"I thought you of all people would understand Rose," he told her as he got up.
"Yeah, I do understand," Rose objected. "I don't want ya to put ya self in danger, that's all."
"That's what makes it more interesting," John reminded her. "Well okay, maybe it used to? Come on Rose, have you lost your sense of adventure?"
"Not exactly," she replied after thinking about it. "It's a bit different though to what we used to do."
"Well maybe in some ways?" he had to agree. "So you don't want to go, if we find a way back?"
"I'm not ruling it out," Rose told him. "It'll have to be tested. Doctor, I'm not risking it to leave my mum and Tony behind, if we can't get back. Yeah, I know I was prepared to stay there with you but a lot's happened since then. Think what it would do to Tony if mum and Pete have to tell him he won't see me again?"
John sat back down again, trying to see her point of view.
"I could go then come back for you?" he offered.
Rose let out a nervous laugh.
"What if you don't come back though?" she asked him.
"Well we won't know until I've tried, will we?" he replied. "Anyway, that's a long way off yet. What did you want to talk about anyway?"
Rose thought he'd forgotten she wanted to talk.
"I'm gonna have to face my mum and get her to back down on all her wedding plans. It's getting too much."
"Really? I mean well, if you think it's getting too much?" he agreed. "How did she manage to take it over?"
"We're talking about my mum here," Rose reminded him.
"Yeah? How are you going to get her to back down? Oh, you want to postpone the wedding?"
"For now, yeah? It's too much, I never wanted all the fuss and people waiting for us to set a date," Rose replied.
"So, what brought all this on?" John wondered.
"Well if you want to still find a way back and we got married?" Rose questioned him.
"Yeah, good point," he had to agree as he scratched his head. "So, we put it off, at least for now?"
"Wow, you took that better than I thought," Rose had to admit.
"Well you can be the one to tell your mother," he warned her.
"Still scared of her?" Rose teased him.
John gave her a sly look. Jackie had always been his nemesis whom he never wanted to go up against.
"Why did ya go along with it?" Rose wanted to know.
"Well so did you," he replied. "I mean to say, we were fine before she took over," he reminded her.
"Yeah, I know. We'll go and tell her, I can't just tell her on the phone," Rose agreed.
"Do I have to go with you?" he dared ask.
So after work the next day, Rose having called Jackie to say they'd be going to see her, they had to go face her over the wedding.
"So let me get this right," Jackie was telling them. "Ya want me to cancel everything for now? Ya do know it'll get in the papers?"
"Why will it Mum?" Rose asked her. "I hope ya can trust the firms who were gonna supply everything?"
"Well yeah, I suppose so?" Jackie wasn't all that sure. "So how long are ya puttin' it off for then? Maybe I can just delay it further?"
"That's not fair Mum," Rose objected. "It's best ya just cancel everything. Ya didn't pay any deposits did ya?"
"Well no, considering who I am now," Jackie replied. "So, what's brought all this on?"
"Ya know what it was Mum. Every newspaper expecting us to set a date. I don't know why everyone needed that information," Rose told her, seeing John was dying to escape.
"Well I'll have to call everyone tomorrow then," Jackie reluctantly agreed. "What are ya doing about the press?"
"Leave it?" John suggested as he tugged at his ear.
"Well I suppose they might get tired of waiting?" Jackie wondered. "You two haven't fallen out have ya?"
"No Mum but it was gettin' a bit much, always being under pressure. It'll give us some breathing space."
Down in Broadchurch, Alec had been preparing himself for the upcoming trial. It should have all be over if Joe Miller had accepted the punishment he deserved for taking a boy's life and for what? Just because in the man's twisted mind, abusing a young boy was more important than his own family?
Alec could not understand what had come over his DS's husband. She had moved away shortly after Joe's arrest but he had been surprised she'd turned up to hear the plea being entered. He'd not had time to dwell on it since Rose Tyler had walked into his life for a week.
He'd not meant to let himself be taken in by her but they had shared a bed for a few nights and it had been pleasant enough to have someone with him who didn't care that his heart was preventing him from having a sexual encounter with her. She'd not been bothered that all he could offer her was to keep her company and a few kisses though she'd tried to get him going a few times and he'd almost given in.
He'd not been able to tell her though. She was engaged and although she'd said she was going to call it off, he couldn't be sure she actually would. She was young, famous and rich. What would she be doing with a DI who had a bad heart? Still, he had finally got booked in for his surgery but he had to go for a pre-op before and he wasn't looking forward to it.
He had wished that she'd stay a bit longer but he'd been right in telling her she had to go home and end her engagement or at least put her wedding off. Whether he'd see her again was anyone's guess but he'd promised to let her know if his surgery went well and he intended keeping his word.
A few days later, he'd gone in the old newsagent's shop that had been taken over and seen Rose and who was this John she'd been engaged to all over the news headlines that their wedding had been put back due to a heavy work load for both of them.
