Sorry it's been so long! My computer still isn't finished at the repair place (it's been a nightmare) and I've been out of town visiting family. Hopped on my mom's computer to give you all the ending to Sandbrook! Hope you like it! Stay tuned for the third Broadchurch installment, but it'll be a bit longer since I am writing out most of the three years between this series and the next.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE END

Bonnie woke up to Alec's voice cooing over her, "Bonnie, are you feeling better? Can you hear me?"

She opened her eyes to see him leaning over her, softly brushing his fingers through her hair around her face. He tenderly smiled when he saw she was awake. "How are you feeling?"

"Better?" she stated with some quizzical nature to her voice. "I wore myself out, huh? Usually that's your job."

He quirked his lip at her joke. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Joe Miller's sudden overwhelming declaration of guilt in court today, would it?"

She averted her eyes, "Doesn't matter now that it's over with."

"Almost over with," he said. "The Judge moved up sentencing up to today. We have to go back to court and await her decision."

"Is it wrong to hope for the worst for him?" she asked.

"No, it bloody well isn't," he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

When Alec and Bonnie arrived at court, she noticed Beth and Ellie outside on the balcony talking and laughing together. It made her smile to see as she and Alec sat down on a bench, holding tightly to each other's hands and hoping the Judge didn't dare go easy on Joe Miller.

It was nice for Beth to let go of her anger and talk with Ellie like old times. "I keep thinking about that last Sunday we were all together. Before you went to Florida. You came to ours for a barbecue and the boys all went out playing football till it got dark. Way after it got dark."

"Tom came into your kitchen to get torches, so they could keep playing," Ellie remembered with a fond smile.

Beth laughed, "I can still see them all now. I shut my eyes – the sun's setting, I can see them all playing. Danny, Mark, Tom... and Nige and..." she trailed off then.

"Joe," Ellie said, tears welling in her eyes. "Even the memories are spoiled."

After a small pause, Beth tried to focus on the fond parts of the memories, "There's this moment where Dan spotted me looking out. And he ran over in his yellow shirt. He ran to the window, all pink and sweaty from running round. He pulled a face at the window, it made me laugh. I pulled one back. My little boy pulling faces at me." Her smile slowly fell and looked at Ellie, "I'm thinking of leaving Mark. It's not working. Even when this is over, it won't fix us. We're not the same people anymore."

Ellie nodded with understanding, a few tears leaking out of her eyes, "Be careful, though, Beth. You think you're alone in that marriage, you're not. It's nothing compared to being really alone."

Bonnie was surprised as they waited to see her Uncle Jay making his way inside. She stood up and accepted his big hug, "What are you doing here?"

He gestured to Alec, "This one called me and said you passed out."

She rolled her eyes and gave Alec a look. He gave her an innocent one back and shrugged. She turned back to her Uncle, "Fainted. Not passed out. I was back awake within ten seconds."

"Still," Jay insisted, casting a look around, "Thought I'd check in. It's a stressful day, you know?"

Bonnie playfully narrowed her eyes at him, "Checking in with me or with Ellie?"

She laughed at his blush.

Claire slumped against the small boat hut she'd been squatting in. While Lee reclined against the one next to her. She didn't look at him as she asked, "It's over, isn't it, between us?"

"I think it might be," he said.

"How does it work, though, us without each other?" she looked over at him. "Do you trust me to keep your secrets?"

"As much as you trust me to keep yours," he decided.

She looked away. She didn't trust him at all. "What will you do?"

He sighed, "Go back to France, I suppose."

"What's so great about France?" she spat.

"Nobody knows me. Almost nobody," he answered.

She stared at him, "You shouldn't have hit me."

He tried to make light of the situation by saying, "You're lucky I stopped there."

"What did you say?" she hissed at him.

"It's a joke," he tried to excuse his remark.

She stared at him like she was just seeing him, all her hatred and resentment bubbling up, "Thank God you never became a father."

He scowled at her, not knowing who she was anymore. She scrambled up and grabbed her backpack, starting to march away from him. He asked after her, "Where will you go?"

"You're so stupid."

Jay, Alec, and Bonnie were getting along in the court lobby, but their peaceful conversation was interrupted when Claire marched into the courthouse. Like a woman on a mission. Ellie must have noticed from the balcony because she was following after the woman as she approached Alec, digging a hand into her backpack.

Alec asked her, "What are you doing here?"

"You want the bloody pendant?" she asked him back, pulling a plastic bag with the pendent inside and smacking it into her chest. "Have it!"

