Alec managed to make something to eat; her cupboards and fridge were almost as empty as his. He could tell though she was still upset.
"Rose, tomorrow, we really should pay a visit to the supermarket," he told her.
"Yeah, I've really been neglecting things around here," Rose tried to smile, twisting her pasta on her fork and dipping it into the sauce. "You're not such a bad cook Alec."
"I try my best but my cookery skills are somewhat limited, given there are a lot of things I should avoid eating. I buy a lot of ready-made salads and suchlike though I hate frozen dinners, they never cook properly," he complained.
"Then just get the chilled ones, I do sometimes. You might as well tell me what Claire had to say to Ellie I suppose," Rose sighed, pushing her almost empty plate to one side.
"Claire was a hairdresser, you do know that?" he asked, taking her plate along with his to the sink and putting them in the bowl.
"Yeah, Lisa used to go on about her; I think they had some photos taken."
"Yes, Miller saw them but she said there was one of Pippa and Claire wouldn't tell her when it was taken, she was wearing the pendant you gave to Lisa."
"You think it was taken the night she died?" Rose asked, feeling sickly again.
"There is no real proof. I think now it has been seen, she will destroy it, in case it incriminates her. Let me go get a few things and I will stay here with you tonight," Alec told her, putting his jacket on.
"Alec, about going to see my parents tomorrow. I should let them know."
"Yes, you call them while I go next door. I will use the back way, in case Lee did find out where you live," Alec told her.
He leaned down to kiss her, thinking she would back off but she didn't. "Rose, what you told me, about Lee attacking you. I believe you did not encourage him."
"You do? That's a relief then," she sighed as he put his arms around her neck and kissed it.
Alec went off, saying he wouldn't be long but to fasten the kitchen door behind him. She got her phone and called her dad, who was oblivious to what had been going on but had spoken to Jack and a bit annoyed that his daughter had met up with the detective who'd let a killer and potential sexual predator get away.
"Rose, this is a surprise love," Pete told her when he answered. "When were you going to get round to telling me you'd met Alec Hardy?"
"Yeah, about that dad. He knows why you didn't want me and Tony to talk to the police back then, well some of it," Rose tried to explain.
"Does he now? I expect you had a good reason and you trust him?" Pete asked, leaving his wife to watch TV.
"Yeah, things have got a way of haunting you. Dad, Lee and Claire are back. Claire's nearby and Lee, well he tried to kidnap me this morning."
"What? Are you okay Rose? That's it. I'm calling Jack to get someone to stay with you," he told her firmly.
"No need Dad, Alec can take care of me," she replied, not wanting her dad to know Alec was sick but rather him than Jake or Mickey.
"Where was he when you were getting kidnapped eh? Or when Lee was about to abuse you, twice?" Pete demanded to know, not forgetting she had tried to play it down somewhat or was that him insisting she did?
"Don't Dad, Alec was doing his best. He got divorced from his wife, you remember her?"
"Don't I just?" Pete commented, recalling the brusque DS Henchard as she preferred to be called to distinguish herself from her now ex-husband. "So, what's he doing about it then?"
"I've got to go see her on Saturday, to give a statement but Alec wants to talk to you Dad."
"What would I have to say to him?" Pete asked. "I had my reasons for not letting you talk back then Rose, it was to try and keep you safe but it didn't stop Ashworth. Maybe I was wrong, not to march you into the police station and get him arrested on two assault charges?" Pete pondered on reflection.
"Yeah but it would have made him worse if he'd got off plus he'd just say I consented and changed my mind. Alec asked me that."
"Did he believe you?" Pete asked.
"Yes but it's put a strain on us. Dad, I think I'm getting involved with him," Rose admitted.
"Won't that spoil anything you have to tell his ex-wife?" Pete wondered.
"How can it dad? I have you as a witness to what I told you about Lee, before I even knew Alec."
"Does he know you used to watch him from that tree?" Pete asked, thinking back and smiling.
"Yeah, it was a bit embarrassing though but his DS thought it was amusing. So will you talk to him?" Rose asked, waiting for Alec to get back and hoping he'd not had another attack.
"I'm not promising anything Rose but I'll meet with him, for your sake. Come over tomorrow evening, have tea with us. Your mother misses you love," Pete told her.
"Yeah, I miss her too dad. How's Tony?"
"Ah, well, he's left home," Pete told her reluctantly.
"Since when?" Rose asked a bit surprised. There was a knock on the kitchen door and Rose turned to make sure it was Alec. "Hold on dad, I just have to let Alec in." To Alec, when she'd opened the door she mouthed she wouldn't be much longer.
"He's been gone about a week, he left his job, came home and packed while I was out and we don't know where he went. Try calling him, he might answer you," Pete asked.
"I doubt it; he was a bit annoyed I took the job at Torchwood. You know he never liked you working there dad," Rose told him as Alec kissed her cheek.
"Why do you think I handed it over to Jack eh?" Pete replied, thinking it had been a wise move after the board wouldn't agree to them getting involved in the disappearance of two cousins because it wasn't an alien abduction.
He still regretted not being entirely honest with Jack Harkness over what happened to Rose but he would have literally torn Lee Ashworth apart if he'd known the other man had assaulted Rose not once but twice. Now as he said goodbye to her, he couldn't help but wonder what Ashworth would have done to her had he succeeded in kidnapping her that morning, now he was back and Rose had proof.
He made his mind up he would call Mickey and have him find out covertly where Ashworth was staying and they would both pay him a visit and make sure he suffered for what he'd done to Rose because he may not have physically touched her but she was still traumatized over it. He was surprised though she'd taken up the very detective they had all be trying to avoid back in Sandbrook.
"So, what did he have to say?" Alec asked, going to put his arms around her.
"He'll meet with you Alec but I can't guarantee he'll co-operate. He will back me up though, about the attacks on me. Alec, is it over between us? Not that we had much but the kisses were nice," she asked him.
Alec thought for a second. He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd not been put off sex for good after she'd narrowly escaped unpleasant advances on her by Lee Ashworth. He couldn't blame her for what happened though, the man was at fault for blaming her if he'd really been guilty, which Alec thought now was more and more likely the way things were coming to light.
Now it was only a matter of time before Ashworth, along with his wife would be arrested and nothing would give him more pleasure than adding two sexual assault charges to the list.
He turned towards a chair, taking Rose with him and she sat on his lap. "No Rose, don't let it be over between us," he asked her, holding onto her and kissing her neck. "Say you don't want it to be over either?"
"No Alec, I need you," she replied, going to take off his tie and undo another button.
Alec helped her unfasten his shirt, then went for her top, pulling her arms out of it then pulling it over her head, leaving her in her black lacy bra. Then he went to unfasten the zip of her black trousers. Rose parted his shirt and went for the cuffs, a smile on her face as he went around her back to unfasten her bra.
"I need you too Rose," he whispered as it came undone in his fingers, following her shape around to the front as she put both her arms around his neck.
Then they kissed, Rose pulling his shirt over his shoulders and him pulling off her bra, letting it fall on the kitchen floor.
