The final part of their story
Alec went home to tell Rose what the chief had said.
"So, what do you think?" Rose was asked.
"How long would ya be stationed in London?" Rose wondered. "Would it be worth it?"
"You always said I should take a job there," Alec recalled. "I am sorry I never did, I should have listened to you."
"Alec, it was different back then," Rose reminded him. "Ya never would have fitted it and you know it. I should never have refused to move to Scotland, I let that monster get the better of me."
"Rose, you were young and scared," Alec told her. "I know how afraid you were of him, I saw it all the time. Your mother did the right thing and took you away from it."
"I hated that man," Rose admitted. "He made me leave you."
"I know love and I let Tess use me. I intend putting that right, as soon as the divorce comes through. So, do we get away from here for the time being or wait for my transfer to Broadchurch?"
They called Jackie and Jamie, since it would also affect them.
"It would give us time together," Alec pointed out. "Then you can decide what you want to do," he told Jamie.
"I want to be a teacher, like my other dad," Jamie had decided. "I think it would make him proud of me."
"He'd be proud of anything you chose Jamie," Rose reminded him. "He loved you like you were his own."
"I wish you'd told me before," Jamie replied.
"You were too young when he died," Jackie reminded him. "I know how much he cared about ya."
"I should have told him Mum," Rose admitted.
"It's not too late for us to be a family," Alec told Rose and Jamie. "Jackie, that includes you. What do you want to do, when we move to Broadchurch?"
"I'll have to think about it," Jackie replied.
"Well Sarah-Jane and John said they were interested in buying the house," Alec told her. "Rose, you should talk to Donna about it as well."
"Now I don't know Alec, I mean I wanted it to stay in James's family. I have to give her chance to think about it."
"I know and we will," Alec promised. "If I take a job in London, it may only be for a few months. It will give you time to sort things out."
"I have to give Donna first choice," Rose told him when they'd ended the call.
"I know love, John knows that but like I said, it would stay in the family."
"Yeah, I just don't want to sell it to strangers," Rose replied.
The next day, Alec went back to see the chief, who had been about to call him.
"Have you seen Tess this morning?" Alec was asked.
"No, should I have done?" Alec wondered.
"She got news from the officer she put on watching Claire. She got in a taxi and she's not come back yet."
"Just great, now we have no-one," Alec was annoyed that Tess couldn't even keep a witness. "Well that's it, that was mostly Tess's fault to start with. I made my mind up, I have to walk away from it, Tess can face it on her own."
"She won't thank you for it," the chief told him. "In the middle of an investigation, I shouldn't really let you go. If I put your name forward for a vacancy, it could look bad and you may get asked some awkward questions."
"I do not care. I do have a reason for moving, Rose is pregnant," Alec admitted. "I can claim she wanted to go home before our move to Broadchurch. That job will still be open?"
"I don't see why not but wherever else you go will have to be notified. Leave it with me and congratulations Alec," the chief reached out to shake his hand.
Tess had seen him heading for the chief's office and was waiting for him coming back.
"He'll have found out Tess," Dave was grinning at her.
"Haven't you got something to do?" Tess asked him, not wanting to be reminded. "How was I to know?"
"After she knew Ashworth was staying locked up?" Dave replied. "You watch, Alec will be off the first chance he gets."
"Well he's not taking Daisy with him," Tess told him.
"She'll be old enough to make her own mind up soon," Dave reminded her.
The chief was looking through the positions vacant for the London area but would anyone be willing to take Alec Hardy? He thought he'd better talk to the chief in Broadchurch first, to see if anything was happening there.
"I have to let Ellie Miller prove she can make it to being considered for a promotion," he was told.
"Then take it away from her?" she was asked.
"Well you insisted Alec Hardy was suitable for the job," she reminded him. "Is he ready to move here at any given time?"
"He wants to move as quickly as possible. If you can't take him, I'll have to find somewhere that will take him on a temporary basis."
"What about the case that's still going on?" CS Jenkinson wanted to know.
"I told him it may look bad if he walks away, if it turns sour, maybe it would be a good move?"
"Well no-one can blame him for that," Jenkinson agreed. "I'll get back to you."
Tess had followed Alec into his office.
"What do you want me to do about it?" Alec asked her.
"You could give me your support," Tess replied.
"You are joking? I have Rose to think about now, I expect Daisy told you?"
"She mentioned it. I expect you want her to join you when you get your transfer?" Tess wanted to know.
