A/N: I had an anonymous writing to me on Tumblr asking: 'Zoo biscuits?', that were mentioned in in the previous chapter. Well it never occurred to me before, but Zoo biscuits are a South African thing. They're these cheap biscuits with a ton of rock hard icing on them that break the teeth of little kids. Okay it's not that hard, but a friend of mine literally lost her two front teeth eating a zoo biscuit when she was seven... Anyway, I dunno why, but I feel they're the kind of thing Miller would feed her kids.

So Chapter Four is up! I am enjoying writing this story, and I have a good idea of how I want to end it, but don't stress, that will only be after lots more chapters. This chapter was very fun to write, and it even had me giggling to myself. Stupid stupid, I know.

I would like to thank the mysterious anonymous reviewer 'ak'. I really appreciate the nice comments. :D Hope you guys enjoy...

Published: 14 July 2016

…Chapter Four…

"How was the lunch with Ellie, then?" Tess asked.

Daisy smiled, "Awesome." she said, "Right, dad?"

"Wha- yeah." Hardy said, "We ate fish and chips because Miller's son burt the food."

"Doesn't she cook herself?"

"Oh she does, but Fred's three. He messed about with the oven, so the food burt. We had spent the day at the pier, but it great." Daisy said, "I really like it by the ocean. I like Tom, and Ellie too. She's good for you, dad."

"Is it?" Tess asked. Hardy shook his head and tried to avoid making eye contact. She was giving him one of those looks.

"Yes." Daisy said, "How was your day, mum?"

Tess did eventually corner him, but after dinner when Daisy had gone to bed.

"Finished with those boxes, are we?"

"Yeah." Hardy groaned, setting down a book on the coffee table.

"Sandra at the station said there's a position open in Exmouth. For DS."

"Devon? Yes, Miller told me about that. I should go on Monday."

"Do you want the Super's number?" Tess asked.

"Thanks, but Miller already sent it." Hardy said, taking off his glasses and seeing Tess's blurry face sit down beside him on the sofa.

He twitched when she took his hands, laying them down on her thighs. For a minute they just sat there in silence. Hardy was watching their conjoined hands, and then her sharp face, and then their hands again, and he came to a conclusion.

A month ago, he would have savoured this sort of attention coming from his ex-wife. But now, he was reminded of the years he spent on the battlefield during their marriage.

He looked at her and saw the woman who betrayed him when he needed her the most. He saw the woman who snapped at him, insulted him and emotionally abused him for years. And he saw, at the same time, Tess. He was reminded of late nights when her hands would ruffle his hair and tickle his neck. He looked at her and saw early morning kisses, and tight hugs after weekends at the police station. He saw the mother of his child, his protector and laughter.

He could tell she was thinking about it too, smiling her sly grin and watching him with her big, etched eyes.

But then, he let go of her, and she helped push him away. No words to be said, they smiled at each other, knowing some boxes are best to be left collecting dust under the staircase.

x

To Hardy's surprise, he gets the job in Devon. And not only a position at the station, but DI.

He blinked, putting down the phone on the table. Hardy thought he'd never get to be a detective again, and he'd be stuck teaching at some police academy all this life. Now he got to be a Detective Inspector again. He almost felt as happy as when he first got the promotion.

He pulled out his phone and texted:

Guess who's the new DI in Devon :))

A few minutes later, Miller was beaming through the phone's speaker.

"You got DI?"

"Yeah." he smiled.

"That's fantastic, Hardy! How did you get it? Are you not suspended because of - Well me beating up Joe?"

"Oh I am, but only until next month. The Super was willing to overlook it because he said I had the most experience out of all the applicants."

"God, this is great."

"I was not expecting it at all."

"I knew Dominic would have a spot spot for you. And Clive probably also had something to do with it. He's got this thing for Scots, you know. Have a told you about New Year's eve in 1999…"

Miller started babbling on about the CS, but he wasn't listening, only thinking about how much closer Exmouth was to Broadchurch.

x

Like every Saturday, Tom hovered downstairs and started cooking breakfast. Three eggs, two pieces of toast and a whole glass of the orange juice with the little pieces in still wouldn't fill him up completely, but if he ate any more, his mum would shout.

