A/N: This is for two special people out there – Hazel and Lauren. Thank you for all your support and love. It's set sometime post S2 fitting into my Broadchurch AU. There are some names mentioned that tie into my other stories as this eventually may become part of one bigger thing. I hope you enjoy the fluff :-)

The song they are dancing to is called "Charlotte Mittnacht" by Devotchka.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Hardy was nervous. He parked his car a few houses away. All of sudden he wasn't sure anymore if this wasn't yet again one of his cunning plans that would all fall apart halfway through and end in disaster. He really wanted to do this but deep rooted insecurity was clawing its way up to the surface and screaming in his face. Daisy had encouraged him, reminding him how important this would be to him, moving forward, leaving the past behind. A brief smile flickered across his lips before the anxiety came rushing back and took a firm hold over him.

His heart rate was fast, too fast for his own good and he braced himself for the jolt of the pacemaker. Wincing with the small electrical shock, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. His heart was reigned in and the light headedness subsided. While he was fumbling for his pills, he made a decision. He would take Ellie to the Midsummer Night's dance. And if this was the last thing he was going to do, so be it.

He started the car again and drove up the few yards to her house. He was grabbing the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. He shouldn't be this nervous, really, they were just friends.

Ya, right, Hardy, nice try.

His feelings had long crossed the line of mere friendship. It had snuck up on him, slowly but steadily, like the tectonic plates moving until one day the earth quake struck.

It was right after the accusations with Tess, when he had come to her to ask for help. Again to her, and nobody else. Never even occurred to him he could have gone to Baxter or even Jenkinson. No, it was always Ellie.

And she didn't hesitate. She caught his downfall, supported him, and most importantly believed him when nobody else did. And yet again, she saved him from being pulled under.

When it was all done and it was time to leave he couldn't. He literally couldn't because he got sick - wee Fred gave him not only love with his wet toddler kisses but also a nasty respiratory infection which landed him in the hospital, mostly because his cardiologist didn't want to take any risks. Turned out Dr. Abbott had good instincts, his bum heart didn't take kindly to the strain on his body and in the end he was grateful to be taken care off in hospital rather than passing out and falling of the cliffs.

Didn't mean though, that he wasn't being his usual stubborn wanker-self until this realization took hold. Following another cunning escape plan he had decided to sneak out in the middle of the night, but he didn't get far. Ellie had read his mind. She almost scared him to death - quite literally considering that startling him profoundly is a sure way to set off the pacemaker.

When she caught him in the dim lit staircase of the hospital, she lost it. She was towering over him, half a flight up. Her arms were crossed and the weak light backlit her unruly curls, making them look even more wild than usual. Her eyes were fierce, her bottom lip trembled and he was sure she would cry any moment. He couldn't have been more wrong.

She yelled at him. Threw all of his stupidity and selfishness in his face. How did he dare to be so reckless with himself? How did he dare to betray her trust in him like that? Was this how he intended on paying her back for all she had done for him? Why did he always have to act like a total knob? And when she finally ended with asking him, what she was supposed to do, if he just left her behind and the tears were coming after all, the earthquake happened.

How could he, really? How could he dare be reckless and risk leaving her alone like that? He couldn't actually, because it dawned on him that there was much more that her pouty lips and clear brown eyes evoked in him than just brotherly love. His world got turned upside down in this very instance. Mercifully his treacherous body for once decided to aid him in his blundering attempts at human interaction before he could say anything dumb and he passed out right there and then.

When he woke up, Ellie and Dr. Abbott were both there. He wanted to sink into the earth. Both threatened him with abandonment and he never ever considered escaping from the hospital again.

A knock on his window startled him from his reverie.

"Oi, Alec, are you alright? Mom sent me out to see if you're still among the living." Tom sounded just like his mother.

He opened the door and unfolded his long legs to climb out of the car.

"Aye. Still breathing. Are you lot ready? It's getting late."

"Not our fault. We didn't camp out in the driveway day dreaming." Tom gave him a sideways glance and added with a mischievous grin, "You clean up nicely. Maybe you could teach me how to shave after all. Had my doubts there."

Hardy groaned. Bad enough having to contest with one teenager, but now that Tom had warmed up to him, he took right after his mother and her uncanny ability to fight her battles with words.

The door opened and Fred stormed out, his curly hair flying. He threw himself hard against Alec's shin, screeching the Fred version of Alec which sounded more like a cat coughing up a hairball than his wretched name. He didn't mind that one bit.

He ruffled the brown curls and looked up. He almost choked. There she was. She was wearing a white sundress with a floral pattern of dark blue lilies. Her curls were tucked into a pretty headband matching the dress. Her cheeks were slightly flushed which gave her a radiant glow. He tried not to let his eyes wander along the soft, but very shapely curves, which were gently emphasized by the dress. He knew that Daisy had helped pick out the dress and he felt taken back all those years when he saw Daisy for the first time in the dress she had bought for Duncan's wedding.

He tried to clear his throat inconspicuously but failed and let out a rather pathetic croaking sound.

Bloody hell, seriously?

He was 44 years old and acted like a teenaged boy. He finally managed to say something.

"You look nice, Miller."

God, nice? Really, Hardy? Way to go.

She scoffed. "Knob. You know it's not Miller anymore, when will that ever enter your brain."

He ducked and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Sorry, Mi…" She whacked him on the arm and with a mumbled "Unbelievable" stormed off to the car.

"Are you driving or what, Alec?" She overly pronounced his name and he flinched.

Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. They had started all wrong. It was still time to get out. He heard Daisy's stern voice in his mind - 'If you feel like running away, take a look into your jacket pocket'. So he did. He pulled out a worn photograph. He didn't know she had put it there. She must have taken it from his wallet. He looked at her beautiful face, elated by the dance they had shared at his best friend's wedding. She had written something on the back.

'Dad, as much as this was an unforgettable moment, don't let this be your last dance. Don't run, not this time. And if you can't do it for yourself, do it for me. I love you. Daisy.'

He swallowed hard. He could do this. It wasn't like he'd ask her to marry him, it was just a dance. He chewed on his lip and walked over to the car. The drive was amicable enough, not too much bickering happening, even for them. Ellie was sitting rather upright in the car, tense with anticipation. He knew the last time she went to the Midsummer Night's dance it had been with Joe, Tom and Danny running wild along the cliffs. But he also knew what Daisy had told him about Ellie.

Daisy's favorite past time with Ellie was to exchange stories at his expense. So, eventually Duncan's wedding had come up. She told her the whole story and then showed her the photograph that Hardy carried in his wallet. Ellie didn't quite believe that Hardy could actually dance, a waltz of all things, but there was the proof. Ellie gave him a look that he didn't quite know how to interpret. She then quietly confessed the last time she danced a waltz was at her wedding with her father. She had abruptly left the table where they had been sitting and Hardy could have sworn there were some tears in her eyes. Daisy went after her and when they came back everything seemed to be fine.

Hardy wasn't as daft about the situation as the two women might have wanted to believe. When he found out about the Midsummer Night's dance on the cliffs, he was determined to take Ellie there and dance with her. To give her another memory, to say thank you for all she'd done for him. He had arranged with Paul Coates to have the song from Duncan's wedding ready to go whenever the two were ready. The vicar didn't question him, but Hardy could tell there was a silent amusement. To his own surprise, he didn't mind.

The evening light was glowing with its last glory over the cliffs. The bonfire was burning high and Hardy had finally mustered enough courage to ask Ellie to dance. She had a couple of glasses of wine and he had had a few sips. He sure didn't do his Scottish heritage any honor these days when it came to liquor and he felt sufficiently relaxed to make his move. He had briefly conspired with Paul and everything was ready.

Ellie was talking to Beth who was playing with Lizzy and Fred. When he walked over, she smiled at him and he felt encouraged. He smiled back, his eyes crinkling up. He stepped up right next to her and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. He then brushed her elbow ever so slightly.

"Erm, Ellie. Would you…" He stuttered. His ears were burning and his heart was beating fast. He sent a quick prayer to whatever gods might have been watching over this Midsummer festivity to keep his bum heart going.

"What? Out with it, Hardy. Did you do something idiotic and we have to leave the country now?" She and Beth giggled. Clearly, they had had more than just a couple of glasses of wine.

"No, I didn't. I just…" And then blurted it out as quickly as he could.

"I wanted to ask you if you want to dance with me. Please?" He held out his hand, beckoning her with his head towards the wooden dance floor. His eyes were wide with anticipation and he couldn't ignore the slight tremble in his voice.

She stared at him, her brown wonderful eyes even wider than his. A flurry of emotions ran over her face, but then her mouth curled into a gorgeous smile and she breathed out a "Yes" grabbing his hand and pulling him forward with an eagerness he wouldn't have expected. He sheepishly looked back at Beth who was grinning from one ear to the other.

Right, Hardy. This is it, for once, don't fuck up your cunning plan.

There were a few other couples on the dance floor. He led her to the middle, right when the previous song had stopped. He gently put his arm around her waist unaccustomed to the feel of her warm body. Her fingers were trembling and her hand was clammy, but he didn't mind. He laced his long fingers into hers, holding her firmly. When she put her hand on his hip, a shiver ran down his spine.

He put his mouth to her ear and whispered, "You ready?"

Their gaze locked and for a moment there was nothing else. Then the music started. He remembered the haunting sound of the accordions and pulled Ellie close to him. She stiffened up for a split second until she gave into his embrace. He picked up the pace and swirled them around the floor. She was a good dancer and fell quickly in step with him. Her weight felt right in his arms and he swung her around with the rhythm of the waltz. By the time the violins took over the melody, they had forgotten what was around them and there was only the music, the sky and the unison movement of their bodies. They were gliding through the night to the beat of the drums, following the haunting sound of the violins and the accordions.

The song took its brief pause before picking up steam for the end, and Hardy, waiting for this moment, let go of Ellie's waist, raised their hands and spun her around, very much like he had done with Daisy. And very much like her, Ellie laughed in delight, her brown eyes sparkling and sending Hardy into a state of eternal bliss. He mirrored her laughter and pulled her close to pick up speed for the final graceful and dizzyingly fast paced swirls before the song found its slow end.

He held her tight, their arms bent at the elbow, hands close to their bodies. He was swaying them gently while the melody was fading. Her head rested against his chest, eyes closed, tears slowly flowing down her cheeks. His embrace was tight when he breathed a kiss on her curly hair. His eyes were closed and he never wanted to let go.

"Thank you for everything, Ellie. You mean the world to me."

He could feel her move and he opened his eyes. She was staring at him, her tears barely gone. She just looked at him, cupped his cheek with her hand, and wiped away a tear that he didn't know he had shed. She stood up to her tiptoes and brushed a kiss against his cheek, her light touch sliding down his cheek, neck, shoulder, and arm until it found his hand. She laced her fingers into his and pressed them gently.

Then without saying a word, she let go of him and walked into the dark over to the cliffs. Hardy's gaze lingered on her until the night had swallowed her. He smiled, feeling happier than he had for a long time. A boyish bubbly feeling grew inside him. For once, his cunning plan had worked.