"Sir, I have a message for you," the desk sergeant called across as Alec was going to his office and holding out a pink message form.
"Well who called?" Alec snapped as Tess held back to see what it was. "The message is for me, not you," he reminded her.
"Don't snap at me because it didn't work out," Tess huffed.
"That's the last time I follow a lead with you," he reminded her as he took the note.
He stopped for a moment, wondering if Rose had called but he'd not heard his mobile ring. He saw a number that wasn't hers and was about to put it in his pocket since the caller had left no name. Pete assumed Alec would think it was Rose because she'd admitted she'd talked to him the day before.
He got back to his office and thought better of leaving the note until later and called the number. Jackie was holding Rose's hand as she struggled to keep from pushing when the midwife told her not to.
"You try not pushing," Rose yelled.
"I know you want to but the baby is not in the right position yet," the midwife told her, being used to being yelled at. "I'm just going to see if it will on its own."
"Hasn't she been in pain long enough?" Jackie wanted to know as she felt her mobile buzz in her pocket. "How long's it gonna take?"
"Just a few minutes," the midwife relented, seeing the look of Rose's face.
"Rose, I'll be right back, your father may be calling or he's given Alec my number. What do ya want me to tell Alec if it's him?" Jackie asked as she tried to get some feeling back in the hand Rose had been gripping.
"To get himself here Mum," Rose pulled another face. "No, never mind that, I don't want to tell him on the phone. Tell him I've not got my phone with me but it's urgent he comes up here, as soon as he can. He won't get here in time anyway."
"Well whose fault's that then?" Jackie replied. "Okay but if he wants to talk to you I'm not telling him any tales."
"Mum, promise ya won't tell him," Rose begged her.
Jackie went off and a nurse took her place at Rose's side.
"Is he far away?" the nurse asked her.
"Ya could say that," Rose admitted. "Anyway, it'll all be over so there's no point, is there? I don't want to talk about it."
Alec was about to hang up when Jackie answered.
"Is that Alec?" she asked, seeing it wasn't Pete.
"Yes, I had a message, who's that?" he wanted to know.
"Rose's mother, she said to tell ya to get here as soon as ya can," Jackie replied.
"I was going to call her Mrs Tyler. My daughter is being difficult, I was going to ask Rose to make it next weekend. Why did she not call me?" he wanted to know.
"She's busy," was all Jackie could think of. "I don't think it can wait or she wouldn't get me to ask ya, would she? Listen, I know she wants to see ya," she added, wondering if he'd changed his mind.
"Yes, I want to see her but what can I do? My daughter barely talks to me as it is," Alec replied. "Look, I will come up early on Sunday," he then suggested. "I will make up an excuse to my daughter and take Monday morning off work."
"Well I suppose she'll have to settle for that then?" Jackie told him as she heard Rose again.
"Mrs Tyler, what was that noise?" Alec became suspicious.
"Nothing. I'll tell her," Jackie told him hastily.
"Could you ask her to call me?" Alec then asked.
"When I see her," Jackie agreed. "I gotta go now."
Before Alec could say any more, she ended the call, leaving him confused. Why had she got her mother to call? Was she still unsure he'd go and see her? Nothing had been settled between them since they'd first met if he admitted it. He should never have driven her away over the trial and when she'd gone to see him after his surgery.
He had hardly heard from her and then she'd called him out of the blue, wanting to see him. He tried to get back to work, knowing he'd have to call Daisy later but that was the least of his problems. He was now more worried that Rose was going to end it for good and he didn't think he could let her go. Why did she keep running away from him?
Two hours later, Rose was being settled in a private room, Pete had arrived with Tony and Jackie was holding her new granddaughter, Alice May Tyler, well Tyler for now Rose had decided. If Alec rejected them both, Tyler it would be.
"Rose, did you keep being sick because the baby was inside you?" Tony wanted to know as he got restless.
"Yeah, I'm fine now," Rose smiled at him as he wanted to go to her.
"Not yet Tony," Pete pulled him back. "Your sister's still a bit sore. Come on, let's get you home eh?"
"When will you be home Rose?" Tony then wanted to know.
"Soon, with the baby," she told him. "Mum, go home for a rest."
"Well if ya sure? If Alec turns up before ya get home, I'll bring him to see ya, yeah?" she asked Rose as she handed the baby back.
"Put her in the cot, if she's asleep," Rose suggested. "I'm gonna have a nap before she wants feeding again."
