As Rose drove off with Alec, he had a surprise for her.
"Where are we going?" Rose wanted to know as they went in a different direction.
"Just out of town, I booked a hotel for the night, before I go face your mother," he half joked.
"Geez, are ya scared of her?" Rose laughed. "Ya could have given me some warning, I've got nothing with me."
"You can borrow one of my t-shirts?" he offered. "You're always saying I'm skinny, you can borrow some shorts as well."
"Well, okay then? How am I gonna get some time off? I had it all arranged."
"You thought your friend Donna was no good at keeping secrets?" he had to laugh. "I made a call to her, to say I'd had a change of plans, it's all arranged so relax eh? We have tonight on our own, then you pack tomorrow and we'll go down to Brighton for a few days. What do you think love?"
Donna had caught up with her cousin and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry, spaceman. The going out bit was just to fool Rose."
"What?" a confused James asked her.
"I had to make it look good. He called the store to say he had to come down early and Rose needed next week off. How could I say no?" Donna asked him.
"You could have warned me," James seemed annoyed.
"James, I had to give her a chance to make up with him, she's my friend," Donna reminded him.
"I'm your cousin," James replied as they walked to his car. "When he goes off again and she stays, am I supposed to pick up the pieces Donna?"
"She'll need a friend if that happens," Donna replied, flicking her hair.
"She has you," James replied half-heartedly.
"I don't mean that kind of friend James," Donna replied. "This will be make or break for them, trust me. The store's summer trip's coming up soon, I'll have to talk her into going."
"What good's that gonna do Donna?" James wanted to know as he headed for Donna's house.
"I'll leave that up to you – spaceman," Donna laughed.
"You think she'll still refuse to go back with him?" James wondered. "You'd better tell me why."
"Well, since she's not likely to tell you," Donna pondered. "You'd better not tell her I told ya."
By the time they arrived outside Donna's house and sat for a while, James was appalled at what had really happened to Rose.
"No wonder she won't go back? Why doesn't he move down here then?" James wanted to know.
"It got even more complicated," Donna admitted. "Rose is convinced he's seeing someone else up there, on top of she always insisted he gets a promotion before he does come down here."
"Why does she stay with him then? If it's true he's seeing someone else?"
"She doesn't want to believe it, does she?" Donna replied. "This woman's answered his phone a few times, including at his flat early in the morning. It still might all be innocent though?"
James thought Donna could think what she wanted but it seemed to him, Rose would either believe that it was innocent and get over her fear of going back or let Alec go and it it were the latter, Donna was right. Rose would need a shoulder to cry on. Was he willing for it to be him?
When Alec had booked them into a hotel on the outskirts of London, Rose went to pick up the phone to call her mother while Alec got out what he and Rose would need for the night. It had been a last minute idea as he'd picked up a newspaper before he'd left and had been lucky with the first place he'd called, a new budget hotel chain that had special offers.
"Mum, you'll never guess what?" Rose asked her mother excitedly. "Alec was waiting for me when I got out of work."
"What?" Jackie asked disbelievingly.
"We're in a hotel, we'll be back in the morning but we're goin' off for a few days on Monday."
"Well, I hope he had an explanation for that woman answering his phone then?" was all Jackie wanted to know at first, Rose thinking her mother was in shock.
Rose looked at the man she still loved, despite them being apart and the doubts that had been slowly creeping in.
"I'm sure he has Mum," she smiled at Alec, who closed the gap between them and took her other hand. "See ya tomorrow."
"Yeah and you tell him he has some explaining to do to me," her mother added.
"Mum's on the warpath," Rose laughed as she ended the call. "Alec, I don't want to spoil all this next week but she's right, ya have some explaining to do ya know? What with what's her name answering your phone and I'm sure I've heard her in the background. I'm willing to listen, if ya promise me nothing's going on."
"Rose, sweetheart, there is nothing going on, well not on my part anyway. It's Tess, she's trying to make something out of nothing. We just work together Rose, I swear but she's been making things difficult for me, she's been trying to convince me that if you really cared about me, you'd go back."
"Is that it Alec?" Rose then wanted to know. "If it is, I'll go up there and kick her ass."
"That's more like my Rose," he smiled as he pulled her close, remembering the times Tess had tricked him into kissing her back when she'd been the one to initiate it.
