Broadchurch: Across the Pond

Chapter 22

TW: none

That was the scene that Ellie came home to: Fred sitting calmly on the kitchen floor playing with his blocks, and Tom doing his homework at the table whilst eating pizza. By far the strangest part was Alec sitting beside him, reading glasses on and pencil in hand.

"Once you remember the method," he was saying, "all you have to do is input the numbers. It's a formula—you change some of it, but not all of it." He scrawled on a piece of scrap paper. "See?"

"That makes sense," Tom said. "More sense than when my teacher explained it. Can you do another one?"

Alec wrote out and solved an equation step by step, without a calculator. "How's that?"

"Who are you lot, and what have you done with my children?" Ellie asked.

"I locked the real ones in the basement," Alec shot back without hesitation

"Mummy, hi!" Fred crowed. "I'm being good!"

"I see that." Ellie went over and picked up Fred, who giggled. "Did you have fun with Uncle Alec?"

"Don't call me that," Alec protested half-heartedly. He took a bite of pizza and tapped a portion of Tom's worksheet. "Try that equation, the way I showed you."

Tom got to work on the problem, his tongue sticking out. Alec watched him and nibbled absently on cold veggie pizza.

Ellie stood back and watched the scene for a moment. It looked like an alternate universe had taken over the Miller house. Fred was calm, Tom was doing homework without complaining, not to mention Alec sitting there looking perfectly normal and not at all angry.

"There,"  he added to Tom. "Was it easier that way?"

"Yeah, it was." Tom sat back and stared at the paper. "Huh. I thought this whole time I was stupid."

"Not being good at maths doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means that that's not where your strength is. I'm good with numbers, but not good at sports, which you are."

Ellie kissed Fred and set him down. "Go put your blocks in the living room. Mummy and Tom will be there in a minute. How much was the pizza?" she asked as Fred wandered off.

"Alec paid," Tom said immediately.

"Snitch," Alec muttered.

Ellies lapped the back of Alec's head on her way to fill the teakettle. "I told you, you don't owe me anything."

"Well, get over it, it's done."

"Wanker."

"I'm not staying here for free," Alec informed her. "And I'll be out of your hair in a day or so. The doctor said I only needed three days supervision."

"You can stay as long as you want," Tom told him earnestly, and Ellie nodded her agreement.

Alec sighed, relenting a bit. "That's very kind, both of you. But I'm not your problem, you've got enough going on without taking care of me."

Ellie threw up her hands. "Oh, God forbid you accept some help!"

"I came here, didn't?" Alec retorted.

"Yes, and I'm glad you did," Ellie said, more gently. "But it's not like we're giving you're sponge baths. All you're doing here resting up so you'll be well enough to go home."

Alec had no response; in any case, he was distracted by a wave of pain through his torso. The percocet had run out. He stood stiffly. "Speaking of which, I'm...gonna go have a lie-down. Good job on the homework, Tom."

"Thanks for your help. It makes sense now."

Unlike her son, Ellie wasn't fooled by Alec's flippant tone, but for the sake of his stupid pride, she didn't call him on it. Instead, she pressed a cup of hot herbal tea into his hands. "Yeah, you go sleep off the pizza. Probably the most you've eaten in six months."

"Hilarious," Alec grumped. "Absolutely bloody hilarious." He toasted them sarcastically with his teacup. "Good night, everyone."