Rose wasn't quite sure how he had changed the subject so quickly. One minute they're talking of him having surgery after he'd admitted what the hospital had already mentioned and the next, he was angling his face to judge her reaction.

"Hang on a second," she replied, after he'd gone for the kill and kissed her lips gently and she'd been taken aback slightly, since he'd not given her chance to reply.

"Do you always do that?" he asked, giving nothing away as to if he was annoyed she'd interrupted him or not. "Rose, you annoy the hell out of me and to my mind there are only two things I can do about it and that's either walk away and keep as far away as possible from you, which in this town would be extremely difficult to do and I have no chance of getting another transfer or we can both save ourselves time and accept the inevitable."

"The inevitable?" Rose questioned him, trying to back off but he still had his hand on her arm. "I should slap you right now Mister. Is this because I stayed with ya?"

"What?" he asked, now totally confused, since she'd made a point of repeatedly telling him she'd felt sorry for him last night. "Then why keep telling me why you stayed with me then? Geez Rose, what is it with you?"

"Well excuse me, for feeling sorry for ya," Rose replied, not bothering to move his arm.

"Well I just hope you are as confused as I am right now," he told her, letting go and wondering if she'd notice, since she hadn't been trying to move it.

"Huh, you're not as confused as I am," she replied, trying to remember how they'd ended up face to face and he'd just tried to kiss her, which she shouldn't have been so surprised at, since he'd hinted he wanted to.

"I knew I should have left," he thought to himself as she dodged him and crossed to the fridge. "I should get going, I could do with a walk."

"I didn't mean for ya to leave Alec," she replied, thinking maybe she'd been a bit hasty in dodging him trying to kiss her.

"Then what the hell do you mean Rose, eh? I'm just as confused over this as you are or did you not think about that? I can't walk away, if that's what you are going to tell me to do so that leaves the other option. Stop fighting me Rose. I know you're upset over finding Danny like that but I can help you with it. Unless you would rather seek the vicar's consolation?" he grinned slightly.

"Shut up," she half smiled as he stepped towards her.

"I can help you Rose, if you stop fighting me. I can stop being infuriated with you if you stop being so annoying."

"Geez Alec, that's a great way of getting me to stop. Did ya fail the psychology exam?"

"Who said I took one?" he asked, trying to put his arm around her and to try to kiss her again without actually getting a slap.

He somehow didn't think she would actually do it, given his condition but she knew how to confuse a guy.

"What do you say Rose? You did suggest a truce, if I heard you correctly. How about it? Forget my hard-ass reputation, the whole town will know soon enough if we keep annoying each other in public. Hell, Miller's already guessed there's more to it and so does your partner so who are we going to fool?" he asked. "I know you got annoyed on the beach, I can understand that but it affected you more than it did anyone else. Why Rose? Can't you tell me?"

"Because I was upset some disturbed person thought it was better to leave him on the beach to be discovered than leaving him where he was. Who does that sort of thing Alec? To have left him where he'd been killed, then I might have understood that but it was like he'd been put on display," she replied, wanting to give in.

Alec knew she did so he went to put his arms around her neck.

"Come here Rose, stop fighting me eh?"

"When we found Danny, I was hoping at first he'd got into trouble out at sea, despite being in the sea brigade but then I saw the marks on his neck. Someone either didn't know their own strength or got mad with him but either way, they killed him Alec. How didn't it affect Ellie?"

"We all react differently Rose, she had her husband to go home to, she's just better at covering it up than you are. You're a paramedic Rose, you're trained not to react when you see something but it doesn't make things any better when you know the victim. So, what's it going to be? Counselling from the local vicar or some advice from a friend, if you will let me be your friend? Will you stop fighting me?"

He took the chance to lean his chin on the top of her head, then kissed her forehead.

"Let me help you come to terms with it Rose? I had no-one when I found that girl in the river, things were already going wrong with my ex even then."

"Sorry, I didn't realise. No-one was there for ya then and no-one's here for you now you're ill?"