He'd not really wanted to kiss Tess back but she'd been creeping into his mind, making him think that was what he wanted. Now, he had to forget about the woman who'd been inviting herself back to his apartment and even into his bed, though nothing had happened yet, thankfully.
"How come she sounded English?" Rose wanted to know. "If she is, why is she even working there, if you said it wasn't easy for you to get in the police down here?"
"It's complicated Rose. She was told that several police forces were being given funding to train officers of certain ranks up to being detective sergeants and she qualified. She just happened to choose Paisley and got accepted, even though she's from South Mercia police, a place called Sandbrook," Alec began to explain as he sat her on the bed.
"Then why didn't you qualify to train somewhere else?" Rose wanted to know.
"Because I was already in the process of transferring to Paisley, where the training was taking place. I tried Rose, really I did but I keep getting told I'll have to pass the sergeant's exam before I can move again. Then I'll apply to the metropolitan police, I promise love."
He pushed her down on the bed easily, unlike when Tess had pulled him down as he'd resisted each time she'd got him into his bedroom. He opened the buttons of her blouse, going to kiss above her breasts and Rose going for his shirt buttons, pulling it over his shoulders.
"I missed ya Alec and I'm so sorry but it sounded like Tess had got to ya."
"Shush, forget about it eh?" he urged as he reached for her bra fastener.
Luckily, he'd fought Tess off so far in that department but she'd got his t-shirt off from under his shirt, since he'd begun to add another layer of clothing for her to get past, hoping she'd get the hint. They crawled under the duvet, still half dressed but in too much of a hurry to even care and Rose helped him take his shorts off, unlike when he battled Tess's hands to get to them.
He was surely going to lose that battle if when he got back, without Rose, Tess was going to get even more forceful and he wouldn't be able to stop her without ordering her out. He'd already had a dreadful feeling what would happen if he did, if he made her get dressed and threw her out and refused to let her take over his life – she could hang a claim of sexual assault over him and his career would be over.
Worse than that though, Rose would get to know, she'd be called as a witness and have to defend him, well if she'd even talk to him any more but Tess would get what she wanted, whether she had him or not. He would be parted from Rose forever and Tess would succeed where Bob had failed.
Then, he'd had a dreadful feeling she may have been working with Bob to achieve that but had soon dismissed it. Now though, he wasn't so sure he was wrong. He soon forgot about Tess and the evil Bob as Rose got his shorts off and they touched, him feeling Rose quiver beneath him.
"I missed ya so much Alec."
"I missed you too love," he managed to reply as they melted into each other, Rose forgetting she'd just finished with her monthly the previous morning.
It didn't seem to matter to her, she had Alec back and she had some serious thinking to do but not at present as she let out low moans and felt Alec kissing her ear then her neck, whispering he loved her.
They got dressed again and Alec suggested they went out to find a pub where they could get something to eat and he was grateful he'd resisted getting a mobile phone, since they were getting more popular, especially in cars so Jackie wouldn't be checking up on them. When they got back, Rose had more questions for him.
"So, how's your new job?" she smiled as they lay on the bed.
"It's good, interesting but the best part is, I finally get to put Bob and his friends away. I'm doing it for you Rose."
"I know ya are Alec and I hope he gets locked up for a long time," she replied as she buried herself in his shoulder.
They lay like that for a while, watching a bit of TV then Rose changed into just Alec's t-shirt and a pair of his shorts, having been to wash her underwear out in the bathroom sink. Alec watched her, smiling to himself, unlike when Tess paraded around his bedroom on some pretence or other.
"What?" Rose smiled at being observed.
"I love you Rose and I've not said it to you a lot lately. Where is your ring though?"
Rose had hoped she'd get away with that.
"Sorry, it gets caught on some of the items at work and everyone knows I'm engaged anyway. I'd normally put it back on when I get home."
"I understand sweetheart," he replied, feeling relieved she still felt they were engaged.
Tess though had been trying to convince him otherwise by saying she'd have given up wearing a ring altogether. After making up for lost time again, less hurried this time and Rose feeling something this time seemed different, they left the hotel after breakfast the next morning and Alec went to face Jackie Tyler.
He knew he wouldn't get off so easily with his almost mother-in-law but she'd seemed like one to him over the years he'd been visiting. Jackie had taken him under her wing since she and Rose had gone back to London and she'd make himself and John feel at home.
