Now, he was beginning to regret letting her go and it was too late to tell her, since she had admitted she had found his double and had moved in with him but if Alec Hardy thought he was going to win his son over, well that was a different matter. On the other hand, Jack was growing and might easily mistake the detective for him so when he got there, he hoped the boy would come to him.
Alec had got Jack out of his cot, just like any other morning this last week and he still couldn't quite believe it had been such a short time and how they'd soon settled down. If all went well today, he was going to suggest that next Saturday, they would get Chloe Latimer to babysit or Miller take the boy and they would go out for the evening though Miller might be the better option, then they wouldn't have to check on him.
They had just got downstairs when Rose's mother rang her after James had told her he was setting off.
"Hello Jackie, how are you?" he'd asked who had almost been his mother-in-law.
"Are you going down to visit Rose and Jack?"
"Yeah, nothing's changed. They might have moved away but I'm still going to see him."
"Well next time, maybe I could go with you?" she asked, now wishing she'd spent more time with her grandson when he'd been there but she'd had a business to run and she'd not thought they were going to stay over three months.
"Jackie, I hate to tell you this but you're part of the reason they moved, remember? I'm just as much to blame, I know that, we both drove her and Jack away and now, there's nothing I can do about it, she's found someone else."
"I know, she told me. It's my fault she left."
"Never mind that, anything you want me to tell her?"
"Just I'm sorry for how I treated her."
"You and me both Jackie."
So Rose was answering her mobile, Alec seeing to Jack.
"Hi Mum, what are you doing, calling early on a Sunday morning?"
"James just called me, says he's coming down to see Jack?"
"Yeah, I'm not stopping him, why do things have to change just because I'm down here?"
Jack decided to start making noises, Alec trying to hush him.
"I can hear him, how's he doing? Is that what's his name, Alec, with him?"
"Yes Mum, his name's Alec. Why wouldn't he be with him, we live here now."
Rose didn't think it was a good idea to tell her mother that most of the week she'd been calling Alec his dad in front of the boy, well that and how his real dad would be coming to see him.
"I'm sorry Rose, for driving you away."
"It's over and done with Mum, me and Jack are happy here, with Alec. I'm not coming back, except for a visit, maybe in a few weeks?"
"I asked James to bring me with him next time."
"Mum, that's not a good idea. It's the time James spends with Jack, I just leave Jack with him for a couple of hours, then we leave or now, we stay here and James goes home, I can't change that."
Jackie was disappointed but when all said and done, she'd been the one responsible for Rose doing what she'd thought best, getting away. Rose had gone to her when she and James had split up and she'd thought her business was more important but she thought Rose was gone for good. When she'd come back and announced she was moving in with James and that she'd been pregnant, she thought that was that, she never expected her to come back.
James turned off at the second sign for Broadchurch, Rose having told him the first one went the long way around and he followed her directions to the harbour car park and went to get an all day ticket. It was just after twelve, he'd made good time, taking a break about halfway and texting Rose he was on his way.
Rose was eager to get it over with and Alec could tell as they watched Jack playing on the fluffy blue rug they'd bought.
"I wish he'd hurry up and get here," Rose said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Alec didn't know what else to do, he'd been trying to keep her calm all morning and Jack was blissfully unaware. Alec went to pick him up and sat him between them.
"Now Jack, let's calm your mum down eh? Let's get you ready and we will all go for a walk, just across the harbour."
"No Alec, I don't want James to see us all together, not yet."
"Rose, he will see me when you come back. What difference is it going to make? He won't get back in his car and leave without seeing Jack first."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right and anyone that's seen you with Jack will assume you've had a bit of a shave and taking him out on your own."
Alec kissed her cheek. "That was the idea love, see, it will be easier than you thought, no-one will ever know. Think about it?"
Rose got everything ready while Alec put Jack in the stroller and fastened on the duck, Jack reaching for it and Alec tapping his nose with it.
"Tell James not to lose that, if he takes Jack out of the stroller."
"Yeah, don't worry, I will. Ready?"
They walked across the road and towards the station to the other pier, sitting down at the end. Rose was looking at the houses on the side of the cliff.
"We can't afford to live there love," Alec told her, taking her hand and tickling Jack as he went for his socks. "Tell James to watch those as well."