"I have you," he smiled, looking at her. Rose put one arm around his back. "You said you'd go with me for my surgery but if I back away from you, then you will be right, I will have no-one."

Why did he keep doing this to her she wondered. Did he have a talent for it?

"I said I'd go with ya Alec but if ya try to avoid me all the time, I won't know exactly when, will I?"

She did have a point, he thought.

"Come here Rose, I will help you all I can but you maybe need some professional advice? Sometimes though, talking helps. When I find out who did that to Danny, maybe I should just leave them to you and his mother eh?" he smiled. "When they are caught, I'm going to reopen that other case and get the person who left Pippa in the river or in the woods for what they did to her. You are right, who does that to a child? Who leaves them in a public place?"

"You're the detective Alec, you're supposed to tell me. It still haunts you? How long has it been?" she asked, finding herself not so mad with him now and her other arm now around him as he gestured for her to lean on his shoulder.

"Just over a year since she was found, three days after she and her older cousin went missing. Who leaves a child to be found instead of like you said, leaving them where they were killed? I know the answer Rose but it won't help, you don't want to know the answer," he replied as Rose tried to look up at him.

"I know what ya gonna say Alec. Whoever killed Danny and that girl were either wanting them to be discovered or they were showing off. Maybe in their sick, twisted minds they thought them being found faster would help? If so, then why kill them to begin with, if they didn't want to put their families through hell with them being missing?"

"I said you should become a detective Rose. Exactly, they were both killed to cover something up, there is no other explanation. With Pippa, I suspected she found out something about her neighbours, in particular about the man we think killed her. Maybe Danny had discovered something about his killer?"

"Was that why they were meeting up there then?" Rose asked him, liking the feeling of resting on his shoulder better than she should be doing, since she'd not let him actually kiss her yet.

"It could have been? Maybe they had arranged to meet and things got out of hand but who was he meeting? Another boy his age or an adult? You still think Joe Miller had something to do with it?" he asked her, kissing the top of her head without thinking.

"All the signs are there Alec, Joe has a temper, he knew Danny. I don't want to be right," she replied.

"I can't take him in for questioning on that alone Rose," he reminded her. "I also can't let you get further involved, not now."

"What's that mean?" she answered, trying to look up at him as he was kissing her hair, not that she minded.

He glanced down at her. "You know why. Hell Rose, what does it take for you to get that I care about you eh? If you start asking his wife questions about the time you worked with him, or anything connected to it, she will tell him. He has a temper, if it gets back to him you have talked to me about it, what then?"

Rose tried to move away but he held onto her.

"Don't back away Rose, you know I'm right. You have to be careful who you talk to, don't let on about him. You can't just ask about the time he was late back. If he thinks it's over and done with, then good, let him continue thinking that but the moment it's dragged up? He will know where it's come from, assuming he thought no-one in the car park that time remembers. I'm sorry Rose but he knows you are the only person likely to have known about it, if he suspects someone witnessed it that knew him. Yes, he used you as an excuse for being late home and you never corrected him, he'll take that as your silence."

Rose staggered back to lean on the fridge, Alec trying to support her.

"I never meant to scare you but you know I'm right, don't you?" he asked her. Rose managed a nod, wishing she was sat down instead of having him keeping her upright. "This has to stay between us for now, until we get more clues who actually killed Danny and as yet, there's not much to go on. Even if I take this to the chief, she will say the same."

"That I imagined it?" Rose asked as she leaned back, his arms still holding onto her.

"Rose, forget it now, I believe you. I meant that without proof and getting his wife involved with covertly investigating her husband. Hell Rose, what are we doing in here?" he tried to smile. "Come back and sit down, I promise not to leave until we've talked about this."

Rose nodded and he led her back to the sofa, ignoring the dishes.

"Got a dishwasher?" he asked her. Rose shook her head. "Then I will help you before I leave but since you are intent on not letting me be alone, I take it you want to keep an eye on me?"

