Alec persuaded Rose to let go of him.
"We will discuss this when you get back, Miller is already getting suspicious."
"Aw, so what? Can't you call her Ellie anyway?"
"Not when we are still working together, no. Are you finally ready to go?" he asked as she remembered to pick up her robe or she'd have to borrow one.
She reached up to kiss his cheek again.
"I suppose you'll want me to shave again?" he asked as she rubbed his now growing beard.
"No, don't, it will freak me out if you do, you need to keep some of it. I have to know the difference."
"Don't worry, you will."
They got into the lift, holding hands and Alec knew he should regret this, she was still extremely vulnerable but who else was equipped to deal with this? It wasn't going to be Mickey by the looks of things earlier even if they did used to go out back in their own world. Ellie was pacing up and down having booked the two of them in and she'd begun to think Rose had bailed out and when she'd called Hardy to see where they were, she could have sworn she heard Rose giggling in the background. She'd tried Rose's phone, having been given her number but had got no answer.
Well if he wanted to be responsible for her safety until they got on the plane later on, then good luck to him, she would probably go off once they got back and he should know better than to get involved. Alec left Rose with Ellie and went to the bar to order a pot of tea and a pastry and having found a table facing the spa, picked up a newspaper from the stand and sat down.
Rose of course was on the front page with the headline 'British heiress found safe and well after kidnapping ordeal' and the story ran with the one they had discussed in Captain Gates's office. When he thought back though, it would have been easy for Kilgrave to get to know where Rose was, it had probably been reported where she was staying and where the meetings were taking place, she wasn't well known over here and her stepfather would have had no reason to believe she was in any danger otherwise he would have brought a security team with him.
After this episode though, he doubted Rose would ever be allowed out on her own again away from home. He didn't regret inviting her to Broadchurch but where would she stay? There was a pub that had rooms just by his chalet, she'd probably just go there, his chalet wasn't exactly The Ritz and since Daisy was due to visit in a few weeks time, Rose could hardly stay in his spare room, if you could even call it that. Daisy would probably turn her nose up at it anyway and he might have to give in and go rent a caravan for the weekend, if they weren't all booked up.
That was a point though, if Rose intended staying beyond that weekend, Daisy was arriving on the Saturday lunchtime and leaving Monday night, he dare not ask her to stay any longer just yet, they were only just starting to talk again and he didn't want to scare her away but would Rose want to meet her if she was still trying to recover and expected his undivided attention? He would have to tread very carefully.
Rose was having a scented back-rub, hoping Alec wouldn't get the wrong idea but there was little time for other than kisses before they went off to dinner and when they got back, they would be waiting for their luggage to be collected and meeting back downstairs, they were leaving around eight forty five Pete had said.
"I bet you'll be glad to get home Rose," Ellie was saying as she could just about see Hardy from where she and Rose were laid.
"Yeah, I miss my little brother, I bet you're missing your boys?"
"They see more of my sister than they do me these days."
"Does Alec keep you busy?"
"Not as much as when we were getting those responsible for Sandbrook but Tom was staying with her then anyway, I was working in Exeter. I moved over there for a while but I'm back in Broadchurch now."
"Can I ask you something Ellie?"
"Sure, is it about Hardy?"
"Well yeah, it's just I like him and I don't even know if he left anyone back there. I know there's his daughter but did he get back with his ex?"
"No way, she's well out of it, she's a piece of work that one, I met her a few times. No, as far as I know, there's no-one else but his daughter, I think they're on shaky ground, she's just started talking to him again. So you followed the cases?"
"Well yeah, being part of you know what, we keep up with events and it interested me so when I saw it in the papers that Lee Ashworth was in Broadchurch, I wanted to know more. I'm glad you finally found the missing girl."
"Yeah, after so long, they rushed it through the court but one of them is protesting her innocence."
"Alec told me he has to go back."
"So do I, I thought it was over but the thing was, it was my idea to get involved with it. Hardy didn't want me to but I'd lost everything Rose, I had to prove myself."
"So has he changed? I read how one reporter branded him the worst cop in Britain, didn't he do anything about it?"
"Yeah, gave her warning he was about to arrest someone because he gave his story to the local paper. What are you going to do now? Are you going back to work?"