"We should get him some shoes soon."
"Why, he will just take those off to get to his feet. It will be warmer soon, then he can go without or I will tie them on, like Daisy used to do with her gloves."
Rose smiled at the thought and squeezed his hand as they sat, facing the cliff and away from the east pier as James had pulled in.
James put the ticket in his car, wondering why it wasn't free on Sundays but he'd just missed that. He got his phone out to call Rose to say he'd arrived, looking across the harbour at the other pier and seeing two people sitting together then looking again, seeing it had to be Rose when he caught sight of a stroller. He was about to press her number when he saw her leaning on Alec's shoulder. He hesitated, wondering if he should just get back in his car and drive off but he'd come all this way to see his son, he shouldn't let that put him off, he had to get used to the idea she was never coming back to him.
He thought back, they had never really gone out that much as a family, except sometimes on Saturday afternoons when Rose wanted to go shopping or the odd Sunday in the park. Rose answered her mobile when James's name came up.
"Hi Rose, I'm outside that harbour caf , are you across on that other pier?"
"Yeah, how did you guess? I'll set off now, just wait there."
"I can come over Rose."
"Fine. We'll wait then." She turned to Alec. "Looks like you two are gonna meet a bit sooner. Now everyone will be confused if they see me handing Jack to your double."
"Aye, it should keep the locals amused after that story eh? I could go now, if you wanted?"
"No, you'll still bump into each other unless you go hide in the station?"
"I am not hiding, we have been through that already love. Besides, he won't take long to walk round, I will just wait with you. What do you think Jack?"
Jack yawned, Rose thinking James would be talking to himself for two hours, there wasn't much to do which was why she had suggested meeting in Weymouth but James had insisted he came here so if Jack went to sleep, it would be two hours of sitting on the pier or the beach with him.
"Come on Jack, don't go to sleep now, your real dad will be here in a minute. Oh, that's him," Rose pointed out and Jack looked up at the word 'Dad', holding his arms out to Alec. "No Jack, not that one," Rose smiled.
James caught up with them, having thought he wouldn't have to face his double and rival to be Jack's dad for another few hours.
"Hello Rose. Hi there Jack, how are you doing buddy?"
Jack just looked at Alec, then James, totally confused and held his arms out to James, who was relieved.
"See Alec, I told you he knew the difference," Rose told Alec as James picked up Jack. "Why don't we leave you two here and meet you at the end in two hours?" she asked.
"Is there anywhere else to go?" James asked hopefully
"Just the rest of the esplanade, the harbour you passed and the beach. You can put him on the sand for a while, we went down the coast last Sunday, he likes going in the water."
James looked up at his almost except for the scruffy beard twin, not that he himself had shaved that morning, Sunday was his day off. Alec felt just as bad coming face to face with Jack's dad and neither of them wanted to be the first to say anything.
"Yeah, I'll take him down on the beach then we'll go look at the boats, eh Jack?"
"Here's his bag, there's milk, some ready made food and a nappy and wipes but he was changed before we came out, he's got those better nappies now that last about eight hours or more, they're worth paying a bit more for, I just changed him so he wouldn't get upset later."
She leaned over to Jack, who was looking at his dad then Alec.
"Have fun you two, don't fall asleep on your dad will you baby?" she told him, kissing his cheek. "Bye then, be a good boy for your dad."
James was standing behind the stroller, taking off the brake.
"Come on Jack, say bye to your mum and Uncle Alec."
"Actually James, we don't call him that, I was gonna talk to you later about it."
"Yeah, I think we'd better Rose. Did your mum call you?"
"Yeah, don't bring her down next time, please?"
"No, I wouldn't have without asking first. So, two hours, back here?"
"Yeah, fine, call if you need anything."
"No-one's going to arrest me for kidnapping him are they?"
Rose didn't know if he was joking or not, until he smiled.
"Just checking. I expect they've seen the two of you around and think nothing of it now? You went to the paper?"
It was Alec who replied.
"The town's reporter had already picked up the story, I just confirmed a few things. Don't let us keep you?"
James was stalling and he knew it, hoping ten minutes had been cut off his time but Rose said nothing and got up, Alec already doing so and kissing Jack's cheek.
