One thing was true though, why had she gone down to see him if she wasn't ready to leave John before he went off? While it was true Alec had needed her, maybe John did as well?
"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Alec wanted to know, wondering if she'd go early to avoid things getting awkward.
"After breakfast I think. Are you going back to the trial, will you be okay?" Rose wondered.
"I will be fine to sit for a few hours in the court," he insisted. "Don't worry about me. So, you are going back home then?"
"Yeah, I may as well do it now, it's as good a time as any," Rose told him. "If I come back, well where will I find you?"
"Honestly?" he asked as they reached the chalet. "I'm not saying I don't want you to come back Rose but you have to be sure. If you don't, well maybe one day you will decide to?"
They got into bed quietly and Rose clung hold of him.
"I'll leave the same time as you in the morning," Rose decided. "I'm not saying I won't ever come back Alec."
"I know," Alec replied, trying to get over it. "Do what you have to Rose but I will find it just as difficult if you choose to stay at home."
"I said I was gonna go back and live with my mum," she reminded him. "I'll only be going back to pack up."
"You don't have to explain Rose," he told her, putting his other arm across her.
Rose buried her head into his shoulder and went to kiss him. Before they knew it, it had turned into more as Rose sighed after she had got under him somehow and they went further than they had been doing, Alec not realising she was no longer resisting him. Rose got back on top of him after he helped her with her underwear and his shorts then they fell asleep.
"Morning," Alec spoke softly as Rose stirred and he tried to move her to get up.
"Hi. Sorry, do ya need to move?" Rose apologised. "Hey, ya never woke during the night."
"I noticed but I must move you now, my arm in numb," he replied.
She moved over to the window to let him free his arm.
"What happened last night, well. Rose, you did not stop me," he reminded her.
"Yeah, I know Alec, I was feeling too good to stop. I know you would have done if ya'd needed to," she told him.
"Yes, I expect I would have done, had I needed to?" Alec had to agree on that point. "It has been a long time since I felt well enough to continue. We did not discuss it though, I never gave you the choice and I should have done."
"Geez Alec, I chose not to stop ya, don't be daft," Rose replied. "You're so old-fashioned, you're so cute Alec."
She leaned over to kiss him before he could escape.
"I have never been called old-fashioned or cute before," he admitted.
"I should have called ya them before then?" Rose teased him. "I need to excuse myself."
Rose gathered her clean underwear, jeans and a t-shirt and crossed the living room to the bathroom so Alec got up, still being careful and began getting dressed. He wondered now if he was ever going to see her again but had something given between them last night? Only Rose knew the answer to that, apart from Tess he'd had very few girlfriends he'd really been serious about and now, well maybe Tess had used him?
He ordered a cab to pick him up at 09.30, which would get him to the court just in time so Miller couldn't question why Rose had been there when she'd called in, then went to put water in the kettle and bread in the toaster. Then, Rose emerged from the bathroom but headed for the bedroom to throw everything into a bag so she was ready to leave.
"Not staying?" Alec dared ask as they sat at the table.
"It's best I go Alec, I have a lot to think about," Rose replied.
"I get that Rose but what I do not get is why you can't think about it here," he wanted to know.
"That's not fair Alec," she told him. "What if John disappears and I'm not there? I don't want him going off and thinking I don't care."
"What if he has already gone?" Alec asked her. "He may had said for no-one to tell you?"
"Then I won't be able to do anything Alec, will I? I'll come back in that case, if ya still want me to?"
"You know I don't want you to go in the first place but I also know if you don't, you will find no peace. Will you?" Alec stated. "Rose, I know I did not want you dragging into this trial but you could promise me you will come back as soon as it's over."
"Ya mean whether John's gone or not?" Rose asked him.
"You won't consider it, will you?" he replied, pouring more tea.
Rose moved her chair to get up but Alec grabbed her arm.
"I've already asked you not to leave like this Rose," he reminded her.
He could tell it was only making things worse so he let go.
"Don't let me make your miss your cab to the court Alec," Rose just told him.
While Alec cleared up, Rose got her things and put them by the door then she waited until he joined her. He went to put his arms around her and leaned on her shoulder.
"Rose. You should know that…." he trailed off.
She knew what was coming. Another man who couldn't finish that sentence but he then surprised her.
"You don't have to answer me Rose." Then he moved her hair and whispered, "I love you Rose."
Before she could take it in, he had picked up her things and had opened the door. She picked the rest up and went out before him, waiting on the decking for him to lock the door. Across the other side of the river, Lee Ashworth was watching again as they left. So, Hardy had someone staying with him but looked like they were leaving? He thought it was doubtful the detective had seen anything of Claire then, if the woman, who he was convinced was Rose Tyler had stayed overnight.