"Are ya sure ya don't want to try feeding her yourself?" Jackie wondered.
"Ya saw she was too eager to wait," Rose replied, still a bit upset over it.
"They're all like that at first," Jackie laughed. "Think about it Rose."
Rose closed her eyes when they all left and a nurse had been in to check on her and the baby.
"Fancy something to eat later?" Rose was asked.
"Yeah, I think I can manage something light?" she agreed.
Then she'd opened her eyes again and took another photo of the sleeping baby and debated if she should call Alec. It would be Sunday before she saw him and hopefully she'd be home by then.
Alec had just finished talking to Daisy, the teenager not being very happy when he'd said she'd have to compromise. His desk phone rang and he hoped Tess wasn't daring to call him. He was relieved when told it was the chief.
"Well Alec, seems you have friends in high places," he was told.
"I have no friends in high places or I would be out of here by now," he replied, not being in the mood to play games.
"Well I had a call, from the chief in Broadchurch. Seems she's keen to fill a vacancy with an experienced DI rather than training two new DCs," the chief revealed.
"What? So she's made her choice?" Alec sounded surprised. "She said it would be in the new year."
"Don't knock it Alec, she's gone out of her way to take you back. How soon can you be there? I expect she'll find you somewhere to stay?" the chief suggested.
The problem now was what would Rose want to do?
"Well I will need somewhere for my daughter to join me," Alec used the excuse in case Rose was really calling it off.
"Well I suggest you get things sorted at your end and be ready to move by the weekend after this," the chief told him. "I'll let them know you accept?"
"Yes, I accept," Alec agreed, thinking he'd best do so.
If Rose didn't want to join him then it would be a new start for Daisy but would she accept Rose? Now he had something positive to tell Rose when he went to visit. He got home, Rose having decided to have a rest and she called him after feeding the hungry baby.
"Rose. I got your message earlier, though I was somewhat puzzled," he told her.
"Yeah sorry about that," Rose apologised, hoping the baby wouldn't start crying.
If Alice did wake up, she'd have to tell him now that he had a new baby daughter. Would he believe it was his and not John's though?
"I said I would try and get up there this weekend, Daisy was being difficult. Rose, I had a call to say I was going back to Broadchurch."
"You did? That's great Alec," Rose replied.
"I hope I did not get any help?" he asked her. "Please answer me."
"Wouldn't the chief have the final decision?" Rose wanted to know.
"That is not the point Rose. I needed to get back there on my own. Now, I have been told the chief decided against training two young officers to be detective constables and take me on instead."
"Maybe they weren't ready Alec and she wanted an experienced officer instead?" Rose suggested, thinking he sounded angry.
"I hope that was the reason," he replied. "I told your mother I would be with you early on Sunday, if that's acceptable? Daisy can't be put off and now I have to get her to decide if she is moving with me. It will have to be in the new year now, getting her into another school."
"It's fine Alec, really. Are ya gonna tell her when ya see her?" Rose wondered.
"It would be better," Alec had to agree. "Why was it so urgent that you left your mother's number Rose? Admit it, there is something more to it, is there not?"
"Playing detective again?" Rose tried to joke. "I was a bit busy earlier and you were out."
"Is that the best you can come up with Rose?" he wanted to know. "Has he come back after all?"
"Alec. No, he can't come back, I told ya," Rose replied. "I told ya I'd ended it between me and John, don't ya believe me?"
"I want to believe you Rose," he told her. "I wanted to believe you when you were returning home the last time I saw you. I wanted you to reply to what I told you before you left."
"I wanted to Alec, I just never got the chance," Rose replied. "I thought somehow you'd know? I mean after what happened between us the night before I left?"
She wondered if he was such a good detective if he'd work it out.
"You mean you not stopping me?" he asked, to make sure. "I know that was your first time Rose, did I not tell you?"
"I was upset that morning, with having to leave. Yeah, I know it was and it was wonderful Alec," she admitted.
"Rose, tell me the truth. Did something happen? Did something come of it?" he wanted to know.
He thought she had ended the call when she didn't answer him.
"Rose, did you get pregnant?" he asked her. "Or did nothing happen? Oh, you maybe made up with John when you got back and then got pregnant? That was why you wanted to see me. Well I expect telling me to my face is slightly better than telling me in a phone call?"
"Alec, no, that's not true. I moved back home when I returned, honestly, ask my mother," Rose insisted.
"Then are you pregnant?" he further insisted on knowing. "If it happened then, you must be almost due and that is the reason you wanted me there?"