"There will be room for her, should she decide," Alec told her.
"So, you're going to leave me to face any future hearings on my own?" Tess wanted to make sure he'd actually do it.
"You should have thought about that and now, you've lost a possible witness. Oh no Tess, this time, you are going down on your own."
"Well thanks a lot Alec," Tess was unhappy.
Alec shook his head and indicated she should leave. He was not going to give everything up he now had with Rose just for her. If Tess thought he was, she was very much mistaken.
"It didn't go well then?" Dave laughed.
The chief called Alec just before he was about to leave. He'd purposely left it until the last minute as he didn't want Alec to start on any new cases.
"Alec, there are two possible openings you may be interested in," the chief told him, handing him a folder. "Let me know what you think, I know you'll want to discuss it with your girlfriend."
"So what do you think?" Alec asked Rose when he got home.
"So you could be there a while?" Rose asked about him going back to London with her.
"I should have listened to myself way back, I would have got by," Alec insisted. "Look what it did to us."
Rose moved over to him and put her arms around him.
"It may have still split us up Alec, it wouldn't have been easy for ya."
"I would have put up with it, for you," he told her. "Have I told you how much I still love you?"
They kissed for a while then Rose looked at him.
"I did love James, that's the reason I married him. Well that and to give Jamie a proper father. I should have had the courage to tell ya but the thought of you, up in Paisley with Tess? It made me feel sick Alec and scared of her, of what she'd do if I got ya to leave her. I always knew she'd got her claws into ya."
"Rose, I thought I had already lost you, that you had made your mind up that Tess had got to me," he admitted.
"I did think that Alec," Rose also had to admit. "When you didn't arrive the day you should have done. We could keep on blaming ourselves, when we both know who's really to blame."
"I don't know what else to say Rose. When I was about to set off, she convinced me you had already given up on me. There is only one thing that matters now, that we still can make a go of it."
"Yeah, I want to but ya have to help me with something Alec," Rose agreed.
"Rose, if it's about what happened to James?" Alec wondered. "You have to let it go love. Even if you told anyone else, all it will do is cause pain. It's best all round if it stays a tragic accident, which it was."
"Alec, he was so angry when he walked out," Rose recalled. "I'll never know if he would have forgiven me."
"Rose, from what you said about him, I think he would have done," Alec tried to assure her. "It would have led to Donna taking his side if you had told her and taken her away from Jamie. He needed her at the time, you said that. It may have even turned Jamie against you. You have to leave it in the past, you can go on feeling guilty about it."
"I just get this feeling I should have admitted it when the police asked me questions," Rose told him.
"Why, what questions did they ask you?" Alec was concerned.
"If I knew why he was out that late," Rose replied. "I said I'd gone to bed and I didn't know he'd gone out. I feel terrible about it now."
"You have nothing to feel bad about Rose," Alec reminded her. "If you had said you had argued, it would have made no difference to them but to Donna and her family? It could have just made them worse, even if they had forgiven you. Would you have wanted to tell them what the argument was about?"
"What makes it worse is that Donna knew James looked like you. She'd seen you when ya came to meet me," Rose admitted. "I can't understand why she never said anything to him. I mean it was a shock to him so she can't have done."
"Maybe she never thought how it would affect him?" Alec wondered.
"Ya mean she maybe thought he'd laugh it off?" Rose asked him. "She must have seen the funny side of it then. So why didn't she tease him about it? She was always teasing him and telling him he had no chance with me while you were around. He never gave up though."
"I gathered that," Alec smiled.
"He came to see me when you didn't turn up, to make sure I was okay when I wasn't at work, well something like that, I don't remember exactly," Rose had to admit. "When he said he wanted to take care of me when I found out I was pregnant, we told everyone we'd got together but wanted to keep it quiet."
"I can't blame you for that Rose," Alec assured her. "You must have been angry with me for letting you down?"
"No Alec, I was sad, I was gonna be brave and go back with ya. I knew it was too late though, that may ya'd got tired of waiting for me to get over it."
"Rose, I would never have got tired of waiting for you. I don't know what happened, I suppose Tess happened."
"Alec, ya were already leaving her when I found ya," Rose reminded him. "Would ya have looked me up?"
"I think I would have done but if you'd have still been married, I would not have contacted you. You deserved to be happy."
"Alec, about that transfer to London. I have a better idea. Get your chief to find you something near Broadchurch, Exeter or somewhere like that. Call John and Sarah-Jane about the house, we'll get a caravan for now and look for somewhere. Can ya take a week off to move?" Rose suggested.
