Everything's okay
Alec decided that no, it wasn't too late to try for another baby, one they could raise together this time around. Damn Tess for getting inbetween himself and Rose, the woman he really loved and never forgot.
Rose nudged him to bring him back to reality.
"So, can ya ask for that transfer now?" she wanted to know.
"I told you, I'm working on it love," he replied. "Look, if there's not one here just yet, why don't I see if I can get a temporary posting near your house?" he suggested. "Unless you really do want to stay in Sandbrook? It won't be pleasant though, not if Tess continues to be difficult."
"Well yeah, if ya can?" Rose readily agreed. "Jamie can finish his exams and get into college, then he can get transferred. What about John wanting to buy the house though?"
"Don't worry about that, they will understand," Alec assured her. "Let's see what happens eh? We should just enjoy this weekend, like we used to. We can take the bus that goes by the coastline like before."
"Yeah, I remember," Rose smiled as he put his arm around her. "Maybe we can go up to the tramway this time?"
Alec wasn't so sure about travelling a few miles in a rickety old tram but if that was what she'd always wanted to do, since it was too far to travel when they relied on public transport all that time ago.
He helped Rose up and they walked back along the pier, Rose now wanting a drink and a snack. As they sat by the river, Rose looked over at the old blue chalet that was still standing.
"I can't believe it's still there," Rose pointed it out to him.
"It's probably expensive to rent," Alec reminded her.
"I bet it's lovely inside though," Rose replied. "Well, best ring mum to tell her what we've decided then?"
"Yes, get it over with," he had to agree, since telling Jackie something wasn't one of his favourite things.
They enjoyed their weekend, going to visit the old tramway and looking around the small seaside town. On the way back to Sandbrook, they had more plans to make after Jackie had told them it was up to them what they did and she wouldn't hold them back after all this time.
"So your mother will go along with what we decide?" Alec wanted to make sure.
"Well yeah, I mean she knows she can go with us if she wants," Rose reminded him. "If your chief hasn't got anything for ya, we stay where we are for now, yeah?"
"Aye love, don't worry about Tess eh? Besides, she will have enough to worry about if the defence want us to produce the evidence, if Claire won't give it up."
"I wonder what she has to gain by not admitting she stole it?" Rose asked him.
"She gave us just enough so she would remain free, since she turned against him," Alec replied. "She will be arrested if she turns the pendant over and she's keeping quiet about it. Tess did more than made a deal with her over that."
"Geez, that's a bit risky then?" Rose wondered.
"Try not to worry about it, hopefully it will be enough," Alec assured her.
Alec's chief had no news for him when he returned to work.
"I'm sorry Alec, it's no-go at the moment," the chief admitted. "I've been onto the chief there again but with things in the air here she's still reluctant to commit to anything. Besides that, she has a DS who is studying for promotion and she's sticking by her when the current DI does retire. Seems he's not made his mind up yet when he's going."
"Just great," Alec told him. "Well this deal Tess made with Claire had better not backfire on her then," Alec told him.
"It does seem that Claire is a bit unstable if you ask me," the chief agreed.
Alec thought that was a bit of an understatement. He and Rose carried on waiting for some news about Alec's transfer, putting John and Sarah-Jane off buying the house for the time being, since Donna's family were still reluctant over it.
They went back to London the following weekend, Rose still not sure if she was pregnant or not as one test had been negative.
"Maybe it's too late?" Rose wondered when they got to bed on their arrival at what they now called their house.
"Don't say that," Alec replied, putting his arm around her. "Maybe the test wasn't accurate?"
"I suppose I should have waited, just to make sure?" Rose admitted. "I do want another with you, to make up for you missing out."
"I know love, there's still time," Alec assured her. "Maybe you have been worrying about nothing eh?"
"Yeah, maybe?" Rose tried to cheer up as she let him pull her onto him. "Haven't ya wondered why me and James never had any kids?"
"It has nothing to do with me Rose, you have no need to explain to me," Alec told her.
