A/N: Ahah. I updated. What have I done. I don't even know what went on here. Let's just hope everybody likes it, yeah?

Oh. Thanks for the reviews, guys! Didn't say it before, did I?

Disclaimer: Never gonna happen.

Why did he even go up the roof barefooted?

Now he's just there with his feet freezing as the coastal wind blew. In a really thin jumper.

Bloody hell.

Alec looked around him.

There was only darkness except for the roof tops that has their lights on; beaming from its housing that was flushed into the floor. He was surrounded with other houses filled with family and here he was, alone in a big house, with no one to call family. He would have considered his daughter but he wasn't so sure if he could. He had tried fixing his relationship with his daughter but it didn't work for almost two years. Now, Daisy might be trying to fix their relationship but he left it a long time ago when he realised he could never win back her heart when she was exposed to the lies he had admitted to. He still wants her, of course, but not if she still sees him as the man who left her mother for another woman. He wanted her to know the truth but he's not going to give it to her. Not so suddenly when she had lived her life believing the lies only to be hit with a whole lot of truth in her face. It would only make him look worst.

He wanted her to discover the truth on her own terms.

Alec took out his phone, and started typing out a draft - an apology message for not returning her calls. But he couldn't go beyond, "Hi, darling." when he decided to give up, not knowing what to say afterwards.

Alec sighed and tried to reason with himself as he looked around again. The idea of having a family again was all that he had ever wanted since the day he met Tess and it was all that he ever wanted now still. Even if it's only Daisy that he could get back. More particularly, Daisy was the reason why he had moved to Gracestone in the place, wanting to try and get back to her. But now that he was here, he didn't know what to do anymore.

But at least he had found Ellie again.

He buried his face in his palms at the thought.

Out of all the people.

Ellie Miller and her boys.

Knight. Ellie Knight, he corrected himself.

"Knight," Alec repeated out loud and let out a laugh.

How fitting, he thought.

Because she's one who fights and defends at the same time. He had seen how she had fought for justice to be served in the courtroom. He had seen her defend herself when the they accused her with lies. She didn't need to be saved.

But as strong as she appear to be, he knows Ellie should still be protected. Once, she had been so secured with the company of a husband and her children. When things turned around, it broke her as much as it made her. And Alec knew that Ellie should be protected from that pain more than anything else, that even though she could take care of herself and her sons, she still needs someone to look out for her.

Alec laughed at the thought, he knew she wouldn't accept it if it came from him. He didn't know exactly what she would say but her voice is already nagging in his head just thinking of it.

"Oi." The familiar voice surprised him.

He turned to see Ellie in her night robe and slippers with her arms folded across her chest, the wind blowing her curls all over her face.

"You look ridiculous." Alec responded, standing up straight.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too when I first met you in Broadchurch."

"Hmm," Alec replied as he walked over to stand by the metal railing that divided them.

There was a weird silence between them as they simply stared at each other, one with her arms folded, and the other with his hands in his sweatpants pockets.

"Why the hell are you barefooted up here?"

"I couldn't be bothered."

"Right."

Silence again.

"Are the boys asleep?"

"Fred is. Tom's probably playing the X-Box in his room."

"Hmm." Alec ended the conversation.

He recalled what he said about her looking ridiculous. In all actuality, he didn't really think she looked so bad. All those months away from her, almost forgetting what she looked like, he was trying to memorize her features, trying to remember the face of the person that had been so loyal to him despite them knowing each other for less than a year.

Hell, she had been more loyal to him more than anyone else that he could remember.

"You know one thing that remained the same about you?"

He raised his eyebrows, missing the question the first time round, trying to recover from his reverie.

"You are still very bad at holding a proper conversation."

"I've got nothing to talk about, Miller."

"Knight." She corrected him, rolling her eyes.

"Knight," He rubbed the back of his neck, "sorry."

"You'll get used to it."

"Aye."

Ellie took a step closer, "You didn't talk much just now during dinner."

"Nothing to talk about."

"Nonsense," she pulled the robe tighter around herself when the wind blew a little harder, "three months. Nothing happened in three months?"

"Do you want to talk inside?" He attempted to be nice.

"I'm alright."

"Well," He looked down at his feet, "I'm not. My toes are freezing."

"Fine," She turned around heading for the stairs down, "climb over. I'll make tea for us."

"I was thinking of my place."

"Don't be such a knob; you don't even have a kettle."

Well, that's true.

And he silently obeyed, climbing over the railing and tailing her, taking quick but little steps as he felt his toes starting to get numb.

