Reminder – events may not be in the same order as the series!

Alec had been hoping when Rose's mother had said she'd come for longer next time that she hadn't meant it. They had glared at each other a bit he supposed and she had the advantage of knowing his DS so he had no idea what they had talked about as they'd met in the café and the following afternoon they had 'bumped into' Ellie and her younger son.

He just hoped Jackie had said nothing about him being ill or first thing Monday morning, he'd be in the chief's office getting ordered on leave.

"So, do ya need time to recover from my mum's visit?" Rose teased him as he went to take her to work, Alec having made up an excuse to be late for work.

"No love, it's fine, I should get you to work. Hopefully, there may be some news on that car park incident, I had someone working on it."

"Yeah, you already said. If there is, will I need to go back for an interview?"

"Not yet, I'll see where it goes. Don't worry so much, I will try and keep it from your friend."

"I hope so Alec, I'm already worried about it. Still, if no-one remembers it, you can't do anything, can you?"

"Sorry love but unless Joe Miller makes another mistake and loses his temper, there is very little we can do. Wait for me tonight Rose, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. Maybe we'll run into each other?"

"Well your friend hopes so, she wants to see if we still argue," Alec smiled as he pulled up outside the ambulance station. "We should see about another car as well."

"So, how did your boyfriend get on with your mother?" Steven teased her as they got ready.

"I just hope she doesn't tell everyone she had to go easy on him 'cos he's not well," Rose replied.

"You'd better hope not. Right, let's get ready for a busy day then?"

Alec got to work, avoiding his DS and hoping she wouldn't gossip he'd had a visit from his girlfriend's mother, since everyone now seemed to know about them. He called young DC Daniels into his office whom he'd given the task of finding out who Joe Miller had argued with that day since he'd been present at Rose's interview.

"I might have something Sir," Daniels told him, not daring to sit down. "I was in contact with a man who a while back mentioned he'd had another argument over cutting someone off at some traffic lights and complaining he was in the right so I'm waiting for him to send a private message over it. I did what you suggested Sir and told him it was in confidence if he told us what the other incident had been and roughly when."

"Good, keep on it then. Do not tell anyone what you find, understand?" Alec asked him.

"I know Sir. Is Miss Tyler now your girlfriend?"

"Yes but we are trying to keep it low-key under the current circumstances. If this person is the same one she reported about, I need to know the details, to see if it was the person she said she was with that day."

"I know Sir but if we have him in for a statement, won't DS Miller get to know about it?"

"Hopefully not. I got Miss Tyler in without DS Miller's knowledge."

Alec thought he was getting rather good at it too. They'd seen a lot of the locals over the weekend, he was sure his DS would tell Beth Latimer at least, since Rose had told him her mother had wanted to go visit Beth but hadn't thought it was a good idea with him investigating. He was also sure he wouldn't be seeing the last of the reporter either, since at Jack Marshall's funeral, he'd been asking a lot of questions and he must have seen Rose and himself together.

Since the chief hadn't yet called him to go see her, he assumed Jackie had kept quiet over his state of health. He'd made another call but had been told he was still booked in for the date he'd changed it to, now regretting doing so since Rose would keep on mentioning it.

He was getting rather anxious nothing new seemed to be happening over anything and no new details had come in over the weekend, like the town had suddenly forgotten the reconstruction and the death of who had been proved innocent newsagent but he knew forensics were still doing tests and that hadn't put whom he only knew as Brian in a good mood either.

Little did he know that was about to change. Daniels had finally got something out of the man he'd sent the message to and was coming in to make a voluntary statement the following day and Alec had instructed the DC to do it and call him if it proved to have involved Joe Miller.

Rose had got home, Alec saying they had a possible lead over the car park incident but it still could have been with anyone. He'd also got some quotes on hiring a car, not being too happy about it.

"Leave it then Alec," Rose suggested as they ate. "Are ya sure you are okay to keep driving though?"