"We talked about it sometimes but he never really bothered that much, he doted on Jamie just like being his real father," Rose wanted to explain.
"I am just glad you never had to bring Jamie up without a dad," Alec assured her, knowing Rose had grown up without hers.
A few weeks went by, Alec getting worried about Rose not being able to have another baby and also worried about the case, that it would fall apart if Claire either disappeared or just changed her mind. He had learned that Tess had taken her to a clinic to terminate the baby and was glad he wasn't the one who had to do it.
He was sure Claire would have made something of it if he had. The court date was approaching, the prosecution still certain they had a strong enough case if Claire spoke up in court but the only questions were if the defence found out about the missing pendant, they would go for a mistrial or the judge would throw it out before the defence said anything.
He knew it was a big gamble in order to get Ashworth to stand up and say he was guilty. The man would surely not hesitate to protest his innocence. He just hoped Claire wouldn't change her mind and go and visit him. The day before the hearing, the chief was addressing the whole department.
"Right, we can be certain that Ashworth will try to plead not guilty," he reminded them. "It's not likely anyone other than those involved in the arrest will be called to give evidence but anything that happens at the trial will get out. No-one is to give interviews to the press without my say-so, understood?"
There were nods and grunts from around the room, Alec hoping they would all keep quiet about what they had been working on. Tess was the one he was really going to have to worry about as he received documents from the court in Paisley as to his divorce application.
Since Tess hadn't objected, which surprised him, he had been told it would be granted in three months and final three months after that. Rose had been over the moon about it that morning before he had left for work.
"I still can't believe it," Rose had told him when he'd showed her the envelope. "So, we can start making plans then?"
"Yes love, we can. Let's get the court hearing over first eh?" he agreed, putting his arms around her.
"I can tell mum though?" Rose wanted to make sure.
"Yes, you can and explain it to Jamie as well maybe?" he also agreed. "I will call John and my dad when I get back. I will also have to talk to Daisy so I will arrange to go see her."
"How do ya think she'll take it?" Rose wondered.
"Hopefully she will be okay. She still has to meet Jamie properly but the video calls to him helped," Alec assured her.
So Rose called her mother, who was only too happy to hear the good news.
"I'm so pleased for both of ya," Jackie told her. "So, it's the hearing tomorrow then?"
"Yeah, fingers crossed it'll all go well," Rose replied. "Mum, I'm off back to the clinic today but I didn't tell Alec, just in case I'm wrong again," she admitted.
"Well I bet he's nervous enough without that," Jackie had to laugh.
Rose got a cab to the clinic, not fancying taking two buses and waited for her appointment.
"So, how are you feeling Rose?" she was asked by the nurse in attendance as they waited for the doctor.
"Fine, for now," Rose tried to stay calm since her stomach was doing somersaults. "I hope it's not another false alarm."
"I hope so as well," the nurse laughed as she led Rose to the restroom to do a sample. "Have you told your partner yet?"
"No, he was bad enough last time," Rose smiled as she was handed the test bottle.
She had already explained when she registered at the clinic that she was widowed and had got back with an old boyfriend. She had been careful not to give Alec's name, in view of the ongoing case. While she waited for the result, the doctor on duty was asking how she had been looking after herself.
"Well, I was worried I might have left it too late to try for another baby," Rose admitted.
"You would be surprised these days," the consultant smiled at her. "These tests can be a bit off sometimes. Let's do an exam then shall we? If the test is positive, we'll arrange a scan for you and get you booked into hospital or you can have your appointments here."
"I'd rather come here," Rose replied as the cold stethoscope touched her.
"Sorry," the consultant joked with her.
The nurse knocked on the door and handed the result over, Rose not being able to tell which way it had gone.
"Well, there's no physical reason you can't carry a baby full term," she was told. "Let's see what the result is."
The nurse helped Rose up and she went to sit at the desk, the nurse sitting next to her and holding her hand.
