CHAPTER TWELVE

I MADE IT

As they set up Alec in a gown and bed to prep him for surgery, Bonnie hovered at his side, trying to stay out of the doctor's ways. When the surgeon gave her a nod, signaling that they were ready take him, she rushed to his side and took his hand, squeezing it since she couldn't hug him. "I am going to be right by your side when you wake up, all right? So, wake up. I love you."

"I love you too," he told her as they started wheeling his bed away for the OR.

"It's quite a coincidence that neither you nor Nigel Carter have an alibi for around the time of your son's death, isn't it?" Sharon did not hold back with Mark on the stand. He was her fall guy to get her client off of murder charges after all.

"That's the way it was," Mark said.

"You admit that you were at the car park next to the cliff-top hut around the time your son was killed?"

He nodded, "I was, yeah."

"What's the distance between the car park and the hut?" she asked.

He frowned, shrugging, "I don't know, 50 yards."

"You were 50 yards away from where your son was killed," Sharon stated, painting a bad picture.

"Yes."

"At almost exactly the time he was killed."

Mark sniffed, averting his eyes, "...Yeah."

"So, from the hut, it's possible that Danny could have seen you with Becca Fisher that night?" Sharon posited.

Mark didn't like where she was going with her question-statements. He didn't answer right away. But the Judge told him, "You need to answer, Mr. Latimer."

"It's possible, yeah," he admitted reluctantly.

"Isn't it true... that because Danny saw you with Becca that night-" Sharon started imagining out loud.

"I said it was possible, not that it happened," Mark tried to refute her claims.

But she went on with her story despite his numerous interruptions, "...that you strangled him in that cliff-top hut-"

"No."

"...and then called your mate and colleague Nige Carter to dispose of the body-"

"None of that happened," he denied.

But she went on, "...who was then seen by Susan Wright."

"Not true! None of that is true!" he shouted.

But she continued to ignore him, "And then you arrange these strange meetings with Tom Miller because you felt guilty that his father was taking the blame."

"I did not kill my son!" he shouted angrily. A peak in his temper was exactly what she wanted.

She stared at him, racking up the tension, before completely changing the subject, "How did you get in to see Joe Miller while he was in police custody?"

"I don't know what you mean," he denied, despite the shocked looks from Jocelyn and her junior, as well as Beth in the stands.

"Did you bribe a police officer?" Sharon asked.

Jocelyn stood, "My Lady, this has no relevance to the evidence Mr. Latimer can give."

"It's fantastically relevant, My Lady," Sharon disputed.

The Judge gave Jocelyn a look, "You can wait, Miss Knight."

"How did you get into the cells, Mr. Latimer?" Sharon asked sternly.

Mark bit his lip before admitting, "The custody sergeant was an old friend. He let me in."

"Did you go there to threaten Mr. Miller to be silent? Or to gloat that he was taking the blame for a murder you'd committed?" Sharon asked.

Mark shook his head, desperate, "No, it was nothing like that."

Sharon turned her attention to the Judge, "My Lady, I'd like to raise a point of law."

The Judge wasn't impressed, but allowed it, "I'm sure you would, Miss Bishop." She addressed the jury, "Members of the jury, would you step out, please?"

Everyone watched with bated breath as Bishop made her speech to the Judge, "The investigating officers in this case have breached the PACE codes of practice time and time again. This is a fundamentally flawed investigation, littered with errors. The defense applies for a stay of proceedings on the grounds that there has been an abuse of the court's process – such that the defendant cannot have a fair trial. My Lady, I'm asking you to dismiss this case."

The moment the word 'dismiss' left her lips, everyone tense, desperate for the worst not to happen.

The Judge patiently turned her attention to Jocelyn, "I'll hear your submission now, Miss Knight."

Jocelyn quickly made her case, "I'd ask for an adjournment while we obtain statements from the relevant officers. Only then can I address whether there has been an abuse which prejudices this trial."

The Judge deliberated in her head before inclining her head, "All right. You have your adjournment, Miss Knight. Talk to the officers concerned and I'll hear full arguments on it before ruling."

Jocelyn and the others let out a collective breath of wary relief. "Thank you, my Lady."