Rose wanted to say something sarcastic back to him but that would only prove his smartass remark of her fighting him was true. Maybe it was time to call a truce?

Rose sat on the sofa, Alec taking her hand.

"You've gone quiet, for a change," he smiled.

Rose tried to dig him with her elbow.

"Shut up Alec. You're tryin' to say if he gets a hint you're investigating him, he'll know you got it from me and that he does know I was there that time? Why, it was a long time ago now. Why would he suddenly lose his temper and lash out at Danny?" she asked him.

"I've no idea but it's all making sense now. You never argued with him over him lying to his wife for being late home. Think about it," he replied.

Rose didn't want to, after all that time. He knew, he'd known when he got home, that was why he could lie so easily to Ellie.

"He knew I had to go along with it, I'd seen what he could do."

"I'm sorry Rose but yes. You may have thought you were far enough away or maybe it was as you were going back inside and the crowd was dispersing? He may have recognised you from behind and known you'd been watching. He would not have cared who else was there, they were all immaterial, they were only likely to tell someone there had been a fight in the car park but you know who it was."

He pulled her towards him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Rose, he's been waiting for you to say something and you've kept quiet all this time. If I start asking him questions now, he'll know you told me what happened. Like you said, arguments happen all the time but now, if he argued with Danny, he may not have realised he was arguing with a boy and not another man. Accident or not, he would be held responsible. Do you think he may suspect you might tell someone about the car park?"

"Geez Alec, whatcha tryin' to do?" she asked him. "That's not helping me feel any better ya know?"

"I know but you may hold the key to this investigation Rose, whether you like it or not. What if he saw you there and drove off before you got back outside so you would not suspect you had seen him?" he suggested.

"That's obvious now," she replied, taking his hand and making him smile.

"Yes. So he waited until you had time to get home, enough to give the impression he'd dropped you home when his wife asked him where he'd been. You gave him the perfect alibi."

"Well he's not getting one if it was him up at the hut that night," Rose replied.

"I should hope not but neither can his wife, if she was asleep so it goes back to Tom. Even then, my chief would argue that any defence he gave, it could not be proved either way and they would use that. Even if you testified about his temper, he's been careful to show no signs of it since."

"What are ya tryin' to get at Alec? That if it gets back to him, he'll come after me to keep me quiet?" she asked him.

"It's too late Rose, you were already keeping quiet and you still are, well he thinks so and it has to remain like that."

"So, no truce then?" she managed to smile, playing with his fingers, Alec content to let her do so, since he knew she was nervous.

"Outwardly? Then absolutely not. If your friend finds out, it will get back to him but maybe he's sure of himself? Maybe despite us making friends he may not think you would say anything? Why should he when he's got the perfect cover of being married to a police detective? I may think of asking the female officers, except DS Miller, that should throw him off."

"What about you already being unpopular?" she asked him.

"Then it will prove a point, will it not?" he replied, leaning down and kissing the back of her hand and noticing she was beginning to relax, since she'd put her arm around his back without either of them being aware of it. "It will prove they are right, that I am annoying and irritating. Well you think I am," he smiled, pushing a strand of her hair back and kissing her cheek.

"And you think that by being annoying and irritating that's the way to attract someone's attention?" she asked him.

"Well it seems to have worked with you," he grinned, running his finger down her cheek.

"You are so full of yourself. Your wife must have been crazy to put up with you."

"She left me Rose, not the other way around," he replied, knowing what she had meant. "You have put up with me, you've not thrown me out yet, in fact I think you don't want me to leave, do you?"

Rose pretended not to answer, just pulling a face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," she replied eventually.

"It's nothing Rose, it was her choice and I would have fought for her if she'd not been seeing someone right under my nose. What about you? Did you leave anyone behind?" he asked, kissing her cheek as he did notice her hand was on his shirt buttons, not that he'd be so lucky she would unfasten them just yet. She shook her head, going for one of the buttons and starting to twist it, Alec hoping it had been sewn on properly. "So, no boyfriend since you've been here?"