When Ellie stopped by Tom's room, he stood behind her as she asked his son, "I'm making tea. You want to join us?"

Tom nodded his head as a greeting to the older man and focused back on his game, "I'll pass. But I'm getting a little hungry. I'll probably get something later."

"Just tell me if you want anything, okay?"

"Hmm."

He watched her as she put the kettle to boil. It's been a long time since anyone did anything for him and it felt a little weird to be in a person's house late in the middle of the night and the idea of having a conversation with a person was already more than overwhelming for him.

Especially now that it is Ellie Miller.

Knight, Ellie Knight, he corrected himself again.

Ellie was making him feel things but he didn't know exactly it was. However, he's certain that out of anything else, he felt the warmth and hope.

The warmth of having a company.

The hope of salvaging a relationship.

He didn't really know what was this thing they have between them - are they friends? Ex-colleagues? Acquaintances?

But it definitely is worth giving a try at salvaging.

"You're dreaming away again." Ellie pushed a mug of Earl Grey across the dining table they were settled on.

"I was just thinking," He took the mug, blowing into it before taking a sip, "Thanks."

"Of what?" He raised his eyebrows, unsure of the actual question being asked, "What were you thinking of?"

Alec sighed, "Nothing much, really."

She glared right back at him.

He knew that she knows she was never going to get anything out of him no matter how hard she tried and he was glad that she let it go. As they sat down in silence, each just taking a sip of their tea every now and then, Tom walked in, headed for the cabinet and grabbed a box of cereal. When he settled down with them at the head of the table, pouring the milk into the bowl, he attempted to join in their non-existing conversation, "You didn't talk much about yourself just now at dinner."

"Bit like your mother, aren't ya?" Alec replied, amused.

Ellie beamed.

"Where'd you go, Mr Hardy? How are you?" The boy continued the conversation without looking up from his bowl.

Alec winced. He's not really comfortable with people asking him the questions, being a former detective. But he moved to Gracestone for a change, he had to at least try to change himself, "'M fine. Thanks. Been back home to Aberdeen."

"Why move to Gracestone?" The young man shot another question, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

Alec was fascinated more than anything else, how he actually felt the boy had control of the current situation, shooting questions at him. Authoritative but friendly. And he noticed how Ellie found this intriguing too as she started to shift in her seat.

It's going to be a chatty night.

He answered anyway, "I don't know. I just wanted to be somewhere near my daughter and I didn't want to go back to Broadchurch. It was a really impulsive decision."

"Are you planning to visit her soon?"

"Maybe."

"What are you going to do here?"

"Can't possibly take up the Detective Inspector role here, can I? Your mum will kill me."

"Hmm." The questions stopped as Tom picked up his bowl to walk over to the sink and wash it, "Your heart is better now?"

Alec didn't answer. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He saw Ellie's grin starting to fade away but he looked at her in assurance and sat up straight, "It's better now, thanks."

"Okay," Tom turned and nodded at him, "Goodnight, then. Thanks for the dinner anyway, Mr Hardy."

"Aye."

Here they are again, only the two of them. Alec and Ellie. Back to square one with nothing to say. Both holding onto their mugs that had cooled. Alec's gaze shifted to his mug, his fingers tapping its rim.

"You were the one who suggested for us to talk inside and now you are saying absolutely nothing." Ellie raised a point.

"I thought you would have more questions for me."

"I did but Tom covered the main points already."

"Right." Alec breathed in deeply.

Now what?

"So," Alec rubbed the back of his neck, "DI now, huh?"

"Yeah."

Tom had brought up the topic over dinner, talking about what his mother is doing in Gracestone, but Alec noticed the discomfort it brought upon Ellie and so he didn't push it until then, "How?"

"Elaine thought our work was good - you and I. She said I didn't let my personal affairs come in between the case. She would have recommended you to Gracestone if you hadn't disappeared so soon."

"The tables have turned."

"Yeah."

"Is that how you get this house?"

"Yeah. I turned it down initially because I thought maybe you will return and that Elaine will give it to you instead. I waited," She paused, her tone turned melancholy, "but you never came back."

Ellie rose from her seat and went for the sink and turned on the tap, throwing her cold tea and washed her mug. Alec simply observed the way she carried herself across the kitchen. Anyone who doesn't know her enough would probably think that Ellie is fine but he knew that she was anything but fine. He brought himself up and walked over to her, standing by her side, handing over the mug for her to wash. He leaned against the counter as he watched her clean up, "I never thought anyone would be waiting for me."