"No," he stared at it in disbelief. He held it up to her and yelled at her, "You took this?! You had this all along?!"

Ben suddenly called out to the group, "The Judge is ready!"

Claire tried to use the distraction to slink away but Alec grabbed her arm, "No, no, no," pulling her along with the group as they started entering the courtroom. "You're not leaving my sight. Come on!"

As he dragged her on, with the others following behind, she looked back and locked in on Bonnie. "You must be the girlfriend! Did he tell you we shagged? Did he?"

Bonnie – blissfully to Alec's relief – just scoffed at her claims. But he still tightened his grip on her as they walked up the stairs to the courtroom. "That's enough out of you. Not another word until we're done here."

They piled into the courtroom and Bonnie stuck to Alec's side this time, no matter what the clerk said, as he dragged Claire to sit on his other side.

"Will the defendant please stand?" the clerk said.

Joe Miller stood on shaky legs, madly muttering to himself, looking completely crazy.

Bonnie held Alec's hand in hers, not really listening to the Judge speaking. She just caught bits of what the woman in the wig was saying. "Joe Miller... especially heinous crime... not only that but putting the Latimer family through the indecency of a trial... knowing your guilt... and then your outburst... no choice other than to sentence you to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Court is adjourned."

With the bang of her gavel, Bonnie came back to life. She was completely relieved. It was over.

Alec dragged Claire to her feet as they stood and started exiting the courtroom, hissing at her, "Claire Ripley, I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Pippa Gillespie and Lisa Newbery. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?" After she nodded, he led her roughly out into the lobby. "Right. Go."

Bonnie and Jay followed behind at a short distance as Alec flagged down a PC, "Err, come with me. Come on," and walked down the stairs with Claire to meet with Tess and her own PCs. "I arrested this woman at 2:32 PM. She's aware she's under caution. Take her to the nick for me."

Tess nodded, "I rang the custody suite. They know she's coming in. I'll sit with you."

"No, no. I need Miller," he denied.

Tess frowned but masked it, "Yeah. Course you do."

He pulled out the pendent and handed it to Tess, "Claire just handed me this pendant. You two should have plenty to talk about."

After that, he walked on, and Bonnie decided to follow him, and Jay followed her. They found Ellie outside on the balcony alone.

"All right, Ellie?" Jay asked.

Ellie turned quickly, not expecting them. She wiped at her eyes and sighed, "Can't believe it's over."

Jay clasped a hand on her shoulder and smiled kindly, "It is over. But it's still your husband. You let me know if you need anything. I'll be sticking around for a while now."

Bonnie liked the sight of them getting close, but Alec just had to but in with the Sandbrook case.

"Miller, I still need your anger," he cut in. "I want you to stoke it! I want it to burn hard in you. I need someone as angry as me right now, cos we're gonna close the case on Claire and Lee Ashworth today!"

"What do you mean, now?" she asked him loudly.

"We can make sure another killer goes down. The pendant is the lever to get them to confess. We'll go in hard, let's go!"

"Not before giving me a celebratory kiss," Bonnie teased as Alec started pulling Ellie away.

He stopped and grabbed her face, kissing her fiercely, and even dipping her a bit. It made her smile into the kiss and at the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. When he stood her up and pulled away, he said, "I'll be home soon as I can be. With two more arrests under my belt."

"Go get them!" she encouraged as they ran off to do their job.

"Yeah?"

Alec would enjoy dangling the bait for Lee. Keeping his voice professional, he said, "Claire's in custody. We believe she has evidence relating to Lisa and Pippa's deaths."

"What evidence?" Lee asked.

"I can't talk. I'm just heading over there now. Um, she turned down a solicitor. She came to me, said she wanted us to know the truth now. You haven't had a falling out, have you?" He took joy in the silence on the other end. "Just do me a favor. Don't leave the area. I'm sure I'll want to talk to you very soon."

Ellie felt like she was walking through a ghost when she entered the same interview room where Alec had told her that her husband was a child murderer. Alec walking in behind her startled her out of the memories as he started setting up the tapes. "Time to stop playing games. Tell me how you came to have Pippa Gillespie's pendant, Claire."

"Have you arrested Lee yet?" Claire demanded.

Alec scoffed quietly, "Is that what this is about? You brought us the pendant as a way of sending a message to Lee?"

She glared at him, "Why did you tell my husband I was pregnant, or that I'd had an abortion, when I told you in confidence? That's a breach of trust."

