The week passed very quickly. Alec, who had stayed overnight with her boys woke up earlier than he did and prepared breakfast while Tom got Fred ready. While they were having their morning meals, Alec helped with packing the stuff they need for Fred's child-minders, referring to the list that Tom had written down for him the night before. It hit him at how easy (and not to mention, domestic) he found everything seemed to be. He didn't even feel slightly bothered or impatient as he would be if it had been to socialize with other people.

Maybe it was due to the lack of sand.

Maybe it was due to the lack of strong coastal air.

But he still hates the bloody smiley faces of his colleagues. And neighbours.

And here he is packing Fred's diapers without even complaining.

"Hardy," Tom tapped his shoulder, "I've washed the dishes."

He looked into the boy's tears-swollen eyes, "You didn't have to, lad."

"I just did."

He sighed and stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You sure you want to go to school today? You're not looking top."

Tom was already being dragged by Fred out the door.

When Alec watched the way Tom carried himself looking out for his baby brother – the way he seats his brother quietly at the back of Alec's car, how easily he directed Alec the route to the child-minders, how he handed over Fred for them to take care – he realised how fast and vastly different the boy had grown up to be. He is the man of the house now (although Alec would argue that Ellie is the man of any household ever) and he was only entering his teens. A year had changed him so much from being the boy that his mother cried about at night to the young gentleman who looks out for his mum instead. But deep inside Alec knows that Tom was still the boy scarred by the murder of his friend, stabbed by the lies of his father, buried in the grievances of his mother.

Tom is quite a mystery; he doesn't talk as much as his mother does and like most teenagers (based on Alec's limited knowledge of them), he keeps pretty much to himself.

"You alright?" Alec asked when he sat back down in the car after sending Fred.

Tom shrugged, "Why are you always asking that?"

Alec revved up and got the car going, "I worry. That's all."

"I'm alright," He replied so softly Alec barely heard him.

"Yeah? Are the students nice?"

Tom stared at him. Alec thought with all the investigative work he had done, he is able to read people better now but he wasn't exactly clear on how he was to read Tom's face. It seemed vulnerable yet at the same time tough.

"If you're wondering if there are students picking on me because of dad, no."

Alec nodded his head, "Good to know that."

"They do know though," Tom hung his head, "But I'm just glad they didn't treat me any differently."

Alec reached out a hand for the boy's shoulder, "I hope they won't. Do you know how scary it is if your mum finds out? She'll crack the person's rib with one blow."

The Scotsman heard a soft laugh, "I know. I'm afraid of her too."

Alec didn't talk much at work nor did he manage to catch a glimpse of Ellie the whole time since he arrived. She had closed the doors to her office and her blinds were drawn. Only those who had to report to her went into her office. He had kept mostly to himself, communicating once in a while with the others to pass and ask them about the updates on their investigation on the mini drug operation happening at the other side of town. But when lunchtime arrived, he turned down the invitation to have lunch with the rest of the bullpen and instead, headed for Ellie's office, knocking on the door before hearing her asking to come in, "Hey."

"What?" Ellie didn't even look up from her computer.

"I packed some lunch just in case you're busy," Alec held up the container he had carried along with him, "it's the leftover from last night's dinner, if you don't mind."

She sighed and rubbed her temples, "I bloody hate night shifts."

He strode over, placing the container on her desk and he reached out a hand, "Come on."

She tilted her head, bemused.

"Just get up here." And she went round, taking his hand in hers. Alec pulled her over to the couch and settled her beside him. Ellie automatically laid on her side with her head on his lap. Trying his best not to move too suddenly, he removed his suit and threw it over her, "Take a nap. You can heat up the food later."

"Stop being so nice to me."

"Someone has to since you don't have time to be nice to yourself."

He left her alone most of the day so as to not stoke at her exhaustion and drive her to a more cranky mood. Daisy called in at some point to tell her father about her plans to stay over for the summer break which hits in after two Sundays and wouldn't be visiting him till then.

Alec was done with his work for the day early and although he could have gone off, he waited for Ellie at her car in the carpark.

"Why the hell are you still here?" He heard her yell from across the carpark.

Alec approached her, grabbing her gently at her arm and pulled her towards his car instead, "I'll drive you home."

"No. What?" She stopped in her tracks and pulled her hand away from him, "Excuse you, I am capable of doing that myself."

"Shut up, Miller. You haven't slept properly. Do you really think I'll let you drive Fred like that?"

She pursed her lips but followed him anyway.

They eventually took on Alec's proposal on carpooling. And so, they took turns driving to send the boys to school and for them to get to work.

Evenings from then on were easy for the both of them. Although there hadn't been the case of either of them sleeping over in the other's house again. When the both of them get home from work, sometimes Alec would help her with minding Fred. They took turns preparing dinner; Tom and Ellie would complain when he hosts dinners due to the lack of a dining table, "Alright, alright. I'll get one soon."

"Is Daisy coming in this week?" Tom asked.

"Nope. Not till summer break."

"Three more Mondays. You're missing her, huh?"

They spent the first weekend without Daisy by going shopping for a dining table for Alec. It was a long day because they ended up stopping at almost every toy shop they came across and also because Ellie was rejecting every of his choices. When they came to an agreement, it was due to the fact that Alec was too tired to go on with the shopping and he had to just agree with the one Ellie had chosen. Tom on the other hand, resigned to waiting out at a café. Alec was uncomfortable at being outside too long, because he had been receiving stares from other women and also because he just doesn't like to be where there are people.