Alec let Rose cross the footbridge before him and hoped the traffic warden hadn't reached the car park before them as it was free parking until 08.00 but he doubted Rose would be bothered about paying a fine.
"Seems we are just in time?" Alec called in front of him as there was no sign of any tickets on Rose's car and she remote unlocked it, opening the back door.
Rose wasn't in the mood to deal with any traffic attendants as Alec put her things in. She didn't even know if she'd be able to drive home yet, after what he'd just said, which had been unexpected. A cab was just pulling in and Alec waved to the driver.
"You should get going Alec," Rose managed to tell him as a tear formed in her eye.
She tried to hold it back but Alec had already seen. He didn't want her to watch him leave so he opened the driver's door for her.
"Bye Rose. Call me eh?" he asked hopefully as the cab driver waited.
Rose managed a nod and was about to get in when she grabbed hold of his arm and put her arms around his neck, then she kissed him.
"Bye Alec and just take it easy," she told him.
Alec nodded and closed the door as she got in, then went to the waiting cab.
"Where to?" the driver asked him, even though he'd already told the operator where he was going.
"The court building in Exeter," he just replied, daring the driver to ask why he hadn't got a ride from the woman he'd been saying goodbye to.
The driver set the meter and as he set off, Alec glancing through the back window, Rose just sitting there. He wished she hadn't watched him leaving like that, wasn't she punishing them both enough already? Rose dried her eyes and although she didn't feel like moving, set off as she saw the traffic warden look in her direction.
She only got as far as the second roundabout when she could feel the tears building up again and she knew she'd never make it back home. She turned off for the next town and followed the signs for the railway station, meaning to just grab her personal belongings and leave the car for Jake to get someone to pick it up.
She parked up close by and got an all day ticket then rang Jake.
"I can't drive home," she was telling him, when Jake said he wasn't surprised that she'd decided against it.
"I'll have someone local pick it up on a trailer. Want to wait?" Jake asked her.
"No, I just want to get back, can you just see to it?" Rose replied. "Can someone meet me for when I get back?"
"I'll send Charlie, then ya know who to look for," Jake promised. "How was Alec?"
"Better, thanks," Rose told him, drying her eyes on a tissue. "It didn't help watching him being driven off though," she had to admit.
Jake felt sorry for her, he didn't have the heart to tell her that John hadn't even asked where she was when she was missing. He'd passed the message on to John that she was going off for a few days and that had been it. Well so he thought as five minutes after assuring Rose her car would be taken care of, John wandered into the security office.
"Ah, Jakey-boy, have you heard from Rose?" John wanted to know.
"Yeah, just now, she's on her way back," Jake told him, not wanting to say she was coming by train but the time difference wouldn't be much anyway and she wanted the car dropping at the mansion. "I think she's off to Jackie's first though."
"Right. She probably wants to see Tony then?" John guessed. "I'll catch up with her later then? Did you hear I've had some great results recently?"
Jake assumed it was to do with the cannon project and not Rose.
"Yeah, I'm kept informed, Doctor," Jake still called him. "Great stuff."
He didn't want to add that yes, it was great it was almost working but not great Rose wasn't going off as well. Now he knew why she was staying behind, which was mainly for her little brother but also because she wouldn't be able to leave Alec Hardy behind.
He politely listened to John going on about the results for five minutes or so, just glad he wasn't asked any awkward questions such as where Rose had been.
"So, what did Rose have to say about you going back?" Jake thought he'd try his luck at getting to know since Rose hadn't wanted to talk about it.
"She won't go with me," John replied, trying to hide his disappointment. "I thought she would have wanted to but who can blame her?"
"She has Tony to think about now," Jake reminded him. "Doctor, I know she wanted to stay the last time but things are different for her now."
John didn't need reminding of the fact that Rose had changed over the last few years. From being excited to have him back after going looking for him to suddenly calling off their wedding but he'd only gone along with that because it pleased her.
"Yeah," he had to agree. "Things are different Jake. Right, best get back to work then?" he suddenly cheered up. "I expect she'll call me later before she gets home?"
Jake had no idea if Rose was simply calling in to see her mother or if she was moving back. He got back to organise Rose's car getting picked up and hoped she'd parked somewhere where it would be easy to get her car up a ramp since it couldn't be towed. Then he called Charlie and told him to be ready to pick Rose up from wherever she was arriving, since there were two alternatives.