"I'll take some time off first, when Alec visits next weekend, I'm going back to Broadchurch with him."
"Oh, I thought you'd be going down on your own later, won't your stepfather want you to get some help first?"
Their session was over as the attendants indicated for them to get up and move to get their facials, Ellie relieved Hardy wouldn't be able to see but knowing him, he'd probably move if he couldn't see Rose, he'd got very protective all of a sudden. She thought it had been a shame she and Hardy had never stood a chance after working on Sandbrook but the insinuations had put paid to that though she thought they'd at least become friends. What had she been thinking when she'd implied he moved into her newly refurbished loft? He wouldn't want to stick around with two boys in the house though he'd looked after Fred a few times and even pushed him around.
Now he'd invited Rose to stay, probably in his riverside shack though he'd mentioned Daisy was coming to stay over the holidays, that should be fun. Alec noticed the two of them had moved and could just about see Rose with something over her face and assumed it was something women did when having a spa treatment. It was almost four when they both came out, Alec getting up to greet Rose.
"You should go finish your packing Rose and get changed for going out," he told her as she put her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "You smell very nice by the way."
Ellie just smiled, the poor girl had it bad for her boss and it would end in tears on Rose's part if Hardy didn't keep his word or he decided he'd got himself in too deep with this if Rose freaked out suddenly. Ellie was surprised Rose hadn't already freaked out. Ellie got out on her floor, Alec remaining.
"Have you finished your packing then?" Ellie had asked him on the way up.
"Yes, mostly, I'll escort Rose to her room then go finish, I have her key."
Ellie just smiled as she exited, seeing Rose holding his hand and reaching over to rub his arm with the other. Once at the next floor, they arrived at Rose's room to see Mickey coming out of Pete's.
"Hey Rose, you all packed yet?" Mickey asked her as Alec opened the door, waiting for her to go first.
"Just gonna finish, don't fuss Mickey, Alec will help me when he's finished his, won't you Alec?"
That's what Mickey had been afraid of while he and Jake had been out. He'd bought a few New York t-shirts since he couldn't get them back home and picked one up for Rose, since he thought Kilgrave would have had her buying fancy dresses and lacy underwear.
"I fully intend to but I must go and finish my own, we won't have a lot of time when we get back later. Did Mr Tyler tell you we were all going out before we leave?" Alec asked Mickey as Rose went inside and tossed her robe into the holdall.
"Yeah, he just told me though I've nothing much to wear, we came in a bit of a hurry. We weren't expecting to go anywhere fancy."
Alec thought Mickey probably never went anywhere fancy, he didn't seem the type other than to frequent the local pubs. Alec closed the door and stood behind it as Rose busied herself emptying drawers and leaving some items on top, presumably to wear under whatever dress she chose to go out in as she then crossed to the wardrobe, opening the door and debating what to pick.
She picked up two dresses, one in each hand and asked him to choose between a blue floral and a plain red jersey one.
"Why don't you try them on for me?"
Rose stood still for a moment, blinking rapidly and dropping both dresses, ran to the bathroom. Alec knew he must have said something wrong, was that what Kilgrave used to say to her? Rose had locked the bathroom door, sat on the side of the bath and began to sob. She knew it hadn't hit her yet but it had now and Alec wouldn't even know what he'd said. She heard him knocking on the door.
"Rose, open the door please and talk to me. Did I say something wrong?"
She picked up a towel and tried to dry her eyes as he continued to knock on the door. What was it with men who couldn't give you five minutes alone but she had instigated this with Alec, like she'd ended up doing with Kilgrave in the hope she'd keep him happy. She didn't have to please Alec though like her life depended on it and it finally hit home – she was still scared and was clinging to Alec like a life-line. Did he even realise what she was doing, that she was just using him? He didn't seem to mind judging by the kiss as they were going downstairs earlier or did he know and was trying to make it easier for her?
"Just a minute," she called out, getting up and looking at her red face in the mirror.
Alec breathed a sigh of relief when she answered, he knew he should have been more careful what he said. He heard the door unlock and Rose opened it a crack.
"I'm sorry I ran off Alec, Kilgrave used to make me try everything on when I came back from shopping or if he wanted me to dress up for him. It won't happen again."
"Are you coming out by any chance? You choose Rose and I am sorry I said that, I should have known."