"You wanna talk about trust?" he poised for her. "How the Gillespies used to trust you to take their daughter to school? What did you do on those journeys? You start grooming her for Lee?"

She hissed at him, "Why did you force me to have sex with you, Alec?"

"We have never had sex, Claire," he calmly responded without missing a beat. He was getting bored with the games. Or rather angry.

"Why have you been holding me against my will?" she asked, spinning her fake story.

"Is there any truth to this?" Ellie asked, looking between them.

"Of course, there bloody isn't!" he dispelled. He glared at Claire, "You asked me to help you because you were worried your husband would come after you."

"You hurt me physically, Alec!" she accused. "You were sad because your wife had another man's cock in her mouth, but you shouldn't have forced me to have sex with you!"

Ellie reached for the tape recorder to stop it, "Stop the interview."

"Don't touch that," Alec stopped her.

"I have to take these allegations-"

"Sit down, Miller!" he shouted. He stared at Claire, eyebrow perched up, he would play her game for now, "You wanna keep going with these allegations? Fill your boots! We'll stop now. You can report those offenses. I'll be arrested. You want that? We can do that. Say the word." She stared back and said nothing. "That's not why you're here, is it? You're here because of Lee." He started spinning a tale of his own, only his had more of a chance of being true, "So, what are you thinking? We bring Lee in. He gets a fright, seeing that. And then, instead of betraying you... you're banking on him realizing that he needs to stay close to you because of what you know."

Claire's face suddenly broke into a wide smile as she leaned back in her chair, laughing like she'd been gassed, "I don't know anything! I don't!"

"You know what happened to Lisa Newbery and Pippa Gillespie," he said.

Her face went blank. "You're wrong."

"I don't think I am, not when I look in your eyes," he slowly told her.

She leaned forward, snarling, "I'm not scared of you, Alec."

"Yeah, well, you should be," he hissed dangerously back.

They were staring each other down when Ellie saw fit to step in, "Why have you got Ricky Gillespie's office number in your mobile?"

Claire turned her glare on her, "Oh, you're piping up now, are you? Had a little peek at my phone? Thank you for that, mate!"

"Why would you be calling Pippa's dad?" Ellie ignored her sniping. Claire remained silent. Ellie sighed, "Did Ricky send you the bluebell?" She saw something change in Claire's face and jumped on it, "Oh, he did! Why has Ricky got a picture of bluebells on his office wall?"

"Has he?" Claire feigned nonchalance.

"What happened that night, Claire?" Ellie asked.

"Dunno."

Ellie sat on the stoop outside the station next to Alec digging through files. Something was itching at the back of her head. Like something was staring her in the face but she couldn't see it. She couldn't quite pin point it.

"I'm gonna break her in there." Alec declared.

"Listen to yourself. You're too wound up!" Ellie chided him.

"Me?!" he looked at her. "You haven't met yourself! I will do whatever it takes to get those two in prison."

Ellie just went back to flipping through the file on her lap while his mobile rang. He told her, "Stop fiddling," as he answered it.

"Something is bugging me," she told him.

He would have griped at her some more, but then his phone rang. He quickly answered it seeing the contact of the one of the PCs he'd put on Lee. "What?... Oh, perfect. Stay there. Okay," he hung up and started getting up.

"I need someone to go to Lee and Claire's and get a photograph," Ellie said.

"Talk to Tess," he told her. "I've got to do something." He ran off, nearly spilling his tea on her as he set it down in her lap. She glared after him, just getting used to his ways.

Bonnie opened the gate to let herself and Jay in but stopped when she noticed someone standing outside the sky-blue house. It was Lisa, looking anxious. She must know that Alec and Ellie were starting to close in on the end of her case. Bonnie gave her a kind smile, "Hello Lisa."

Jay quirked a brow at his niece's back, "Another visitor?"

"Lisa Newbury," Bonnie explained shortly. "From Alec's Sandbrook case."

"Ah," Jay nodded with realization and let himself into the house to make them some well-deserved cups of tea.

Bonnie took Lisa's hand, "We're close to the end now. You'll get to be with Pippa soon."

She could feel Lisa's relief.

Alec felt like a predator closing in on his prey as he walked in with the PC he had on Lee's tail, into Claire's house to witness the man tearing the place apart. Muttering, "Come on! Where is it?"

