Author's Notes: This is the sequel to my AU story "Convalescence" and because it's a direct sequel, you may want to read that story first before continuing on with this one.

To everyone back for the sequel, hello & thank you! I'm very excited to kick off this new part of the story, and I hope you guys enjoy it too! We're switching to Hardy's POV now. Also, we are still very much AU, but I hope that only makes things more fun. There will be some spoilers for the series.

Without further ado, welcome to:

RELAPSE

Previously (Ellie's POV)

"Alec, tell me what's happened," she says, forcing her voice to be clipped and professional.

He looks at her and now the shock is being replaced by white-hot rage, a sort of animal ferocity she is only barely aware that he is capable of. His eyes are dark pits in his face, though the blood is coming back to flush his cheeks now.

"Those calls to Daisy. The blocked number."

Ellie nods. She remembers Tess' phone call.

"It's him. It's Lee Ashworth." He spits the name out like it's poison in his mouth.

"How do you know?"

He hands her his phone. There's a text message open and it's a picture of Daisy arriving at school with her friends. The girl is laughing, completely unaware that she's being surveilled, and Ellie's blood turns to ice in her veins.

Under it is a brief message: I showed you yours. You show me mine.

"What does this mean? Alec—what is he talking about?" Fear has sharpened her voice.

"He's looking for his wife. He knows I've hidden her away. And if I don't tell him where she is…" He can't say it, he can't say what Lee will do to his daughter. Ellie thinks back to what little she knows of the Sandbrook case…the body of a young girl, left in a river for days. Alec doesn't have to say what he thinks Lee will do to Daisy if he doesn't cooperate.

She knows. It's the same thing he may have done to Pippa Gillespie.

Present

As soon as Alec Hardy sees the image of his daughter on the phone, his blood freezes. There is a rushing sound, the sound of the tide creeping up Harbour Cliff Beach, the sound of the Sandbrook River rushing high in the rain. That liquid hissing fills his mind as his eyes run over the single, telling line of text underneath the picture. It floods his brain, makes it hard for him to think. It is the sound of fear, the deep sort of fear that is never really conquered. All he can think of, through that terrible noise, is that he cannot fail Daisy the way he failed Pippa and Lisa. The way he failed Danny.

The shock is slow to wear off, but a rising tide of anger is helping Alec regain control over his mental faculties. He lets it sharpen his senses, lets it flood him with adrenalin as his brain races to think of what to do next. He finally eases his grip on the counter, his fingers aching with the effort of it.

The first thing is Daisy: he has to get to Daisy.

He turns and sees Ellie staring up at him, her concern for him easy to read in her brown eyes. He forces himself to calm down; deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth. She looks shaken and that better enables him to get some control over himself, because he needs to reassure her, and she'll know if he's lying to her.

"I've got to get to my daughter," he tells her. His voice is steady and he's glad. Inside his heart is still squeezed tight, frosted with worry about his only child.

"Of course." Ellie nods.

"You should come with me," he says, just as her expression firms up while she adds, "You better not be thinking of leaving me—Oh."

He arches a brow at her, and Ellie's determination is replaced by slight confusion. "I thought you were about to tell me to stay here with the doors locked and not to poke my nose in."

"Would you listen if I did?"

She snorts in answer.

"There you have it. I don't have time to argue with you, and I'd rather you and the boys were with me anyway." He pauses. "It might be good to get away from here for a day or two."

"Right. That's what I was going to say," Ellie replies, her arms folded across her chest. "We can leave right away."

She turns away to get her broom to sweep up the broken glass, satisfied that he won't leave her behind in Broadchurch. Once he might have done, but he needs her. He needs to know that she and her boys are safe, and he needs her sharp instincts and fresh eyes. Especially if Lee Ashworth is anywhere near his little girl.

He bends to help Ellie clean the broken mug he'd dropped, letting his mind race through the options available to him. He's still got a few connections in the Sandbrook area, especially among the coppers there, though how many will want to help after he uses the name 'Lee Ashworth' is another story.

He can make those calls in the car, on the way up.