"Yes, I can drive Rose. I will hand the car back the day before my surgery, we will have to get a cab to the hospital and back. We could see about a car in your name though, you may get a cheaper rate or why not get one on a lease?"

"Have ya seen how much mileage they allow?" Rose laughed. "I'd be lucky if they allowed me to work and back. Let's just leave it for now, yeah?"

"Yes, we can manage for now. Did your mother get home okay?"

"Yeah, I found a message from her. She's keen to come back," she teased him.

Alec hoped Rose was teasing him anyway but after they got to bed, Alec's phone rang just after four in the morning.

"Geez Alec, who's calling ya at this time?" Rose asked him as he tried to reach his phone and grabbing it for him.

"It had better not be another body on the beach," he replied. "Hardy."

"Sir, the coastguard reported there's a boat been set alight just off the harbour."

"Well tell them to bring it in and send a car for me, you have my new address," Alec replied, getting out of bed and knowing Rose would be ogling his rear as she always did as his shorts had a mind of their own and tended to slip down while he slept and he swore that was only since he'd been sleeping with her.

"I have to go love, a boat is on fire and since we know Danny was transported from the hut, it could be the one the killer used. I may not be back, it depends."

"Yeah, I just hope no-one was in the boat when it was set on fire then," Rose replied. "Want me to come with ya?"

"No love, go back to sleep, you have a late start today, remember?"

"Yeah, I wish I could get regular hours. I might stage a protest," she grinned, getting out of bed to get him a clean shirt when he went to the bathroom. "You be careful Alec."

Little did he know that was going to be the least of his problems as he argued with the officer who had collected him that he wanted the boat bringing in, not wanting for the tide to bring it in. What he didn't know was that Olly had colluded with his new friend Karen to do a feature on Beth over her son's death and it hadn't been what Beth had expected. It was Ellie who showed it to him as she wondered what he was doing in his office early.

"Not taking Rose to work?" Ellie grinned at him, putting the newspaper on his desk. "I had no idea Beth was going to do this."

"This is all we need Miller, what the hell was she thinking? Now all the lowlife will crawl out of the woodwork. You heard about the boat that was on fire?" he asked her.

"Yeah, Bob told me but why did they call you out?"

"Check your phone Miller, I was told you didn't answer," he replied, putting his specs on to read the article properly. "This is Sunday news."

"Well they were a day or two late," Ellie replied. "We told her to leave the press to us, I'll call her."

"Call all of them and get the press together for tonight at the school. I don't like this Miller. Let me know if forensics find anything."

His phone rang so Ellie took that as a sign to leave. It was Daniels to say someone had arrived about the car park incident and was about to give a statement but then Ellie went back in to say forensics were examining the boat that had been on fire. Alec thought Rose would go crazy he was taking on so much.

Once at the landing on the harbour, Alec was being shown what had been found on the boat.

"What do you bet this is the boat used to transport Danny?" Alec asked Ellie.

"That cheered you up," Ellie grinned, wanting to say almost as much as his new girlfriend seemed to have done.

"They are panicking now Miller, that's what we want. Find out if any boats have been reported missing, whoever it is may not realise and the killer would not use a boat they owned."

If Rose was right though, the Millers may not own a boat but they would surely know someone who did? They got back the station and Daniels followed Alec into his office, handing him a report.

"You were right Sir, the man knew who it was but had chosen not to let on, in view of his wife but he knew people were watching and probably forget about it. He doesn't want to get involved further though so I told him it was just to verify the facts. What do you want doing now Sir?"

"Right, leave it with me and don't put in an official report, not yet. I'll let you know about it."

He had seen Ellie go off and wondered what she was up to but soon found out when she let herself in his office.

"I think that boat belonged to Olly's dad," she told him, taking a seat. "Olly went to where it was chained up and it was missing."

"Who knew it was there Miller?" Alec asked her.

"Loads of people, my sister hires it out," Ellie replied.

"Did Danny know it was there?" he asked, getting a funny look from her. "What about Tom?"