"Where's what, Lee?" Alec said to announced himself. The man whipped around to stare, shocked to see them. "Before I called you, I had someone following you. I'm arresting you in connection with the murders of Pippa Gillespie and Lisa Newbery."

"This what you after?" Tess asked, approaching Alec and Ellie outside the second interview room with a photo.

"Wow, that was quick!" Ellie commented, taking the photo.

"I'm really good," Tess grinned.

"Yes! Look. See, there it is," Ellie pointed to what she had been noticing but not putting together until now. "That and that, which also makes sense of these two receipts."

"Oh, Miller, that is outstanding!" Alec commented, quickly pulling Ellie into the room with Lee and his solicitor.

Ellie started this interview herself, laying out a pay stub for him to look at, "So, I found this at the bottom of the old case files. What's it for?"

"A stub for a job I was doing the following Monday. Oak boards," Lee answered calmly.

"So, you bought this Saturday morning, the exact amount, everything you needed?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah. And then I done the job on Monday," Lee said.

"Yeah, I know. I checked. So, why did you go back to the same supply yard first thing Monday and buy the exact same stuff again?" Ellie questioned him.

Lee's face dropped into confusion, "What?"

"A second, identical purchase. Nobody thought to query it. Obviously, I'm a bit fussier," Ellie smirked. "What happened to the stuff you bought on Saturday? Why did you have to buy it again?"

"I didn't get enough," Lee tried to explain.

Ellie took out the photo she'd noticed on Alec's wall earlier, of him with Claire and Pippa working on his own floors. "This was taken a week before, as you were installing your own floor. Those boards are not the same boards that are on that floor now. Those are dark-oak floorboards. What's down there now is light oak. Same light-oak boards you bought Saturday morning, and again Monday. What did you use those boards for, Lee, between Saturday and Monday?"

"What happened on the floor, Lee?" Alec added.

"Nothing," he tried to deny.

"No. Something did," Alec leaned forward. "What were you looking for at the cottage, Lee? Is this what you were looking for?" He pulled out the bag with the pendent and set it on the table for Lee to see.

"For the tape, DI Hardy is showing Mr. Ashworth a clear plastic evidence bag, AH1, containing a pendant," Ellie stated.

"Where'd you get it from?" Lee asked.

"From your wife."

All the life drained from Lee's face. "What?"

"This is the evidence that proves Pippa Gillespie was in your car the night she died. This is the missing evidence that nearly killed me... and now I've got it," Alec gloated. He then stated his theory, "You know what I think this was? Her insurance policy. She didn't trust you... just like you never should've trusted her. She has stitched you up. And she never told you about the baby." Seeing the sorrow floating in Lee's eyes, he started stacking on, "When you're in love, you think you're gonna be interlocked forever. Love's all-encompassing when you're in it, but... really, you can't trust anyone. Not even the people you love. Ultimately... we're all alone."

Ellie gave the side of Alec's face a look, wondering if he meant that last bit. But she told herself he was just saying it for Lee's benefit. Alec had Bonnie, obviously loved her. And she loved him. It was an unbreakable bond. Whatever Lee and Claire thought they had was a sick interpretation of love.

"You more than anyone right now," Alec was going on and on for Lee. "So, set the record straight, and we can all get released from this. Come on. You must be so tired of lying! No-one's coming to your rescue. This is it. Last chance. Did you kill Lisa Newbery?"

Lee remembered standing with her, fighting the urge to steal glances at her as they watched the boy she'd been trying to avoid lurking outside the house.

"Why won't he leave me alone?" she had asked him. He had asked her where Pippa was. "Asleep. I should probably get back to her."

"No. Go get her. Bring her over. You can both stay here till he's gone," he had offered. She had looked so grateful and touched when he had. Like she was looking at him like a strong protector.

It had given him some extra oomph in his step as he confronted the pathetic little man outside. Punched him for good measure.

"You hit him!" Lisa had exclaimed in surprise when he walked back in the door.

He had just brushed it off, "Yeah, well, it's quicker than talking. He did get a bit of a nosebleed, though, poor sod."

She had stood in front of him at the bottom of the stairs, "Well, you got blood on your shirt." She had reached up and touched the spot at the top of his chest. He felt how close she was. How warm. He asked again where Pippa was then. "She's asleep in your bed. She barely woke up," she had said as she started undoing the first top buttons of his shirt.

"You had sex with Lisa Newbery that night?" Hardy asked Lee. "All this time you've been denying it. Then what? You killed her?"

It was all becoming too much for him.

"No. Claire," Alec realized.