He settled in front of the television, but didn't really watch the big screen in front of him. He was scrolling through his Twitter feed, that provided nothing interesting, and then Facebook, which was even more boring. His phone tinged, signifying a new email. He opened it up, frowning at the message.

Hi Tom. hows it going? how are you doing? hope u haven't forgotten me yet…

-Old friend :)

He rolled his eyes and closed the email. 'boy1710071 ' wasn't the kind of thing he was going to waste his time on. Especially if it was going to be some internet troll he might or might not have met when he was five.

x

Late at night, the only thing making noise in the Broadchurch police station was the printer, which beeped every now and then, declaring 'READY' on the interface. Ellie, who worked lated on weekdays, had developed a strong dislike for the machine. Ellie would be deep in concentration, when the printer beeped, distracting her from whatever paperwork she was going through.

One night the printer was bothering her so much, she was prompted to march through the office and pull the thing's plug straight from the wall. When she got there, Josh was already trying to turn the thing off.

"Dammit- Oh, hello Ellie. This thing bothering you too?"

"Yeah. That sound is so loud." she complained.

"I agree But now-" Josh said, "-I killed it." he said, throwing the cable onto the carpet.

Ellie smiled, turning back toward her office.

"Are you going home yet?"

"Almost. I have to finish my last bit of work on that Foxglove Road theft. Why?"

"Just wondering." Josh said, placing down his papers on a table.

"Say Ellie, if I asked you to go out with me some time, what would you say?"

Ellie stopped in her tracks. "On a date?"

"If you want to call it that." Josh said, "We can grab a drink tonight if you like."

Ellie's eyes widened and with embarrassment she felt her face reddening. Looked at him, standing hands in his pockets, smiling a cheeky smile.

"Josh," she breathed, "I'd love to go out some time,"

He grinned, leaning against the door.

"but I have a two year old waiting for me at home."

"I understand." he said, "Fred, you said his name was? And Tom. You best get back to them, but Friday, six o'clock?"

"Sounds great." she said, "But not the pub."

"Of course not he pub. If it's a date, you say, we'll have to go to a restaurant."

Ellie laughed at that.

x

"I cannot believe you're actually going."

"I'm not leaving the country, Daisy." Hardy said, holding a packet full of old clothes.

"But Exmouth is three hours away!"

"Only one on the train. You'll visit ofter, if it suits your mother. And why are you so upset now? There weren't any tears when I left for Broadchurch."

She gave him a look, "That was completely different. I was still angry at you then for divorcing mum. Now it's different." Daisy said, closing the boot of his newly bought second hand car.

"Come here." he growled, pulling her into a hug.

"It's not fair. Just when I get used to you, you leave." She pulled him closer.

"Now, now." he kissed her forehead. "Don't get soppy."

"I'm fine." Daisy said, rolling her eyes. "Arn't you supposed to be the soppy one?" She hugged him once more and then he got into the car.

"Goodbye, dad."

"I'll see you next week, Dais."

"Okay. remember to send me photos. And call Ellie when you get there. She'll be worried too."

Hardy nodded, stepping on the accelerate pedal. "And stay away from Jack, would you."

x

Tom was on the couch, opening his inbox to find a third email from 'boy1710071 '.

"Mum?"

"Hello. Have you been waiting long? I got take-out."

"Great. Listen, mum, I've been wanting-"

"I have to talk you. I have news." she put the plastic on the counter, "Sit down," she prompted.

"News?" Tom asked, "Is it Joe?"

"No." Ellie said. "No at all. Joe's still in Cardiff. He hasn't gone anywhere. I wanted to tell you, someone at work has asked me out on a date."

Tom nodded.

"His name is Josh. He is a police officer. We're going to have dinner on Friday night."

Ellie watched Tom. His hair hanging over his face, clouding her view from his eyes.

"Are you okay with it, Tom? If you're not, I won't go."

"I'm fine with it."

"Okay. It's not serious. We're just giving this a shot, okay." Ellie sighed. Tom went in and hugged her. She was taken back. Ellie couldn't remember the last time her son hugged her.

When she let go, Tom mumbled something.

"What was that, sweetie?"

"No I just thought if you'd be going on any dates… if you'd be going out, it would be with Hardy."

