Getting cleaned up, he slipped his shorts on and looked in on the still sleeping baby, Rose waiting for him to come back in.
"How about we go out tomorrow Rose?" he asked as she snuggled up to him.
"Yeah, I wanted to take him into the water. I never got chance the other day."
"There is a beach a bit further down where we can take him then go have some lunch. I'm sorry Rose, I can't go in with you, after carrying that girl out of the river but you two enjoy yourselves."
"Maybe I can help you get over it? It's just like standing in the shower Alec. You can hold my hand."
"I know love, maybe I can give it a try eh? That was why I took that chalet by the river, to try to get over it."
"Did it work?" she asked, yawning after he'd worn her out.
"Not really. I did collapse on the decking and when I woke up, it was covered with water. I don't know why I chose that place."
"Well you got help before it was too late. Was it you who delayed or the hospital?"
"It was all me Rose, entirely, I was too stubborn but that scared me enough to think I would never see the outcome of the trial or finally get justice for Pippa and find her missing cousin."
"What happened to her Alec, the one who was missing?"
"We were too late, someone confessed where they had left her. I can't talk about it love, my ex is still building a case against them."
"So that woman the reporter saw you with, she was part of it?"
"Yes, she was the main suspect's wife but it turned out she as more involved. Leave it Rose, please?"
"Yeah, sorry. I just missed so much of what was going on. James knew you looked like him."
"He never told you?"
"No, he never mentioned he thought he had a double, that's how much we bothered I suppose. It's over Alec, I'll let him see Jack but that's it."
"I know love and I will be with you."
"Thanks, I don't know what we'd have done without you."
"Well you can thank me by not rushing to see to your son in the morning and spending some time with me, we have the monitor, he'll be fine."
As promised, when Alec woke, he just let Rose stay where she was, half on him, her head nestled in his shoulder that his arm ached but he didn't want to disturb her. He managed to squint at the large digital alarm/radio, it was 7.05 am and there were no sounds coming from the baby monitor so he relaxed and waited for his new girlfriend to wake up.
He'd asked Rose how she felt about their new relationship, she had said before they fell asleep that she felt comfortable and safe with him even only after a few days and trusted him completely with Jack, who seemed to have had no problem going to him, even more than he'd done to his father.
James and Jack had been a bit 'off' with each other but the last time, Jack had been happy to spend a few hours in James's apartment, playing with a few toys that had been left in what had been the nursery. Now Alec wanted to turn the other bedroom into one and wanted to take the bed down and ask Ellie if she could store it in her garage for them, since the baby equipment was out of the way. He'd said he was going to get a baby storage unit with a padded top for changing and for Rose to look online at local adverts to see if there were any used ones since she'd pointed out how expensive they were just for another 6-12 months or so.
Rose was moving and opened one eye and for one moment thought she was looking at James, who had never bothered shaving on a Sunday morning, his 'day off' he stated from being a history professor and a science 'buff' and she'd often teased him he should keep it, when things had been going well, before Jack had come along but she'd not forgotten how things had soon started to turn sour on them.
"Hello gorgeous, sleep well?" Alec asked, trying to move his numb arm.
"Hi yourself, you're so cute you know? You look like a teenager with that grin on your face."
"If that is a compliment, I will take it as such and I think I actually feel like one, that is how you, Rose Tyler, make me feel again. You promised me a morning snuggle, remember?"
"Have you heard Jack this morning?"
"Just making a few noises, he might be waking up but he will let us know when he wants us Rose, don't fuss love eh? Time for some grown-up fun, come here."
He went for her underwear, Rose pretending to battle him.
"I am not going to do anything you don't want but it is time you completely relaxed with me. I want you to see how serious I am about you going to that family-planning clinic so tomorrow, find out where it is and get a taxi there, maybe that and the health centre and baby clinic are all in the same building?"
"I told you Alec, I can't do anything until after next weekend," she protested as he attempted to pull her underwear down again.
"They have a morning after pill you know, maybe you can get a few until after your monthly? Allow me to give a demonstration as to why you should ask?"
She moved her hand off of his and he proceeded to take them off then pulled down his shorts slightly and pulled her towards him so her leg was over his left hip. It didn't take long for a rather pleasant feeling to come over them, without the protection he'd bought getting in the way as Rose giggled and pushed him onto his back, going with him.