"Well, it's positive, just over four weeks," the consultant smiled at Rose. "Congratulations then. How will your partner take the news?"
"Well, I hope," Rose was shocked. "So, I'm okay to go ahead?"
"Yes, of course," she was told. "You're lucky, I'll say that. A lot of women do leave it too late. You've just had your birthday?" Rose was asked.
"Yeah, though I didn't go mad, just in case," Rose admitted.
She thanked both of the women and was told at reception she'd get an appointment soon, after she'd been told she'd have more than normal. Not wanting to tell her mother before Alec, she checked where he was and wanted to meet for lunch.
He was just about to answer when Tess stormed into his office, a familiar envelope in her hand.
"How could you be so sneaky Alec?" she wanted to know.
"It's just like you to still try and spoil things Tess," Alec told her. "Get it in your head, it's over and I also have the papers to prove it. You never bothered a while back, did you eh?"
"How did I know they would take your side?" Tess replied.
"Well, given the circumstances, I had no doubt of the outcome," he answered. "I will explain things to Daisy, don't you dare talk to her before I have the chance," Alec then warned her. "It will not come as much of a shock to her anyway."
"Only because you've already turned her head and letting her talk to her half brother," Tess huffed.
"Why stop her from finding out more about him?" Alec asked her. "She probably calls him on her own now."
"Huh!" Tess just replied and turned to walk out.
Dave had noticed and went to her desk, sitting on the corner.
"What's happened now?" he asked her.
"What do you care?" she told him. "You won't do anything about leaving your wife."
"Oh, the divorce came through?" Dave grinned.
"You don't have to be so happy about it," Tess replied, putting the envelope in her desk drawer.
"Maybe because you never said for me to do anything about it?" Dave reminded her as he got up. "Face it Tess, you won't re-marry, not now Alec's finally leaving you."
She knew he had hit the nail on the head. She'd been determined to take Alec away from Rose right from the start but now, it was all falling apart and there would be nothing to stop him finally marrying Rose. She couldn't even find anything to stop the divorce going through, it seemed he'd been right about getting married in Scotland.
How could he have done that to her, denying her getting married at home? He'd known all along he could get out of it if he'd wanted to but he must have suspected Rose had married someone else. He would have sought a divorce whether their marriage had already been breaking down or not to be with Rose again.
Alec finally answered Rose message by calling her.
"Hey love, are you in town?" he greeted her.
"I'm on the bus," Rose admitted, not saying from where. "I know ya have a lot on so if you're not free, it's fine."
He knew that had always been the difference between her and Tess.
"No, I can make time love? Got something to tell me that can't wait?" he teased her.
"I'm not saying anything," Rose laughed.
"Oh. You do have something to tell me?" Alec laughed back, seeing Tess glaring at him from behind her desk. "I will meet you in the usual café then at twelve thirty? he suggested, looking at the time.
"Yeah, I can do a bit of shopping first," Rose agreed.
"For anything special love?" he teased her again. "Maybe you should wait for me?"
Rose knew he had guessed, despite not telling him where she was going that morning.
"Yeah, maybe I should?" Rose replied.
He got up and went to see the chief.
"Alec, you said you would see the trial through," he was reminded when he'd told the chief he may have some good news.
"I know but I don't now want to leave it too long before getting transferred," Alec replied.
"All the chiefs will be waiting for the outcome of the hearing," the chief also reminded him.
"Does it make that much difference?" Alec asked. "Don't I get a transfer if Ashworth gets himself off? He will only get away if the subject of the lost evidence comes up. Then Tess will have got her own way, she will have won by keeping myself and Rose here."
"Oh, did your divorce come through then?" the chief asked him.
"Yes, another six months and that will be it. I can't ask Rose to stay here another six months, especially if she is pregnant," Alec told him.
"I will do what I can but that means revealing to any chief who has a vacancy that Tess is your almost ex wife and we suspect she made it easy for the evidence to be stolen to get back at you somehow. It won't look good Alec," the chief replied.