"Be good for your dad eh Jack?"
Jack waved his arms and legs and grabbed his duck.
"Don't let him lose that or his socks, will you James?" Rose asked.
James just nodded and waved, Alec leading Rose away down the pier.
"Come on Rose, you have to leave them, you know that?"
He put his arm around her and they walked off, leaving James facing his son.
"Well then Jack, what are we going to do around here for two hours eh? You like going in the water?" he asked, getting up and seeing if Rose had left a towel in the bag, which she had along with a spare pair of thin cotton leggings.
"She thinks of everything your mum does. So, the water it is then?"
James set off, figuring out how to get onto the beach, which had lots of pebbles until he walked a bit further down and was only able to get so far so he gave up and sat on the wall and took the boy out, leaving the duck in the stroller. He put the towel on the sand and sat the boy down. Ellie was out for a walk with Fred and saw who she thought was Alec on the beach, forgetting Rose had told her his dad was coming for a visit and of course, Fred went straight for him.
"Hardee!" the boy shouted before Ellie could catch up with the boy.
"Sorry young man, you got the wrong guy."
"Hardee!" the boy repeated, looking at Jack.
"Fred, come back here," Ellie shouted, thinking her boss had actually shaved that morning. "Sorry Alec, you know what he's like. You and Jack giving Rose a rest?"
James thought if he could do a decent Scottish accent, he might get away with it.
"Sorry, I'm not him, you know him and Rose?"
"Oh, sorry, you're Jack's dad then? Rose wasn't joking. I'm Ellie, I work with him and sorry, we'll be on our way. Come on Fred."
"Hardee!" the boy tried again.
"No Fred, it's not him. It looks like Jack's nodding off. Do you want a hand getting off the beach?"
"Nah, it's fine, I may as well stay here, there's not much else to do. What do you do around here all day?"
"I work and it's not that bad, Rose likes it here but after London and the past few months, I don't blame her."
"Is that directed at me?" James asked, getting up as Jack nodded forwards, almost losing the blue sunhat.
He put Jack in the stroller, letting it ease back.
"No, just that she had to live with her mother in one room most of the time. Is that not true?"
"Yes, it was true and I drove her there, did she tell you that? I'm the reason she's here now, with him."
"I'll leave you with your son then. You won't have much trouble, people are used to him pushing Jack around but watch out for my nephew, he's the reporter around here."
"They've been in the paper, I know. Can't say I fancy reading about them though. Actually, a little help wouldn't go amiss, if you can take the front of the buggy?"
Once they got back on the esplanade, he thanked Ellie for helping him and gave a pound coin to Fred to buy an ice-cream later.
"Don't have it before your lunch, will you?" he asked Fred, who was still wondering what the other boy was doing with him.
"No, we're waiting for my eldest coming back, he's gone off with some friends. They're over the other side of the harbour playing football, Fred was getting that he wanted to join in. I thought Rose would have been with you?"
"No, I get two hours on my own. She suggested meeting in Weymouth, wish I'd said yes now, I still have over an hour."
"You could go get something to eat, Jack might be hungry when he wakes up."
"Yeah, thanks for the idea, I might do that. Nice to have met you Ellie."
"I'd join you but the office already talk about him and Rose, they'd have more to talk about if they saw us sitting together."
James smiled at the thought of Hardy having been seen with a co-worker and Rose's son, her son and them all eating together.
"Yeah, best not then, Fred keeps looking at me. I didn't think Jack would come to me, being here a week with him."
"You've not got a beard," Ellie pointed out.
She wondered what the difference was between the two men that had made Rose run away from one and into the arms of his twin but there again, Rose had said James didn't want the job of being Jack's dad and Hardy did.
"Nice to have met you too James," Ellie told him as they got to the corner near the police station, having got Fred past the ice-cream stall.
"Yeah. Well I've got an hour before I meet Rose back here, where are the food stalls?"
"There are some around that corner and some across the other side."
"Oh, yeah, I passed them earlier, I forgot. Well since Jack's asleep, I may as well stay here, I was hoping he'd stay awake a bit longer now he's getting older."