"Alec, what can I say?" she replied. "When I called yesterday, well that was the idea."
"What? Are you telling me something happened? I heard a noise whilst talking to your mother earlier. It was you, was it not?" he dared ask. "Rose, have you had the baby?"
"Alec. Yeah, a few hours ago," Rose had to admit. "You have a baby daughter."
It was his turn to go quiet.
"Really? Is she okay?" he wanted to know, trying to recover. "Why did you never tell me?"
"I suppose I thought you'd say it wasn't yours?" Rose admitted. "You could have thought I'd gone back to John."
"The thought crossed my mind, well almost," he had to admit. "Are you both okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine Alec, really," Rose told him.
"Then I am going to set off, never mind waiting until the weekend," he then insisted. "Tell me where you are."
"Alec, they won't let ya in tonight," she reminded him. "Come up tomorrow or go to my place and wait, I'll tell mum to expect ya."
He didn't fancy being interrogated by her mother.
"Don't put her to any trouble, I will set off early tomorrow morning. Just text me the address of the hospital," he replied. "I wish you had told me."
"I'm sorry Alec, I just couldn't," Rose apologised. "Ya did think it was John's at first."
"I apologise for that," he told her. "Ah, what did you name her? Not after a flower?"
Rose let out a laugh.
"No, her name is Alice May. I put Tyler for now though, I didn't know how things were going to go," she admitted.
"That was to be expected?" he wondered. "I should not have left it so long, I mean before I got your call."
"I still might not have told ya," Rose replied.
"We have a lot to discuss Rose," he reminded her. "Not least why you kept running away from me."
"Maybe because I thought I was somehow betraying both you and John?" Rose wondered. "I never expected to meet ya."
"Did it not occur to you it would be inevitable, seeing you were in Broadchurch?" he asked. "Get some rest, I will see you in the morning, I will call for visiting times. Bye Rose, kiss the baby for me eh?"
"Yeah, when she wakes again but the nurse said something about putting her in the nursery tonight," Rose told him.
"You need your rest," he reminded her again.
He decided to go out and get something for the baby and some flowers for Rose and called at the takeaway for some food before calling Daisy.
"I got my transfer," he told her when she answered. "Take your time in deciding what you want to do."
"Why have you changed your mind about getting me to make my mind up?" she wanted to know.
"I have to go visit Rose," he admitted, trying to remember if he'd told Daisy who he'd been seeing.
"Dad, you said you'd put her off," she reminded him. "You weren't even going to."
"That's not true Daisy. I was going to but something came up, I have to go. Daisy, you should know that I intend asking her to move to Broadchurch."
Daisy went quiet so Alec assumed she wasn't happy about it.
"What? Do I have to meet her?" Daisy finally asked.
"There's something else you should know. I said her name was Rose, did you not wonder about it?" he asked cryptically.
"I'm not playing guessing games Dad. Oh. You can't be serious?" she managed to ask.
"Would you believe me if I said you were right?" he wondered, not wanting to say Rose's name over the phone.
"Does mum know?" Daisy wondered if he'd even mentioned it.
"I'm not sure she believes me," he had to admit. "It makes no difference who she is Daisy. Yes, she came to Broadchurch then when I had got out of hospital. I told your mother but they never met, thankfully."
"Oh I don't know Dad, I'd have loved to have seen mum's face," Daisy laughed.
"Well I was not in the mood for your mother being rude to her," Alec told her. "What if I try to come back on Sunday for a few hours?" he then offered.
"Well, if you're sure? You've nothing else to tell me have you?" Daisy wanted to make sure. "Please tell me now."
"If I do, you will probably never speak to me again," he warned her.
"Oh please tell me she wasn't having a baby?" Daisy sounded horrified. "Does that mean I'll have a half brother or sister?"
He thought he may as well get it over with. If she was going to disown him, he could stay with Rose and the baby longer, he might even stay then collect his things and go straight to Broadchurch, with both of them. That was providing Rose was ready to move with him. Yes, that seemed like a good idea, if he could get his current chief to agree.
The last few times he'd been with Rose, it had never been for long. How would they get along if he were to stay? It would be a test if nothing else or she may decide on a long distance relationship and give him access to see the baby. He didn't think he could just settle for that, not now.
"Daisy, she had the baby yesterday, you have a half sister. Don't tell your mother, I'll have to tell her."
"Well rather you than me Dad," Daisy laughed. "That should be fun to see."