"I'm going to my flat to pack a bag, just enough for two nights. Pick me up when you and the boys are ready?"

Ellie nods. "We'll be as quick as we can," she tells him, clearly understanding his need for haste, and he is grateful for that. He kisses her cheek and heads out of the door, resisting the urge to jog all the way home. Pacemaker or no, he's not sure his body is up for that yet, but it won't be long now. He has been steadily regaining strength and physical stamina. And he'll need every bit of it if Lee forces him into a showdown.

Packing is easy. He doesn't own much except for clothes and a couple overnight bags. Though he hopes soon to be talking with Daisy face to face, he tucks the iPad into his bag anyway. He takes a quick shower and pulls on a fresh suit, though he doesn't bother with a tie: it would probably feel like a noose at the moment. Then all he can do is tamp down on his impatience as he waits for Ellie to arrive.

For having to wake up two young boys and pack overnight bags for all three of them, she does arrive surprisingly quickly. He puts his bag in the boot and then takes his place in the passenger seat, noting that Ellie has taken a quick shower as well. Tom and Fred are both still more asleep than awake, and by the time they're five miles out of Broadchurch, they're both sleeping again.

Alec calls Daisy's mobile phone. He knows she's at school and probably won't be able to answer, but he hopes she's in the habit of checking her voicemail.

"Darling, it's Dad. I don't mean to scare you, but it's very important you go straight home after school, alright? I'll explain more when I get there. I love you very much. You can call me if you need me," he says, and hangs up. He stares at the phone for a second. Then he calls a contact in the Mercia police and asks him to trace down the number that had sent the texts to his phone. Finally he calls the man he's had tailing Ashworth.

"Craig." His voice is stone cold. He can already hear Craig preparing for a bollocking.

"Now, Hardy, wait a minute—I know exactly where Lee is. He's got a flat outside of Sandbrook and he's doing some work for the local farms. Furthest he's been is the next town over, ever since he got back from France."

"Are you sure? Because this morning he was at my daughter's school." Alec's fury is quiet for now, but he knows his temper is on the verge of snapping. Ellie glances over at him, hearing the strain in his voice.

There's a pause. "He did go out for coffee…Christ Hardy, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your daughter's school, I'd have found a way to divert him if I'd known."

"You know now. You keep him away from my daughter, Craig, I don't care what it takes."

"Right…will do, boss."

Alec hangs up, feeling completely dissatisfied. Still, in a couple of hours he'll be in Sandbrook himself, much better placed to protect Daisy if he needs to. The idea of her in danger has pushed him past his normal bounds. He will not take this threat passively, although he has no clear plan in mind yet. He can already feel a headache at his temples: Tess will be a pain in the arse about this. He grimaces and runs a hand down his face, knowing that she will be derisive about the whole thing: she'll think he's overreacting, write it off somehow as a prank. If he says anything about the case, she'll flip her top, but that's nothing new. It won't be pleasant, but it's not new.

He glances over to Ellie, his eyes tracing her features. Her wild curls, that rosebud mouth, the scoop of her chin which he finds, for lack of a better word, rather adorable. He'd never actually say that to her, how stupid would that sound? But the thought often flits across his mind before he can help it. He is glad she's with him. Sandbrook haunts him, it shrouds him in uncertainty, but Ellie will be able to slice through all that. She'll catch what he missed. And, on a more personal level, she'll lend him some of her indomitable strength.

"You don't want to head straight to Daisy's school?" she asks him, breaking into his thoughts.

"No." He shakes his head and looks out of the window, taking in the sky. "If I did that, Tess might have me pulled into the station. I'd better approach her first."

"What, nearly arrested for protecting your own daughter?" Ellie's brow is furrowed as she glances over at him. "Why the devil would she do that?"

"She'll think I'm overreacting."

"Not if she sees that text message."

Alec isn't so sure. Tess often accused him of having tunnel vision when they worked, especially toward the end, and he supposes it's true. He's always thought that she's too quick to dismiss, too quick to move on to new theories or suspects. As a team, they had usually—eventually—come to a middle ground. But pitted against one another, it was often a recipe for disaster. And nothing pits them against one another faster than Daisy.