Ellie went off, leaving James to wheel the stroller up to one of the stalls and order some fish and chips, hoping it would pass the hour that was left and Jack would wake up when he'd finished eating. Lucky for him Jack did exactly that half an hour later and wanted feeding. Since he was still feeding the boy five minutes before he was meant to meet Rose, he sent her a text to say where he was.
Rose and Alec had been talking about how James was going to react seeing where his son lived and Alec fussing over him. She was about to set off again when she got the message where to meet James.
"Jack must have wanted feeding," she told Alec, showing him the message.
"Go on love, go meet them."
Rose was anxious to find out how they'd got on so seeing James just putting everything away, she went to join them, Jack holding his arms out to her. Jack was now used to Alec taking him out of the stroller to have his milk but James had left him in.
"Hi baby. You had your milk?"
Jack made a noise and tried to get to her.
"He had some of that food then his milk, I left him in there. Do you normally take him out to feed him?"
"Just his milk but Alec usually does that. Do you want to come back with us?"
"Yeah, that would be good, right Jack? Can I push him?"
"Yeah, why not? It's not far, see that pub over there? We live just behind it."
They set off and James admitted he'd met her friend Ellie.
"She thought you were Alec?" Rose laughed.
"It's not funny Rose, I could have an identity crisis, not to mention her own son being confused. How do you think this will affect Jack?"
"Me and Alec talked about it, we think Jack can tell the difference, you saw it yourself earlier."
"Well he didn't refuse to come to me I suppose but this is an unusual situation."
"Why is it? Lots of kids have two dads," she told him as they walked towards the cottage.
"Well yes but how many kids have two identical dads?"
Rose opened the door to the cottage then turned to get Jack out of the stroller. Alec came to the door, forgetting she already had some help, Jack kicking his legs when he saw him. Rose thought it best to hand Jack over to James, even though it would normally be to Alec. Alec was a bit put out but could understand her doing so. He just had to let her do what she thought best, it wasn't easy for any of them.
"Had a good time with your dad?" Rose asked him, waving the duck at him.
Jack laughed and went for it, Rose pulling it away and then handing it to him.
"Glad you kept your socks," she added, even though one was coming off and she pulled it back on. "Alec, guess what happened to James?"
"I don't know, what happened to you James?"
Rose answered for him, laughing. "Ellie thought he was you, ha!"
"Yes, that's very amusing Rose," James told her as he went to sit down with Jack, who wanted to go to Rose.
"James, put him in the playpen for a while," she suggested so neither him nor Alec could complain, since Alec was looking a bit off.
"Rose, why don't you show him Jack's room and I will make some tea?"
"Yeah, come on James, Ellie lent me some of Fred's old stuff."
James followed her upstairs, seeing the single bed near the cot.
"Do you sleep in here with him?"
He knew the answer already.
"No, I had enough sharing a room with him at my mum's. What do you expect James?"
"Sorry. Well Jack seems happy enough, Alec must get on well with him?"
"Yeah, they get on well together. About what I mentioned earlier. I've started calling Alec his dad, just here, not when we go out."
"I see. That's a bit quick."
"Jack spends a lot of time with him, he likes Alec to give him his milk at night and get him up. It's really surprising how he's wanting to do things like that. Come back downstairs, Alec wants to talk to you."
"I bet he does."
While James had been out with Jack, Alec had suggested a few changes in their arrangements but Rose didn't think James would be so keen.
Alec had made the tea and they sat down, Rose sitting next to him.
"Rose and I wanted to ask you, well from next month, we don't want you to feel you have to keep giving her money for Jack. I am going to see about going back to work full-time, I expect you know what happened to me?"
"Rose mentioned it and I read the papers. If that's what you want though I would rather just reduce the amount, you can open an account for Jack."
"We'll think about it and Rose will let you know. I would have asked you stop already but Rose had her car to pay for and I have been on short hours. Rose thinks she can cope if I go back full time."
James got up and went over to Jack. The boy looked up at him and James thought that when he got older, he would favour Alec rather than himself and he was glad they'd not asked him to stop his visits but would that come later? He picked the boy up, wishing now he'd paid more attention and not let Rose slip away so easily, both himself and her mother had lost her.
