Jamie had so many questions but only asked a few he'd really thought about.
"We will have plenty of time to catch up," Alec reminded his newly discovered son. "I have to explain to your sister about finding you."
"Will she accept me?" Jamie was still nervous about meeting Daisy.
"Yes, I'm sure she will," Alec tried to assure him. "As well as Luke, you have cousins up in Scotland and they will all want to meet you. That means a trip up there, I hope you are ready for it?"
"I have to get used to it, Dad," Jamie let out a nervous laugh at calling Alec 'Dad'.
"I am glad you are accepting all this," Alec was somewhat relieved. "I'll get your mum to do a video call next time?"
He was still unsure that Jamie could handle him looking like the dad the boy had lost.
"Yeah, I had to teach her how to make them," Jamie told him. "I gave up teaching gran," Jamie then laughed, looking at poor Jackie.
"Cheek," Alec could hear Jackie telling Jamie.
"Oh, I remember what your gran used to be like," Alec had to laugh back, getting a smile from Rose.
"I heard that," Jackie called out to him.
He said goodbye to Jamie, promising they would speak the next day and made sure he'd saved Jamie's mobile number.
"He's taken it really well, all things considered," Alec was pleased to say.
"Yeah. So, we'll have a trip up to see your dad and your uncle?" Rose wanted to make sure.
"Rose, you have no more reasons to be scared of going back you know?" Alec tried to remind her. "I know it caused all these problems and I think Tess took advantage of that. She played on your fear Rose and I can never forgive her for that. She knew the only way you would ever go back was if that man was locked up for life or he passed away."
"Yeah, she did a good job of taking advantage of it," Rose agreed.
"Well she is in for a few surprises, trust me. Want me to let you loose on her?" Alec grinned.
"I'm not gettin' locked up for it, she's gettin' what she deserved, my revenge," Rose replied. "She knows now, that's good enough for me, you deal with her."
"Oh, I will love, you can bet on that," Alec promised. "She has no idea what's coming."
Tess was getting worried at what Alec had been getting at. So they'd got married in Scotland, so what? Then she suddenly got her phone out to check on Scottish divorce laws, feeling certain he was withholding something about it from her. She was interrupted by Daisy.
"What's dad up to?" Daisy wanted to know. "Why won't he tell me why he wants to see me? Do you know why Mum?"
"Daisy, you will just have to wait, if that's what he says," Tess replied. "He won't even tell me," she added.
Tess had a feeling she knew what it was about, that he was going to try and tell Daisy that he had someone else before they'd got married and that she was back. Where would that leave Daisy, Tess wondered. What exactly had Rose got up to after she'd got Alec to stay in Paisley instead of going down to bring Rose back?
He'd soon got used to not pining after Rose, hadn't he? Why had he given in so easily when he'd been determined not to? Maybe all through the time they'd been married, he'd never really accepted it and had just given in for the sake of it.
He'd changed in the last couple of days so she had to be right, that Rose had either contacted him or she was in the town. He wouldn't dare introduce her, would he? He'd have to tell Daisy, how would she take it? Tomorrow, she was going to get in early and go see Glenda in personnel to find out if Alec was getting out of that hotel he'd gone to when he'd said he was leaving.
That should have been a clue he'd never really let Rose go.
"Mum, did he have someone before you got married?" Daisy boldly asked.
"What makes you think that?" Tess wanted to know. "What did he say to you?"
"That nearly everyone has someone before they get married," Daisy tried to think how he'd worded it.
"You can't speculate on that Daisy," Tess reminded her.
"Fine, leave me to think the worse then," Daisy objected. "If he's got another girlfriend, will he make me meet her? I suppose if you do have someone I have to meet him?"
Tess knew she couldn't keep Dave a secret much longer and why should she even try? What would Dave think about meeting Daisy though and coming face to face with Alec at work? Alec had avoided the subject so far but maybe not for much longer by the sound of it, if he was going to admit Rose was around.
She was just glad the officer she'd got involved with all that time ago and used Alec to get herself out of it had retired and by what she could gather, it wasn't voluntary. Who had that rat played around with and dumped after she'd escaped to Scotland and tried to forget about what had happened? She dreaded to think what Alec had been telling Daisy but the teenager was choosing not to say much about it.
Daisy had gone to her room to think about what her parents had been telling her. It was a lot to take in but she knew something had gone wrong and they were both heading for divorce. Great, maybe now she had something in common with some of her friends then? She'd just have to wait until tomorrow and hope they wouldn't be fighting over her.