Bonnie had been reading The Little Prince by Alec's bedside since the moment the nurses wheeled him back into his room. His doctor told him that the surgery had gone well, and that they wanted to keep him overnight while he recovered. Bonnie had smothered a snort, knowing he'd want to get checked out the moment he woke up and felt alert.

He had woken up briefly, staring unseeingly at the at the ceiling, muttering in wonder, "I'm alive..."

She had smiled and taken his hand, "Yes, you are," before his eyes slipped closed again and he fell asleep.

Soon enough, Ellie stormed in in a huff, "How is he then?"

"I'm guessing court didn't go well today?" Bonnie guessed at the reason for her attitude.

"That woman made a motion to have the whole case dismissed," Ellie growled. "Said it was all mishandled by us."

"That won't happen," Bonnie said. "The Judge can't be that thick."

"I hope you're right," Ellie sighed. "On the bright side – I'm bringing Tom home today."

Bonnie smiled, "That's amazing."

"Knock, knock," a voice interrupted them. The women looked up to see Bonnie's Uncle Jay there with a big smile. "How's your grouchy fiancé?"

"Recovering," Bonnie said with a playful roll of her eyes. "Jay, this is Ellie Miller. She worked with Alec on the Broadchurch case."

But Jay was looking at Ellie with a startled smile of recognition, "Well, my beard, Ellie White?"

Ellie was looking back at him, dumbfounded. "James Darrow is that you?"

Bonnie looked between them, "You two know each other?"

Ellie stuttered, still shell-shocked at seeing her old crush standing in front of her, "Oh, erm, yeah, we used to work together. Years ago."

"When I was still on active duty," Jay told his niece.

"How do you both know each other?" Ellie asked, gesturing between Bonnie and Jay.

"This is my Uncle, my dad's brother," Bonnie explained with a smile. She noticed how Ellie blushed and wondered what that was about.

"Right," Ellie muttered, pursing her lips. "I thought you took Irving because it was your dad's name?"

"Kenny and I had different fathers," Jay explained. He was staring at Ellie the whole time, "You look just like you did all those years ago, Elle. Time's been good to you."

Ellie hid her blush and was thankful that Alec chose that moment to start groaning and waking up. Bonnie stood quickly, tossing her book away to lean over him and take his hand, "Alec? Honey, how are you feeling?"

He blinked his eyes open and the first thing he saw was her face above him. He smiled, mumbling incredulously, "I made it. I made it through!"

Bonnie smiled brightly down at him, "Yes, you did, honey. How are you feeling?"

He groaned, "Tired."

Ellie snorted, "That's to be expected."

Alec finally noticed the others, grunting, "Miller. Here to drive us home?"

She groaned and shook her head, "Would but I can't. I'm picking Fred up from Lucy's and I'm bringing Tom home."

"That's why I'm here," Jay spoke up, clapping a light hand on Alec's shoulder. "It's nice to meet my favorite niece's future husband. Didn't imagine this setting, though."

Alec accepted the man's firm handshake, even with his weakness from the drugs, and said, "Neither did I. But here we are."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hardy," Ellie quickly muttered, giving him a pat and Bonnie a big hug, and Jay a lingering look before leaving the hospital room.

"Are we ready then?" Jay asked. Bonnie could have sworn she saw a blush on his cheeks that she could see above his beard.

"I've spoken to the doctors," Bonnie looked down at Alec. "They recommend you stay in."

Alec gave her a look and then turned to Jay, "Take me home."

Beth felt her grip on her emotions slipping as she drove her and Mark to the vale outside their home across the verge. With a little swerving, she hastily parked the car and got out, staring out at the grass. Mark got out after her, trying to smother his tears and be strong for her. Explain himself. "I had to go and see Joe. I had to look him in the eye. I wasn't thinking about the future, Beth, I was thinking about what he'd done to Dan."

"How is this a marriage?" she asked him incredulously. "You share nothing. You keep everything locked away from me."

"Not from you. It's not about you," he tried to appease, explain, comfort her.

"Why isn't it about me?!" she shouted at him, glaring. "Why can't you make it about me, just for once? Why are we together, Mark? Is it just because Danny died?" She was grasping at anything to hold onto so one more thing in her life didn't slip away.