"Where would I get a boyfriend from since I work stupid hours?" she asked him. "Why did ya think Joe Miller left when his wife was expecting a baby?"

Alec was sure she'd asked him that before.

"I understand Rose, Tess accused me of spending more time at work, even before that murder investigation. Maybe I did but only because we were beginning to argue, mostly over our daughter. What parents don't argue over a teenager? Well maybe she wasn't quite a teenager?" he added with a smile as a button came undone.

Rose realised and was about to fasten it but he stopped her.

"Mine," she replied, trying to move her hand. "I lost my dad when I was a baby."

"I meant no offence Rose. No-one goes around knowing who has both parents and who does not. I'll be working just as many unsociable hours, remember?"

"Yeah, sorry. I get asked out but it's okay a few times, then they think I'm making up excuses to dump them so they leave instead. It's not everyone who understands what a job does to your social life."

"I know, it's okay. Maybe we could use that to our advantage eh?" he asked hopefully. "Like I said, throw suspicion off the fact you have told me about Joe Miller. If your friend suspects nothing, she won't say anything to him, will she?"

Rose looked at him.

"You're very devious Alec. We still have to appear hostile towards each other though?"

"I would have thought you'd want that?" he asked.

"What? Seriously? You're right about one thing. No-one would ever suspect anything was going on."

"I'm glad you agree," he grinned, about to kiss her cheek then saw the look on her face that made him back off. "What?" he asked instead.

"They'll be right because nothing is going on Alec. Geez, what's the point?" she wanted to know.

"Rose, hold on a minute. What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Alec. We may just as well stay as we are," she replied.

"We should?" he asked, just to make sure he'd heard her right.

"Great, fine then. I'll call a taxi for ya unless ya wanna walk and give yourself another heart attack?"

"What?" he asked, totally confused and if she thought Joe Miller could flip a switch, apparently, he was not as fast as she was. "Just hold on. What are you talking about now?"

Rose tried to get up but he stopped her, a confused look on his face.

"Let me up Alec."

"Why? So you can call a cab and make sure it's that Lucas guy and he'll ask me questions about you all the way back to the hotel?" he wanted to know.

"He did that?" she asked, staying where she was, for now.

"I thought I already told you? Fine, I'll walk then. Rose, this is getting us nowhere and I thought we had made a little progress?"

"Have we? You keep saying I make you mad, then you agree we should have a truce and then you say we can't tell anyone?" she asked, just to make sure she'd got it right. "Then when I say so, you agree?"

"What? You've lost me this time Rose."

"Really. In what way have I lost you?" she wanted to know. "You either want a truce or not but if we call one, I'm not gonna still argue with ya in front of everyone just to satisfy my friend so she won't tell Joe."

"Good, that's what I was trying to say Rose. Geez, you know how to confuse someone," he replied, Rose sitting back.

"You're confused?" she burst out laughing. "Sorry, you lost me a way back. Go on then genius, explain it to me." Alec looked at her as if to ask what he was supposed to be explaining. "Ya said you agreed, about nothing changing if we carry on arguing in front of everyone."

"I did?" he asked, trying to remember, since they were going around in circles again and she thought he wasn't confused. "What I meant to agree with was that I can't fight with you in public, not any more."

"You can't?" she asked as she gripped the edge of his shirt and it came loose out of his trousers.

"What did you think I meant?" he asked, failing to remember who had said what, she'd totally lost him. "I think that's what I was agreeing on? You could maybe help me out? Okay, let's start again. What I said about not letting your friend tell her husband we had become friends and him thinking maybe you had told me about his temper. Are you with me so far?"

Rose nodded as her finger strayed under the gap between his last shirt button and the bottom edge, since she'd pulled it out even more while he'd been talking and trying to work out how they'd got into this conversation. He pretended not to notice and carried on, things were beginning to be on his side and his luck was changing, if she'd stop fighting him.