Rose was watching something on TV in their room while Alec was convincing his dad that Rose really was back.
"I could hardly believe it when John told your uncle," his dad admitted.
"Well she is here with me. I would have called yesterday but so much was going on," Alec apologised.
"Well I expect with her visit being unexpected, it would have been," his dad agreed. "So, I have a grandson as well then?"
"Yes, Jamie. He's fifteen Dad, Rose says he looks like I did at that age," Alec smiled in Rose's direction.
"I could never figure out why ya settled for Tess, she was no match for Rose," his dad told him. "I remember the first time she was there when I got home from work."
"I know Dad but I intend putting it right," Alec replied, hoping Rose was listening.
"Well call me back soon and get Rose to email some photos of him," his dad insisted. "When am I going to meet him? Your aunt and your mother would have loved to have known about him."
"I know Dad, I wish things had been different," Alec had to agree. "Rose and I have a lot to talk about but I am taking her home so I can meet Jamie. Well that's if her mother will even let me in the house," he joked.
"Don't worry, she'll just smother ya," Rose laughed.
That was what Alec was afraid of, Jackie Tyler used to squeeze the life out of him every time he used to visit.
"So, what do you think about that trip up to Scotland then?" Alec tried again.
"I know Jamie will want to go," Rose admitted. "Yeah, I think I'll be okay with it."
He went to get her to move over in the chair and put his arm around her.
"Well, let me get to know Jamie first eh?" he asked. "That's more like you love."
"I guess I lost my fight, when I feared Tess had got to ya?" Rose wondered.
"It was not your fault love, don't ever think it was. She used me to get back here and she would have done anything to achieve it, including making you so jealous you would have left anyway. She could have chosen anyone she worked with but she played on how much I missed you. Now, she is using someone else but it's more like he is using her."
"Good, now she'll know how it feels," Rose agreed, burying her head in his shoulder.
The next morning, Alec said he'd meet Rose the same place as before for lunch but he'd be late back after going to see Daisy.
"We could still go out?" he offered before he left.
"It's okay Alec, we don't have to," Rose replied.
"I will call you and I will meet you somewhere?" he suggested.
Not wanting to refuse him already, Rose agreed to get a cab to what Alec described as a well known pub chain.
"Yeah, then what time are we leaving tomorrow?" she then wanted to know. "So I can tell mum and Jamie what time to expect us."
"We had best wait until the evening traffic eases?" Alec wondered. "We can eat here, then leave?"
Rose agreed so Alec set off, hoping things wouldn't get awkward later but Tess was bound to have made him out as the bad guy again, just like she always did. Why had he got caught so easily in the first place? Had it really been the fact Rose hadn't wanted to live in Scotland or had Tess been manipulating him into thinking Rose would never come back?
One thing was certain, Tess was a piece of work. He had no idea that Tess had dropped Daisy earlier than normal at school and had gone to try and find out about Alec from the personnel department.
"Something we can help you with Tess?" she was asked as she walked in. "If it's about your husband, we're under orders not to say anything."
"That's ridiculous," Tess was annoyed.
"He would go crazy if we said anything," someone else agreed. "Sorry Tess."
"Fine, then just tell me if he's moving out of that hotel then?" Tess then insisted.
The three women in the office looked at each other.
"We can only tell you under certain circumstances, like if it will affect your housing situation," Glenda confirmed. "At present, the hotel is temporary, until he finds somewhere permanent or if he asks for a transfer."
"Well, has he done either?" Tess then wanted to know. "No, don't tell me you can't tell me that either?" she got even more annoyed.
"You need to ask him, it's not our job to get involved in personal problems," the manager joined in from his desk in the corner. "Now, if there's nothing else, DS Henchard or is it still DS Hardy? How do you want to be known?"
"You're just taking Alec's side, Simon," Tess huffed because he was also giving her the run-around.
That confirmed it then. If they were all reluctant to tell her anything at all, Alec had warned all of them to remain silent on the subject. Even the chief had taken Alec's side from his warning yesterday. Her only consolation now was Dave but how would he react to her telling him that he should meet Daisy? Did he even like children, of any age?
"That was awkward," Glenda admitted when Tess had given up.
"You're telling me," her colleague sitting opposite agreed.
"Stay out of it," their boss warned them all. "We have enough to do without coming between those two."
"Well it serves her right, the way she acts around that male DS, who we can't name," Joyce joined in.
"It's not right to spread rumours," Simon reminded them.