He was somewhat pleased she'd kept her word but that didn't mean she'd come back to Broadchurch, did it, he asked himself. Why would she now she was practically free again? Maybe she had realised she could have her pick of men, why would she still bother with him?
He sat at the table, looking out onto the river. Why had he even chosen this place? Tomorrow, the court case started and he wouldn't be able to go inside until he was called to give evidence. He slept as best he could but the only time he'd had any decent sleep recently was when Rose was with him. Was it her or was it just because he had company?
The next morning, he got to the court building, going past where reporters were gathering to catch the Latimers for an interview. He silently wished them good luck with that, the family wouldn't be in a talkative mood. He was standing around when he saw Ellie Miller going through the security check.
"This isn't right," she told him as she passed him.
"I know. I cannot imagine how the family feel," he nodded towards where they were going up the stairs.
"Beth must be nearly due by now," Ellie told him as they were about to follow. "Do you think we'll get called today? I just want this over and done with."
"Don't we all?" Alec agreed. "Have you seen Tom?" he wondered, since he knew Tom had refused to move with her.
"No, only when my sister organises something," she replied. "I'm having to pay towards his keep. Who's that?" she nodded to a woman with dark hair looking around.
It was his worst nightmare, well one of them anyway. Claire Ripley as she was now known as was looking around for him.
"How did you know where I was?" he wanted to know as she approached him.
"Come on Alec, with this court case starting today?" Claire laughed. "I don't need to be a detective to work it out."
"What are you doing here?" he asked as Ellie went up the steps.
"You've been ignoring my calls Alec. It's Lee, I think he's found where I'm staying," she admitted.
"That's not possible Claire," he told her. "I have someone watching for him coming back."
"Well they may not have seen him but I keep having all these strange calls," she admitted. "Where were you a few weeks ago? I called in a few times."
"How did you know where I live?" he also wanted to know. "When was that?"
Claire looked at him.
"I saw ya sitting outside that blue chalet by the river. There was a blonde with ya. Got a girlfriend Alec?" she teased him.
"None of your business Claire but no, it was just a friend," he replied, trying to play it down a bit.
"If you say so," Claire backed down. "Are ya gonna be here all day?"
"I have no idea. You should go home Claire, you can't be here," he reminded her.
"Trying to disown me?" she asked.
"You know why Claire. Go home, I will call in when I get finished here," he promised.
"You'd better Alec or I'll tell everyone who I thought was with you when I passed over the river," she warned him.
"What?" he then asked her as everyone was going inside the courtroom.
"You should be more careful Alec," Claire reminded him. "I saw you with a blonde and she looked very familiar."
"We will discuss this later Claire, you had best leave," he replied, thinking it must have been on one of the rare occasions Rose had been to his place.
If Claire was that way inclined, she could make some real trouble for him, including his unofficial witness protection, which he was only doing to see if her husband made contact and slipped up. He had to wait to be called and Ellie had decided she wanted to sit on her own so he left her to it. He had enough of his own problems without getting involved with any of hers or Claire's.
Claire was pleased with herself as she made her way back to catch the bus. Well it served him right if she called the local newspaper and say she'd seen him with Rose Tyler the other week but what was she doing in the town with Alec? Was the Vitex heiress still around and hiding in the blue chalet by the river? She'd had an idea Alec was somewhere close by after he'd been investigating that boy's death last year and the strange calls she'd been getting recently had been making her nervous.
Alec was finally called and had to face a grilling from both sides. Joe Miller looked disinterested Alec thought and he was just answering yes and no at first. Then he got into trouble from the judge for being sarcastic to the defence, who seemed determined to catch him out.
He was let go then a break was called and he went to join Ellie.
"How did it go?" she wanted to know.
"Not too good, it was tough going," he warned her.
"Who were you talking to before?" she then wanted to know.
"Someone from my last case. Leave it Miller," he replied.
"Fine then. I'm going to see Tom when I get out of here," Ellie replied. "So, how was she involved in your last case?"
"Her husband got set free when evidence was lost," he admitted. "I'm going to see her when I get out of here."
"Want a ride there?" she offered, knowing Tom wasn't that keen on seeing her.
"What about your youngest?" he reminded her.
"I can pick him up first. I might stay at my sister's tonight anyway," she told him.
"See how it goes?" he replied.
When Ellie found out why he'd been hiding Claire away all that time, she told him he was certifiable doing it on his own, making Claire laugh.
"There's no witness protection," Claire told her. "I would have been on my own if not for Alec. You have a cute little boy Ellie."
Alec gave her a warning look, since he'd half suspected Claire and her husband had been grooming the two girls from his last case.
"I know what ya think Alec," Claire told him. "You still can't prove it was Lee even when I helped you."
Alec didn't need reminding of that.
"So are you re-opening the case?" Ellie wanted to know.
