Celebration of Ellie's promotion came earlier than the planned Saturday get together of her close friends and family. The day that Ellie and Alec had their discussion about it, Ellie had gone back to the office and given her decision to CS Jenkinson. The next day, the Chief Superintendent came down to the bullpen to share the news with the team of detectives and officially gave Ellie her new credentials. Word quickly spread around the building and by nightfall, plans had been made for celebratory drinks at a local pub on Friday night.
After several more days of diligent work on the case, they seemed to be spinning their wheels, not making any progress on finding who Trish's attacker was, Ellie was ready for a drink. She walked into the bar with a couple of work mates, with the expectation that since Hardy hadn't mentioned the get together at all that day at work, he most likely wouldn't be coming. She knew these types of social events were not his thing, and being around coworkers just made it even more awkward for him. So when she saw a figure step up beside her at the bar, the last person she expected to see was the dark haired Scot who stood before her. Her mouth gaped open, but the bartender had arrived in front of him before she could speak.
Alec nodded towards the barkeeper, ordered his own drink, then added, "And I'll be covering the first round for the police force in attendance to celebrate our new DI, thank you."
Ellie's eyes went wide. "Alec Hardy, you never cease to amaze me."
Alec smirked and glanced at his partner before the bartender brought him a beer. "Just remember later, Detective Inspector Miller, that I endured this pain and suffering for your benefit."
Ellie grinned and turned on her stool. "Hey, everyone, first round is on DI Hardy!"
Everyone cheered and for the next few minutes Alec endured several smacks on the back and declarations of good will before it died down and he turned to glare at Ellie. "Was that really necessary?"
"Just trying to assist you in turning around your reputation, maybe you'll get a new, nicer nickname." She smiled at him and he just shook his head.
"I'm perfectly happy with my reputation as it is." He paused a moment and took another drink from the glass in front of him, then hoped to change the subject. "So, how did your dad take the news?"
She sighed. "He congratulated me, said it was about time, and then started worrying over my schedule and the boys."
Alec shrugged. "Seems like a normal parental reaction. He worries about you and the boys."
Ellie couldn't hide the bit of exasperation and surprise in her voice, "Are you defending my dad?"
He shrugged again. "The man and I have something in common."
This time her eyebrow went up in confusion. "What is that?"
Alec didn't turn towards her as he spoke. Instead he looked at her through the mirror behind the bar, and she caught his gaze as the words finally left his mouth. "We both care a great deal about the Miller family."
Alec loved it when he was able to be the one to make her genuinely smile. It was usually reserved for when she talked about her boys, or something particularly entertaining that had happened in her day. But when she turned that smile on him, it made enduring the intense social interaction this evening worth every painful moment. After a moment of silence, him lost in her smile, she countered his argument over the similarity between he and her father. "At least when you express it, it doesn't sound like a critical analysis of my ability to parent."
"Well I definitely wouldn't criticize your parenting. You're the reason your two boys are the fine young men they are. But I also think sounding critical is a part of parenting. No matter what I try to say to Daisy, I always seem to end up sounding like an arse. And I hardly remember a positive thing my father said to me."
That struck Ellie's interest. "You hardly ever talk about your parents."
Alec sighed and tried to shrug off his response, "Remembering my mother makes me sad, and remembering my father makes me angry. So I tend to try and not think or talk about it too much. It's why I don't like my name, you know. It was his."
Ellie was taken aback by the moment of vulnerability that Alec was sharing with her. "Have you ever thought about how you are redeeming that name? Making it a good one? Because I'd say you have already. Maybe it's time to stop letting your name remind you of your past, of your father, and the man he was—and let the name Alec be how people remember the good man that you are."
Alec took a deep breath and swallowed down the last of his beer slowly. He was unsure what to say to Ellie so he did the only other thing he knew to do—attempt an escape. "Alright Miller, I've had a drink, I've bought a round, and enjoyed conversation with you, a rather pleasant event. I think this is my cue to leave before things go downhill."
"But do you have to go?" Ellie said hopefully, but Alec had already turned to leave.
He looked back at her, and it seemed to her he was trying to communicate something with his eyes, but she couldn't quite catch it. "I think I should, yes. I'll see you tomorrow at the party."