He lets out a sigh and tries not to stoke his worry. He's feeling perturbed enough without piling more concerns on top of his present ones.

"We'll get to her in time, Alec," Ellie says, reading him nearly as well as he can read her. He looks over at her and then gives a short nod. For the moment, he doubts that Lee will make a direct move…but if Alec doesn't cooperate, it's only a matter of time.

Tomorrow he'll have to track down Claire. The thought isn't exactly a pleasant one, but it's time now. He's been prepared for Lee's return for a while. The only part he hadn't anticipated was Lee targeting Daisy.

But Lee isn't a parent, he doesn't fully understand what he's done. If he has to, if Lee makes him, Alec would kill to protect his daughter. He wouldn't even hesitate, there would be no regrets.

One way or another, the nightmare of the Sandbrook case is going to end.

It's nearly noon when the four of them arrive in Sandbrook. Both Fred and Tom are awake and hungry, and Alec directs them to a local restaurant. He can see that Tom is grateful to get out of the car and stretch his legs, though hunger has made Fred a bit crabby. Ellie placates him with a box of raisins she whisks out of her purse, clearly prepared for this eventuality.

They settle in and order, though Alec is not very interested in food. He picks at his when Ellie glares at him.

"We'll go to Tess first. Then, hopefully, we can pick up Daisy from school." A plan is forming in his mind, at least insofar as getting Daisy safely out of the way. He doubts Ellie will like it, but he can't think of anyone else he would trust with his daughter's life. He decides to speak to her privately about a bit later.

After eating, he directs Ellie to the police station. It's strange to be back here, but he forces himself to remain detached. His hands ball on his knees, and Ellie reaches over and touches one of his fists. He forces himself to relax and uncurl his fingers.

"Is this where you used to live?" Tom asks him from the back.

"Yes," Alec replies. It doesn't feel like coming home, though. "My daughter still lives here."

"I like Daisy. She's cool."

A little smile touches Alec's lips. "She likes you and Fred, too. And your mum. Very much."

After a few minutes, the station comes into view. He'd spent so much time here before it all fell apart, but all that came to mind at the sight of it now were the memories of leaving it for the last time in shame. It burns in his chest, that feeling of misery and loss, and he shoves it away. He's no longer a disgraced detective and a cuckolded husband, and there's no reason for him to act as though he is. He'll walk into that station with his head high.

Alec recognizes many of the faces in the station, including the young woman at the front desk. A few call out friendly greetings, a few stare, and a few others can't place his face now that he isn't clean shaven. He nods back to those that do remember but doesn't stop to chat. He guides Ellie and the boys through the bullpen toward the offices in the back. Before they enter Tess's office—which happens to have been his not so very long ago—Alec stops Ellie and the boys. He looks into Ellie's eyes, aware that he more than likely has the look of a man on his way to the gallows.

"You don't have to come in, you know. You can take the boys to the break room." Tess will not be happy to see him, and it will no doubt get unpleasant. He can tell, however, that Ellie's curious about his ex-wife and he's not surprised when she insists on coming in with him. He only hopes that with Tom and Fred in the room, Tess will mind her tongue.

He raps on the glass, two quick taps of his knuckles, and then pushes the door open. Behind her desk, Tess is clearly waiting for him. There's a bit of packed lunch on her desk, half-eaten, and her computer screen hasn't gone idle yet, but any paperwork she'd had out has been put out of sight. Alec realizes that the woman at the front desk probably rang her to let her know that he was on his way to her.

"What," she asks as she stands up, "are you doing here, Alec?"

He glances around the office. She hasn't changed much, but then he hadn't really added many personal touches for her to get rid of after she'd inherited it. He does catch sight of a picture of Daisy on her desk, and some of her commendations are on the wall, but thank God no hints of Dave. No hints of him, either, but that's alright.

"Tess, I think Daisy is in danger." He doesn't bother to ply her with small talk. He pulls out his phone and opens the text message, walking toward her desk to hand it over. "I received that this morning."