"Well, she's right in one thing," Glenda dared speak up. "Her husband is looking for a place to rent, with two bedrooms, probably for his daughter."
"Or a girlfriend," the young trainee laughed.
"Beverly, that's enough," Simon told her. "Get back to work and Glenda, if you're processing Alec Hardy's housing request, not a word to Tess, understand? Make it quick as well, I don't want him in every five minutes. Tess will only follow him."
"I don't get it," Beverly shook her head. "What is it with those two?"
"Keep out of it," Glenda hissed across to her. "Rumours are that they were like this when they arrived, not that I was here."
With that, they all turned to Simon, who had been there longer than he cared to remember. He chose to just ignore them, he was taking his own advice.
Tess was waiting for Alec to arrive. She thought she would try and get him to admit Rose was back before he told Daisy tonight. She wanted to appear to Daisy that she could at least assure the teenager he wasn't going to abandon her. She confronted him as he sat at his desk.
"Why did you stop the personnel department giving me information?" she asked him.
"Because it's non of your business Tess," he replied, putting his glasses on. "I am not staying in a hotel forever, I need a place of my own. When I have talked to Daisy, we are not going to fight over her. We will be civil about it, I suggest we start with me calling in a few nights a week, then she can stay overnight on Saturday."
"That's asking a lot Alec," Tess told him.
"Is it?" Alec thought.
"Yes, considering your old girlfriend could be back," Tess accused him. "You may as well admit it Alec, she saw you on the news, she had to have done."
"Keep out of it Tess, I am warning you," Alec replied. "Fine, I will explain it to Daisy."
"Well good luck with that," Tess told him. "She's already confused."
"You don't give her enough credit Tess," Alec defended Daisy. "She knows something is going on. That is why I don't want to break the news to her on the phone. You had best keep out of it Tess, a lot has happened since you tricked me into leaving Rose."
"I tricked you?" Tess was stunned. "You gave in too easily Alec, you knew she would never go back to Scotland, especially when that man walked free. Really Alec, did you really think it would be any different if he'd got locked up?"
"Admit it Tess, you used me to get back here. I know what happened, don't forget," he retaliated. "I know why Rose stayed away and I can't blame her. She saw what was happening and I ignored it. After that, I didn't deserve her."
"Like I said," Tess reminded him. "So, she's here and staying with you?"
What was the point in denying it? Tess had better get used to the old him, who had been so in love with Rose. He knew deep down he'd chosen to save her from the heartbreak of moving to Paisley only to be terrified of what both Tess and Bob could do. Bob may not have gone after her but Tess would have made both their lives a misery.
"Answer me one thing Tess. Why me? Why out of all the officers in the station?" he wanted to know.
Tess got up and went to the door. He already knew the answer but he wanted to hear it from her.
"I was just an easy target Tess," he told her sadly. "Just expect the divorce papers soon and stay out of my business. Forget a separation, as soon as this case is wrapped up, I'm putting in for a transfer and maybe Rose can forget about it but it won't be easy."
"You were so easily led Alec," Tess admitted. "So, what happened to her?"
"Why should you care?" Alec wanted to know. "She married someone else but she was pregnant. He fully supported her, I have a fifteen year old son."
Tess stumbled backwards, just catching the chair.
"You just found out?" Tess stuttered.
"Yes and I'll be meeting him tomorrow night, I'm taking Rose back home."
Tess recovered and went to the door again, he could see the look on her face.
"I will tell Daisy tonight, I want them to meet as soon as possible," he told her.
Tess went back to her desk and Dave made his way over.
"You look like you've seen a ghost Tess," he laughed as he sat on the corner of the desk.
"Not a ghost, someone from the past," Tess was still surprised at Alec's sudden admission.
Rose must have got pregnant the last time he'd gone down to see her but why hadn't she told him? Had Rose really been afraid that much? She didn't want to admit much though.
"Must be bad then?" Dave wanted to know more. "Oh, an old girlfriend of Alec's?" he had to laugh. "What did you expect Tess? You only just found out?"
"No, I knew about her, I don't want to talk about it Dave," Tess reminded him.
"Aren't they going to be a bit hard to ignore?" Dave was still grinning at the thought the two women must have at least known about each other, even if they'd never met. "Did you ever meet?"
"No, Alec and I were in Scotland at the time," Tess admitted. "Enough about it, get back to work before Alec says anything," she suggested.
"Like you're worried about him," Dave complained as he got up. "Want to go to the pub at lunchtime or are you afraid he'll be there with her?"