"Rose, I meant I agreed that I don't want to fight you in public but I'm afraid of what Joe Miller would do if he thinks you told me about his temper, so there's only one thing we can do and that's not me avoiding you, if that's what you thought I meant?" he asked her.

Now she was confused but let him continue. She shook her head.

"Right, good because I really don't want to fight you and yes, you got me mad for being so damn annoying doing your job but that was before I knew how it had an effect you, finding Danny. I will help you Rose, if you'll let me?"

"Yeah, can you help me with it Alec?" she asked as her fingers touched his belly through the gap she'd made, Alec trying not to flinch as he realised she'd undone one button and pulled the shirt out even more.

"Yes, if you promise me there will be no more fighting me? As for your friend, that's going to be up to you, she'll take no notice of me and you will have to convince her to keep it quiet, for now. Just tell her you don't want her nephew to know about us, with the investigation going on. Once things settle down or we find out Joe had nothing to do with it, it won't matter. Agreed?" he asked her.

Rose nodded her agreement as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Good, now I seem to remember asking you to stay quiet long enough for me to kiss you. That includes unfastening some more of my shirt buttons, Miss Tyler and as for you working strange hours, that's not going to put me off, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, no more fighting then but I only did it because, well it doesn't matter now, it was just you coming on the scene and taking over, no-one ever bothered before," she replied.

"I get it Rose. Now come here and kiss me eh? You were concerned about me going back to my hotel room?" he asked.

"Yeah and I don't think Becca would appreciate checking on you every half an hour either," she smiled, pulling at another button.

"If you want that off, you only have to ask," he smiled. "Or would that spoil your fun?"

Rose smiled back at him, freeing her other hand to finish the job and admiring what she uncovered.

"Why do ya hide behind a beard Alec?" she asked, running her finger down where his shirt was parted and stopping at his belly button.

"I did it to annoy my ex then decided to keep it. Don't you like it Rose?" he asked her, kissing her neck, making her shiver.

She let go with one hand and put it around his neck. He was stalling too long for her liking now.

"Did ya say something about kissing?" she teased him, still with her fingers on his bare chest.

"You were the one delaying, I believe?" he teased her back.

"Are we starting to fight again?"

"Absolutely not. I don't want to fight with you Rose. Forget about finding Danny like that, if it was Joe Miller, I'll catch him, I promise and I won't let him go after you. Come here."

He leaned over her, resting one hand on the sofa arm as he pushed her gently onto the cushion. He touched her lips lightly with his own, enough to make her shiver again, then continued, knowing she wouldn't slap him now. The kiss deepened, Rose's hand still on his chest, trying to part the shirt even more then putting her arm around his bare back.

"Mmm, that was some kiss Alec," she smiled as she tried to look at him.

"Indeed? Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead and let you think about this?" he asked, seeing her face change. "Worried I'll invite Becca to keep an eye on me?"

"You re still teasing me Alec. What do ya want me to say?"

"That maybe you want me to stay to make sure I'm okay and not do anything stupid to bring on another attack?" he suggested.

"Well maybe then? I would be worried about ya," she replied.

"It's a long time since anyone worried about me Rose. I'll warn you though, I still tend to wake as if I've just been dragged out of the river after finding Pippa."

"You do? Alec, you need as much help as I do. I keep seeing Danny's face as Steven turned him over, I don't think I'll ever forget it. Does it go away?" she asked him, leaning into his shoulder as he'd somehow got to the side of her.

"I wish I could say it did but maybe for you it will? Let me try and help you Rose? Then you can try and help me eh?"

"Yeah, if anyone can help me, it's you and maybe it would be just fun if we annoyed each other a bit when we're out, as long as we know we're puttin' it on?" she suggested.

"Then you say I'm the devious one? Now, are you going to stay quiet while I kiss you for longer this time?"

A/N: I don't know what the hell the last review on this chapter was about, I haven't got a clue but please ignore it, the user has been blocked.