~~~~{ silversurfer60 }~~~~
Jack's first birthday was approaching. All through the summer, Rose had him out almost every day, sometimes meeting up with Beth and Lizzie, they took him to the pool every Saturday afternoon and on Rose's 'off' days, Alec would sit in the baby pool with him, Rose watching from a chair where they kept their things.
Daisy had been for several visits and they had found another cottage just on the road out of town, a two bedroom with a large attic for when Daisy stayed and they planned on moving Jack into it as he got older. James was due to visit on the Sunday, two days after Jack's actual birthday, to which Tom and Fred were coming over for a little party and Rose had relented and said her mother could come with him, if she wanted.
The month before, they had talked to James about Alec adopting Jack at some point, if ever they decided to get married and James had gone away to think about it so they were anxious for his answer.
The night before Jack's birthday, they were talking in bed and Alec decided it was time for a very serious talk.
"Rose, you know I love you?"
"Yeah, I know you do, what's all this about?"
"Well now Jack in one, if James agrees to let me go about adopting Jack, well how about a brother or sister for him?"
"Oh. He'll have a big sister to watch out for him already."
"I know but maybe one a bit closer to his age?" he asked, going to hover over her and putting his hand on her leg, creeping higher.
"We'll he'd be almost two by that time so, yeah, ok?"
"Yes Rose, even if James says no, it will not change my mind but maybe we can come to a compromise with him?"
Rose wondered what that was going to be. The party was a success, Alec and Rose getting Jack a ride-on toy but he still clung hold of the duck Alec had given him almost six months ago. When James went to pick up Jackie, she was keen to get going, they'd only been up once to see her, Alec had taken the long bank holiday weekend off and he'd booked a hotel not far away.
Jackie hardly spoke on the way down but when she saw the sign for Broadchurch, she found her voice.
"I wonder why Rose likes it down here so much?" she asked him.
"Because my double is still here, that's why. Did she tell you, he wants to see about adopting Jack?"
"No, she never told me but why would she? Have you said yes?"
"Not yet, I haven't made my mind up and they want an answer when I get there."
"It's a lot to ask of you, they've only been together for five months."
"Seems that's enough time, they were only with me six months and Rose was never really mine. Jack was an accident, did she tell you that?"
"No, she was happy when you got back and she moved in with you."
"Well I thought we were, until she told me she was pregnant, what was I supposed to do, abandon her? I did my best Jackie, really I did but it seems that wasn't enough after Jack came along. She thinks Alec's been more of a father to him than I was. She was right."
For once, Jackie Tyler was lost for words. When they arrived, Jackie made a fuss over Jack, who almost didn't remember her and they all went for a walk down to the harbour, Jack loved watching the boats. When they went back, Rose took her mother into the kitchen while Alec and James talked.
"We're thinking about having our own, now Jack's a bit older," Rose told her mother, who almost choked on her tea.
"That's a bit soon isn't it?"
"We don't think so, there won't be much between them, Alec doesn't want to leave too long a gap. His daughter's sixteen, he reckons that's enough."
James and Alec were watching Jack with some of his new toys, James had got him a musical train and Jackie had got him a boat for his bath.
"So, have you made up your mind then?" Alec asked, hoping to get an answer so he could make enquiries.
"I'm very torn up about it but I should have expected it I suppose, when I first found out. I'm a reasonable man, I'll do what's best for him on one condition?"
Alec was relieved. "Name it?"
"That you don't shut me out and I get to see him, every three months."
"Agreed, Rose would not like you to miss him growing up, she said Jack would never see his grandad so she wanted him to have two dads."
"Identical ones?" James smiled.
"I think we can all live with that, eh Rose?" Alec asked as she came back in.
"Yeah. Thanks James."
"I know Jack has a happy home, who am I to deny him that?"
The next day, Alec went to the town hall to see about adopting, once James sighed the papers, he would officially be Jack's dad, not that he hadn't been the last five or so months, since the day Rose's car broke down just outside Broadchurch and he'd unexpectedly had his appointment switched from Exeter to Dorchester. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought it had all been carefully arranged to give Rose and Jack an happier life than the one they had been living but most of all, in the not too distant future, another child of his own, something not even a year ago he thought he'd never have and now he had Rose, Jack and he'd got his daughter back.
Not bad for someone who Miller had told him he'd died on her.
The End!