"Alec, we can just do more of what we did earlier, if you want?"
"Aye, I can go for more of that. I may be tempted go a little further, if you want to?"
"I don't want to set you off again Alec, whatever you are comfortable with. You have nothing to prove to me, you know that?"
"I don't expect I have, you are very understanding. Maybe I can demonstrate and prove I can still get you all hot and bothered eh?"
Rose let out a giggle and leaned over, Alec grabbing her waist.
"Maybe I should do all the hard work though?" she asked, going to lie on him.
"Well maybe just this once, until I can judge how far I can actually go. If you see me struggling, just let me rest a while?"
"Yeah, don't worry, I'll be able to tell."
Before long, Rose had lost her nightdress and Alec his t-shirt, Rose murmuring softly as they kissed and moved around, Alec noting how very little underwear she was actually wearing and trying his best to move it to his advantage.
"Mmm, Alec, why don't you take your shorts off?"
"No need to tell me twice, though maybe you should be the one to lose the underwear, since it's hardly there?"
Rose wriggled around and he helped pull the article off.
"Well don't blame me if your shorts get all wet then."
"I have spare ones but maybe I'll take them off, just in case?"
She could at least let him do that, he wouldn't go too far, not the first time. It was better than either of them expected, Alec managing to keep his heart-rate at a manageable level but as they parted, Rose could feel it wasn't normal, even though neither was hers.
"Mmm, that was really nice Alec, does your heart always go that fast?"
"It's when it slows down I have to worry. I'm fine, don't fuss eh?"
"Why, what happens?"
"I get dizzy and pass out."
"Then what happened when you were chasing that suspect?"
"It can happen at any time. Sometimes, very rarely, it can be fairly normal, just slightly faster, like now."
"So that's normal for you?"
"You could say that."
"It's so unfair Alec, how did it happen?"
"Stress maybe, maybe it was because I worked too hard on my last case, I can't be sure. I had someone covering up for me, he was sending my medication and filling out the paperwork."
"You cheated."
"Yes, I had no choice but now I have been found out, it would have happened sooner or later. At least I saw the case to the end."
"Yeah but it almost killed you."
"It was the price I had to pay. Now, come back here, I've not finished with you yet."
The next morning, Rose went to make some breakfast before they had to go collect the funeral flowers and Alec wondered how many people would actually notice them arrive together but Rose was right, they shouldn't hide the fact they were together. The only problem was, getting past the hordes of reporters who would be looking for a story and he would walk right into the middle of it with Rose Tyler on his arm. If she wasn't bothered though, why should he?
Rose went into the florist to collect the flowers, getting a small sympathy card and once back in the car, asked him if he wanted her to put his name on it.
"Why not? It can be our first official outing."
"Chloe warned me not to take a date to the funeral," she stated, signing the card with both their names then the little card attached to the sunflower arrangement.
"Sunflowers?" he queried.
"They were his favourites, according to Chloe."
"You told her you were going with me then?" he asked, putting the car into the 'Drive' position as Rose had said it would be easier if he took them there rather than give directions.
He had got out of the passenger seat when Rose went into the florists, him seeing the newspaper editor a few doors up coming out of the office as he got in the driver's side. He'd noticed she was on her own, Stevens must still be looking after Tom Miller then and he was hoping the boy's mother wouldn't show up but he doubted she was stupid enough to. Maggie had seen him and waved, probably wondering what he was doing driving and where he'd got a car from all of a sudden, one with an unusual number plate of 'TAR01S' and him thinking it must be something personal to Rose.
He turned into the lane leading to the church and seeing a bunch of reporters by the church gate, he stopped behind another car.
"We should walk the rest of the way, the funeral cars will need to get close."
"Looks like I'll be dodging reporters then, though if I put the flowers in front of my face and lean close to you, they might not notice me."
"You never answered my question Rose, do the Latimers know you were coming with me?"
"Chloe might have guessed, she saw you waiting the other night."
"Well everyone will notice if we can't get past that lot."
He put his arm around her shoulder and Rose put the bunch of flowers up in front of her and they both hoped for the best. Alec got a few calls, asking for a statement to which he told them it was not the time or the place and Rose seemed to have got away with it, none of them asking who he was with and Alec thinking if they did get away with it, it would be a miracle.
Maggie was standing with Olly, his mother and Tom, Becca Fisher was talking to the vicar and Alec wondered if there was something going on between them the way they were smiling and laughing. She kept touching his arm but that was the detective in him he supposed, suspicious of everyone, which had caught him a killer in the end because it had been the one person who was beyond suspicion, well except to him.