"Hardy?" Ellie repeated, scrunching up her face. "Not Hardy, no. What makes you think that?"

x

The Exmouth police station was nothing like Broadchurch's new concrete building. It was an old fashioned, red-bricked structure, and it was only ten minutes from Hardy's new flat.

Hardy's flat wasn't the greatest, but it was the closest thing he could find to the station. He woke up on the couch in the one room flat (Hardy hadn't bothered to find a bed and mattress yet) and made himself toast, which he ate on the way to work.

Hardy was reminded of when he first started in Broadchurch. Hardy went to Broadchurch looking for some quiet, and instead he got the opposite: a new child murder investigation. Perhaps Exmouth would be different. He hoped so. At least this seaside town was a little more permanent. He was not going to spend the first year living in a hotel room.

As he entered the building, he greeted the PC who first helped him, but Hardy had long forgotten his name. Once upstairs, he settled into his new desk, unpacking some paperwork and stationary.

"Alec Hardy?" said a man. A tall man with a purple shirt, and promising smile. Hardy panicked - had he met this man before? Did he have to remember his name?

"I just came to say welcome. My name is Clive." he said, taking Hardy's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Alec."

"Call me Hardy. I don't really like the first name thing." he said.

"Like that, are we? In that case, call me Cox." Clive said, reaching out and stroking Hardy's shoulder. He blinked.

"Just shout if you need help with anything." Clive said, strolling out the office, and closing the door behind him. "Anything at all."

When the door clicked shut, Hardy sat back in his chair.

Was that… ? Never mind, Hardy told himself, and stretched out his legs under the table. They were stiff from sleeping on the sofa.

The rest of the morning continued as it usually would. He had a heck of a load of admin to plough through, which kept him occupied until late morning. He only took his first break to make a cup of tea after twelve. Unsurprisingly, a bunch of DS's flocked in his direction to make small talk. He groaned. What was it with the countryside folk?

"Hi, you're the new-?"

"Alec Hardy, yes. And yourself?" he asked.

"Jeanine Griffiths. DS." she said, "I sit over- there. It's good to have someone new on the team. Where do you come from?"

"Broadchurch - small town close to Weymouth. And before that Sandbrook."

"Oh." she said. Hardy could see the gears working, "You were on Danny's case, weren't you."

"Yes." Hardy said. Like you didn't google me before you walked up here, he thought.

"That must have been tough. No wonder Dominic said you had experience."

"Right." Hardy said, sipping his tea.

"So, um, are you married?"

"Not anymore." Hardy said bluntly, "You?"

"Fifteen years." she said cheerfully, "Our son is nine."

He nodded, looking forward to the conversation ending. Jeanine (or was it Jennifer?) talked on for a few more minutes before he went back to his desk. Later that afternoon there was a meeting with the CS Dominic and the DS's. They informed him on the various cases they'd been working on.

When he walked out the meeting, he saw two PC's whispering to each other.

"Yeah, Clive said he's that guy from Broadchurch."

"Is he married?"

"Divorced, apparently. Clive's excited."

Hardy shook his head. Why was everyone so concerned about if he was married or not?

The first week passed quickly. Hardy felt with all the classic cases he missed so much. His favourite DS, George, invited him to a late lunch with "a few of the boys.". Hardy would have said no, but he could hear Daisy echoing voice reminding him to be nice, so Hardy said yes.

To Hardy's colossal disappointment, "the boys" took him to the local fish and chips hut.

"Best fish in all of Britain, Hardy. You'll taste."

"Yeah. Alice catches them fresh!" George enthused on.

"Can't wait." Hardy said, although he could practically hear Miller tearing him about how much he loves fish and chips.

Once Hardy dodged a few seagulls, he sat down at the table, pecking at the food.

"So Hardy, are you married?"

"I used to be." he said, "We divorced about three years ago."

The policemen around the table looked at each other. Clive was grinning the most of them all.

"So, who was the unfortunate bloke?"

Hardy nearly choked on a fish bone. " 'cuse me?"

"I said," George took a deep breathe, "Who's the unfortunate guy you ended it with?"

Hardy's brows contracted, "I think you're-"

"Well I hope you give fabulous Clive here a shot."