"How were you? I'm sorry Alec, I've been using you to cushion the effects Kilgrave had on me."
She came out and he opened his arms, Rose hesitating.
"Do you think I don't know that eh? I was letting you, you needed someone and it may as well be me but I still meant it when I invited you to Broadchurch."
"You're still invited to London and you'd best go do your packing and I'll get changed and finish packing, we only have about an hour or so before we meet downstairs."
She let him hold her close as he kissed her forehead.
"I will leave you to it then shall I? I'll be back in half an hour and help you finish your packing."
"Thanks Alec, I'm really sorry, I never intended for us to kiss earlier."
"I'm not sorry, it was bound to happen, you are still feeling vulnerable and quite right and if you want to back down, then that's fine, I will still keep my word next weekend and take you back to Broadchurch with me."
"Thanks Alec. I don't know if I want to back down, the kiss was far more pleasant than I've had recently, having to pretend I enjoyed it just to be safe."
"When did you realise what he was like?"
"The first morning when he ordered those men around but forget it. So you didn't mind that kiss then?"
"No, it was very pleasant."
"So, you don't mind if I do it again?"
A while later, Alec was trying to fasten her case for her after he'd gone back to finish doing his own packing and gone back up. Rose was all changed, choosing the red one and leaving out her jeans and t-shirt to travel back home in and was now throwing her toiletries into a small carry case.
"Are you sure you didn't bring anything back from that other wardrobe Rose?"
"Please don't start that again Alec."
"Sorry, just checking. How did you get here with so much luggage?"
"First-class?"
Alec smiled. "Well be thankful you're going home on a private jet. Are you ready to go downstairs?" he asked as he put the combination lock through the zip fasteners and Rose put her holdall beside it on the bed, leaving it open.
"We still have twenty minutes or so and we have to talk. I never asked you, are you ok with all this?"
"You mean looking like your friend and Kilgrave, not to mention the other two? It's taking some getting used to but since I only really have one to seriously contend with, I'll live."
"I didn't really mean it earlier, that I was using you, not in that way. It's just having my freedom again is a little un-nerving and you were there for me."
"I still am Rose, you said though you did not want to back out?"
"I don't, do you?"
"I said not but let's have that week for you to be certain eh?"
"Yeah but could we just stretch that a little?" she asked as she put her arms around him.
"Just how much?" he asked, kissing her neck.
"When we get back, you stay at least until Sunday night?"
"Rose, I have reports to make out, on my own time since it was not anything to do with official police business, we were requested by your stepfather. I have to go into my office on Sunday and file reports for being away so Miller and I still get paid without putting it down as leave."
"Can't you just stay overnight? My mother will want to thank you for rescuing me."
"I was not the only one who was there."
"I know. Please Alec, someone will take you back on Sunday afternoon."
"I have to say no and you know why. This is not going to help you come to terms with what happened to you, you need that time to think about where this is going. I stand by what I told you before, if you still feel the same way when I come to visit and you go back with me, then I'm all for it. I would have made a move on you after your therapy you know, I just thought it was too soon."
"It's not too soon and I'll still feel the same way. Come on then, we'd best go downstairs before Mickey comes to find us."
"Yes, or Miller calls me again, why did she not call you?"
"Maybe because my phone was on silent?" she smiled as Alec moved her arms that were around his neck.
"I should have known. Ready?"
They joined the others in the lobby and Rose felt a little conscious she'd got dressed up but Alec whispered she looked really nice to reassure her.
"Never mind Rose, the others were not prepared to go out on the town," he told her as they sat down to wait for their limo.
"No, they came to look for me not to socialise. I shouldn't have got dressed up."
"Too late now, the car will be here shortly. Don't feel too bad about showing anyone up."
Rose smiled at Mickey in a New York T-shirt and jeans and Jake with his best chequered shirt and jeans. Ellie had managed to cram a black dress into her small case and thought she'd never get to wear it.
The car arrived, Alec letting Ellie go first, then Rose as Pete, Jake and Mickey got in the other side opposite. Alec got in last, the driver closing the door. Pete assumed the driver knew where they were going as the car headed off.
"I wish I'd had more time to look around," Ellie commented.