He had told Ellie Miller he suspected everyone and she'd questioned him about it, meaning surely he didn't include her husband but now he thought about it, Joe Miller had been in a unique position to avoid detection and cover everything up, including cleaning the hut and burning the boat, since it was his wife's nephew's boat.
Maggie was the one to approach them as Alec kept his arm around Rose.
"Hello Rose, you never said you two knew each other?"
"Well I didn't want it in the papers, we just managed to dodge that lot out there. Where's everyone else?"
"Some family members and friends are already inside. So how are you, detective inspector? Enjoying retirement?"
"I've not retired, not yet, I am still on light duties, the suspension and forced sick leave only was enforced during the investigation and that's over."
Well that was what he'd convinced himself and Jenkinson anyway. Alec turned around to see Becca approaching them.
"How's the new place working out? I can see why you wanted to leave in a hurry. Hi, I'm Becca. He never said he was leaving to go live with his girlfriend. You are his girlfriend, not his ex wife?"
"Yeah, I'm his girlfriend but we've only been together a few days. I'm Rose, nice to meet you. Alec told me you got him to hospital that time, thanks for that."
"Well, he can thank the woman below him who heard him fall. Where did you get to anyway?"
"Closer to the police station," he replied, not sure how much longer he'd be in the chalet and he'd only just got it.
Rose was hoping she hadn't been recognised, Maggie knew who she was and hadn't so far printed the story she was in the town, running a coffee shop of all things.
It wasn't long before the funeral party arrived, Rose could see the media going crazy as cameras flashed and raised voices shouting 'Beth', she felt sorry for the whole family, a funeral was bad enough without the extra trouble. They followed the procession and Alec led Rose to a seat near the back, just in front of Becca, Maggie and the others.
When it had ended, they let everyone out then Rose followed Alec out, Chloe calling her over as her parents shook hands with people.
"Mum, this is my boss, Rose."
"Nice to meet you Mrs Latimer," Rose told her.
"Chloe told us about you, I can't believe you're here, in the town. DI Hardy, glad you could make it and we wanted to say how sorry we were to hear you'd been taken ill, chasing our Danny's killer. Have you recovered?"
"I will do, Rose will look after me, she won't let me do anything foolish."
Rose smiled and squeezed his hand.
"Will you come to the house, after the burial?"
"We wouldn't want to intrude," Rose told her, not so sure Alec should be at a funeral, let alone by a young boy's graveside.
"You won't be intruding, there are only a few people besides family going to be there. We have to go now."
"Of course, Alec and I will wait in the car, he shouldn't be standing all that time."
"I can stand by a grave Rose, you don't have to shield me."
"I was just thinking it might be best for you, in view of things."
He took her hand and they followed the rest of the family and others who were still present, Alec was sure he had spotted Karen White amongst the congregation earlier but she was now nowhere to be seen, thankfully. Alec let Rose follow the family back to their house, a marquee had been put up in the back garden and Rose had seated Alec in it, telling him he needed a rest.
"Are you always going to boss me around then?" he asked as he joined her after she got caught by Olly Stevens, who had recognised her and asked if he could interview her at a date to be arranged.
"I'll let you know," she had told him, not sure that if Alec didn't actually make it through his surgery, she would want to stay.
Beth was going around and caught up with them.
"Are you two going to the bonfire lighting on the beach tonight? You're both welcome, Paul is organising it, we're lighting our own, on top of the cliff where Danny was killed."
"Yeah, that would be really nice, thanks. We'll be there, won't we Alec?"
Alec was watching as Karen White was edging towards him.
"Excuse me Rose, I'll be right back."
Rose knew who the reporter was, someone who accused your new boyfriend of being Britain's worse cop, even before he was your actually boyfriend was the enemy in her books.
"DI Hardy," Karen greeted him. "You're keeping very high class company these days, what's the story?"
"As if I would tell you. What are you doing here?"
"Paying my respects. So, you and Rose Tyler?"
"What about it? I was told to keep an eye on her, by my boss."
Well it was half true he supposed.
"In her bed or yours? I heard you were out of your job?"
"Not exactly, I got a babysitting job, not that it has anything to do with you."
"You gave your story to Olly, how about giving me the Latimer case?"
Alec shook his head. "You never give up. I don't talk to the press."
He turned around and went back to Rose, who was talking to Paul Coates.
"I heard you were in town Miss Tyler, I never expected to see you here. I was going to come and pay your coffee shop a visit, Maggie speaks very highly of it."
"Thanks, I'll look forward to you visiting though I'm going to be closed on Mondays from next week."
"So, are you and Alec Hardy an item then?"
Rose knew when she was being interrogated.