Tess stares at the picture. Her eyes narrow and it's clear that she is equally appalled that someone would follow their daughter around and take pictures without her knowledge…but she still looks up at Alec with cool eyes.

"You could have just rang me. I'll get someone on it immediately. Forward the message to my phone and I'll get our tech guys on it," she says. "No need for you to come all the way up here."

Ellie and Tom are both silent, and even Fred is watching the exchange with wide eyes. He's not old enough to understand the words, but Alec thinks he can grasp the tense emotional atmosphere, and he is clinging tightly to his mother.

"I think it's Lee Ashworth," he says, mentally bracing himself for what he knows will inevitably follow. Tess doesn't disappoint: her face immediately darkens and becomes a remote mask.

"Don't you dare start in on that with me, Alec. It's always the same old story with you, isn't it? It's time to let it rest. Lee Ashworth got acquitted. This is probably a kid that wanted to take Daisy to a dance and she turned him down."

"It isn't." Alec takes his phone back and slips it into his pocket. "He knows I helped hide Claire away after the trial and he wants her back. He's come back from France. Craig has been tailing him."

"Oh, please tell me you have not roped other people into this already, Alec." Tess' sigh is longsuffering and it makes Alec's hands ball into fists. He can feel his own tolerance for this conversation reaching its breaking point. She makes everything so bloody difficult. She wouldn't even be in this office if it weren't for him, and her derision for his theory about Ashworth is a slap in the face. She knows he's a good detective, she knows this could be serious for Daisy, but she won't listen.

Ellie had taken one look at that text message and had insisted on coming all the way up here. The contrast between the two women is shocking, and he stares at his former wife in disgust.

"Daisy could be in real danger," he tells her, his voice low and measured as he struggles to maintain control of his temper.

"And I've told you I'll do something about it. You can make a formal statement while you're here and we can get a PC to look out for her, I'll ask her some questions and see if she's noticed anything unusual…it'll be handled, Alec. There's nothing more for you to do."

"Dammit, Tess, it's Lee!" His outburst surprises even him, and Fred buries his face into Ellie's neck and begins to cry. Immediately he feels like an ass for startling the baby, but Ellie is already at work soothing him, bouncing him gently and humming comforting words into his ear.

He makes a supreme effort to regain control of his temper. When he speaks again, his voice is much lower but no less intense.

"I'd like to take Daisy back to Broadchurch. There's a good school there, and Ellie can watch out for her while I find out what Lee wants. And if I need her with me, Daisy can watch her boys while we're gone," he tells Tess.

"You're Ellie, I presume?" Tess asks, looking over at the other woman. "What's your interest in all of this?"

"We worked together. Ellie's up for a DI position in Broadchurch. And she cares about Daisy. They're friends."

"Oi, I can answer her." Ellie shoots him a quick glare but when she meets Tess' gaze, she admits that he's pretty much summed it up.

"You're Ellie Miller," Tess breathes, suddenly recognizing her, and Ellie's face tightens a bit at the eyes and mouth.

"Bryant actually, these days," she says, her voice utterly flat.

"Of course, sorry." Tess doesn't sound sorry, but the words are polite enough and Ellie nods in response. "These are your sons?"

"Yes," says Tom. He's standing tall beside his mother, looking like for all the world like he's assessing this other woman. He's clearly ready to come to his mother's defense at the slightest hint that it would be required, and Alec approves.

"Sorry about the trial. Must have been rough." Tess sits again, signaling the unofficial end to this meeting. "Listen, Alec: Daisy is staying here. I'm thoroughly unconvinced that Lee Ashworth has come back from France to stalk our daughter and send you obscure text messages. I'll make sure she's protected. Go back to Broadchurch." She pauses and suddenly has the air of someone who is relenting somewhat. "You're all welcome to come over for dinner. I'm sure Daisy would like to see you since you've come all the way up here."

"Right. Thanks." He motions for Ellie and Tom to leave the office before him, holding the door for them. He looks back at Tess one last time, but she's already clicking away on her computer.

His heart twists in his chest. He leaves her behind without another word.