"No," he denied.

"Because if it is, don't bother. I don't need you. I could do without you," she said, not wanting a duty marriage that would only drag her down.

"Don't talk to me like that," he flinched.

"Are you gonna write me a letter?" she shot at him, a little spiteful. That part of his testimony had nearly shredded her heart out.

"It's better than your endless talking about it and nothing changing!" he shot back.

"If you're gonna stay, sort yourself out. Tell me everything or piss off," she demanded. "And, by the way, if this trial collapses now it's because of you."

He stared at her for a moment, gutted. Everything was practically falling apart. He couldn't have this fight, right then and there, so he just started walking away, leaving her there to watch his back.

Paul knew what he had to do while he sat across from Joe, a man who showed no sympathy for those he was dragging through this trial. He had always felt dirty meeting with Joe, not telling the Latimers, or anyone really. But he felt it his duty to help Joe repent and seek forgiveness, to pray with him. But it was clear his efforts were for naught.

"I was worried when she wouldn't put me in the witness box, but... now I see what her plan was," Joe expressed. "What do you reckon? Do you think they'll dismiss it? Do you think... Do you think I'm winning?"

Paul looked up at him blankly, "You're guilty, Joe."

Joe frowned at him, "I thought you were on my side."

"And I thought I could help you come to terms with what you've done," Paul replied. "But... I don't see you taking responsibility for your actions. How do you think God would view that?"

Joe averted his eyes, "When I was a paramedic... I saved a lot of lives. God sees that. He knows the good I've done."

Paul stared at him in disbelief, "It doesn't work like that. You watched your son lie for you... on oath, and still you're trying to wriggle free." Masking his face with professionalism, he finally concluded their meeting with, "I'm done with these visits. Goodbye, Joe."

As he stood and began walking away, he felt completely at ease as he ignored Joe's cries behind him. "Paul? Paul don't walk away. Paul?" He'd done what he could. And that was all God expected of him.

"I can't be long, I'm picking up Tom again. Taking him home, finally," Ellie made conversation as Claire did her hair outside the little house.

"You must be relieved about that," Claire replied.

Ellie smiled, "Yeah. Him, me and Fred – home together."

"Me and Lee are looking at a house later," Claire mentioned.

Ellie didn't expect that, "Really?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't we?"

Ellie changed the subject, "So you kept your hairdressing stuff, then?"

"Oh, yeah. That's my magic bag," Claire fingered the bag at her hip. "Even when I had to leave with Alec, it was the first thing I packed. Got my portfolio, everything still in it."

"Really? Can I see?" Ellie asked.

Claire bent over to retrieve the book and hand it to her, "Yeah, have a look."

Ellie thumbed through it, seeing photos of hairstyles and Claire's professional photos of herself, "Ooh. Look at you! Nice."

"I scrub up well, don't I?" Claire laughed.

"We were back there the other day, near your old house," Ellie mentioned.

Claire was quiet behind her for a moment. "Really?"

"Yeah. I saw the river where they found Pippa, walked through the woods. I spoke to Cate," Ellie elaborated.

"Is she still drinking?" Claire asked.

Ellie nodded small, "A bit, yeah. I assumed that was since the deaths, but was she always like that?"

"I don't want to speak ill of her," Claire said, "not after everything she's been through – but she always had a posh glass of wine in her hand. Made sure you knew it was expensive."

"Right."

"Maybe it was because we were renting off them, but I just... always felt she was looking down on us," Claire complained. "Well, me. Lee she just flirted with, but everybody flirts with Lee and he just flirts right back, so..."

"You don't think... Did they ever have a thing?" Ellie asked.

"He was never interested in her. He's never looking to go older. Younger, maybe, but not Cate's age," Claire lied.

Ellie was still flipping through pictures when she paused at one of Claire, wearing the same pendent that Pippa wore. The smoking gun that was stolen. Claire noticed, nervously yanking the book away and moving quicker through her work on Ellie's hair. "Right, nearly finished!"

Ellie cleared her throat, "Thanks."

Ellie felt nervous later, leading Tom and Fred into their old home. "Come on. Right. Get some old clothes on."

"What for?" Tom asked, confused.