"Are you and Becca an item?"
"Good point, I'm just nosy by nature, it's none of my business I suppose but if you are, you might be able to watch out for him, I heard what happened to him."
"Yeah, I'm gonna keep him from doing anything else in the stupid department. Excuse me, he's just managed to escape the viper's nest."
Paul smiled as he watched her walk across to him, touch his cheek then kissed the other one.
"Ready to go?"
"Aye, I think that's enough for one day. Drop me at my chalet? I need to get a few things."
"Sure, want some company?"
"As much as I would like that, you must have things to do?"
"Yeah, I should see if my bank details arrived then go pay them a visit."
They got into the car Rose insisted she drove them back.
"Just drop me by the bridge, I can walk across on my own. I will see you at dusk, for the bonfire lighting, call me if I am not there."
"Yeah I will, don't worry. I'll go to the supermarket when I'm done at the bank, do you want anything?"
He shook his head, then put his hand on her leg as she stopped at a mini roundabout. After she dropped him off, she went to get changed after going through the back entrance of the coffee shop and seeing her bank deposit book and other documents had arrived, she emptied the safe and carefully exited, getting back into her car and driving back to the cottage.
Getting her shopping done, making sure she had enough for two people, she called Pete then had to face her mother.
"So, do you have something to tell me?" her mother asked after Pete had inadvertently mentioned Rose had already met Alec and that Mickey had expressed he wasn't happy about it.
"Yeah, he needs looking after Mum, until he gets his pacemaker."
"Well I hope he's gonna recover then, you don't need to lose anyone else."
"I know that Mum, I am not gonna lose him, trust me."
When Alec had got back, he'd packed most of his things and put them in a larger holdall, leaving his other suit and his coat in the wardrobe, well what passed as one in the chalet. Rose had sent him a message telling him to have a rest before going to the bonfire lighting and he'd taken her advice, being woken by his phone buzzing and seeing it was Ellie Miller.
"Thought you'd left town Miller?"
"I am, I was trying one more time to persuade Tom to come with me. You were with a woman at the funeral. Rose Tyler maybe?"
"Ask your sister and your nephew. Did you want something?"
"Can you meet me tonight, on the harbour pier, after dark."
"A bit cloak and dagger?"
"Do you want to be seen with me during the day, now you have a girlfriend?"
Alec thought about it maybe not then.
So as Rose put her black trousers and a hooded top on, over her pink t-shirt, she walked across to join the group of people walking with lit torches approaching the bonfire. Paul handed her one of the torches and Becca stepped forward, getting a nod from Paul as she bent to light the wood.
"On your own?" Maggie asked her.
"Yeah, I should call him, he's probably fallen asleep."
"Is that him, across on the pier?"
Rose turned around, two people sitting on one of the benches.
"Why would he be sitting there?" she asked, getting her phone out and calling him.
There was no answer. Ellie and Alec were talking, Alec asking where she was going.
"To make a new start and give Tom some space, to come to terms with you arresting his father and the fact Joe killed his best friend. What about you, now you have a girlfriend? What's she even doing here?"
"Making a fresh start, like we all seem to be doing. I go to the hospital on Monday, about a pacemaker.
"Well good luck with that."
"Ah, I don't need luck Miller, I have Rose."
He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, knowing it was Rose but he didn't like to talk to her in front of his old DS. Rose had set off, just as Ellie had got up and Rose passed her.
"Hello, you're Rose, right?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah. Ellie Miller, I presume?"
"Sorry, I kept him, was he meant to go to the bonfire lighting with you?"
Rose nodded. "Not to worry. Nice to have met you Ellie."
"You too, you made a big impression at the funeral, so I was told. My son wanted to be there, I couldn't go."
"Understandable. I'd better go get him, he'll think we're talking about him," Rose laughed.
"We are," Ellie laughed back.
Alec had remained where he was and Rose walked the short distance to him.
"What are you still doing out here?"
"Waiting for you to take me home?"
When they got back and got into bed, Alec was tired and it showed as they just lay together, kissing and getting as close as they could. The next morning, Rose was back to getting up early again, Alec was still asleep so she made some tea and took him some upstairs.
"Hey sleepy, I have to get to work soon."
"Morning. Don't let me keep you then."
"Ah, take your time, make yourself at home. Why don't you get the rest of your stuff later?"
"Aye, I think I just may, after I call in and keep an eye on you."
"I'd miss you if you didn't call in and don't take any notice if Chloe stares at us."
"I don't intend to."
"Can you manage things on your own?"
"Yes, I will bring my things over then get a taxi to the rental agency. I dare say they will make more renting it out to a family than to me eh?"