Certain nights, Tom will go over to Alec's house to use the office space for him to finish up his homework and also getting help from the man other than trying to get peace time off from his baby brother trying to tear up every worksheet. Alec will allow him to sleep over but the boy would never want to sleep in Daisy's room and took up space in his couch instead. Alec had even came to the point where he lets Tom leave some of his books on the bookshelf so that he doesn't have to bring it back and forth.

But the man knew that it wasn't only that. Sometimes, he'll find Tom crawling up beside him in his bed, sobbing, and Alec would have to calm the boy down from his nightmare. At occasions, they will sit down together on his bench swing and say nothing. The two aren't really the best people at holding a conversation anyway but when they do, they have a sentence or two about the day they had.

"Do you really allow me to date your mum?"

"I do."

"Why?"

Tom shrugged. Alec understood him, however.

"Are you going to?"

Alec's turn to shrug.

And because Alec had no means of entertainment (Daisy had nagged at him to get cable television, though), Ellie often invited him over to watch telly with her. The second Sunday night, Ellie and Tom had wanted to Jurassic Park. Alec was seated down on an armchair with Fred on his laps and the boy had been trying climb all over him. Ellie was engrossed at the sight of Jeff Goldblum's character as she sat on the couch while Tom was on his belly on the floor, as fascinated at how the dinosaurs looked too real.

Alec on the other hand, was trying his best to prevent the tiny gentleman from trying to pry open his lips with his little fingers. He went on to hitting his grumpy friend's face instead, "Dee-dee."

"It's Hardy, lad," Alec let the boy stand on his lap, "Har-dee."

"Dee-dee," the boy struggled.

"Har… deee," Alec pressed on the syllables.

Fred hit his friend's face again, "Dar-dee."

Alec almost lost grip on the boy. Ellie and Tom turned their heads so quickly Alec was sure they could have snapped their necks if they hadn't be careful.

"Dar-dee." Fred laughed and launched himself for Alec's neck and hugged it.

He couldn't do much in the position he was in but he whispered something he never thought he would ever teach a child of Fred's age ever again, "Fred, say daddy."

The little boy removed himself from around Alec's neck and placed his tiny hands on each of his friend's slightly stubbled cheek, "Daddy Dar-dee?"

Alec saw Ellie and Tom both as astounded as he was at their respective places. Tom got up straight away and removed his baby brother from the man's lap, "That's enough, Fred. Say, goodnight."

Fred waved, "Night, daddy."

Alec stood up and towered over the two brothers, ruffling Fred's wild curls before placing a kiss on his crown, "Goodnight, Fred."

When he turned around after seeing Fred and Tom up the stairs, Ellie was behind him with her arms folded, her eyes red as it started tearing up, "What was that for?"

Alec hung his head.

"Why did you do that?"

He stuttered but he didn't have a reason to give in the first place anyway, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What? You're going to let my son call you daddy just for the sake of it? Then leave us again for another 3 months? You're lucky Fred could never remember having Joe for his father, Hardy!"

He closed the gap between them. On many occasions before, Alec would counter these situations by being angry himself for he wasn't really good at controlling his temper. But not around children. He may not be a model parent but he knows for sure that he would never let children witness an argument between adults, "Look, I said, I'm sorry."

"Oh, fuck off."

"I am not going to argue with you here with the children around us, Miller."

"Don't do this with me, Hardy. Don't be all polite and nice. Don't dance around my family like we are going to break when the wind blows."

"I didn't mean to, Miller."

Ellie stormed to the door, opening it, hinting at him to go, "Out."

And he did, dragging her out with him, closing the door behind them, "Miller. I didn't mean to do that."

"Stop, Hardy."

"No," Hardy cupped both her elbows, "Listen to me. I just want to give the boys a chance to have someone else that they could rely on. After what I've done, after I took their father in, do you really think I would leave it that way? I want to make it right to them, Miller."

The tears start to fall again, "But you can't make a promise you can't keep!"

He sighed, taking her hand and placed it over his chest, letting her feel the bump of his scar, "Can you feel that?"

Ellie didn't say anything. Instead, her hand relaxed and started to trace the scar, drawing patterns around it.

"Why the bloody hell did you think I get this? I could have let the trial just bloody destroy me. I could have let the town continue hating me. I would rather die than having to deal with the bloody slanders because I know that no one would care anyway." Alec gave her hand a squeeze, "But you proved yourself to me over and over. You stayed where I won't. You moved on from where I stayed. You care for me when I can't."

Slowly, she buried her face into his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist. He stiffened at first; her sudden actions had messed up his train of thought. Alec managed to compose himself quickly enough and responded, wrapping his arms around her, "I got this because I needed to be around you long enough until you are in good terms with Beth again, with the town. I don't want to leave you halfway out. I needed to stay so that you could have someone looking over you."

Alec felt her grip his t-shirt into her fist, "But you left us anyway."

He removed her from himself gently, cupping her face in his hands, placing a soft kiss close to the corner of her mouth before pulling her to him again, holding her slightly tighter this time, "I am here now."

Alec rubbed her back slowly, tucking her head underneath his chin, "I'm staying. That scar is my promise."