"Yes, so did half the town. Where is this going?" she wanted to know. "I've arranged a press conference at half six and I've told Beth and Mark."

"I will have to call Rose, I was supposed to collect her at one to take her to work, she's on a late start today."

"I'm sure she can get a cab," Ellie smiled. "Were you going to sneak off to get her then?"

"No Miller, I was going to take a lunch break and take her, she spends too much on cab fares."

"Then why doesn't she get a car?" Ellie wanted to know.

"To leave it while she goes off?" Alec replied.

"Well you leave the one you borrowed here and get people to drive you around," Ellie reminded him.

Alec shook his head. He sent Rose a message and she replied telling him not to worry when he said he'd collect her at ten. Then he realised it was the first time she'd worked late since the night she had finished at that time and gone back to the hospital to stay with him. That had led him to move in with her and he was glad he'd done so. What had he been doing getting annoyed with her all the time? They had done nothing but argue yet she had done that for him.

He got some more results from the burned-out boat then Ellie drove him to the school, Alec saying it was a waste taking two cars. He saw Olly and took him to one side.

"Where's your new friend then?" Alec asked him.

Olly just shrugged his shoulders as Alec followed him into the gym. The press conference over, they were about to get into Ellie's car when the newspaper editor approached her.

"What was that about Miller?" Alec wanted to know.

"The woman from the caravan park, Maggie thinks the woman used to go under another name."

"What does that have to do with us?" he asked.

Over the next few days, he was going to find out. Things started to add up in Alec's mind, foremost what Rose had told him and the admission from the other driver involved with the fight in the car park a few years ago.

A few weeks went by and the time was now approaching Alec going for his surgery. He'd been back to see the chief about Joe Miller and mentioned he had found the other driver involved but she still insisted it wasn't enough. Rose wanted to know why.

"Wait until after my surgery Rose, then I will go after him," Alec promised her.

"Yeah, I hope so Alec. You're not gonna be able to keep it from Ellie much longer ya know?"

"She is already asking questions. Well, a few more days love, I have a feeling with you there, I may just stand a chance eh?"

"Like when I sat by ya when you collapsed in the hotel?" she smiled at him.

"Shame you can't take me there in the ambulance then?" he teased her. "Do they allow patient transfers?"

"We should have got another car. How are ya gonna explain taking that one back?"

"Ah, well I may just keep it since it may seem suspicious?"

"Well ya not driving there so forget it," she reminded him as they got comfy on the sofa.

"I would not dare," he smiled. "Once I go back Rose, then I will make a move on Joe Miller and say I know he was involved with a car park incident, light a fire under him eh?"

"Maybe we should pay them a visit or why don't we invite them over, say next Wednesday?"

"That's not a good idea love. Let's see eh?"

Rose had booked a few days off, not saying why except to Steven, who had promised not to say anything in front of the part-time paramedic standing in for her. As she was leaving the day before Alec's surgery, he stopped her.

"Wish him good luck from me Rose, I hope it all goes well."

"Thanks, I'm sure it will since he's more confident now than he was a few weeks ago," Rose replied.

"Well he survived a visit from your mother, I guess that counts for something," he joked.

"Well he woke up the last time I was sitting at his bedside."

"What made you go back Rose, I mean that night when all you had done was argue?"

"I don't know Steven, I guess something inside me knew he was only putting on a show and so maybe I was?"

Steven thought that sounded about right, Rose always seemed to put that little bit extra into her work, he'd seen it loads of times including when they were called to see to Danny's foot that time when his sister had said he'd been hopping around and yelling before they had landed. Maybe that was why Rose was so upset when they found him on the beach, it was only a few weeks after the boat incident.

Now she was taking her boyfriend to the hospital and praying she'd be taking him home again. She had not admitted it but he knew they were living together, all the signs were there. He could see Alec waiting for her and wondered if the DI should still be driving.

"See ya on Tuesday then?" Rose called to Steven.

"Yeah, just bring him back Rose or saving him the first time was all for nothing."