"First order of business, we're gonna paint the bedroom where me and your dad used to sleep," she told him.

"I don't know how to paint," he complained.

"Well, tonight's the night you'll learn," she left no room for argument. "We're gonna do the whole house eventually. This is ours, Tom. You, me and Fred."

Tom had to admit to himself that he liked the sound of that.

Jay helped support most of Alec's weight as Bonnie led them through the gate to the house. Her Uncle snorted when he saw the sky-blue house. "This is your place?"

"Anything looks small to a behemoth like you," Bonnie retorted, opening the door. She quickly set up one of their lawn chairs at the edge of the water and said, "Sit him down here."

"I can sit myself down," Alec grumbled and stumbled into the chair, resting his feet against the cement side of the yard, getting comfortable.

Bonnie quickly ducked into the house and grabbed a throw blanket she'd brought when she moved in and returned outside to toss I over his shoulders and situate it around him. "Are you warm enough?"

"I'm fine," he grunted.

She pulled out his new pills from her own coat pocket and popped the lid open to take out what he needed to take, "Right, two of these."

She put them in his hand and before she could go back inside for water, he dry swallowed them with a loud gulp.

Jay laughed, "Tough man. That's good."

Bonnie gave both men a look before sitting at Alec's feet on the raised stone railing, "You're going to rest well tonight, or I'll chain you to the bed tomorrow."

"Are you my nurse now?" he joked.

She smirked at him, "I could get one of those outfits."

Alec snorted and went to retort but her mobile rang. Bonnie pulled it out of her pocket and smiled, "It's Daisy," before answering, "Hello Daisy... Yeah, I'm with him..." Bonnie gave him the fondest smile as she talked to his daughter. "Oh, he looks like shit."

"Hey!" he protested lamely.

Bonnie stuck her tongue out at him and handed her phone over. "She wants to speak to you."

He took the phone and held it to his ear, "Hi, darlin'."

Bonnie loved the way he spoke to his daughter, with no guard up like he had with other people. He loved his daughter so much, so openly, without reservation. She felt lucky to be just a small part of his family now.

"Fine," he was assuring Daisy. "No, just a little bit of metal. It's the first step to being the Six Million Dollar Man..." he paused and made a face, before saying, "What do you mean you've never heard of the Six Million... What do they teach you at that school?" making Bonnie laugh. "Yeah, it's all fixed..." he paused now with a fond smile, "No more broken heart." He then turned his eyes to Bonnie with a loving smile, "Yeah, she might have something to do with that."

Bonnie smiled back at him with love and stood, dropping a kiss on his head before stepping into the house to start making some white tea. Jay followed her in and asked, "Anything else I could do to help?"

Bonnie let out a sigh as she put the kettle on. "Actually, yeah. Can you stay with him for a couple hours? While I go out?"

"Go out?" he questioned, furrowing his brow. "Where are you going? He just had heart surgery."

Bonnie had been thinking about something for a long time with the trial going the way it was. It was a last resort. "The trial isn't going well. I'm trying to remain positive and optimistic. Especially in front of Alec. But if Bishop isn't successfully getting the whole thing thrown out tomorrow, I really think that he'll go free. And I can't let that happen."

"What could you do?" Jay asked. "Break into the jail and take him out?"

She kept her face serious, gazing at Alec on the phone through the kitchen window. "There's something someone like me can do. Only someone like me."

"Oh," he realized. He looked out at Alec too, "Does he ever get suspicious? I know you were seeing Danny everywhere before. Did he ever catch onto something?"

Bonnie grimaced, "He knows. Ellie too. All of it."

Jay gaped at her in utter disbelief, "And you haven't been chucked into the loony bin?"

Bonnie snorted, "At first I thought that was exactly where I was headed. But I was able to explain and even prove it to them. It's a long story. Can you stay with him for a bit?"

"Of course, but what are you planning?" he asked.

"It's better we don't talk about specifics," she said, giving him a thankful smile and making a cup of tea for Alec and taking it out to him. He was still on the phone with Daisy, so she kept quiet as she handed him the mug and whispered, "I'm going to the store to pick up a few things we need. Be right back."