That made Lee laugh, "You don't have a clue!" He recalled how absolutely angry Ricky had been when he caught them. He only had a fleeting second to enjoy the surprise on Hardy's face.

"Ricky came home from the wedding?"

"Get your clothes on!" Ricky had shouted as he forced his way into the house, looking like a storm.

Lee had immediately climbed off of Lisa and begged Ricky to calm down, not even having enough energy or time to cloth himself completely.

Ricky had been yelling about, "Where's Pippa?"

"She's upstairs!" Lisa had told him as she composed herself, pulling her nightgown back down over her legs.

Ricky had wagged his finger in her face, red in the face with burning rage, "I trusted you with her!"

"Lee was helping me."

"Don't give me that! I've been out there the last 15 minutes," he had spat at her, his spit almost hitting the floor.

Lee had tried to interject. He had really tried desperately to get them all to calm down, so they could talk it all out.

"Watching us?" Lisa had been so disgusted. "You bastard!"

Lee knew that had been her fatal mistake when Ricky turned on her. "What you call me?"

"You're pissed. Calm down." Lee could tell Ricky was completely wasted. And he still tried to get him to just calm down. But it was to no avail. Because Lisa just kept winding him up.

"I've seen you looking. You're pissed off that I fucked him, not you!"

That had been the final straw for Ricky. And in his rage, he reached out to punch her right in the face. She spun almost all the way around before falling to the ground.

"Agh!"

"Is that how you talk to me?" Ricky had shouted as he got on top of her. Lee thought for a moment that he would try to rape her. He had gotten up ready to stop it. He had tried.

"Stop it!"

"No! Get off me!" she had tried to fight him off.

But he was belligerently pissed, grabbing her head and smacking it into the floor. "Call me a bastard again!" He had only pounded her head against the wood twice before a thumping crack sounded. He saw her face go slack and blank. Eyes staring up unseeing. He had known she was dead immediately.

It all clicked. At least with Lisa. It all made sense then. Why Lisa was hanging around for Bonnie to see her. How Bonnie had hurt her head channeling Lisa. It hadn't been a wall her head was smashed into, it had been the floor.

"Where was Claire?" Alec demanded.

"This little box contains Lee's taped evidence," Alec held out the white tape as he and Ellie sat across from the stoic Claire.

"You are lying, Claire. You've changed your story a dozen times, and blamed everyone but yourself," Ellie accused her. "Now it's time to tell the truth. Lee's told us Ricky killed Lisa, but what happened to Pippa?"

Claire recalled her part of the night with a cold detachment. Or at least she had tried. She remembered how excited she had been to see Lee when she came home that night to surprise him. She was pregnant! They were going to start their own family. Nothing could have ruined her mood then.

But she had been confused to see Pippa sobbing on the stairs. "What you doing here, sweetheart? What's wrong?"

"I think there's been an accident," Pippa cried.

"What do you mean?"

Ricky had shown up and gotten in between her and Pippa then, telling his daughter that she should be in bed. Claire hadn't understood what was going on. But Pippa was inconsolable.

"Is Lisa all right?"

Ricky had told her, "No, she's not. She's, err... I'm afraid Lee's really hurt her."

"What?" Claire had not been able to let those words sink in. "What?!" She had stormed off to the back room and pushed the door open, gasping loudly when she saw the scene. Lisa was laying splayed out on the floor in her nightgown, blood pooling and spreading across the floorboards from the back of her head. "You didn't..."

Lee had been dressed by then, sobbing and shaking, shifting from foot to foot.

She had fallen to her knees at Lisa's feet, just staring numbly. She had barely heard Ricky speaking to her, "Claire, I need you to go to Pippa and sit with her. I've told her you'll bring her medicine to calm her down," or felt the chill of the flask he pressed into her. "Here. Claire!" She had numbly accepted it into her hand. "Give her some of that. It'll help her sleep. I'll deal with her in the morning."

"Claire's not part of this," Lee had hissed at Ricky.

Ricky held no remorse as he argued with him, "Shut up. You're all over her body. You're inside her. Her blood's on your floor. I'll get the van. You clean up in here. You go to the police, and I'll put it all on you."

After Ricky had left, Lee had started in crying to her, "Claire, you can't give her that. You can't give Pippa that. When he goes out to bars, he puts Rohypnol in there. We've got to go to the police."

"Did you have sex with her?" she had asked him, feeling every part of her break and get glued back together with ice. "Did you have sex with her, Lee?" His silence had been enough of an answer for her as she reached up and slapped him with all her might. "What have you done?!"