"No, it wasn't. He's had all this extra time, with me and back then he had no-one to care for him."

"Well if that doesn't make him determined Rose, nothing will," Steven replied.

Rose got in the car and instead of kissing Alec's cheek, she put her hand on his cheek and turned his head.

"Hey love, I thought we had a no kissing rule outside where we work?" Alec grinned when she had given him a bigger than usual kiss.

"Well, I don't care now. Wanna go out for something to eat?"

"Well if you insist love? We are not treating it as a farewell meal, are we?"

"Alec, don't say that. Let's drive up to that pub by the big roundabout, we don't have to get dressed up to go there," she suggested.

"Whatever you want love? Should everything go well tomorrow, I think I will be having a few words with Joe Miller."

"Finally?" Rose teased him.

"Rose, you know I have been trying?"

"Yeah, I know, sorry. Any reason why ya gonna bring him in?"

"Yes, the chief had her budget cut, all the extra staff will be going over the weekend. That's what happens on a case that goes stale. All I can do is start re-interviewing but I will have to be careful," he replied.

"Well get a few in then? You suspected the vicar at one point," Rose smiled as he concentrated on the roundabout and wished he'd gone another way, since he had to double-back on himself to get to the pub car park.

Alec still half-suspected the vicar after he'd got Daniels to follow the Reverend Coates to Yeovil, not wanting to do it himself or explain to Rose why she had to make her own way home. After a nice meal and Rose opting not to drink since they had an early start the next morning, they got home and Alec wanted to be serious.

"Rose, there are some things you need to know, just in case."

"Ya mean telling your daughter?"

"Well amongst other things. Take this card love, it has my solicitor's details. Let's hope you don't need it eh? I had you put down as my next of kin Rose, for my police benefits but you will have to explain to my chief and apologise, for her not being told. Can you do that?"

Rose looked at him. That was the very least she could do for the man she'd fallen in love with who had told her she was annoying several times.

"Rose, if this is my last night, I want you, properly, no going easy on me."

"Well," Rose smiled, sitting astride him as they had kissed. "If that's how ya wanna go?"

"You know that Rose. I can trust you to get me to hospital if need be."

"Yeah, I think I know what to do. This isn't gonna be the last time though."

"Well I certainly hope not and when I come round tomorrow, I am going to ask you something."

"Yeah? What might that be then?" she teased him by running her finger down to the waistband of his shorts.

"Rose, it would not be fair if I asked you now and I did not make it tomorrow."

"Alec, just ask me. It's not fair leaving it either."

"Well this is not how I wanted to do it but Rose, if I make it tomorrow, I want us to get engaged. Will you marry me?"

Rose flung her arms around his neck.

"Really? Well yeah, I wanna marry you Alec. Shame we don't have time to get a ring?"

"Ah but I have been thinking about it for a while. Would you settle for me giving it to you now? Maybe I should have done it while we were out? I thought of giving it to you tomorrow before they take me for the pacemaker."

"Alec, that's not quite the romantic place, is it?" Rose smiled.

"Neither is you sitting on me in bed love. Let me up eh? If this is going to be my last time to have sex with you, I want to you have the ring and if I don't make it tomorrow, at least you know I would have made an honest woman of you before I went."

"Alec, you're gonna be fine," she tried to assure him, moving to let him get up.

He went to the top drawer and brought out the ring box containing a single diamond set amongst other stones that he'd bought before collecting her one night. He'd been thinking about it and the right time to ask her but this was almost his last chance. Rose held her hand out as he got the ring out of the box.

"It's beautiful Alec, I love it. When ya get out of hospital, I have to tell my mum and maybe set a date?"

"Yes love, we can set a date and I want you to know, I am going there tomorrow with every intention of coming out. Now, are you going to make me very happy now you have said yes?"

"What do ya think?" she teased him as they got back into bed.

"Rose, I got through your mother staying and if I survive tonight, well you are going to be stuck with me."

All Rose could reply as they came together was she hoped so.