Once they were downstairs they said goodnight and Alec crossed the road to walk back towards his hotel and Rose continued down the road and was going to collect some food from the Chinese and wait for him. She'd been back ten minutes when he knocked on the door. She let him in and threw her arms around him, kissing him for all she was worth. They ate quickly, it was getting late and they had so much to discuss now, they both knew this was going to change everything but not between them, it meant they'd have to be extra careful.

"Rose, I don't know what's going to happen now. All sorts of things are going to come up in the press from my past but I've told you everything, if you read anything else, you know it's not true, don't you Sweetheart?" Rose nodded and put her arms around him. "We have to be extra careful, we can't be seen out together, not until this is all over. You almost had a close call back in the office. You shouldn't have risked staying behind. Please don't do it again, Miller is hostile enough towards me, I don't want her turning against you." He kissed her and said this was going to be the last night they could meet at her flat, he'd have to stay at the hotel, he couldn't move in with her now. He said he'd have to sneak her in the side door of the hotel, he still needed to be with her.

Rose said she had something she needed to tell him, about Ellie's nephew, Olly. "I didn't think it was relevant until today but he's asked me out, more than once and I turned it down, every time. Ellie was playing matchmaker when I arrived here. I never once went out with him, I swear but if he starts digging, it may come up. I just needed to tell you. You can ask Ellie if you want, I'm sure he complained to her that I turned him down on more than one occasion. He was too immature for me. I've not been out with anyone since I came here, I'd had enough of men, my boyfriend back in London left me so I came here to start again. Dating wasn't on my list of priorities."

He said it was ok, he believed her, so they went to bed. Alec had discovered more ways than one to satisfy Rose without too much exertion, mostly with her doing all the hard work but they loved each other, it didn't matter. He'd more than make up for it when he was well again. He was going to need her more than ever over the coming weeks and their love was going to be put to the test.

Friday was a nightmare, more staff were going to have to be drafted in from other areas as enquiries and statements came in. Rose was inundated with files and she badly needed help but none could be spared. She barely had time for any lunch and no-one bothered about her, they were too busy calling for files. She was supposed to have the weekend off but was going to have to work Saturday morning at least to find new spaces to fit everything and maybe archive some older ones. It might give her a chance of being alone with Alec if DS Miller wasn't working.

Her plan failed though when she was told extra phone lines were being installed and some of the others would be working. She got home and waited for Alec's call to go to the hotel, using the side door, he'd come down to let her in. Once they were alone, they kissed for a while, then Alec laid her on the bed and told her he'd probably have to work all day Saturday but was going to take Sunday off and said he'd wait until late then come up to the flat so they could spend Sunday together. He'd had a fairly bad day, he complained about Miller again. Rose begged him not to get stressed, he needed to relax so she made him lie on his front and gave his shoulders and back a massage.

Saturday went from bad to worse. She heard one of the telephone engineers say he knew something about the case then a short while later, Alec came back in a foul mood, shouting at Ellie and went in his office slamming the door behind him. Rose was worried, she'd never seen him like that and it wouldn't do him any good. She got up and made him a drink but Ellie gave her a warning look as she was about to go in but she ignored it. She tapped on his door and went in, smiled at him and asked if he was ok. He said he was and said thanks for the drink but she remained worried the rest of the day.

Sunday was like a breath of fresh air as they stayed in bed until late, just enjoying each other's company but their day of rest was going to be one of their last together for a while as things developed the following day and their evenings together were to get shorter as the enquiry became more intensive with more staff arriving and the media descending on the town. One journalist was out on a vendetta against Alec and when he finally got to meet with Rose, he was in an even fouler mood than when he'd found out the boy's name had been released nationwide. Rose tried to calm him but he said he didn't want to take it out on her and it was best she left. She said no, she didn't care if he was in a bad mood, he needed her more than ever and just got into bed and let him lie on her and they fell asleep.

The case dragged on, no nearer to being solved and accusations were flying, fuelled by the media. Alec was labelled as 'The Worse Cop In Britain' and Rose had said who takes any notice of trashy newspapers? He had fought with Miller again and Rose was trying to keep the peace.

Rose and Alec almost got caught by the hotel owner as they were just relaxing late one night when a knock came on the door. Rose had to gather her things and dash into the bathroom while Alec fastened his shirt and trousers. It was Becca Fisher asking if he let the media stay in the hotel, she'd charge his room at half price and keep them out of his way. He had to reluctantly agree and she was just leaving when he noticed something that belonged to Rose and hoped Becca hadn't noticed but she'd probably thought he'd just had some female company.

One Sunday morning, they went to the church for a service for the murdered boy, arriving separately and sitting one row behind each other but afterwards they were talking outside, hoping they wouldn't get noticed but a photographer who was trying to snap the boy's parents, snapped them instead and the next day, they were on the front page of most of the newspapers with the headline 'Worse Cop in Britain seen with mystery blonde at boy's service' and somehow it got blown out of all proportion. They were both called into the chief's office the following day and grilled about it, both denying any wrong doing until they were told to stop pretending and that half the station believed they were involved with each other.

They were warned to call it off until the enquiry was over or Rose would be transferred and since the media were camped out at his hotel, she couldn't go there any more and she couldn't take him drinks into his office and no doubt, some pathetic loser of a journalist would be following him, he was going to have to come up with a plan. It transpired that Rose had defended him to her colleagues once too often that it had aroused suspicion and it had also come to DS Miller's attention.