"I have no desire to meet her," Tess told him. "He wants to talk to Daisy tonight, to tell her."
"So, he's serious then?" Dave asked. "So does your daughter know about us then?"
Tess could have sworn he'd asked something similar before. She chose to ignore him instead and he went back to his desk, still with a smile on his face and wishing he could see the two women when they did meet. His bet was on the one who'd lost out to Tess, she must be still pretty mad if she'd come back after all this time. Tess had a temper when she wanted but he didn't think Alec would be bothered.
After lunch, Alec having told Rose Tess knew she was around, he tried to get some work done and checked how things were going finding him alternate accommodation. He was told they were working on it so he had to be satisfied for now but he hoped he'd hear something before he took Rose home.
He wanted to start making plans, such as Rose coming back next weekend and finding a college for Jamie but they had to all talk about it yet. If he really had to, he'd pack up and go back to London with Rose, which he should have done in the first place.
Now, it was time to face Daisy and no doubt, Tess would want to hear the rest, about Rose being pregnant when he'd not gone back to see her when he'd promised to. He wondered if Tess felt any sympathy that she'd kept him from knowing he had a son but he somehow doubted it.
He parked outside the house to leave room for Tess to get in, wondering why she hadn't got there before him and ringing the doorbell, waited for Daisy to answer.
"Dad?" Daisy opened the door cautiously. "Where's mum got to?"
That was what he'd been wondering but she was in an empty interview room with Dave, who had locked the door.
"In a rush Tess?" he'd asked when he said he wanted to talk to her. "Not got time for me today?"
"Daisy has to go straight home tonight," she reminded him. "I told you Alec wanted to talk to her."
"Yes, yes," he brushed it off casually. "Does that mean you have to be there though?"
"He won't stay long, he never does," Tess replied, tempted to stay a while longer.
"Oh, you want to hear what he has to say?" Dave guessed. "Did you keep them apart?"
"Only once but so what? He didn't have to stay when he should have been seeing her," Tess snapped.
Had Alec known when he was supposed to go back that time? No, he couldn't have done but why hadn't Rose told him?
"You're a piece of work Tess," Dave laughed as he steered her to sit on the corner of the table.
So now, Alec was debating if he should start before Tess got there or wait to save telling everything twice but Tess already knew about Jamie.
"Daisy, it's true I had someone before I met your mother but I lived in Scotland then and for reasons I won't go into, Rose had lived there a few years but had gone back to London and well, I used to go see her. Anyway, needless to say, Daisy you have an older brother, he's called Jamie and he's fifteen and I'm going to see him tomorrow," Alec tried to explain.
"What?" Daisy staggered back and sat on the sofa. "I've got an older brother? Does mum know?"
"Yes, she knows now and it makes no difference between you and me Daisy. I would like for you to get to know him but that is entirely up to you," he further explained. "His mother's name is Rose, we met when we were just thirteen and spent three years together up in Paisley, then she had to leave but I visited all the time."
"What happened?" Daisy wanted to know.
He wanted to say that her mother happened but since he was trying to win Daisy over, didn't think it was a good idea.
"It became difficult to go down to see her as often but I never wanted to leave her. Anyway, she's in town and I'm taking her back home tomorrow night. So, think about it over the weekend and let me know on Monday, or you can call me," he offered.
"Are you waiting for mum?" Daisy managed to ask.
"She must have got held up, maybe I should wait?" he wondered.
"I can go round to nan's," Daisy replied. "You could drop me off."
Just as they were about to leave, he saw Tess arriving. He knew he had to leave Daisy out of this, when Tess decided she'd confront him but not now. He gave Daisy a hug and went to the front door as Tess was going to the kitchen door.
"Sneaking off Alec?" Tess turned and caught him.
"I have to be somewhere," he used the excuse. "You don't get a choice in this Tess, don't even try and no turning Daisy away from me."
He walked back to his car, leaving Tess standing at the door. This is what he should have done all that time ago, he knew that Tess no longer got to tell him what to do.
"I've spoken to Daisy, she's fine," Alec called back to Tess.
"Well, if she isn't, you're to blame Alec," Tess replied. "I suppose all your family will be on your side now?"
"They always were Tess," he reminded her as he got in his car.
He got his phone out and called Rose.
"Still want to go out?" he asked when she answered.
"Yeah. How did it go then?" Rose replied.
"It could go either way," he admitted. "I gave her time to think about it."
"Well, that's all ya can do then?" Rose agreed. "I'll come and meet ya then?"