Claire had known what she had to do as she watched Ricky and Lee roll Lisa into a plastic tarp and load her into Ricky's van. His part of the plan was to take her body and dump it somewhere. She didn't know where. Ricky was out for himself. She had to take care of them.

She had climbed into her bed with a crying Pippa and comforted the girl. She had asked her how long she'd been on the stairs. What she heard.

Pippa couldn't stop crying. "I heard Lisa and Lee."

"Mm-hm?"

"They were having sex. Then I heard the fight."

It had been exactly what Claire feared, "Okay. Thank you for telling me the truth, sweetheart."

"Lee hurt Lisa, and Dad said..." Pippa had sobbed.

"It's all right. It's all right," Claire had shushed her. "Thank you for being honest. You've done really well." She had held the girl to her. She had loved this girl dearly. She had cared for this girl, like her own family. But Lee was her real family. He was her husband. He couldn't go down for Ricky's crime. It had all broken her heart. "Now, I don't want you to worry. You just need to rest. Your dad has left you something. Err, some medicine, just... calm you down, help you sleep." She had reached for the flask, knowing what was inside it, and handed it to Pippa to start drinking. "We'll get all this sorted out. I want you to take a big gulp of that. A big gulp of that." Pippa had tried to stop drinking it, grimacing at the liquid, but Claire pushed her. "That's a good girl. Well done."

"I don't like it," Pippa had whined.

Claire had agreed with her, and then got out of the bed to tuck the little girl in. "Snuggle down, now. Come on. Snuggle down. Snug as a bug. I'm just downstairs."

"I'm worried about Lisa."

Claire had stopped in the doorway and looked back at her, looking into her sad eyes and lying, "Everything's gonna be all right."

She had left Pippa to cry herself to sleep and slowly climbed downstairs, catching Lee kneeling on the blood-stained ground, staring at where Lisa had laid.

"We've got to clear this mess up," she had told him, kneeling next to him and staring into the side of his face. He wouldn't stop crying and staring at the floor. "Pippa heard you having sex. She thinks you killed Lisa."

He slowly quieted, understanding the gravity of the situation, "Did you give her that stuff from the flask?"

"She'll be asleep now."

Once Lee did his part, she had coldly given him the next job. Rip out the bloodstained floorboards and take them to Thorp's place to burn them. And get rid of Pippa's body. She had waited outside to flag Ricky down when his van pulled up and jumped in, giving him loud directions to where she knew Lee had laid Pippa to rest.

She had told him to be quiet as he demanded to know why she had him drive out to the bluebell fields by the water.

"What are we doing? Where's Pippa? Tell me where she is, now!"

She had backed away from him, keeping her distance, "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!"

He had only wanted to know, "Where is Pippa?"

"You need to stay calm, right? I gave her some stuff from your flask, like you said." She had emphasized that part. That it had been his choice to make her drink the date rape drug.

It had seemed just then that that choice was finally dawning on Ricky. "Right."

"What was in there? That wasn't just whiskey, was it?" She had been good at feigning ignorance even then.

"What happened?"

She had made sure to keep her distance, having seen what he'd done to Lisa. "She had a reaction. She couldn't breathe. She was choking, and it was... It was just so, so fast."

"What are you telling me?"

"We couldn't call an ambulance Ricky, not with what you've done... to Lisa, with blood all over the floor! We...couldn't save her. She's gone."

He hadn't wanted to accept it. "No. No!"

"I'm so sorry."

"No. You don't say that!" He had advanced on her then. He had a hold on her jacket.

She had to speak quickly. "Lee said he knows somewhere peaceful, somewhere you used to go, where she won't be found for a while. That's why we're here. You can go and look. I'll wait here. I'll wait here."

She had found him just collapsed in the field in grief after he had seen and cradled his little girl's body in the water.

"Ricky! Gimme the keys," she had commanded. She would drive them back. But before they left, she had to make everything clear. "Listen. I've got to tell you this. I've buried your hip flask in the woods here. I know exactly where, but nobody else will be able to find it. If you feel like you wanna talk to the police, or you blame us, remember, I know where your hip flask is that contains traces that killed Pippa. It's just a precaution. That's all. Nothing else."

"You've thought it all through, haven't you?"

"I've got to think of the future."

Recalling every sordid detail to them had drained the cold life out Claire. Left her huddled in the corner of the interview room, tears down her face, as Alec and Ellie stood in front of her.