Rose had been glad Alec had not asked further questions about her not wearing his engagement ring, she'd hated having to make something up about it. Rose let them into the flat and called her mother.
"Mum, we're back."
"Well I should hope so as well," Jackie called from the kitchen. "When are ya gonna get one of those mobile phones in your car Alec?"
"Ah, well. I was thinking about it Jackie. I was waiting for John to give me some advice on getting one. Anyway, it's nice to see you again."
Jackie stood with her hands on her hips, observing him as Rose went off to get her ring. Alec thought he was really in trouble and he wasn't afraid of anyone – well maybe except Rose's mother and now Tess. Then a smile crept across Jackie's face as she held her arms out.
"Well don't just stand there like a spare part Alec Hardy."
Rose stood in the doorway and smiled as Jackie almost smothered poor Alec.
"Told ya she missed ya as much as I did," she called over as she went towards where Alec had just got away. "Mum, sorry but we'll be off again in the morning."
"Well, I don't mind if the two of ya want to be on ya own," Jackie replied, seeing Rose had put her ring back on and thinking she'd best not say anything.
She had been surprised when Rose had finally stopped wearing it but after she'd experienced someone else, a woman, answering Alec's phone, it had finally hit her. They all spent the day together and the next morning, Rose stopped Alec before they drove off.
"I'd rather we went to Broadchurch," she told him as they sat in his car.
"Really? Well if that's where you really want to go?" he replied.
"Ya know what that place means to me Alec," she reminded him.
"Yes, I do love. I was so nervous the first time I went in the travel agents to book our first holiday, on our own."
"Yeah, I can imagine," Rose laughed. "I know it's a bit further than Brighton?"
Alec knew what it meant to her. The first time they'd gone on their own had been a special time, being old enough to go book a week in a caravan and hoping not to be asked any questions. He'd not planned on going down there but he supposed he should have known she'd want to go there, it was their place.
All too soon, it was time to set off back on the Friday morning. They'd been able to book four nights there and had enjoyed every moment of their time together, being able to visit a few nearby places they'd not been able to get to all those years ago, when they were eighteen. Now, they were seven years older and Alec wondered where all that time had gone and that they'd wasted it.
Before they drove off though, Alec drove around onto the sea front and parked in one of the parking bays.
"Rose, we have to talk."
"I know Alec. It's not easy ya know? I mean I know that you'll do your best to get him locked up but what if he gets off?"
"Rose, he won't, I'm fairly certain of it. We have him on several charges and your statement will go a long way towards locking him up for a long time."
"Yeah but what if the judge won't accept it? Is there going to be a jury anyway? I mean it'll be read out and others will know what I went through."
"Rose, I honestly don't know," Alec replied, leaning over the steering wheel.
He hadn't expected this to be as difficult. He'd thought she would just accept Bob would get locked up and go back with him.
"Rose, what's really stopping you coming back with me? It can't be just that? Tell me," he then urged her.
"A woman answering your phone early in the morning," Rose answered quietly that he could hardly hear her.
"What? Tess was being stupid, I swear Rose. I sent her home and I've not seen her outside work since, I swear to you."
"Well I hope not? Doesn't she get the part where you're engaged? What is it with her?" Rose wanted to know.
"I don't know but it's stopped, I promise Rose. Look, I know you're worried about Bob and the others getting off so, let's get the trials over with and I'll come back down for you, next weekend. You have some more leave to come?"
"Yeah. I suppose I could use it to give my notice? So, are we leaving it at that?" Rose wondered.
They drove back to London and Alec knew Rose was still troubled by everything but at least they'd had a few care-free days together. They had walked down the beach and been to the next town, been to visit the gardens of a stately home and walked by the waterfall and around the lake and taken moonlight walks along the cliff tops.
Now, they had to face reality again as Jackie wanted to know what they had decided.
"Ya mean ya've not made ya minds up yet?" Jackie asked as they sat in the kitchen. "Well I should knock your heads together, what are ya hesitating for Rose?"
That was what Alec wanted to know but he knew the cause and it was call Tess. By Sunday morning, after being together one last time, Rose was walking him to his car.
"I'll call you, as soon as I hear the verdicts," he promised as Rose leaned into his shoulder. "Just tell your friend to be ready to process your resignation, eh?"