"Oh, you are a giggler are you? Then maybe I should give you something to giggle about eh? So, have you enough incentive yet?" he asked as he battled to work his shorts off.
"Mmm, I might have, demonstrate some more."
Rose was still giggling when they plainly heard Jack, not crying but making loud noises. It seemed to Rose now he'd only cried when she was with James or at her mother's, which made Rose think she should have got out earlier but had she done that, she'd never have met Alec, who within a few days had become her lover and much more, he was becoming a father to Jack. She'd noticed how much happier her son had been since they met Alec, who was beaming from ear to ear as he was delighting a more than willing Rose.
"I'll go love, you stay here eh?" he volunteered, fishing under the duvet for his shorts and getting her knickers instead and holding them out to her as she fell off him and onto her back.
"Thanks, having trouble finding your shorts?" she laughed.
"I've got them thanks. I'll bring him in shall I? Let him get used to us."
"Yeah, that's a good idea, I always went to him and got him dressed before James got up on a Sunday morning. Alec, he's missed out on an awful lot."
"Shush love, don't get upset or feel guilty about it. He was only three months old, he didn't know that you and his dad were breaking up," he told her, trying to sit up and pull his shorts up.
"You can do that standing up you know? I've seen your cute ass before."
"Yes, it was dark though, I might be shy."
"Rubbish, I'm the shy one."
"We will discuss that later, I think someone is getting hungry so I will bring him in for a few minutes then next time, for longer," he suggested, putting his t-shirt on.
Rose heard him on the monitor talking to her son.
"Now young man, are you gettin' hungry eh?" he asked, grabbing the duvet and going to tickle the boy, who was looking at him.
Jack gurgled and let Alec pick him up then he went to get a nappy, the packet of baby wipes and thought he'd let Rose choose what the boy was going to wear and then ask her if she minded what he chose, since he'd grabbed the nearest things the last few mornings and she'd not said anything about it.
Rose was sat up, waiting for them as Alec carried Jack in and held him out for Rose to take, putting the other things on the chair.
"Hi there, how are you today?" she greeted Jack, who was now smiling at her as she held him against her raised legs so he could lean back.
Alec got back in bed beside her, putting one arm around her and going to tickle Jack with the other, Jack now kicking his legs and smiling at them both.
"He'll love going in the water when we go down to the beach, he can feel it around him, get him used to it. I was thinking about taking him up to the caravan site's swimming pool, I saw it the other day. Do you think it's open to the public?" Rose asked as Jack gripped her finger and tried to put it in his mouth.
"I would expect so, you could go and try, he will probably enjoy it. Why don't you stop by and we'll take him next Saturday afternoon? I can sit and watch then you can have a swim afterwards?"
"Yeah, I will, that would be really nice, I don't get much time to myself you know?"
"I know love but all that has changed now, you have to remember that," he told her, kissing her forehead then reaching for Jack to hold him up.
"See, I told you those more expensive nappies were better for him, was he always this happy in the morning?"
Rose had to admit he hadn't been. They had never spent time with James in bed on Sunday mornings, the only reason they had slept together was because Rose needed to keep some sort of relationship but they had at least kissed goodnight though he'd not lingered over it for too long. She'd told Alec she'd seen it coming, James suggesting she moved out, since she was never on the lease for the apartment.
Alec was rubbing her shoulder.
"Come on love, I'll get him dressed and changed, you get ready and go make his bottle and his cereal eh? You said we'd share at weekend did you not?"
He knew she was thinking about the past, how could she not? She hadn't deserved any of it and he thought she was feeling guilty for some reason. Now he had to prove to her how wrong she was, that it had been no-one's fault but he didn't want to pry too much as to her past domestic arrangements with James.
Holding onto Jack, Alec got out of bed carefully and laying the boy down while Rose got out, got him changed and dressed, Alec watching out of the corner of his eye as Rose turned around to change her underwear.
"You don't have to be shy in front of me love, you know that, don't you?"
"Yeah, sorry, it's just a habit."
"I know but maybe you will get out of it, yes? Do you want me to take him downstairs for you?"