They daren't even text each other so by the end of the day, Alec had to come up with a plan. He needed her, she was the only one that was keeping him sane and made sure he took his medication and remained calm. He couldn't do this without her or he'd end up in hospital or worse. Rose was upset when she got home. She couldn't go to his hotel so she had to wait up to see if he could sneak away. She was in luck. He'd gone out in a police car, pretending to follow the local vicar and he'd got the driver to drop him off at a late night shop, saying he'd walk back to the hotel and it was just around the corner from Rose. He went into the shop and bought a bottle of wine and checked carefully there was no-one around, it was after midnight and it was all clear.

It took him only five minutes to be calling her intercom and she let him in, falling into his arms as he put the bottle down. They didn't waste any time as they got undressed and fell into bed, Rose being gentle as usual. After they had discovered yet another way of making love, Alec got up and started to get dressed. Rose didn't want him to leave, he was taking a risk sneaking back into the hotel at two in the morning. Before he left, he said he had a plan so they could be together without any comeback. Make a statement to the local newspaper, the two of them and for Rose to resign immediately the next day. She had leave to come and would take it as giving her notice. It would solve their problems. Rose agreed because she couldn't be without him.

Alec managed to sneak back to his room without being seen and the next morning, Rose got to the station and typed her resignation letter and took it to the chief. She stared in disbelief at Rose, asking why she had gone so far just to be with Alec Hardy.

"We've been seeing each other for weeks, before all this started we were together almost a week. I love him and this investigation just got in the way and now you've told us to split up, we talked it over and decided this was the only way we could be together. I have some leave to come so I'm prepared to take it as part of my notice so I'll finish the day and get everything in order and let you draught someone in from another division to take my place."

"Rose, you don't have to go so far as to resign. Lots of the staff here are in relationships. You and Alec, it's just unfortunate you work in the same office and you've been singled out because of the position he holds and the spotlight is on him. Why don't you just take some leave and wait for this to blow over? I'm not against you two seeing each other, just until this case is solved and the hype dies down? Maybe appear together and show your support for him? If you're not working together then people can't talk. You can take unpaid leave if you want, come back when it's all over, no reprisals. I can get someone temporary in."

"We were planning on doing an interview at 'The Echo' to set the record straight. It's Olly Steven's fault, he asked me out and I turned him down when I first arrived here. I did warn Alec about it."

"Is he ok, he's looked a little off lately?"

"He's just tired and it's all getting to him. He'll be fine. That's why I need to be with him, he doesn't want to be on his own. I know the reason why he's here, why you took him on when no-one else would and I know the truth about it. We have no secrets from each other. When we leave tonight, we're leaving together and he's moving into my flat with me, we're not hiding any more. The press can say what the hell it likes, we're both single, we're not having an affair, he just doesn't want his ex and his daughter dragging into the middle of it. He's been trying to protect me, keep me out of this whole mess. I've told him I don't care, I'm more worried about him. The press are following him everywhere, he had to sneak out like a common criminal last night just to be with me and to tell me what he had planned."

"Well speaking to the local press may alleviate some of the problem. I'm not surprised he told you everything and he does need someone in his corner. I'm not saying you two are having an affair but when you sneak around, people assume there's a reason for it if you don't come out into the open about it."

"We were, until this all started. We were going out and being seen together, it's just between the local press and a reporter from London having a personal vendetta against him from his last case, it's getting him down and he wanted to shield me from it. I am worried about him, he was hounded over his last big case and it's happening again but this time, he's not on his own, he's got me. We're hoping that putting the record straight will help take some of the pressure off."

Rose went back to her desk to finish the day and while she had been away, the office had got fuller and someone had about to claim her desk, putting a cup on it and Rose asking whose it was, telling the offender in no uncertain terms to get lost. It might have been her last day but she wasn't telling anyone, wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of making them think she was leaving because of the rumours and the lies in the papers. She could see Alec from where she was sitting, he was in with DS Miller but she daren't go taking him a drink, not with new people in the office. Then she thought about slipping a note in with a file and taking it to him, just to let him know but she never got chance, so she wrote the note telling him she'd meet him outside the newspaper office at six, took the file in marked his attention and hoped he'd get it.

Hometime, Rose was emptying her desk, most everyone else was gone or not taking any notice. Alec had only been back a short time but she'd seen him pick up the file. He came to the door and shouted her over, everyone looked as she walked over as he said loudly, "Rose, my office, now," holding up the file.

She could feel the stares as she walked, hoping it was just a ruse by Alec to make it look good. She knew he wouldn't really do such a thing to her, shout at her in front of anyone and he'd waited until almost everyone else had gone. She went in and closed the door saying, "Yes Sir?"

He thrust the file in front of her saying, "You brought me this file, this one, what's this have to do with the Latimer case, well? I'm waiting for an answer?" Rose just looked at him, blimey, he was really getting into character.

"It's the file you wanted Sir, before you went out, the one you rang for, isn't it the correct one?" she asked hopefully.

"Can't you people here get anything right? Get me the right one now, this isn't the one I asked for, check your notes or don't you take notes here? Now get me that file, preferably tonight if it's not too difficult."

Rose muttered a 'sorry' and opened the door when he'd forced the file into her hands and he closed it behind him. This wasn't going to do him any good but Rose knew he'd had to put on a show.

Ellie looked at her and shook her head as Rose went back to her desk, pretending to look at her notes then crossing to the filing cabinets. He hadn't asked for any files, the one she had taken into him had contained one piece of paper, the note she'd written telling him she was taking unpaid leave until it was all over and she would go to the newspaper office with him and telling him she loved him.

She selected a file to do with the case and went back towards his office. Ellie stopped her saying, "Don't let him get to you, he's been in a foul mood all day. You know everyone thinks you and him are having an affair? Maybe you should douse the flames that are feeding the fire and do something about it."

Rose went back into his office and put the file on his desk, he just looked up and said, "Sorry, it's been a hell of a day."