Chapter Text
Flopping back down into the driver's seat from where she'd been perched on Alec's lap, Ellie declared, "Well, that can't happen again."
Sighing deeply, Alec agreed, his brow levitating into his hairline. "I don't know what we were thinkin'."
"Probably stress," Ellie decided. Snorting, she said, "We've both been in it up to our eyeballs over the last few years."
He just nodded, sighed, and began tucking in his shirt.
Ellie struggled back into her pants, muttering, "Well my zip's shot" as she tried to close them up.
"Sorry," he said gruffly, doing up his own zipper.
"S'okay," she replied, smiling a bit. "Hey, there's no CCTV along here, is there?" she asked, looking out her side window for the tell-tale poles along the sea-side road.
"Don't think so; unless a crime's reported along here, who's going to call it up to see?"
She shrugged in agreement, letting the worry go. After straightening as much as she could within the confines of the car, she finally turned the key in the ignition.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We've gotta stop," Alec said, rolling off her onto the other half of the his small double. They said the same thing every time, one or other of them, like their most recent tryst was the last fag in a packet and they didn't plan on buying another -- a bad habit, even if it was one they enjoyed.
"Budge over," she said, forcefully molding him into place as she repositioned herself on her side and pulled up the sheet over both of them. Resting her head on his chest and throwing an arm and leg across him, she said, "There's no point in goin' home now. I'm better off waiting 'til morning and claiming work."
Alec shrugged at the excuse. Frowning at the thought of her father, though, he said, "He saying when he's going to leave, yet?"
He felt her shake her head. "I'm 'fraid to prompt it. Need the babysitting."
Alec absentmindedly rubbed a hand up and down her arm. "He's getting worse, though, yah?"
He didn't need an answer. He'd heard the other half of plenty of phone conversations she'd had with her father. He'd also heard Tom tell some tales about the man's driving.
"I can help you out if you like," he offered, a bit tentative for the snappy Scott. "Daisy, too."
"Probably shouldn't offer for her," she said with a smile.
After a moment of thought, he snorted. "Maybe if she babysits Fred, she'll start hanging out with Tom instead of 'her boys."
She poked him in the stomach. "You're being naïve. Nothing is that easy to manipulate with a teen."
"I can hope," he sighed, thinking of the trio that called him "Daisy's dad" with nary a tad of respect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie sat on the bench, her half-eaten Scotch egg in hand as she stared out at the sea. She wasn't really seeing it. Instead, she was thinking of the evening before when she was cuddled together naked with Alec, and he offered to help her with the boys.
When he plopped down beside her, she was jostled from her thoughts. Looking him up and down as was her habit since he scared her half to death with that heart attack years before, she decided he actually looked less tired than usual. She was unsurprised, however, to see that all he got for himself from the shack was a strong tea.
"Here," she said, shoving the Scotch Egg at him.
He grimaced at it, particularly disgusted by its half-eaten state. "Not hungry," he said, the scrawny bastard. Was he ever?
She gave him a glare at their impasse regarding his eating habits.
Returning her attention to her egg, she took a bite. When she talked to her father that morning, she brought up his stay. It really was time for him to go. They were going to have dinner together that night and then he was leaving for home in the morning. She already talked to Beth and Chloe about babysitting. Maybe Daisy really would be interested, too -- God knows Ellie never turned down babysitting money when she was Daisy's age.
"He's leaving tomorrow morning," she said.
Alec turned in surprise, his probably ridiculously bitter tea an inch from his mouth. As his attention turned back to the sea, he took a swig. "Probably for the best," he decided. Without looking at her, he asked, "You got things covered?"
She shrugged. "I think so."
Clearing his throat, he reminded her, "I can help out from time to time if needs be." Still not looking at her but aware she hadn't answered, his tone changed to amusement as he declared, "Wee Fred worships the ground I walk on, after all."
"Only because you've got him dangling upside down whenever you see him," she grumbled.
"Maybe so," he admitted. "Unfortunately, Tom does NOT so worship; but it isn't up to him if you're in need," he said pointedly.
As a thought occurred to her, she turned to Alec. "Why don't you come to dinner tomorrow night?"
When he looked at her in question, she said, "Get him a little more used to you in case I have to take you up on the offer."
After a bit, he shrugged a "yes," but his right brow arched up at her in suspicion.
Reaching up with the hand not holding the Scotch egg, she surprised him a bit when she softly rubbed her fingers along the expressive brow. Even so, he didn't flinch away at all; they were, at this point, pretty used to physical touches. "Always wished I could do that," she said wistfully, trying to cock one brow herself but only managing to squint one eye while looking surprised.
He snorted at her antics, the soft and fond smile that followed like a secret he shared with her. A little done in by it, she dropped her hand but smiled widely to cover her awkward moment. "Great way to put it to a suspect or punctuate a sentence."
His gaze pulling away, he cleared his throat. "That it is, Mill'ar."