Summary: She asked him out to the pub and he said no. And then, in the evening, he still walked to the pub anyway and found her there.
Notes: Picks up where the finale ended. Not overtly romantical but definite shipping. Rated T for themes. Cross-posted to AO3.
Slowlyby sister_spooky
It's happened almost too slowly to realize. Too gradually. They've gone steadily onwards without seeing they made choices to be this way, choices that eventually made all the other options disappear. Now they've just been left with an "us".
She asked him out to the pub and he said no. And then, in the evening, he still walked to the pub anyway and found her there. They never talked about the coincidence of it, just discussed the case, quietly in the corner table, even the confidential bits, and she cried a little with the help of some drinks. He put his hand on top of hers, squeezed lightly, and let her get the tears out. Later they shared a cab and on her driveway she hugged him. He was surprised but wrapped his arms around her anyway. After a bit too long she went in without saying a word.
The following month or so they have a string of small cases, thankfully. She tries to make a thing out of the after-work pub but when he points out he can't drink much because of his heart and she adds that people might talk if they're seen together, they decide to stop it.
Even though work is quiet they both have their hands full with kids. Ellie moreso, but then Daisy starts dating someone from school and Alec panics. He begs Ellie to give her the talk even though she insists that Daisy must have discussed it with her mom ages ago. Finally she caves, knowing she'd blame herself if something did happen. They make a full dinner out of it with Alec inviting Ellie over and excusing himself conveniently for the chat. Daisy is a bit more receptive than she'd expected, and seems relieved to have somebody female to confide in closer to home.
To say thanks, Alec buys her her favourite chocolate. She says no at first but accepts it soon, of course, and casually mentions her boys could use a male role model, too. Someone other than their grandpa.
All of this turns into semi-regular dinner parties that they have with the kids, too. Tom and Daisy both voice their confusion over what's happening but neither Alec nor Ellie have anything remarkable to say. They're just friends and colleagues, and there really isn't more to that. Alec doesn't have many friends and Ellie lost some of hers in the whole thing with Joe, so this is out of company and convenience. Sometimes they invite Beth, Chloe and Lizzie over, too. The kids all get along nicely.
When Daisy leaves for uni in London, Alec spends more time at the Miller house. She invites him over often but sometimes he just shows up and it's not weird. When they have cases to work on, they're always at his but social calls are mostly at her place.
Daisy spends Christmas at her mum's and Ellie just won't have Alec being alone. She throws a little holiday get-together and invites all her friends over. Beth catches them under the mistletoe and with a tipsy laugh urges them to kiss. They do, briefly, and it feels nice. He stays over on the pull-out sofa in the living room and having him there at breakfast doesn't feel strange at all. His presence in her house has become normal.
Alec has gotten gifts for the boys, a Steam gift card for Tom - he only has a vague idea of what it is but it's what Daisy suggested - and Lego sets for Fred. Tom is a bit suspicious but thank him anyway. Fred hugs him.
They get presents for each other, too, Ellie gives him a jumper she's somehow managed to knit by herself and Alec gives her a pair of earrings, pretty but practical.
Later on they watch It's a Wonderful Life on TV and don't really register being nestled up together until Fred joins them and insists on squeezing between them. Alec smirks and places an absent-minded kiss on the top of his head, and wonders if they look like a family. Ellie wonders if they are a family.
Next year they find themselves spending even more time together. It's comfortable. They aren't really together but neither of them could imagine being with anyone else.
It's a late, cold March evening when she's about to leave his house after an intense work session mapping out the movements of a suspect in a hit and run case. It's way past her kids' bedtimes and her dad has probably sorted that out. Alec points out that she could stay since it's only a few hours until they need to be working again. She hates driving at night so she says yes. He offers to sleep on the sofa but she refuses and insists on it being easiest if she just sleeps in his bed. No need to make a fuss, she says, and takes off her jacket. They fall asleep both fully clothed and wake up tangled up together. Neither says a word but they both smile.
The case is stressful and ends badly. They find their culprit a bit too late, arrive at his house only to find him dead. Self-inflicted gunshot wound. Ellie can't be alone that night so Alec stays beside her and they talk it over and over again in her bed, holding each other. In the very early morning she wakes up to find him awake, too, and they kiss. It's pure energy that converts into a comforting warmth and makes them go further, all the way to the end.
Afterwards they sleep a couple of hours and in the morning they both have accepted that this is a thing that happens from now on.
There's no honeymoon period, really. Neither of them really want it, either. What they want, and need, is a safe, easy routine, and it's what they fall into with barely any effort.
By June they notice that they spend most of their time together and that they might as well live together. Ellie takes the opportunity to sell her house - it's been fine after the makeover but this is ultimate way of moving on. Alec's house is too small for all of them so they buy a whole new house for the whole new family. It's got bedrooms for all of them, even a ground floor private-entry room for Ellie's dad. Daisy's got the guest bedroom whenever she comes over.
Everything comes very naturally to them. There's no fuss and there's no drama, it's just them, sometimes infuriating but always supporting each other. People talk, of course, especially at work in the beginning, but when they see nothing really changing they lose interest.
She wouldn't have gotten into a relationship like this before Joe. She'd been young and swept off her feet. That doesn't happen anymore and she's grateful for that. It's the same for him, too. When Tess came around he thought he knew what he wanted. Now he realizes it's trust, friendship, and consistency - they're the things that have turned it into love, a real, lasting bond kind of love. They haven't discussed it, but Ellie feels the same. Alec's the one who's always there, who might not always be exactly what she wants but who's there nonetheless, who can be trusted. They depend on each other, but in the best of ways.
Tom and Daisy find it weird at first but come around quickly. It's not long till Fred starts calling him dad. That's how they know they've arrived.
On the night before they've booked a time at the town hall Ellie asks him if he thinks this was always going to happen. He thinks, rolls on his back and pulls her to him.
"I think, Miller," he says, and she grins at the thought of this being her last day as a Miller, "I think we were inevitable."