"Then don't let on," Alec suggested, knowing Tess had done it to spite him, whether Claire had stolen the pendant or not. "It's too late now to have another go at Claire to get her to admit stealing it."
"Yes, it is so leave her be. You'd best hope she got notice to testify and she turns up tomorrow. If she's not there when she's called, they will send someone to find her and she won't like that," the chief warned him.
Alec knew full well she wouldn't like it and may stand up in court and say Tess coerced her to get her to admit she'd stolen the evidence. Then the judge would want to know why it hadn't been entered as evidence. There would go his transfer, since he had been in charge of the case.
Rose was waiting for Alec, trying to conceal her excitement but gave herself away when Alec arrived at the store café.
"You should have got a table," he hinted as she took his hand.
"You know, don't ya?" Rose smiled.
"I'm a detective Rose," he replied as they joined the queue to get served. "Have you told your mother and Jamie yet?"
"I was waiting for you," Rose replied. "Yeah, it's definite this time, no false alarms. They'll need to keep an eye on me though."
"Well, it will be worth the extra appointments. I will go with you, whenever they are but I should warn you about something."
They got served and found a table near the window and he explained what might happen if Ashworth got off.
"How can you take the blame Alec?" Rose wanted to know.
"I was in charge but I will do everything I can to say Tess was responsible for it," he replied, without giving details.
"I hope so Alec," Rose told him. "Hey, look on the bright side, I have you with me this time," she changed the subject.
"Well, James supported you last time and I'm grateful for that," Alec assured her. "You could have told everyone that Jamie was mine but I left you for someone else."
"I would never have done that Alec, even if James hadn't been there for me," Rose replied. "I would have just said you weren't around any more."
Alec went back to work after putting Rose in a cab so she could call her mother when Jamie got home. She did a video call and told Jamie he was going to have a baby brother or sister, which he took quite well.
"So what about moving?" he still wanted to know.
"Your dad's working on it," Rose smiled at him.
The next day, Rose asked Alec if he wanted her to go to the court with him.
"No love, I want you well away from there, in case things go wrong. The place will be swarming with the press."
Rose knew he was right but Alec knew she wanted to show her support for him. He, Tess and Dave plus the chief were allowed in the court to hear the charges and Lee Ashworth's plea, which Alec was sure of what it would be.
"Not guilty," Ashworth announced after being asked, Alec thinking the man had a smirk on his face.
"Very well, your plea has been entered," the judge announced. "A trial will be convened as soon as it is possible. The defendant will be held over."
"Your Honour," the defence lawyer stood up. "My client wishes to appeal for bail."
Alec hoped the prosecution wouldn't go for it but despite their protests, the judge said he would go away and consider it and instructed both parties to join him.
"Your Honour," the prosecution was the first to speak. "I object on the grounds that the defendant may try to get to a material witness."
"There is nothing to back that," the defence insisted. "My client has been held long enough."
"There is a strong case against your client," the judge noted. "I believe the best thing to do would be to keep your client in custody."
Alec and the chief were waiting anxiously for the outcome, Tess and Dave had already left.
"Alec's going to blame me if Ashworth's let out on bail," Tess was complaining.
"He has to blame someone," Dave laughed as they got back to the station. "So, when's your divorce finalised then?"
When he got no reply, Dave just assumed it was a sore point. He didn't know that Alec had broken the news to Daisy the night before about Rose being pregnant and she had passed her phone to Tess so Alec could tell her himself.
Since the case was now on hold, Alec saw that as a way of escaping, at least for now.
"You have one option as I see it Alec," the chief told him when they got back after hearing the news Lee Ashworth was being held. "I can find out if there's anything in the London area for you, until the chief in Broadchurch can decide if she's going to take you."
"What about giving evidence at Ashworth's trial?" Alec wanted to know.
"We have your written testimony and Tess has been dealing with Claire more than you have," he was reminded.
"Then how soon can it be arranged?" was all Alec wanted to know.
