~Previously in "Back in Town"~

*Present Day*

Alec drove up on the scene, the flashing lights of police cars all around, compounded by their reflections on the glass of shop windows and in the rain puddles on the ground. He pulled up as close as he could get with all the other cars around and saw the ambulance. His heart felt as if it caught in his chest and he felt his pacemaker catch the slight arrythmia. As he pulled himself out of his car, his eyes were darting between the open doored, but empty, ambulance, the front of the pub, and the crowd. He looked for familiar faces. Finally, one came up right in front of him and stopped him in his tracks. Ellie Miller.

As Ellie watched the paramedics work to stabilize Liv, before moving her, she trembled thinking of how important the woman had been in her own life. They had known each other since childhood, she was as close to a sister as Ellie had, and now like an Aunt to her own children.

*Eight months prior, the day after first meeting Alec*

"Auntie Liv!" Tom exclaimed as he jumped up off the couch and ran over to hug the woman who had been let into the house by his mom.

"Hey, Tom, my boy!" She grinned and opened her arms for a hug as he met her. "Look at you! Blimey, you're almost as tall as your mother! Where's that little brother of yours?"

"Fred! Auntie Liv is here!" Tom yelled upstairs and she heard a light set of footsteps running along the landing and down the steps. She turned to see the young man, now almost five years old, coming into the room.

"Oh my word, Fred Miller, you were only a wee baby when I saw you last!" Alec marveled as she picked up the boy, who wiggled uncomfortably in her grip. "I'm sorry, Fred. You don't remember me, do you? I was there the day you were born. Your mum and I have been best friends our whole lives! Your brother calls me Auntie Liv, would you like to, as well?"

"Auntie Wiv, Mum has talked about you." the boy said in his little voice and it made Liv's heart melt. "You talk like Awec."

"Oh, that's right I do." Liv smiled and remembered Ellie's boss. It made sense with them being partner investigators that he had spent time with the Millers. She continued to explain, "We're both from Scotland. You're a smart young man, Fred. I look forward to getting to know you."

"Mum says you write books. She's shown them to me, but they look boring," Fred said in seriousness as he played with her red hair. "You should write a book less boring, Auntie Wiv."

Liv laughed. "I believe you're right, Fred. Perhaps I should write a children's book. Would you read it for me and tell me if it's not boring?"

Fred nodded his head enthusiastically. "I can do that. I'm learning to read. As long as there aren't big words."

From up the stairs a male voice came booming down. "Is that Olivia MacDonald, come to get my daughter into trouble again? What will it be this time, a party? Staying up late gossiping? Spying on boys through the neighbour's fence?" Ellie's father had a broad smile on his face as he came down from upstairs and the corner.

"Dad! It's you!" Liv let Fred gently slip down out of her arms to the floor and grinned as she practically leapt to give Ellie's father a hug.

"Olivia! How's my girl! It's about time you came back around!" The grey-haired man smiled.

"I'm doing great, now that I'm back home in Broadchurch. The city life was okay for a while, but it's great to be back amongst friends, family, and by the water. I didn't know how much I missed it till I came back."

"Well Broadchurch missed you too, Olivia!" he said again before heading to the door to grab his jacket. "I'm sorry I won't be joining you all for lunch today. I've got plans with some friends of mine, but I'm sure I'll see you around."

Liv made her way to the kitchen and found Ellie preparing sandwiches. "So, just us and the boys, El?"

"Yeah, but I thought we could eat on the patio since the weather is so nice today." Ellie continued her preparations, placing the items on a tray and making her way back through the living room with Liv following.

"Tom, get the patio door, will you?" Ellie called to her son who hopped up with a smile on his face and pulled back the curtain as he opened the door.

All at once, Liv was surprised to see a crowd at the same time she heard, "Surprise! Welcome home!" yelled out.

"Oh. My. God!" Liv squealed and looked around, first running to Beth Latimer who stood with her family, and squeezing her in a tight hug.

Also standing close by were Lucy and Ollie, Paul Coates, Becca Fisher, and Nigel Carter. Platters of food were crammed onto a few tables to the side. Standing off to the side, near the food tables, was Alec Hardy, who as Liv quickly examined him, looked a bit like a man standing in fear, in the midst of a pack of animals. She chuckled to herself but continued greeting her old friends.

Things started to settle down after the initial surprise and greetings and drinks were passed around. Liv lifted her glass a bit and gathered everyone's attention, "Well, I can't believe that Ellie Miller has finally, after more years that I shall announce out loud, managed to surprise me! I can't begin to tell you all how thankful I am to be back home, and to be amongst such good friends. To Broadchurch!"

She raised her glass and the others joined her, but Nigel cheered, "To Liv! Welcome Home!"

Everyone joined in with "Welcome Home!"

*Present Day*

"Oh God, Alec. Thank God you're here. Listen, it's her—it's Liv—" It was Ellie Miller. His partner. His friend. She was talking to him, and he saw the tears streaming down her face, but things went fuzzy and for a moment her voice sounded as if it were far away. As he tried to focus on her giving him a few details about what happened and Liv's condition, he thought back to the Welcome Home party that Ellie had thrown for her best friend, that she had practically threatened him into going to.