He looked like he knew there was something else to her words but nodded and accepted her peck on the lips and just said, "Be quick and safe," as she made her way out the gate with her bike.

The sun was getting low when she found herself at the Trader's and left it on the side of the building when she saw Marge sitting at one of the outdoor tables. Marge waved her over animatedly, "Magpie, over here. Have a seat. Sit down."

Bonnie pulled the chair out and sat sternly, "Don't call me Magpie. I'm not here for a chat. I'm here to make a deal."

"A deal?" her mother asked quizzically.

"It's a take it or leave it thing," she warned before Marge could get ahead of herself, thinking she'd worn her down. "So, think about that because my new restraining order has gone through and I could easily get you deported back to Richmond."

Marge sat back patiently, "All right, I'm listening."

"Were you telling the truth when you said there was a way for people like us to still contact the souls that fade instead of move on?" she asked first.

Marge nodded, "Yes, I wouldn't lie about our gifts to you. It takes some time and practice but it's doable."

"I don't have a lot of time, can it be done within the next couple days?" Bonnie asked.

"I always had some issues with it," Marge admitted. "But I've always known that you are more powerful than I am. More naturally gifted. Just like your grandmother."

Bonnie averted her eyes and took a deep breath, "Okay – here's the deal. Tell me how to do it. Down to the last detail. And then I want you back in America. I don't want you here."

"Deal made it sound like I would get something too," Marge commented.

"I'll give you a quote for your book," Bonnie ground out through her teeth. "Under my old name. And send some Christmas cards your way, maybe even keep some contact with you. But I still want you gone. That part is non-negotiable."

"Would you write the forward?" Marge immediately started negotiating. Bonnie shouldn't have been even a little surprised that her mother cared more about the damn book than having a true relationship with her daughter.

But she still shook her head, "You're unbelievable. You get one honest quote from me or you get nothing. I said this was a take it or leave it – not a discussion."

Marge stared at her for a long time, "All right. I'll take it."

It was already dark when Bonnie got home with a few bags of groceries they did need. Jay was sat up on the couch with a book, Alec was still lounging outside – right where she'd left him. She set her bike down against the house, making sure the bags were secure in the basket before walking to his side and sitting by his feet. "What are you still doing out here? You must be freezing."

"M'fine," he said. "Get what we needed?"

"Yeah," she said, resting her hand on his knee. "How are you feeling?"

He made a show of taking a deep breath without trouble, ending it with a smile and he let the air out through his nose, "Never better."

Jay walked out then, saying, "I'm going to shove off to the hotel now then."

"Thank you for your help," Alec said, grunting as he stood and shook Jay's hand.

"Don't think we won't be discussing how you know Ellie later," Bonnie teased her Uncle before giving him a hug and seeing him off to the gate. She then turned her teasing smile to her fiancé, "And now you get to get into bed. You need a full night's rest before tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am," he smirked as she pulled him up out of the chair and led him to bed, putting him right to sleep with her methodical fingers stroking through his hair and her soft voice humming an old Scottish lullaby her father used to sing.

Bonnie waited until Alec was well and truly in a deep sleep before slipping out of bed. Her mother had given her all the instructions she needed to pull this stunt off, but she needed to start soon. She cleared off a spot on the floor in the midst of all the investigation stuff and sat down, cross-legged. She listened to the wind and the sound of the water, smelled the salt in the air, as she closed her eyes and deepened her breathing. She had to get into a deep meditative state for this to work.

She felt herself getting pulled into a void darkness – her mother described it that way. And she was surprised to see that it hadn't taken her very long to get into that trance. She felt the cold presence that she usually felt when she was visited. But it also felt dark and tired. Marge said it would feel different, more tangled up.

It's like willful possession, taking in their thoughts to communicate. Like telepathy. You can even pass the possession onto another person – whether they're like us or not. But remember, in the obscurity, the majority of them are bad.

Bonnie felt like she was having ten conversations at once. The actual hearing of words was spotty, it was more like feeling the words and discussion, instead of hearing the voices. Things like What do you want from us?, We know how karma works, what do you need?, yes, we can do that.