Rose sighed and took Alec's arm. "Me too, I wasn't allowed to see where I was going most of the time. He did take me to central park though and a ride on the tramway but he never let me out of his sight."
Ellie felt sorry for her, even though she'd not been physically harmed, she would be mentally scarred for a long time.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Kate and Castle were waiting for them, Castle's mother and Alexis were waiting inside as they walked in. Alexis had to stare at Alec as he walked in, arm in arm with Rose, Castle had warned his daughter that Rose had taken a liking to the Scottish detective and he was not to be confused with the actor.
"Martha Rogers!" Ellie exclaimed.
"You know who I am?" Castle's mother replied, looking slightly flustered that someone from Britain knew who she was.
"Yeah, my mum was a big fan of yours in that TV series you were in."
"Which one dear? Oh never mind. Rose, how lovely to finally meet you, I was so happy you had been returned safely, we were all so worried about you. Who is this handsome man then?"
Rose was about to say hands off he was hers but remembered her manners.
"Nice to meet you Martha. This is Alec Hardy, the detective who came over to help find me. That's Ellie Miller, also a detective. Hello Alexis, I've heard a lot about you."
"Hi Rose, I helped Dad while he was trying to find who may have taken you. Nice to meet you too, Alec, Ellie."
Castle introduced everyone else and they went to their reserved table, Mickey feeling a bit out as most men wore suits but he'd had no time for choosing his wardrobe before flying out to find Rose, not that he had much in the latest style of suits.
Castle decided to get up when they had almost finished their second course and raised his glass, getting everyone's attention, except Rose who was glancing at Alec every two minutes and dying to grab hold of him and snog him again if she could find an excuse for them to leave the table.
"Rose, may I propose a toast to your safe return to us? I may even turn your story into a best seller."
Rose blushed bright red at the thought.
Everyone except Rose raised their glasses and repeated her name, Alec squeezing her hand and smiling at her.
"Oh for goodness sake Alec," Martha interrupted, putting her glass on the table. "Kiss the girl already, you've both been making eyes at each other although you could have made it less obvious."
Rose smiled as Alec put his glass down, leaned over and did as asked, getting a round of applause from everyone except Mickey, who only made the motion of putting his hands together. Pete wasn't the least bit surprised Alec had dared to kiss his stepdaughter in front of him. By seven fifteen, Pete declared they should be getting back to the hotel to get ready for their departure.
"Surely you're not going by zeppelin Pete?" Martha asked him. "Although that may suit our too lovebirds here."
"No Martha, I have a jet waiting at the airport, so we could all go back together and it's slightly faster than a commercial flight. I dare say Rose is disappointed now though," he smiled.
He wondered how he was going to explain this to her mother. As much as he loved this new Jackie, she was very protective of her daughter and Alec would have his work cut out for him when they met. He'd heard about the Doctor and Jackie Tyler being left in the same room together, Mickey had told him of a few incidents when Jackie had got the huff for him whisking her daughter away in his blue box. Thankfully, Alec didn't have a blue box but he had invited her to Broadchurch, was it any different? Jackie wouldn't think so, the few men Rose had dated had never dared to cross her mother's path.
They all said goodbye and Kate took Rose to one side.
"Take care Rose, Alec really likes you but don't do it for the wrong reasons."
"I'm not Kate, I'm going to think carefully about it but it's not easy, he's so different. Thanks again for not giving up on me, my stepfather told me you insisted on finding a way to keep on looking for me when you were meant to hand it over."
"I don't give up that easily, ask Castle."
Castle and Pete were saying goodbye.
"Thanks for all your help Rick, we might have taken a lot longer to find Rose had you and Kate not been so persistent."
"Yeah Pete but it's Alec that made the discovery of that man on the balcony. How is Rose coping, really?"
"It's hard to tell Rick, she just needs some time at home and to talk it out with professionals but I think she'll spend less time than I want doing that, she'll want to go be with Alec."
"Well you've no chance of keeping them apart by the looks of it," Castle nodded in their direction as they said goodbye to Alexis and Martha.
"Look after her Alec," Martha was just saying to him as Rose slid her arm into Alec's.
"I think she means to look after me. I've just got over a difficult case that was finally solved so Rose is just the person to help me get back to normal."
"I'm sure you'll both help each other."
