Author's Note:I watched The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited on YouTube the other night. While it wasn't the best reunion show ever, it did give me an idea. This follows sometime after that. I hope people like it, b/c this is my first attempt at writing Rob/Laura! :)
Rob was glad it was over.
"It was a nice service," Laura said, as they walked into their Manhattan apartment. "You and Sally did a great job, considering what you had to work with."
Rob sighed. "It isn't easy, getting up in front of a group of people and saying nice things about Alan Brady. Sal and I figured the best thing to do was just show a lot of clips of our show. I think that's how Alan wanted to be remembered anyway."
"You're probably right," Laura agreed. Alan's death had been reported on the news and in papers just a few days ago. At the time, it had been big news, but by now, most people had moved on. Alan's style of comedy had been largely forgotten a long time ago. Except for Rob and Sally (and a few ex-wives), very few people were even grieving the man. The thought saddened Rob. In the past few decades, most of his closest friends had passed on. First Buddy Sorrell, then Jerry Helper. Even poor, long-suffering Mel Cooley finally went on to a better place. Rob liked to think it was a place where bald jokes didn't exist.
"What's the matter, darling?" Laura asked, looking at her husband with concern. They'd been married now for over forty years; she could always tell when Rob was upset.
"It's just, I keep thinking about Sally. She hasn't really been the same since Buddy died. They were a team. I know she's got Herman, but she's not going to live forever. Neither is Millie, or Stacy, or..."
Laura stopped him with a kiss. "First of all, don't you worry about Sally. She'll probably outlive us all!"
Rob had to laugh at that. His former co-writer and friend had always seemed somewhat indestructible. "Well, it's not just Sal. I mean, Laura, you're a lot younger than I am. A lot."
"Darling, what are you saying?"
"Well, honey, I'm not going to be here forever. You'll be a widow one day. I can't stand the thought of you being here all alone."
Laura kissed him then. Rob Petrie was the only man she'd ever loved. They met and fell in love back when Rob was in the army, and Laura danced with the USO. To her, it had been fate. But, they both knew the reality. Laura knew she couldn't argue with him. "I hate the thought of losing you, too. But I won't be alone. When the time comes, I could always go and live with Richie. I could be back in our old house in New Rochelle. I'd be surrounded by memories." Laura smiled, already drifting back to those years. Richie was now a grown man, with a family of his own. But Laura still remembered her son as the small blond boy he'd been so many years ago.
"Well, at least then I'd know you were safe and taken care of," Rob admitted.
Laura hated to see her husband like this. "Oh, darling, please stop dwelling on this. You're very healthy. We'll still be together for another ten years!"
Rob's heart melted. At times like this, he could still see Laura the way she looked back at Camp Crowder. The moment he saw her, he knew he had to get to know her. He'd schemed his way into being her dance partner, and everything had fallen into place after that. He caressed her cheek. "You're right. I can't waste another moment thinking about stuff like this. I love you, Laura."
"I love you, too, Rob. I'm glad you broke my foot!" Laura grinned, remembering the way their fateful first dance had ended.
"Dance with me again?" Rob asked. "I promise not to break anything this time."
Laura needed no encouragement. The two began softly humming 'You, Wonderful, You.' They weren't really dancing, at least not as they had back then. Now they were just sort of holding each other close. But it didn't matter, because to them, this dance would never end.
The End