Alec pulled her close and kissed her, making her squeal in surprise.
"Why did I not think of that?" he asked as he kissed her again. "It will take a while for the house sale to go through, we can use that time to get Jamie in college down there. What about your mother though?"
"She can come with us for now. I have to call Donna first though, see if she's made her mind up yet," Rose told him excitedly.
"You're what?" Donna asked her when Rose told her what they had planned.
"I'll just be coming back to sort things out, Alec said to let the solicitors deal with the house. I know it's a rush Donna but I have to give ya first choice on the house."
"I don't think mum will want to move again," Donna admitted. "So Alec's brother wants it? I suppose it'll sort of stay in the family then?"
"I'm glad ya agree," Rose told her. "There's gonna be a lot happening, it all depends if Alec's chief agrees after he's been looking for somewhere in London," Rose smiled at Alec as he was talking to John.
"We're serious," John had been assuring Alec. "Jamie can stay with us, if he needs to."
"Thanks, I'll tell Rose," Alec agreed. "It makes sense rather than I come up to London for a few months."
Jackie wasn't surprised when Rose called her on the video chat.
"I told ya not to worry about me," she was insisting.
"We can't just leave ya Mum," Rose was telling her. "Come with us."
"Well I'll think about it," Jackie told her.
Alec just hoped the chief would be agreeable. He was surprised the next morning.
"I was half expecting it," Alec was told. "She's right, it makes sense and saves you getting settled there for a short time. Leave it with me to find somewhere in the Dorset or surrounding areas, it should be easier, not so many will be wanting jobs down there."
"I should have thought of that before," Alec admitted. "Trust Rose to think of it."
"It sounds to me like you were a fool letting her go Alec," the chief told him.
"I already know that," Alec admitted. "I'm lucky she took me back, especially as I suspected she knew Tess had been the cause."
"I expect that made things worse?" the chief sympathised. "Well, if she wants to live in Broadchurch so badly, who are we to stop her?" he grinned.
Alec agreed with the chief, how could he deny the woman he'd loved since they were both thirteen years old? The more he thought about it now, the more he blamed himself for letting Tess get the better of him, she was certainly a piece of work, to have plotted to get him away from Rose and he'd gone so easily.
He still didn't get it why Tess had even done it in the first place, he'd often wondered why she'd chosen him. He went off to his office and called Rose.
"So he agreed?" Rose was rather surprised. "It shouldn't take long then? We'll have to go see mum and Jamie this weekend, to talk about it then."
"Yes love, things are moving rather quickly," Alec agreed. "I can never say I'm sorry for what I put you through enough Rose. You never left me, I was the one who left you."
"Alec, there's no need to say anything," Rose assured him. "I should have gone up there and confronted Tess, I should have told her she had no right coming between us. We could go on about it forever and then she will have won. It's time to put it behind us."
"Agreed love, it's time. Want to meet in town for lunch?" he suggested.
The weekend soon came around and they were preparing to drive up to London on Friday night. Jamie was getting anxious as to what his parents were planning for him and he was staying up for their late arrival.
"Stop being so nervous," Jackie was trying to tell him. "They won't do anything unless ya agree. They might want to move to Broadchurch quickly but ya can stay here for now and finish your classes."
"I hope so Gran. I mean I've just found out I have more family here as well," Jamie told her. "I wish I'd known before."
"Your mother didn't know how ya'd take it," Jackie admitted. "She didn't know how close your uncle lived and that he'd got married. I don't expect she thought he'd settle down," she laughed. "Ya don't have to wait up for them getting here."
"I want to Gran, you're waiting up," Jamie replied with a smile.
"I bet your dad's real proud of you," Jackie told him.
Rose and Alec finally arrived and were greeted by both of them.
"We have a lot to talk about," Alec announced after Jackie had made them some tea and some sandwiches.
After a lot of discussions the next day, they'd been invited to John's for Sunday lunch and Alec told him of their plans.
"I don't blame you for going straight to Broadchurch," John told him as they left Jamie and Luke in the attic and the women were in the kitchen.
"I don't know why you want to move from here," Alec replied.
"It's time to move on," John laughed. "Hope your attic's big enough."
"Ah, you will have to ask Rose," Alec laughed back. "As long as everything's sorted before Rose has the baby."