"Apparently no one waited for you in the end because I sold the house in Broadchurch and bought this one instead. The force subsidized it for me. Don't blame me but the offer was tempting. " Ellie faced and mirrored him, settling a hand on her hip and gave him a smile - a smile she gives when she tries to pull herself away out of a serious situation. It's a form of emotional detachment for her, he realised and Alec didn't really like it because it just shows hurt she had been.

"You were doing better in Broadchurch. You and the Latimers. The town accepted you again."

"I was, yes. They did, yes. But you never mentioned where you were going, I had no means to contact you. I would have called you but you going away simply means that you don't want anything to do with us but I worry for you still."

"Right." Alec put his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels.

"Daisy, huh?"

"What?"

"You moved here because of Daisy?"

He took a deep breath in, "I think."

"Did you tell her you'd moved?"

Alec kept quiet.

"You didn't, did you?"

"I see why you are a detective."

"You know what amazes me most?"

"What?"

"Is how you managed to buy a house and a car in three months. Where did you go, Hardy? What have you been doing?"

Alec groaned.

He's too tired, really. That day had set a record for him for the most questions being asked in his entire life but he tried to be polite still, "I went home to Aberdeen."

She led him back to the table, sitting down, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"Can we not talk about this?" Alec groaned again and dragged a hand down his face. He felt the overnight stubble growth - should he keep it?

"Oh, come on." Ellie leaned closer with fascination, grinning cheekily, "Did you work as a farmer?"

"Let's just say my brother has his own franchise of restaurants in Scotland and I helped him with the capital."

"JESUS," Ellie's eyes widened and Alec winced, "are you saying you have a restaurant now?"

"I have a share, to be more accurate."

"Unbelievable."

"But that was a long time ago, long before I worked on the Gillespies' case. My brother just keep cashing in the returns of my investment up till now."

"So, you have always owned a restaurant?"

"I have a share." He corrected her again.

"Wow."

He scoffed, "How did you think I was able to pay for the cost of taking care of Claire and myself?"

"Wow." Ellie repeated herself.

Her awed face was comforting. If Alec didn't feel so self-conscious at that point of time, he would have laughed at her expressions but he couldn't betray himself so easily, "I saved up mostly. Got no one or nothing to spend on."

And their conversation ended there, with her gazing at him in utter disbelief, clearly enthralled at her new finding. It's been long since he had been around company and he found the night too nice that he felt reluctant on going back to his new home. He studied her face, her laugh lines, her ridiculous curls and he began to wonder of how much she had faced, how she struggled through and still managed to be a nice person unlike him.

He'd been rude.

And judgmental.

But here he sat before a woman who managed to be strong and kind.

"How are you, Ellie?" His voice was gentle - too gentle in fact that he surprised himself.

Ellie on the other hand was caught off-guard when he called her by her first name but she recovered instantly, obviously pleased with him to be able to address her like that, "I'm good; Tom's happy in school; Fred's making friends at the child-minders; I got your job. And a big house. And a divorce."

Ah, so Knight is her maiden name.

"And I found you again," Ellie's attention shifted to the circles she was drawing with her finger on the table, "you could say I'm better than most days."

Alec saw her blush under the dim lighting of her kitchen and he would have appreciated it if he had kept his stubble so that it could hide the pink in his cheeks as he felt the blood rushing up to his face.

He didn't know what to say.

Or what to do even.

Is the pacemaker working? He worried as he felt his heartbeat starting to race.

Silences between them is a normal thing – despite the fact that he's a man of not much words while Ellie on the other hand could not shut herself up – but this one was just overwhelming. The whole situation was too intimate. He addressing her by her first name, her admitting openly to have worried for him. And both being lonely and vulnerable. He had so many questions to ask her but she wouldn't look at him in the eye. However, he kept gazing at her till the moment she finally lifted up her face.

He gave her a smile, a small one. A grateful one.

And she returned it.

He rose to his feet, half-wanting to leave but it's already so late as he bear in mind that she has work in the morning, "You've got to get sleep."

"Yeah." Ellie adjusted her night robe, "You too."

And they walked silently up the stairs and up to the rooftop but before Alec climbed over, he spun around and stopped directly in front of Ellie, forcing her to halt, "Sorry."

"It's okay." Ellie was focused on the floor of her rooftop.

"Right." Alec shifted his gaze to his bare feet, rocking back an forth on his heels, "Ellie?"

"Yeah?" She looked up, but not at him, he realised. She's looking in his direction but not at him.

"It's nice to see you again."

"What the hell did I say about being nice to me?"