Rose tried to close her eyes once on the train, relieved she had got on one that went directly to London and she'd texted Jake to say where she would be getting off. She was thinking about Alec and how they'd left things, Alec saying for her to call him. Had he meant it though?
As she got nearer, she called her mother to say she was going there first.
"Rose, what's going on?" Jackie wanted to know. "Pete wouldn't say much, he said to ask you."
"Mum, I'll explain when I get there. I think I'm gonna move back, if that's okay?"
"What for? What happened?" Jackie asked. "Are you and John splitting up?"
"Well he'll be gone soon anyway Mum, remember what dad told ya?" Rose reminded Jackie.
"Rose, are ya thinking of going with him?" Jackie wanted to know. "If ya are, why did ya call the wedding off?"
"Mum, there were loads of reasons," Rose reminded her. "He seemed more determined to go after we called it off. Who knows what he would have done or if he'd even stayed to get married."
She got to London and let Charlie drive her home, then she waited to get her car back. Then she decided to go home and pack and take the following day off to get it finished. John caught her packing the last of it.
"I thought you'd stay until I went off?" John asked her.
Rose thought she'd had enough of men going off for one day. She couldn't say anything though.
"Won't you change your mind and go with me?" he tried again.
"Ya know why John," Rose told him. "He still won't let me go with him, even if I do. Then what? It'll only drag up the past."
"Are you staying tonight?" John wanted to know.
"Yeah, then I'll take everything to mum's tomorrow. John, I'm not leaving ya altogether ya know? We can still go out and ya can stay over if ya want?"
"I'm not sure about it Rose," John replied. "I know you made a promise, to the other me to stay with me but I'm not holding you to it."
Rose didn't know what he meant by that but he surprised her by following her to bed like he always did and Rose could hardly stop him, since she knew deep down it would be the last time.
A few days later, it was in all the newspaper that Joe Miller had walked free from court, all the reporters blaming different factors and she couldn't imagine how Alec had felt. Alec though had been determined it wasn't going to get to him and concentrated on finally closing the case that had haunted him in Sandbrook and a few days after he'd felt defeated, he finally got them locked up with the help of Ellie. Then he went to face the chief.
"You should have left it to your ex wife Alec," Elaine Jenkinson scolded him. "You weren't even on active duty."
"Then put me back on it," Alec replied, already tired of being reminded about it and wanting to get back to work.
"Alec, you're going to be needed in Sandbrook to make sure that case goes back to court," she reminded him. "Let me see what I can do to get you back in there. I will however leave the option open for you to come back at some point, if you still want to?"
He couldn't say why he'd wanted to remain but if they hurried the case through the court, he could come back sooner rather than later. While he'd been seeing the chief, Ellie had responded to a call from Beth Latimer and they had dealt their own justice to Joe, casting him out and into a waiting cab, with a warning never to return.
Ellie made her way back to Alec's chalet and sat waiting for him to return.
"Where did you get to?" she asked when he let her into the neater than normal living room, all the papers on the wall removed. "Are you handing that case over to Tess then?"
"No Miller, I have to see it through to the end now. Besides, there's nothing here for me now, certainly now Rose will never be coming back."
"She was good for you," Ellie told him. "Admit it Hardy. The way she came down to see you after your surgery. Why did you turn her away?"
"Forget it Miller, she's back home with her family and her wedding is probably back on," he replied, not wanting to admit he was the reason Rose had called it off.
"You can't fool me, you were in love with her," Ellie told him bluntly.
"If I was?" he replied. "No, I'm going back to Sandbrook, mainly to see Daisy but to lock those three up for causing my heart problem in the first place."
"Well, if you'd never come here and taken my job, you might not have met Rose," Ellie teased him.
"Don't you have to get home for something Miller?" he asked her, making Ellie smile. "Go pick up young what's his name."
"You've been pushing him around and looking after him and you still don't know his name?" Ellie told him. "Honestly and while we're at it, go get Rose to come back."
"I can't Miller, why would she want to come back?" he wanted to know.
"Well you don't know until you try Hardy. Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Ellie replied. "You got me determined to turn things around but you're not taking your own advice. Get those three locked up then put things right with her."
Ellie went off then he made his way across the footbridge, recalling he'd crossed it with Rose a few mornings ago. He told the cab driver to take him to the nearest train station, with the intention of going to Sandbrook, winning his daughter back and give evidence at the trial and he hoped the chief would decide she'd let him back in time to arrest the three suspects.
He had no idea that Pete had intervened on his behalf, not saying that Rose had fallen in love with the detective and had asked him to talk to Alec's chief to clarify that when he'd gone to teach at the academy, it covered him for arresting the three involved in the Sandbrook case.