"I'll warn her," Rose managed to smile.
"I'll see you next weekend, if everything goes well."
Rose waved him goodbye, she'd lost count of how many times she'd done it in the past. She'd often wondered how Alec had felt as he'd seen her through the mirror of John's car when they'd left without her. She could only imagine he felt as bad as she did.
Now, she had to warn Donna she may leave at short notice, which wouldn't be a real problem with her being deputy manager and not a regular sales assistant. She tried her best to put on a brave face the next morning and got Donna on her own.
"Rose, ya won't get away with it," she tried to warn Rose.
"Donna, I might be leavin'" Rose reminded Donna.
"I get that bit," Donna replied. "What I don't get is if that bloke gets off, you won't be going up to Scotland, so ya won't be leavin' will ya?"
"How can I go back if he gets off Donna? When I've sent a statement telling the judge what he did and it'll be read out in court?"
"I understand Rose, really I do," Donna tried to sympathise. "Look, if the trial goes badly and Alec comes down to talk about it, call in sick on Saturday morning, I won't be in then."
"I don't wanna get ya into trouble Donna. It's just I don't know what's gonna happen and if Alec will still come down. I swear that Tess'll will have been waiting for him getting back."
"Ya don't know that for certain Rose," Donna tried to assure her.
Rose did know. She bet while Alec had been gone, Tess would have swapped from nights to days so that when the trials were over, she'd still be working the same hours as Alec. She wondered why she couldn't bring herself to go up there and fight for him but she'd always be looking over her shoulder for the man who still haunted her, unless she knew Bob had been locked up for a very long time. Then Tess whatever her name was would be kicked all the way back to where she came from.
She just hoped Alec hadn't already been tempted by Tess but he'd been fine last week, while they'd been away. It had been really nice to be in Broadchurch again and be carefree for a few days. She swore she felt different, how, she couldn't tell, it was like she was fairly certain she'd had her first time with Alec years ago but the last few nights, it was like they'd gone further than before.
Maybe it was because now, they were both ten tears older and not fifteen and it had only felt to her like they had gone all the way? Now, she knew it had definitely happened and with Alec changing from this week to last, she was very unlikely to get away with it, then she'd have to face the music and either give in and get over her fear of Bob or bring a child up on her own or at least until Alec qualified for another transfer.
Would he want a baby though? They'd never talked about it. Now, James had joined them but Donna made the excuse she had to get going.
"How did your week off go?" James asked casually, trying to avoid saying he'd missed her.
He had missed her and driven his cousin crazy saying so.
"Great. We went down to Dorset for a few days," Rose smiled back.
"So, he's gone home?" James asked as casually as he could as he stood opposite Rose with a coffee carton in his hand. "So, are you going to join him?"
"I honestly don't know, it depends on the outcome of the trial," she replied.
"Of course," James agreed, Donna having told him what was going on. "I hope it's finally over for you, really I do."
"Thanks James. I'll just have to wait for Alec to call and tell me it's all over. The trial I mean."
Well she hoped that was all he'd be calling for, if he managed to keep Tess at bay. He hadn't though. He'd forgotten she was on holiday that week, after he'd had to change his so while he thought he was safe, she was waiting for him outside his apartment when he got home.
"What are you doing here Tess? I'm not in the mood to play your games."
"Who's playing games Alec?" Tess sounded indignant. "I missed you. Are you going to open the door?" she asked as he stood by his car.
"In case you forgot Tess, I was with Rose last week."
"I know Alec and I hope you finally got her out of your system since you came back on your own?" she wanted to know.
"No, I've not got her out of my system Tess and I would appreciate it if you would stop calling in whenever you felt like it."
He opened the door and Tess followed him inside.
"Well, is she coming back?" Tess wanted to know.
"It depends on the trial. Nothing much happened today, I wasn't needed," he admitted.
He had got to the station and found his boss, with his tie straight for a change, sitting at his desk.
"May as well find some paperwork to do, Hardy," the chief had told him. "I sent Carter to see what was going on and he'll call if we're needed. How was your week off? Did you bring that girlfriend of yours back with you?"
"No Sir, she's waiting to see how the trial goes. What are my chances of getting any job down in London, even if it means I miss a promotion?"
"You must be desperate Hardy," his chief laughed.
