or drink but don't take one the day you are due, it might interfere with it."

"Thanks, I'd better be going, Jack will want feeding soon, you've been really helpful."

She decided to walk up the road to the High Street and was passing 'The Traders', seeing some benches a little further down and planning to just give Jack some milk and a rusk for the time being. It was already eleven thirty so she thought she'd text Alec to meet her at twelve fifteen and see if there was a shorter way to the station.

Becca Fisher was putting out a board advertising lunch specials as Rose was passing.

"Aw, what a cure baby! What's his name?"

"It's Jack. Hi, I'm Rose, I just moved here."

"Hi, I'm Becca, I own the hotel. Hello there Jack, that's a cute toy, did your daddy get it for you?"

"You could say that. His dad's not around any more, we split up. He's sort of got a new dad now, haven't you baby?"

Jack was making noises and trying to get the beak of the duck in his mouth but since Rose had fastened it on, he was failing, Rose thinking he was going to cry but he didn't.

"Is there another way to the sea front from here?" Rose asked as Becca made a fuss over Jack.

"Yeah, that path there brings you out by those holiday flats, did you want that side?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting someone opposite the police station in about half an hour. We've just moved here though by accident, my car broke down last week, it's still getting fixed."

"What a nightmare, especially with a young baby but you found somewhere to stay? Are you leaving when it's fixed?"

"I was but I've been persuaded to stay, I sort of got rescued by someone who talked me into staying."

"Oh, who would that be? Anyone I might know?"

Rose thought it was a dead certainty she would know Alec, maybe he'd even stayed at her hotel when he'd arrived, there was a lot she still didn't know about him and was finding out new things every day, as was he with her, starting with her fear of taking Jack downstairs and how embarrassed she had felt despite him assuring her she would get over it.

"Yeah, you might do, he's sort of a fixture around here, been in the news recently though I missed a lot of it, I was having a few problems of my own."

Becca took a wild stab in the dark. "Tell me it's not DI Hardy?" she smiled, forgetting the lunch specials for a bit of small town gossip.

Rose figured if she told people who were interested, the local reporter would be telling old news.

"Yeah, actually. I was heading to Exeter but I changed my mind, me and Jack are staying with him."

"Well I would never had thought he would rescue anyone but hey, welcome to Broadchurch. Someone looks hungry."

Jack had his fist in his mouth again so Rose got him a rusk out and broke it in half.

"Yeah, I may as well set off now and wait for him, say bye Jack."

She got there with plenty of time to spare and ordered a coffee while she waited, looking at the menu then getting Jack's feeding bowl and spoon and taking a small flask of warm water out of the baby bag, mixed him some food. Alec was getting some fresh air and noticed them at a table so he sent a message to say he was on his way.

Ellie was meeting Fred and the child-minder so she declined his offer to join them.

"You two have a lot to talk about, you don't need me there," she told him.

"Aye, we do Miller," he replied as he got his jacket, Ellie having pushed the door to. "I think Rose is prepared to let me have more to do with her son."

"You mean act like his dad?"

"Well that was the idea, we talked about it briefly but she has no idea how his real one will feel about it, it's very difficult."

"It will be but lots of kids have more than one dad."

"That is exactly what I told her but we will have to see how it goes. I had better go, she's waiting across the way, she got Jack in at the baby clinic."

"Good, I used to take Fred there. Are you doing anything about Olly?"

"Not yet, no doubt he will be lurking around somewhere."

"I sent him a message earlier, to warn him," she admitted.

"Good, I hope he takes notice."

That was a relief to Ellie, she thought he was going to chew her out about it and that he'd wanted to warn Olly himself, he must be going soft.