*Eight Months Prior, same day*

After everyone had eaten and most of the kids and some of the adults were in the field playing football, Liv approached Alec who stood quietly watching from under a tree. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that El somehow compelled you into coming to this party by holding some secret piece of information over your head."

Alec smirked and glanced at the woman before looking down at the liquid in his glass. "You really do know her well."

"We've known each other since we were about five. My grandmother was a neighbor of their family. I spent every summer with her. Then I moved here when I was older. I was there for both her son's births. I moved to London just before—" she paused and sighed as she looked out at the children playing in the field. "—just before Ellie and Joe left for their holiday to Disney."

Alec's eyes went wide. "So you knew Joe Miller. No one mentioned you during the investigation. Did you—"

Liv cut him off, "DI Hardy, if you even think about asking me if I knew Joe Miller was a pedophile, I'll make you wish you hadn't come to this party for more reasons than a little social awkwardness." She glared hard at him. "I had no more clue about Joe than anyone else in this town."

He continued to watch her as she finished her reproof and turned away from him to look back out at the field. He cleared his throat and followed her gaze, watching the game as well. "Sorry, I—" He cleared his throat again, and continued, "It's hard to turn it off, when you spend so much time investigating. And—I'd do anything to find new evidence that would put Joe Miller behind bars for good."

"I know, Hardy. I know more about you than I let on when we first met. I made sure to stay in the loop about what was going on during the trial. If my publisher hadn't sent me to bloody America and all over creation for press tours I would have been back here." Liv sighed. "I should have been here. For the service for Danny. For the trial. I've missed so much." There was a long pause as Alec was unsure of what to say. Eventually Liv smiled again, "So, the grumpy Alec Hardy, the 'worst cop in Britain' ended up in Broadchurch and partners with the kindest, albeit most stubborn, mule-headed cop in Britain. You two must make quite a pair out in the field."

Alec smirked and mumbled, "You've no idea." Then he turned to her. She noticed and turned her attention back to him as well. "If you know about that nickname you have been reading up on me—but does The Sun count as research."

She raised an eyebrow. "There was plenty more research than just the headlines of The Sun. I'm a writer, research comes as second nature to me. Don't worry, I do thorough research, and follow-through. I know that nickname was unfounded and that your name has since been cleared."

"Largely thanks to your best friend." He nodded towards Ellie, who was standing with Beth on the sidelines of the game, cheering on the two teams that had formed.

At that, a teenage girl came running towards the pair and stopped beside Alec. "Dad, Chloe wants to know if I can sleep over tonight. It's okay, right?"

"Sure, darlin'." Alec leaned over to kiss his daughter on the cheek. "Just let me know if I need to pick you up tomorrow."

Liv looked between the DI and teenager. The young girl turned to her and smiled shyly. "Hi, Miss MacDonald, I'm Daisy Hardy. Sorry, my dad is rubbish at social things. He wouldn't think to introduce me."

Liv smiled and shook the girl's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Daisy. Please, call me Liv. Everyone does."

"Oh, well, thank you. I've read your book, it's fantastic," Daisy gushed as she let go of the woman's hand, and didn't notice her father's eyebrow raise.

"Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Even happier to know that perhaps I've reached into the young adult market. I tried to keep it appropriate for a wide audience, but sometimes it's hard to know if it will be successful with teenagers."

"It's brilliant!" Daisy turned away as Chloe yelled for her. "Sorry, gotta go!" The girl ran back out into the field.

After watching his daughter leave, Alec turned to Liv. "I'm a bit ashamed to say, I have not done research on you or your book, Miss MacDonald. Exactly what type of book have you written that my daughter is interested in it?"

Liv chuckled. "Don't worry, Hardy, it isn't a smutty romance. It's a mystery novel. But listen, if you insist on being called Hardy I insist you call me Liv or Olivia."

*Present Day*

"—Hardy, c'mon, snap out of it! They're bringing her out now. It's bad—" Ellie shook his shoulder and he came out of his reverie enough to see Ellie's face again and see the stretcher being wheeled out behind her. He pushed past her and ran up to the cot, a sob escaping his throat as he saw the bruised and battered woman before him. He gently took one hand and walked alongside the stretcher as the paramedics pushed it towards the ambulance. "Liv, darlin' it's me, Alec. I'm here now. I'm going to stay with you, darlin'. We're going in the ambulance now."

He let go long enough for the emergency services workers to lift the stretcher into the ambulance. Knowing Ellie was on his heels, he turned quickly. She could already see the hardness in his face and as second nature, stood up straighter. "Miller, you take this investigation. Come hell or high water I want the bastards that did this caught. Do you understand?"

Ellie stood straight and wiped the tears from her eyes. This was her best friend, whom also happened to have fallen for her other best friend, her partner.

"Get 'em, Miller. I don't trust anyone else but you." With that he quickly turned and hopped into the back of the ambulance. The last view Ellie caught was Alec taking Liv's hand again and gently pressing a kiss to her knuckles before leaning down to whisper in her ear.