This piece of writing is beautiful! I've always loved exploring character's life within and pre-canon, and you've perfectly managed to bring a convincing back-story to Hardy, with so many acurate metaphores. Loved it! Thank you for sharing! :D

This was really cute!

what a beautiful piece of him pre-Broadchurch. excellent work

This is by far one of my favourite Broadchruch fics. I love it. It's all tragic and sad and Alec Hardy. Please write more. I feel like you're the only one on this site that knows - really knows - Alec Hardy.
Thank you thank you thank you!
-CKTCF

Brilliant. *Really* interesting how you gave Tess a history of cheating, and Hardy's reasons for ignoring it. That line about Daisy soon to be gone from his life like Pippa gone from the world was so heartbreaking - all in all, beginning to end, just a fascinating exploration of what his past might have been like.

Every time I see you post something new my heart is full of joy even if I know I'm going to be destroyed (well, kind of). But, who cares? You're brilliant! And talented!
This story is really deep and sad and full of sorrows. I can really see Alec in it. What a tragic life he had! He does need some true happiness, the poor man! I want so much to hold him.
By the way: "...too sharp-featured to be handsome, too gangly to be graceful...", I don't agree, I think he's wrong. So wrong!
Beautiful story, I was missing your writing.
Back soon?

This is so BEAUTIFUL but SO SAD! I LOVE the descriptions of the ocean and the waves coming in one after another until they get bigger and higher and finally crash right on him and yet he just comes back up for air and wipes the salt from his eyes and keeps going focusing on that horizon. I really do love how that image carries throughout the entire story as he gets older and life gets more complicated and harder. Loved the descriptions of him growing up, wanting to protect his mother and others, and as he moves to the police force, stumbles across his first murder, and meets Lee and then falls in love with Tess later when he becomes a detective. And that moment when he realizes that Tess is sleeping with someone else, OMG. And he thinks that he's becoming his father and just stops?! And then he just NEVER confronts her about it when she keeps doing it over and over again because he already knows he'll lose Daisy and he loves Tess, WOW, just WOW. Liked that bit about how Hardy knew before Tess did that she'd finally leave him for Dave and then they're getting so careless and he takes the fall BECAUSE he should've confronted her sooner. And then the river and the gradual onslaught of his illness. THIS MAN NEEDS A HUG! He's literally been taken by the tide and is just kind of swept along in the current. That was so LOVELY and the way it all wove together and came full circle at the end was BRILLIANT. I hope you've got more BC fanfics on the way because I ADORE your writing!

Thanks, everyone, for the reviews. I'll be sending PMs to everyone I can to thank you, but I can't do that for Kathira.

So, this is just to say to Kathira: you're correct. :) The ending is intended to be during his first week in Broadchurch, before they find Danny's body and things fall apart (again). When there's a brief moment of hope that things are going to get better. *hugs him* *hugs Ellie, too, although she's not in this story*

that was amazing. i am sooooo glad you are writing again! thank you for posting!

That was amazing. I love how you describe his feelings and how he finds peace looking at the water. Well done.

Ouch, what a bittersweet read. Well done. My favorite part: that his bag was already half-packed, and Tess didn't notice.

Thank you for writing.

Wow! Just beautiful. Thanks for sharing your story.

This was beautiful. As always great writing and imagery. I could very much see young Alec like that. The waves as symbol for how he deals with life is wonderful and so well thought out. Loved the idea that he becomes a police man because he wants to protect those who can't protect themselves. I can very much picture that as a reason. And he holds still and endures everything until he reaches his breaking point. Very much like I see it as well. I think we share the way we picture the drowning scene ;-)

I like your explanation of why he takes the blame. I have my own head canon about that but I did find yours compelling as well because from the Alec in your story it can make sense, even if it's sad when you see it from the outside and you just want to hug him on that beach and tell him, no it's not your fault.

Thanks for sharing. As always, very enjoyable.

Wow. Just wow. This is great. Very moving and real, especially his experience in the river, finding Pippa's body. Your characterization of Hardy is so right on. I love the image of him sitting on the beach at Broadchurch, as a child and then as a man at the end. Whether you intended it or not, I felt like this was before Danny's death, in his first week on the job at Broadchurch, while the possibility of peace and hope still existed in his life.

Thank you for sharing your considerable gift as a writer.