"For you maybe," he replied.
"Will she be jealous?" Daisy then wanted to know.
"Don't be so cheeky," he replied. Then he hoped she'd think he was joking. "Daisy, it was her choice not to have any more after you. She wanted to stay a detective."
"Sorry Dad. So, what do they call her?" she then asked.
"Alice May but Rose uses her surname for now. I expect that's up for debate," he replied. "Not a word to your mother, I will tell her when I get back. I'm leaving early in the morning."
"Wow, I can hardly believe it," Daisy admitted. "I'll try not to let on to mum but you know she always suspected something was going on when you told her someone was going to look after you."
"She told you about that?" Alec didn't know. "Just how much?"
"Chill Dad. She was just a bit annoyed she went all that way, took you back to Broadchurch then you sent her home," Daisy laughed. "I heard her moaning to Dave on the phone when she got back."
Alec wasn't that surprised. There was nothing he could do about it so why was Tess so bothered about him?
"I will collect you when I get back. Tell your mother you want to go shopping with her on Saturday or something," he suggested.
"You owe me then," Daisy laughed.
He thought maybe it would be worth it. He packed what he needed for a few days then went to bed after he text Rose to send him a few photos of the baby, deciding he couldn't wait. Rose wasn't really surprised and selected a few and sent them to him with a short message. She was going to suggest to do a video call but the nurse had already been to take Alice to the nursery for the night so she could get some rest.
Alec tried to get to sleep but he was too worked up at the prospect of not only seeing Rose again but his new daughter. He still wondered how he'd managed to get her pregnant, since he was supposed to have been recovering from heart surgery at the time.
The next morning, Rose called her mother to say Alec was on his way.
"Well about time then," was all Jackie could say.
"Well if you come to see me in the afternoon, ya can take Alec with ya, so he has somewhere to stay," Rose suggested. "He should be allowed in at any time, then he can come back in the evening with dad and Tony."
"Well if that's how ya want it?" Jackie asked. "When will ya be let out?"
"I'll find out but I'll probably stay in today. Mum, he got his transfer back to Broadchurch. He might want us to go back with him or come back for us?" Rose admitted.
"Well I've been trying to get ya to go join him," Jackie reminded her.
Alec made good time getting to London and found his way to the hospital, asking for the ward.
"There's no visiting until this afternoon," he was told at first.
"My girlfriend just had a baby," he replied, a bit put out. "I was told that I can visit any time."
"You'll have to check with the ward sister then," the receptionist replied.
As he waited for the lift, he thought they had better let him in or he'd use his rank to get in. Rose was waiting to be seen and for Alice bringing back to her when there was a tap on the door. Alec had asked to see her and was told it was up to her so he asked for her to be told he was there.
"Yeah, I wanna see him," Rose agreed. "Can you bring my baby in?"
The nurse nodded and let Alec in, him going straight to greet her, a pink teddy bear in one hand and pink and white flowers in the other.
"I'll get a vase for those," the nurse told him as she offered to take the flowers.
"Hi Alec," Rose greeted him as he kissed her cheek and placed the bear on the table.
Then when the nurse had gone, she reached her arms out.
"You should not be stretching," he advised her.
"I'm glad you're here Alec. How can I say I'm sorry for not telling ya?"
He saw she looked sad so he sat on the edge of the bed, putting his arms around her.
"Well, you have told me now, that's the main thing. I would have liked to have been with you. Did you have her early, we're you planning on getting me here in time?" he wanted to know.
"Yeah, sorry. I was gonna come down but she decided not to wait," Rose managed to tell him. "That's why I asked ya to visit me."
"Well the thought was there," he agreed as he tried to kiss her.
The nurse came in, wheeling the cot and Alec went to see if Alice was awake. He helped Rose to sit up and handed the baby to her and took a photo, then one with him with his arm around Rose.
"Well, we have a lot to discuss," he reminded her. "Is it going to be Tyler or Hardy then?"
"Ya know the answer," Rose smiled back. "I should have told ya I loved you. I do love you Alec."
"Then come to Broadchurch with me, a fresh start?" he offered. "What do you say?"
"Will Daisy be joining us?" she wanted to know.
"Maybe? So, is that a yes and no more running away from me?" he wanted to know.
"What do I have to run away from?" Rose replied as Alice began to stir. "I have you and Alice now."
"Yes Rose, you do, we could be a family, if you want?" he replied.
"Then that's a yes."
The End!