"Yeah, Clivey's been single for years. There aren't many gays in the West Country, you know."

Clive, who was sitting across from Hardy, winked and smiled.

Now the Scotsman was really choking on that fish bone.

"You okay there mate?"

"What?" he exhaled.

Hardy started coughing and George and Darren hit him on the back.

"Clive's not that bad looking, is he, mate?"

Some of the other snickered.

"Christ." Hardy breathed, "You got it -" he took a gulp of air, "-wrong. I was married to a woman for seventeen years."

"Really?" one of the officers asked in surprise.

"Noooo." another said.

"I can tell a gay man when I see one." Clive insisted, eyes rolling up and down Hardy's figure. "I see one."

"What are you shitting about, Clive."

"He's obviously gay. Look at his hair, long, but not too long and the beard… It's obvious that he used product."

Hardy was very thankful he had a beard, because he didn't want 'the boys' seeing him blush. "I have a daughter. I'm not homosexual."

"So, I have a daughter too." Clive persisted. "In fact I have two."

"No, I ur don't mean it like that. I mean, no offence, ur -Clive. I'm - I'm just not gay."

The men started laughing, but George, upon noticing Hardy's pale exterior, revoked their comments: "You really aren't gay, are you?"

"I'm not." Hardy assured them. "Really not."

"Well then, that was one misunderstanding, wasn't it." George laughed.

"Well, bollocks." Clive said, joining in with the laughter.

"Where on earth did you hear I was gay?"

"Jeanine said she heard from someone working in Broadchurch. Obviously they got that wrong! We have to orderer some beer for this!"

x

Ellie stood in front of the mirror, examining herself carefully. She was wearing the same dress she wore that night she and Claire went out and she had the one night stand. Although she cringed when she thought of that night, the dress was still one of her favourites, and it didn't march up to her feeling about that night with Claire. Everything from her manipulative lies, to the miserable sex and her breath smelling like alcohol the new morning. At least she still liked the dress, and the black coat.

Ellie had gone through a lot of effort. Her hair was neatly straightened and tied back in what could be the world's most pathetic excuse for a ponytail, but Ellie liked having not curls. It made her feel, new. Different. She wondered what Josh would think.

Ten minutes beforeJosh was going to fetch her, she picked up the phone to a distressing sounding Hardy.

"Did you tell Exmouth that I'm gay?" Hardy barked.

"What?"

"It would have been nice to be prepared to know that half the reason I were hired was because I use, quote, 'product in my beard'!"

"Don't get you pants in a knot, Hardy. I never said anything like that-"

"Then why was that Cox bloke hitting on me? You were the only person I told I was moving to Exmouth. And the one DS said she heard I was gay from the Broadchurch Police Station!"

"Hardy-!"

"I'm the laughing stock of the station, Milller. How do you explain that? How would they have known-"

Ellie took a breathe, "I told you Clive was gay, and he had a thing for Scottish men."

"No you didn't!"

"Last week, Hardy. When you told me about the promotion. Were you not listening?"

"You did not say anything about Cox. It would have been great to- I was the laughing stock of the whole station! Miller I would have-"

"You know what? I don't have to do this. Do you have to be such a dick about this? I didn't do anything, Hardy."

"Millah!"

Ellie hit the red button. She was not going to listen bickering like that.

"Bloody immature." she hissed to that floor.

"Are you okay, mum?"

"Fine." she said, "Just arguing with Hardy, that's all."

"About what?" Tom said, wondering what Hardy must have done to get his mother to say 'dick'.

"It's nothing. He's just being Hardy."

"When is Josh coming?" Tom asked, and the doorbell rang.

"Well, okay, then." Tom said, and opened the door.

"You must be Tom. Pleased to meet you." Josh said.

"Hullo."

"I'm Joshua. Now I hope I can take your mum out tonight. Will you allow me? You are the man of the house, after all."

Tom blinked, "I'm cool with it."

"Fantastic! Where's Ellie-"

"Hi." she said, grabbing her coat.

"Well, hello." he said, "Looking dashing, I see. Let's go, ladies - or lady - first." He grinned.

"Thank you."

"Only a pleasure." Josh said, putting a hovering hand on Ellie's back and winking at Tom.

x