They all got into the limo and headed back to the hotel, Pete telling everyone to leave their luggage outside their rooms when they got to them and they were all meeting downstairs for eight thirty or thereabouts, him looking at Rose, who had been late on several occasions since her return but he made allowances for her, like he'd always done. On the way back, Rose and Alec were arm in arm, Jake grinning at them like he'd just won another bet with Mickey though Rose wondered what that could be about.
They got their keys and Alec said he'd be up in ten minutes to Rose's room after he double checked he had everything and advised Rose to do the same. As he and Ellie headed for their rooms, she stopped him, which he wasn't happy about because he'd wanted to spend just a little more time with Rose before their departure, it would be the last time they'd be alone before getting on the plane and he wasn't entirely sure he liked the idea of not seeing her for a week. Perhaps he could stay until Sunday night but it wouldn't do Rose any good.
She would think he was easy to persuade and it would give her the impression he was keen to pursue her, which he was and he wouldn't have been so reluctant to do so under different circumstances but she needed to come to terms on her own with what had happened and if she got through the next week, he was only too happy to take things further. It was the chance of a lifetime, meeting someone like Rose who was actually interested in him despite who he looked like.
"Why are you in such a rush?" Ellie was asking him as he carried on to his room.
"I promised Rose I would help her with her luggage."
"Can't she put her own case out?"
"Stop it Miller. She is bound to be apprehensive about going home."
"Then she needs her stepfather, not you."
"Mr Tyler entrusted her to my care, I don't intend breaking that trust Miller. I'll see you downstairs at eight thirty."
He went inside, checked the bathroom then put his holdall outside, locking the room door behind him and carrying his overcoat across his arm, wishing he had room in his holdall for it but Rose may have room in hers though it would mean messing around when they landed. Maybe it would give him the excuse to accept her offer. He waited for the lift, there were about thirty minutes before they had to be downstairs, just time for a few kisses before they left.
Rose was waiting for Alec after putting her case outside when she'd quickly changed back into her jeans and t-shirt and just managed to zip her holdall up and put a lock on it. She heard tapping on the door and knew it was Alec's. He was standing with the coat over his arm, grinning at her.
Looking at the holdall balanced on the case he said, "I was hoping there may be room for my coat in there?"
"Sorry, I only just closed it. Why did you bring your coat?"
"I thought it would be colder here than back home, it is only the beginning of May. All ready to go home?"
Suddenly, Rose rushed to him and he held his arms out.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he knew she was crying again.
"I'm going home Alec. When I was being held, I didn't think I'd be going home for a while, that he'd keep me there even when he got what he wanted from my stepfather, just because he could."
"It's ok Rose, you are free from him and you will never see him again. If he enters Great Britain, he'll be dealt with, trust me, your stepfather will see to that and so will I. I promise I will look after you, if you want to go ahead after your treatment and come and stay with me for a while, well not with me, at a nearby hotel."
Rose managed to look up and smile at him. "Then why can't I stay with you Alec?"
"Lots of reasons. My teenage daughter will be staying the weekend after next, I live in a chalet by the river where there is only just room for me and Daisy will stick her nose up when she sees it, her mother did. Trust me Rose, you'd be better off in a hotel or somewhere, there's a pub almost next door and you can sleep there. One thing though, if you intend staying longer than a week, you'll need to meet Daisy."
"I'd love to meet her Alec," she told him, trying to wipe her eyes with a tissue from her jeans pocket with one hand.
He took it from her and dabbed around her tear swollen eyes and thought how vulnerable she really looked but she was still beautiful, with her shoulder length blonde hair pushed to one side over her forehead.
"I'm sure you will both get on but how am I going to explain you eh? She will never believe you are with me voluntarily you know?" he smiled. "This is my chance to have her get used to me again, she forgave me for leaving, she's old enough now to know I only left because of her mother's affair but I will need to spend some time with her."
"I know that Alec, I won't get in your way, I'll just go back home for the weekend."
"You don't have to do that if you don't want Rose, I want you both to meet, if you intend staying around?"
"Yeah, guess you're stuck with me then?"
"Aye, I don't mind being stuck with you, Rose Tyler. Now, we just have time for a few of those brilliant kisses before we go down to meet the others so what do you say?"
"Shut up and kiss me?"