Alec had been really tempted to do so but he couldn't do it on his own now.
"Don't look at me," Ellie warned him.
"I can't do it on my own, Ellie," he admitted.
"I have my own problems," Ellie reminded him, not bothering at first he'd used her first name for a change. "Don't call me Ellie."
Claire let out a laugh.
"You two have some serious issues," she told them both. "Why don't you stay here tonight?" she offered. "There's even a cot for the baby and Alec can sleep on the sofa, can't ya Alec?" she asked him, totally unaware of his heart condition.
"Sure," he agreed, not wanting to let either of the women know something was wrong with him.
"So you two worked together?" Claire asked them as they sat eating. "Thought you would have had enough working with your ex?"
At times he'd thought his DS had been worse than his ex wife.
The next few days, Alec was going to regret trying to get Ellie involved solving his old case. He decided to pay a visit to where he used to live and called his ex wife to arrange to meet their daughter.
"So all of a sudden you're interested in meeting Daisy?" Tess scoffed at him. "Why are you really coming up here?"
"Do I need a reason?' he argued, thinking Tess was just being awkward.
"Tell me you're not trying to drag up your old case?" she then asked.
"That was all your fault Tess," he reminded her, trying not to let her get the better of him.
"That's right Alec, drag that into it again," Tess objected. "Please yourself but don't drag me into it Alec. I'm not re-opening the case without some solid evidence. Don't go bothering Cate or Ricky either. Do you know where Claire disappeared to? She left around the same time as you did."
Alec thought it was wise to deny he'd planted Claire nearby.
"That was maybe coincidence?" he offered.
"If you say so? I'll talk to Daisy and text you if she agrees," Tess told him. "Don't get distracted and forget."
"As if I would go all that way and forget," he replied.
"How are you getting here?' she then wanted to know.
"Never mind," Alec told her, not wanting to let on he'd roped Ellie into taking him.
He then sent a message to Ellie saying he was going to see his daughter while they were in Sandbrook, to make it look like he wasn't just going to ruffle a few feathers over his last case.
"Have you booked that hotel?" he asked her, since they were going up tomorrow afternoon then he was going to visit Cate Gillespie and the woods where Pippa had been found. He was also going to get Ellie to snoop around next door to see what she made of where Claire and Lee used to live.
He'd had this nasty feeling Lee Ashworth had sneaked back into the country undetected and maybe Claire's fears were about to be realised. He'd persuaded her that she was only getting nuisance calls from someone trying to sell her something.
"I don't know why we have to go up the night before," Ellie complained to him. "Then you insist you have a meal with your daughter and we drive back the same night. I'll have to drop you off then get back to Exeter."
"Stay with your sister then, if she's looking after young what's his name for you," he suggested.
"Why can you never remember his name?" Ellie chastised him.
They were going to be in for a shock the following day as Ellie was called to give evidence. They'd been waiting around at lunch time, Ellie just wanting to get it over with and complaining that Alec kept talking about some of it and not being able to tell her the rest.
It started out simple enough until the defence barrister stood up and gathered the edge of her gown in her hands.
"PC Miller, when did you and DI Hardy start your affair?"
"What?" both Ellie and Alec said at the same time as the rest of those around the room began gasping.
"We never had an affair," Ellie finally answered, seeing Alec shaking his head.
"May I remind you that you are under oath?" Ellie was reminded.
"Well that is the truth, there was never any affair," Ellie insisted.
"PC Miller, I put it to you that you colluded with DI Hardy to frame your husband for Danny's murder so you could continue your affair," the defence added.
"Why would I do that?" Ellie wanted to know.
"PC Miller, you are not allowed to ask questions," the judge reminded her.
"Sorry, your Honour. If I had wanted to start an affair, I would have gone for a divorce," Ellie decided to still stick up for herself. "I wouldn't have just started an affair. I've not seen DI Hardy since Joe was arrested."
"You've been seen together several times recently," the defence continued. "He's been seen getting into your car leaving here."
"Only because I was giving him a lift. I was going to visit my eldest son," Ellie replied.
"Who no longer lives with you?" the defence told her. "Your son must have a reason? Maybe because you framed his father and put him in prison?"
Ellie could see Beth and Mark whispering to each other and a grin on her sister's face. She thought Lucy was enjoying this a bit too much.
"You're not going to win," Ellie turned on the barrister. "If you're looking for real proof, you won't find any."
Just as she thought the defence was giving up, the woman got back up again.
"PC Miller, on the night your husband was arrested, you left your two boys with your sister. Where did you go?' Ellie was asked.
"I went to see Beth," Ellie replied.
Then she realised she'd just been caught in a trap.
"Then where did you go?" the defence barrister wanted to know.
"I went to see DI Hardy in his hotel room?" Ellie recalled, a lump in her throat that she'd been so easily led but who had told the defence?