Something's Brewing

Chapter 11: A Good Team

It had been months now since Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller began dating. It had been years now, since the Latimer trial, and it seemed that Ellie was finally prepared to make their relationship 'public' to the small town they lived in. Alec was fairly certain there wasn't a single person in town who hadn't come to the conclusion that they were in a relationship, but he respected Ellie's wishes up to this point: no physical displays of affection, one date a week—to an outside of town limits location, and one or two family get-togethers a week.

He had played along, by her rules, allowing her to take the lead. This was her hometown, and it had been her marriage that was quite publicly put through the wringer. As best he could, he never showed disappointment in his inability to publicly express how much he loved the woman he also called his partner and friend.

So, when Ellie suggested they take the kids down to the beach, just the two of them, for a walk and some splashing around, he tried to hide the excitement the pleasant surprise brought him. The only other times they had been down to the beach was with the Latimers along.

When, as they walked from the car park down the beach, Ellie took his hand, his surprise finally bubbled over. He looked down at their hands then up to her face as they walked. "We're still within town, Ellie, and while the beach is quiet, there's people around—"

"Shush, you daft man. Can't I hold the hand of the man I love?" she said rather nonchalantly, a small smile on her face.

Alec was fairly certain his brain had just slowed to a halt, and suddenly he felt as if he could hear his own heart beating.

"I—," he stuttered out, his mouth opening and closing in a great imitation of a fish out of water. "You—," he tried to speak again, but once again he couldn't seem to form a coherent thought.

She smiled and glanced at him again. "I what?"

"You've not said that before—and this—" He held up their hands as he finished saying the closest thing to complete thought he could muster.

"Well, I'd say it's about time, wouldn't you?" she asked, stopping their progress and watching for a moment as Tom and Daisy swung Fred above the waves as they crashed into the shoreline before she turned to face Alec.

"I wouldn't have dared to say such a thing," he answered.

She smiled sweetly at him, and his heart skipped back into a normal rhythm. "Of course you wouldn't. Too much a gentlemen. So I'll say it for you. I've been dreadfully slow about allowing our relationship to be public here in Broadchurch. You've been so patient and kind."

"You deserve to be given all the time you need. You've been through a lot, El," he said, brushing his thumb across the knuckles of her right hand which he held.

She smiled at his use of her nickname. They'd come so far. In fact, as she looked around, she realized just how far they'd come. "You've been through plenty yourself." She then tilted her head to motion towards the beach around them. "You recognize this spot?"

He glanced around, and a smile came across his own face. He smiled much more these days. "Of course. This is the place where I first met you. You immediately started on me about taking your job."

"Yes, I did. Not my finest moment." She grew quiet then, as she considered what happened in the months after that meeting.

"I deserved it," he said with a chuckle.

"Yes," she answered back with a smirk. "You did."

They laughed together a moment, then as it grew quiet again, with the sounds of the ocean waves and their children laughing in the background, Alec spoke again. 'We make a good team."

"In and out of the office," she agreed with a nod.