"I am Sir, right now, I'd do anything to be with her again," Alec replied. "I just hope the man she fears gets locked up for a long time."
"If we've all done our jobs right, he will," the chief replied. "Let's hope we've done enough to stop men like him prying on teenage girls."
"Sir, I'd like permission to attend his trial, even if I'm not taking part," Alec then told his boss.
The chief had then beckoned Alec to sit down.
"I know what this means to you Alec. Take my advice and keep away from Tess Henchard, she was talking about you quite a bit last week, about you coming back without your girlfriend and that she was wearing you down. Not that I subscribe to gossip mind you, I just heard talk in the canteen."
"I appreciate the warning Sir but about the transfer?" Alec reminded the other man.
His boss shook his head.
"It's not that easy, since we are taking on trainees, there's a waiting list to come here. Maybe you could do a swap with someone but you may go back to a lower rank. Sorry."
Alec thought he really didn't care, he could soon work his way back up again, at least he'd be with Rose. Two days later though, he was in court, attending the trial of the man who was keeping Rose away from him and although he was told he may not be called to the witness stand, he wanted to hear Rose's statement read out. The prosecution started off well.
"My Lord, we submit written testimony of how the defendant preyed on teenage girls, in particular, one who escaped him before he could do any real damage. It is thought he lured this teenage girl's mother and had her completely fooled that she moved in with him and led her to believe that was how a family lived, when he invited his friends around and they paid particular notice to the fact the then teenage girl was blonde."
Alec listened as after more explanation to the court, Rose's statement was read out loud by the court bailiff after the judge read over it quickly and he just hoped it would be enough. It was uncomfortable to say the least, to have to live through what Rose had suffered again. The fear something would happen when she'd first arrived and she'd demanded a lock on her bedroom door when her mother thought there was nothing wrong and had told her it was just them being a family, that Bob was taking an interest in her.
Bob sat stone-faced and avoided Alec's stare, Alec wondering what was going through the man's mind after all this time and the man's remark when he'd been caught. He knew officially, he shouldn't have interviewed the man but his boss had allowed him because he had so many questions, the foremost being why Rose?
"My Lord," the defence then stood as the bailiff handed Rose's statement to the judge again. "This is just the testimony of one now woman who was apparently thirteen at the time. My client has stated repeatedly that it was true that he did want a family, to be like his friends."
"Your Honour," the prosecution was about to argue. "There are other victims whom the police found, who do not wish to come forward for fear of retribution. They all say the same, that they feared what the defendant would do to them, especially when his friends would pay a visit. The prosecution wishes to include these nameless victims of psychological abuse in the proceedings as historical abuse and they are given the same rights as those who wished to be named."
Alec was sure Rose had only agreed on the grounds her name was being kept out of it.
"Very well, Mister Johnson, they may be included. Do we have a name for the young woman who was brave enough to come forward?" the judge wanted to know.
"Yes, my Lord but the prosecution does not wish to divulge the name in public."
Alec let out a sigh of relief. At least her name wouldn't be in the papers, since Rose hadn't told her mother.
"So noted," the judge agreed.
"My Lord, the defence objects to the name being kept from the public," the defence stood up. "My client has a right to know who made the statement."
Alec rubbed his hand over the makings of the beard he was starting to grow, he'd just not shaved, hoping it would put Tess off. He didn't know if it had worked or not, since he'd not seen her since Monday morning but that didn't mean she was going to leave him alone.
"Mister Greaves, a copy of the statement will be made available to you so you can inform your client. In cases such as these, it is not good practice to go against the wishes of the victims. Has the prosecution any more revelations before you question any witnesses or the defendant?"
"Just one, my Lord. The prosecution will be calling Detective Constable Alec Hardy as a witness as he was present when the defendant was arrested and he has an interest in the proceedings, such as in he knew one of the victims and the prosecution intend to use him to provide background information as to how the victim lived in fear of the defendant."
"I will allow that on the provision the officer provides a clear and accurate account and that he is not doing so for vengeance," the judge replied, writing something down. "Mister Johnson, you may proceed."
"The prosecution calls DC Alec Hardy to the stand."
Alec wished he'd been warned but went to take the stand. If it meant the man who was keeping Rose from him got what he deserved, then he'd gladly swear to tell the truth when questioned about it.