Bonnie felt incredibly tired when everything went silent again and she had to open her heavy-lidded eyes. She was glad it was still night when she looked outside. With deep exhaustion in her limbs, she climbed off the floor and limped back into bed, settling against Alec's chest before falling into oblivion.

Even as tired as she was, Bonnie still woke up before Alec and got up to start making some toast and tea. She decided she'd rest today with him and wait to see if Bishop got the case dismissed before going through with her plan. She heard him groaning behind her and turned to see him on his feet in the doorway of the kitchen.

"What are you doing up?"

"We've got court today," he grunted, reaching for some toast.

She handed him the bread and kissed his cheek, "I don't think we're not going. You had major surgery yesterday and you need your rest. So, do I, frankly."

"No-" he started to protest.

But she cut him off with a fierce kiss, using the distraction to maneuver him back to their bedroom until he fell on his back. He grunted from the impact, "Sneaky bugger."

She laughed and went back to the kitchen to retrieve the mugs of tea before returning. She climbed in the bed next to him and had him drink some tea before making him lie down. "Now rest."

He stared up at her, "When do you want to start planning that wedding?"

She smirked at him, "You want to be involved in wedding planning?"

He shrugged, "It's the last one I'll ever have. Should be involved, shouldn't I?"

She smiled, leaning down to kiss him, "That's sweet. And if it wasn't for Ellie and the Latimers and Daisy and Jay – I'd say let's just go to a clerk's office and get it done sooner rather than later. But... after everything we've been through, still muddling through, we deserve a little celebration. Just a little one though. I don't want to go overboard."

Alec let out a tired yawn. "Me either..."

She stroked his hair back from his forehead, "Go back to sleep, honey. I'll still be here. I'll take care of you."

With another small yawn, he closed his eyes and fell asleep against her shoulder.

"No evidence was compromised, no physical intimidation occurred," Jocelyn testified. "We have a sworn statement from the officer who was present. My Lady, it was an unfortunate incident, but the process of justice can still flow. This doesn't mean the defendant cannot have a fair trial."

The Judge quietly considered her words before saying, "There have clearly been failings in this investigation and in the conduct of officers, but I am satisfied that the defendant can indeed get a fair trial. So, I'm going to refuse the application." Everyone in the courtroom was relieved together.

"Thank you, My Lady."

Bonnie was reclined against the wall on her and Alec's bed when his mobile started vibrating on the nightstand. She quickly stood and grabbed the phone, ducking into the living room to answer quietly, "Hello?"

Ellie's voice answered her, "Oh. I was expecting him to answer."

"He's sleeping still, thankfully," Bonnie told her. "What's going on? Aren't you supposed to be in court still?"

"No, it didn't take long," Ellie explained. "The trial's still on."

Bonnie let out a sigh of relief, "That's great."

"Listen, can you pass something on to him?" Ellie requested. "Perhaps call Tess and let her know as well. She's the one who can possibly officially reopen the case and give us the resources we need."

"Of course, what is it?" Bonnie agreed.

"Claire Ripley showed me a photograph. She was wearing Pippa's pendant," she said.

"Wow, the smoking pendent," Bonnie realized. "You might need to get your hands on it. Did she see that you noticed?"

"I don't think so," Ellie said. "It'll be at her cottage. I'll talk to you later, give him my love."

"Of course," Bonnie said before hanging up and searching through Alec's phone, dialing Tess.

The woman sounded a bit worried when she answered, "Alec? Are you all right?"

"It's Bonnie actually," Bonnie told her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. Alec's fine, he's sleeping now. Recovering."

Tess let out a sigh of relief, "That's good. Daisy said he sounded good over the phone yesterday. She's talking about visiting one of these weekends to see for herself though."

Bonnie smiled, sitting on the couch, "He'll love to see her. I'd love to show her around Broadchurch. There's not much to do but the beach is nice. Alec wouldn't agree."

"Oh, he hates the sand," Tess laughed. "I'll talk to him later, try to set something up."

"Listen, the reason I'm calling is that Ellie wanted to pass on a message, about Sandbrook case," Bonnie said. "She caught sight of a photo of Claire wearing Pippa's pendent."

Tess quieted, "Can she get hold of it?"

"It's in her portfolio at the cottage," Bonnie said. "She's going to try."

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