Rose nodded, she still didn't trust herself to walk down the narrow stairs with her son in her arms, after living on one floor for so long and when the lift had been broken in her mother's block of flats, she'd been grounded. She followed Alec and Jack downstairs, Alec having left the chair ready the night before and strapping him in kissed the boy's forehead.
"Will you be ok while I get dressed?" he asked, slipping an arm around her.
"I'm fine Alec, really. Maybe tonight I won't be so shy in front of you?"
"I hope not. I'll make us some breakfast when I come back down, you just feed Jack, he likes that cereal and try him on that new follow-on milk you got him."
Rose couldn't believe how much Alec knew, compared to James, who had been somewhat at a loss of how much milk formula to put in the bottle but Jack was growing, almost seven months old and was wanting to try other things than his milk.
Just after ten, after Jack had some more milk and a rusk, Alec strapped him in the car seat and they drove down to the next village and parked near the beach by a café and a shop and they settled on the sands. Even though it was the middle of April, it was quite warm so Rose took off Jack's baby socks and the blue striped cotton trousers Alec had picked out after Rose said whatever he chose would be fine with her.
Jack was making screaming noises as the water trickled over his tiny feet and he was jumping up and down, making him giddy. Alec had his phone out, taking photos of them, then calling for Rose to turn him around.
"Wave Jack,'' she told the baby, who was all smiles and wet sand on his feet, wanting to go back in the water.
Alec was only a few feet away from them, Rose had got a blanket and he'd spread it on the sand and had taken off his shoes and socks and vowed he was going into town the next day and getting some sandals and another pair of jeans, the black ones he had on were the only pair and he'd managed to roll them up slightly.
"Come nearer Alec," Rose called to him as she put Jack back in the water.
"Hell," he said to himself, he could go stand in the water with them, it was nothing like being up to his waist in the river, carrying the dead girl out.
He got up, his jacket was in the car and there was nothing of value, just a few toys, the baby bag, they'd not bothered with the stroller, Alec had carried him, the baby bag on his other shoulder. He took off his sunglasses, put his phone in his jeans pocket but Rose held her hand out for it.
"Let me take some of you, my phone's in the bottom of the baby bag, you can send them to me later. Here, take him and stand in the water or is it too much for you?"
"No, I can stand in an inch of water Rose, I'm not as bad now I have justice for Pippa. Smile for your mum Jack."
Jack had no problem smiling, his fist in his month and jumping up and down in the water, Rose had put him some shorts on and Alec was trying to get the fist out of his mouth, thinking better that than his foot he'd been trying to get in earlier.
Rose was taking photos then standing with Jack between them, Alec putting the phone's camera on what his daughter had told him was 'selfie' mode, took some more, then he kissed Rose's cheek as she held her son. They had just gone to sit down again when Ellie, Fred and Tom wandered onto the beach, Fred heading straight to 'Hardee' as he shouted for Alec and almost fell on his face.
"Hello there, you must be Fred?" Rose greeted the boy as Tom caught up with him. "Hi, you must be Tom then? I'm Rose and this is Jack."
"Hi Rose, come on Fred, Uncle Alec's got his hands full with the baby. Is that Jack?"
"Yeah, we've just been in the sea, he didn't want to come out."
Alec was painstakingly trying to get the wet sand from between Jack's toes so he got up and took the boy back to the water, a bit further out so the boy's feet wouldn't touch the ground and so the sand would wash off easily. Rose smiled and took another photo as Ellie caught up with them, Fred having sat down on the blanket.
"Hi Ellie, Fred's made himself at home."
"Hi Rose. Fred, what are you doing?" Ellie asked as he picked up a toy that had once been his.
"Aw, he's fine. Alec's just getting the sand off Jack's feet."
"Him, going in water? Did he tell you about that?" Ellie asked as Tom got Fred's trainers and socks off and took him to the water, joining Alec, who nodded to Tom and Fred, who was looking at him to pick him up, probably wondering who had taken his place.
"So, I can see you two are getting on well then," Ellie remarked, putting up the folding chair she'd been carrying.
"He's been great Ellie, for the first time in a long time, I finally feel at home. He's been really good with Jack."