"I was surprised when you told us," John admitted. "How does it feel to becoming a dad again?" he patted Alec on the back. "Are you both going up to Scotland before you move?"
"We've not talked about it yet but I expect we will go," Alec replied.
In the kitchen, Sarah-Jane was fussing over Rose.
"So, you hope you'll have a place of your own down there before you have the baby?' she asked Rose.
"Yeah and that Alec will get transferred there," Rose laughed. "He's just gonna take anywhere around there for now."
It went easier than they thought and it was arranged they'd stay in a caravan until they decided how big a place they'd need. Alec organised most of Rose's things to be stored for the time being and their wedding was coming up, Alec finally getting his divorce.
Alec's dad and uncle were travelling all the way from Scotland for it and he finally traced his cousin Peter, whom he'd not seen in a long time plus his cousins whom Rose hadn't seen since she was a teenager. They had found a nice house on the way out of town and what they got from the sale of the house in London more than covered the cost.
It was now late October but the weather had been nice and Rose was getting ready for the big occasion. She'd asked John to give her away, which he'd been more than happy to do. He was also driving her and Daisy to the registry office after he'd dropped Jackie there.
"So," John grinned when he got back. "Finally then? Rose, I wish I'd stopped that night, maybe talked to James."
"Thanks John. I wish I could have stopped him going out. Did Alec tell ya the whole story?" Rose asked him.
"Yeah, sorry, wasn't he meant to?" John wasn't sure.
"I had to tell someone but he said I should leave it, it won't do any good digging it up," Rose replied. wishing her mother had stayed with her, since when the baby wasn't moving, her stomach was flipping on its own. "I hope your brother turns up," Rose added, trying to look in the mirror. "Alec said they used to be quite close, when you were away. I didn't really know him."
"I don't really know how he took the news that Alec and I were half brothers," John admitted. "Come on, Daisy will wonder where we are."
Everyone was waiting for them to arrive, Alec still not taking it in that Rose was finally marrying him. Tess still had a lot to answer for and he didn't think he would ever fully forgive her. She had got nowhere with that loser Dave but thankfully, he didn't have to put up with working with them any more.
Finally, they were pronounced husband and wife, everyone cheering when Alec was told he could kiss his bride. He had booked a honeymoon in Berwick-On-Tweed, near where they had gone on holiday once as teenagers when Rose had said maybe going all the way to Scotland in her condition wasn't such a good idea.
After Rose had the baby, Daisy wanted to stay with them for a while. Jackie had got her own little flat not far away and Jamie called in most evenings but he missed his cousin.
One early evening, Rose had met Alec and they were sitting on the end of the pier, the baby wrapped up in her stroller. His transfer to Broadchurch had just been finalised but he said it had been worth the wait, compared to staying in Sandbrook.
"We finally got what we wanted Alec," Rose was telling him as the baby stirred and Alec began rocking the stroller.
"I know love. Maybe you should find out if it's okay for you to have another eh?" he teased her, taking his new daughter's tiny hand and covering it with the blanket.
"If ya want? I mean it might be a bit late now though?" she wondered.
"Then why don't we make an appointment and find out?" he hinted.
He helped Rose up then took the stroller handle and Rose put her arm in his.
"Let's go home love," Alec suggested.
As they walked along the harbour towards their home, they both knew this where they wanted to stay and raise their daughter. Fleur would be taking notice soon and Rose was looking forward to spending time by the harbour and on the beach with her.
When they got home, Alec got a photo album out from when he first got a camera and he'd taken photos of Rose in the park near where they had lived.
"Do you remember these?" he asked as he showed her them.
"Yeah, we were so happy back then," Rose recalled. "I remember you getting the camera. Didn't I get that photo album for ya?"
"I believe you did love. Remember our first Christmas, under the mistletoe that John put there?"
Rose remembered it well.
"The first time we kissed," she replied. "We have a lot to make up for but most of all, we can bring Fleur up together and I have Daisy and Jamie to help."
"Yes, they must both be with your mother unless Daisy is with her new friend?" Alec smiled.
"I hope Daisy decides to stay? I mean she can go back and see her mother when she wants."
"I'm sure she will agree. Well, this is what we both wanted love," Alec replied as he put his arm around her.
"Yeah, it's true what they say then?" Rose leaned on his shoulder.
"You mean all's well that ends well?" Alec teased.
"No, the one that says true love wins in the end," Rose corrected him.
Alec couldn't agree more.
The End!
Thanks to everyone who stayed with the story and I apologise it took so long.