"I only came home that night to tell him I was pregnant."

Ricky had played cool as they brought him in next. Alec felt particularly offended by his involvement. They were both fathers. But so was Joe Miller. You never really knew a person.

"We've got a pretty clear picture of the events of that night. But we wanna hear it from you," Alec told him.

"We know you killed Lisa. But where did you bury her body?" Ellie asked.

A smirk played on his lips, like he believed was going to get away with it, but there was also moisture in his eyes. "No comment."

"No, no, no, no. Don't do that," Alec admonished him. "Cate broke your alibi weeks ago. There were hours when she didn't see you at the wedding. She assumed you were off sleeping with a bridesmaid, Tiffany Evans. But Tiffany said otherwise."

"And I did a lot of checking with every cab company in your area. Unfortunately for you, the cab company that took you home have got a computerized system. They keep really good records. Your journey details, times, all paid up," Ellie revealed. He wasn't getting away with anything.

Still it was, "No comment."

"Seriously?" Alec felt like throttling the man across from him. "My daughter was the same age as Pippa when this happened. My heart went out to you. I knew how you felt. I couldn't let you down. That's what I always thought. Two years, never letting go! I nearly killed myself over this, and you're gonna "no comment" me?!" He saw Ricky's face getting dragged down with the weight of the whole situation. "So, is there anything else you want to say to us?"

"I got my punishment that night," Ricky told them as he remembered sobbing over Pippa, how she was already soaked through her clothes, and got him all wet as he held her and tried to breathe warmth back into her ice-cold hands.

"What did you do with Lisa's body?" Ellie asked.

"Lee was working at a church. There was a funeral the day before. So... best place to hide a body. A grave." It was over. It was done.

Jay had gone home for the night. Bonnie had ended up nodding off on the couch. Well, almost. At a moment during the night, Lisa suddenly cuddled into her, hugging her tight. It felt warm. It felt like a thank you.

A little startled, but not afraid, Bonnie smiled and hugged her back, "I'm guessing you're almost done here. I hope you feel some relief knowing the truth. Even if it's hard."

She felt Lisa nod into her shoulder, hugging her tighter.

After Tess' people had taken all three of the murderers away, Alec found himself sitting alone with a pile of files in the silent interview room. He opened the top file that had Lisa's picture in it. Then he pulled out the wallet photo of Pippa he carried around with him and laid it next to her. With a solemn finality, he closed the folder – closed the case.

It was overwhelming. Finally, being done with it all. Two years of his life was finally over, and he could finally put the people responsible for so much grief away.

But it was all still there. Pippa and Lisa were still dead. Cate would be absolutely gutted when she learned of Ricky's part in it all. She would probably be worse off than she was already. And his marriage still fell apart, he still almost died of stress.

It made him slowly lose his hold on his emotions, laying his head in his head and letting out echoing sobs. It was harrowing, but cathartic.

"Did you not find any traces of Rohypnol in Pippa's body?" Ellie asked as they sat outside the station by the sidewalk. She felt like a ghost had left her body with everything over. The trial. Sandbrook. All of it.

"Passes through the system in 24 hours," he said. "We didn't find her for a few days. And besides, they watered it down."

Ellie peaked her head down to catch his eye, "You did it. You got them."

"Done my penance," he said. "I just keep thinking of all the damage done... all those lives."

Ellie's phone dinged, and she quickly checked it, "That's Beth. I've got to get the boys. Do you mind if I..."

"No, go. Well done," he waved her off. "Go on."

Ellie stood to leave but paused, "I think you're wrong, by the way. You're wrong, what you said to Lee in there. We're not all alone."

He looked up at her, "I know that now. I said that for him."

"Thought so," Ellie murmured, her eyes going over his shoulder.

He turned around to see Bonnie walking towards them in a light and airy white dress and a smile. Neither of the detectives saw Lisa walking with her. Ellie waved as she was headed the other way, leaving Hardy to wait and smile and accept her hug when she reached him. She hugged around his neck, holding him to her chest as she kissed the top of his head.

"How is my grouchy man feeling?" she asked softly. "It's nearly over."

"Nearly?" he asked, rearing his head.

Bonnie led him with her eyes to the space where Lisa was standing. "Lisa needs to say her goodbyes before she goes. Your turn now, I think."

Alec followed her eye-line to an empty spot of air. He let out a sigh, "I... truly hope you find peace. Wherever you go."