"They both look at home with each other. So, I heard he's given up working Saturday mornings? He was such a grump over it, he could have let someone else do it in the first place. I bumped into Frank, who's taking over from him. Did he tell you they were all betting he's got himself a new girlfriend?"
Rose smiled. "Yeah, he said they'd been taking bets he'd had sex on Friday night."
"Were they right?" Ellie laughed, watching the three of them fussing over Jack, who had wanted to be put down, which defeated Alec's object of washing the boy's feet.
"Maybe, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Ellie, I need another friend, besides Alec, can we be friends?"
"Yeah, of course we can Rose. I worked closely with him, to bring in those responsible for those girls' deaths. He told you about the older one?"
"Not much, since it's still ongoing. I missed out on so much Ellie, practically looking after Jack on my own but I don't need to know the details, he'll tell me when he's ready. Jack's father's coming down to see him next Sunday and you may as well know, him and Alec look a bit alike."
"Well that explains why Jack goes to him, won't he get confused?"
Rose smiled. "Who, Jack or Alec? No, James doesn't have a beard, well except if he still doesn't shave on Sundays. They both know about it, James didn't take it very well. The thing is Ellie, well we split amicably but I'm scared now I have Alec, James will want more to do with his son, since he's getting older now and taking more notice. Alec's really taken with him and I don't want things being spoiled. I had no-one Ellie, I lost touch with all my friends when I moved in with James, he never even suggested I had a night off and he'd look after him and he constantly went on about all Jack's crying but since we've been with Alec, Jack's not cried at all."
"Babies know when someone's nervous around them, Alec's brought his daughter up, James was new at it but some men take to it and some don't."
"Yeah, James admitted he wasn't cut out for it but if he starts coming down here to see Jack, I'm afraid Alec's not gonna take it well. I can't stop James seeing him, he gives me money every month towards expenses and I think Alec's gonna insist he stops it. I don't know how James will take that."
"It's only natural if Alec takes to Jack that he'll want to take on the role of his dad but it's only been a few days, how is that even possible?"
"Don't ask me, I've no idea and neither does he. I feel like I really belong Ellie, after all this time that we're a family. Alec told me of his fear of water, how he had nightmares about finding Pippa in the river. Did he ever talk to you about them?"
"No but by the state he used to be in some mornings at work, I could tell it was more than him being ill at the time, though why he never told anyone about his heart problem beats me. Oh, you know about that?"
"Yeah, after I let him move all my things from my car to his, then he took everything upstairs, trust him. Ellie, I know about those accusations the defence for your husband threw at you, I don't believe any of it."
"Good, there was nothing to it but they made me feel like I was the one on trial, not Joe. No-one from the town believed it either, we used to fight like cat and dog and I hated him for taking the promotion I was supposed to get but it's over and he was right to take it, I couldn't have found Danny's killer when I was sleeping next to him, he always said I was too close to things."
Alec had cleaned the boy's feet again and was carrying him back to the blanket, Tom and Fred remaining in the water.
"Look at you, Uncle Alec," Ellie laughed as he handed Jack to Rose, along with the towel.
"Rose, put his socks back on love or I'll be cleaning his feet the rest of the day and less of the 'Uncle Alec' Miller."
"Alec, don't be rude, can't you call her Ellie, it's her day off," Rose chastised him, Alec pulling a face and picking up his sunglasses he'd left on the blanket as Jack was looking at them.
He was glad now Ellie had joined them he'd not been tempted to take off his t-shirt, the one Rose had worn the other night that she'd laundered.
"It's ok Rose, I'm used to it, he went mad when I started to call him Alec. You're not half as disagreeable as you used to be you know, sometimes you were like a grizzly bear."
"That was when I was ill, you know that and I did used to let you call me Alec, you started telling Fred I was 'Hardee'."
Rose started laughing, the suggestions something had gone on between them sounding more ridiculous by the minute.
"Well, Rose and I have decided to be friends so if you want to please her, I'll let you call me Ellie. I didn't like it because of the day you told me my husband had killed Danny."
"Yes, I know, I was sorry about that. I wanted to be wrong.''
Rose leaned forward and put her free hand on his shoulder, then kissed his cheek, Jack wanting to go to him. He took the struggling boy from Rose, Jack settling into his shoulder then promptly falling asleep.