"Well, alright then. See you tomorrow." Ellie watched him walk out of the pub. She was concerned by his quick exit, and now that she understood why he detested going by his given name, and wondered if she went too far in trying to convince him to accept it. She was trying to decide if she should try and catch him before he made it far when another co-worker came up to speak with her and congratulate her.
An hour and a half later Ellie left the pub in a taxi. At the last minute, she had him change direction, and within a few minutes was pulling up outside Alec's house.
She saw him sitting at the table, looking at something laid out in front of him.
He looked up when he heard her tapping on the glass door and quickly came over, speaking as he slid the door open, "Ellie? Is everything alright?"
"I don't know, is it? You left so fast. I was worried I had upset you talking about your name and all that," Ellie spoke quickly, partially because of nerves, and Alec anticipated it was partly because of the amount of alcohol she had that evening.
Alec turned the questions on her, "How did you get here, Miller?"
"I had a taxi bring me," she motioned with her head towards the top of the hill as she spoke.
"Still there?" He looked up the way she had directed.
"I asked him to give me fifteen minutes." She looked down towards her shoes, as if there was something interesting there. "I just wanted to check on you."
"Your dad is watching the boys tonight?" he asked.
She was getting annoyed now. "Yes, he'll be at the house another week before he moves out. You're avoiding my question. Are you alright?"
"I'm not avoiding your question, Miller. Come in, I'll take you home when we're done talking. Come in. I'm going to pay for the taxi and I'll be back." He stepped down out of the house and walked up the hill before she could argue, so she turned and stepped in, looking around before noticing what he had been looking at when she came up.
She had originally expected it would be something to do with the case, but instead she found an old worn photo album. The album was open to a page where she saw several pictures of a couple and two children, one of which was a young boy that was undoubtedly Alec Hardy. In one, they were standing on the beach in Broadchurch, the cliffs behind them. In another, he sat next to a girl who seemed to be older than him, with his mother standing behind them, smiling at the camera.
"I think I told you once that my family came here on holiday when I was a young boy." She jumped slightly, startled by his voice in the quiet, and looked up to find him leaning against the door frame. He slowly pulled himself back up straight, slid the door closed, and came over to stand next to her and looked down at the photo album with her. "That…" He pointed to the picture of the four together as he spoke, "Is one of the few family pictures we have. That vacation was one of the few times I can recall him being sober. Even then, Mum had to beg him to be in the picture with us after she had already found someone to take it. Even as young as I was, I remember how embarrassed she was by the scene he made in front of the lady who took the picture. He wouldn't smile. He never smiled."
Ellie turned away from the album to face him. "I'm sorry I made a big deal out of your name tonight. I understand why you don't like it. I just—"
"Don't apologize. You were right," he stated with a sigh, his fingertips sliding over the photo a moment before he looked away from the photo to her.
She wasn't sure she could believe what he was saying, so she questioned, "I was?"
"Yes. You were. I left so quickly because I didn't know what to say." His eyes softened. "You seem to be able to look right into my heart, into my mind, and slice through all the armor I've worked for years to build up, Ellie. I've worked so hard to try and be someone different from the angry man my father was, and look at me, I've become just that. I've made a terrible mess of my life, and yet you seem to imagine the best in me."
Ellie had heard enough of his self-deprecation, so she argued back, "You, Alec Hardy, may be a grumpy, irritating knob. But you have had some terrible things thrown your way in life. Your wife's ridiculous indiscretions and lack of love for a man who deserved to be adored. A heart condition most likely brought on by her stupid mistakes and the case it cost you, that left you with horrible nightmares. But through it all, through all that, you were determined to do the best you could for your daughter. You were determined to see justice for those little girls and their families. You sought justice for Danny Latimer till it almost killed you. You solved both cases, even if the justice system failed Danny, you did not. And now, you have shown grace and compassion to Trish Winterman when she needed it most and you relentlessly seek to find the man who raped her—"
Ellie could have gone on, she was going to go on, but she was cut off by Alec grabbing her around the waist with one hand and at the neck with the other, and pulling her to him, sweeping her into a deep kiss. A few minutes later, they finally broke apart and took a moment to catch their breath. "That'd be the other reason I left so quickly. Didn't think you'd be happy with me snogging you right there in front of the rest of Wessex Police. You are incorrigible, Ellie Miller." He paused, taking a few more heavy breaths, before letting a smile pull at the corner of his mouth. "And you can call me Alec."