Bonnie watched as Lisa gave Alec a warm smile and leaned over to lay a kiss on his forehead. When she saw the way his eyes closed, she knew somehow, he had felt it. Lisa stood straight and gave her a grateful smile then, waving her hand as her form slowly faded away. She moved on.

"Now it's over," she whispered, hugging Alec's head again and standing between his legs. "How do you feel now?"

"I think I'm supposed to feel relief," he said.

"I think you're supposed to be grieving," she countered, running her fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp absentmindedly.

He mindlessly played with the hem of her light dress with his fingers, "This is a nice dress."

She accepted his distraction of change of subject, smiling, "You like it? I was thinking of wearing something like it for the wedding. I'm not really that formal."

"Sounds good to me," he breathed.

She cupped his face, "Let's get you home. Into bed."

He groaned, "I don't think I could sleep now."

She smirked, "Who said anything about sleeping?"

Mark bounced little Lizzie in his arms as the Latimer family stood on the beach, on the same spot Danny was found.

Chloe laid a small bouquet of flowers down on the sand. "I miss him so much."

"Me too," Beth said, crouched down next to her.

"We haven't shown you this place, have we?" Mark asked Lizzie in his arms as she cooed. "We can't never come here. We can't... miss out. Not on somewhere this beautiful. We lost your brother here, darlin'. He would've loved you. Would've loved having a little sister to boss around. I have to reclaim it for you now, Lizzie. And for us. Keep our love as strong as steel. That's the way we win." He gazed at Beth as he said this.

"Yeah," she smiled at him, hooking her fingers in his belt loop. She caught sight of the Millers making their way over and smiled, "Hey! You're late!"

"Yeah, but we've got crisps!" Ellie announced, holding up the shopping bag.

The two families met up on the sand, exchanging hugs and kisses. Freddy loved seeing the Latimers again and peering at little Lizzie in Mark's arms. Ellie officially met the new baby for the first time. They dug into the crisps, talked, loved, laughed. They would find a way to carve out a new life in Broadchurch passed their trauma. They would live.

Meanwhile, Alec was inside of Bonnie, panting and moaning. He moved with a new energy, with a new lease on life, listening to her squeaking moans that only egged him on. He hitched her legs higher on his hips and dove into her, feeling her heels start to dig into his backside.

She dug her fingers into the skin of his back as she craned her head up to smash her lips to his. There was a spiritual connection and warmth to them. There was a finality and new beginning now. He was gripping the flesh of her thigh, cupping her neck, kissing her – all so fiercely.

And neither could deny the divine pleasure they felt moving with each other, him diving inside of her and she receiving him inside of her. It built and built to a peak that made both of them cry out. He moved some more within her until finally collapsing next to her on the bed.

Panting, she turned over to lay on his chest, a tired but satisfied smile on her face, "So much for thinking you're not energetic enough!"

He let out a slight wheeze as he laughed, "I've got a new heart now. I'm a new man, with new energy. We can have a new life now."

She smiled at him, "New life, huh? That sounds pretty amazing. I talked to Daisy about her visiting either this weekend or the next. She's excited to see you for herself post-operation."

"Aye, we'll have to clean this place up then," he remarked.

She arched an eyebrow at him, "We? You mean you and Miller?"

He smiled innocently, "Of course."

She shifted closer to him, "You want to stay here right?"

He asked her, "Why do you ask?"

She averted her eyes to his chest, "Well, I thought you stayed originally... for me. But you'd been keeping Claire under watch here. Now... Danny's case is over, Joe's trail is over, Sandbrook is even over. You're unattached to Broadchurch by work. And I don't want to make you stay in a place you truly hate."

"Hey," he used a finger to guide her chin up, so he could look into her eyes. "I'm your grouchy man. I'll find anything to complain about anywhere."

She let out a laugh at that. He had a point.

"I wasn't only here to keep Claire under watch," he told her. "I was here for you too. I love you. We're getting married. We're building a life. And this is your home. It can be our home too."

She felt herself getting a little choked up at his testament, suddenly throwing herself onto him and kissing him with all her feelings and love for him. "I love you too, Alec. I cannot wait for the rest of our life."

And that's the end of Sandbrook people! Thank you for reading! I am writing the third series but it's going to take longer when I don't have my own computer for the moment and I'm writing up a bit of the three years in between stories. But stay tuned, and let me know what you think of how I wrote up the ending and concluded things.

PLEASE REVIEW!

RegalGirl94