Disclaimer: I do not own Lewis or any of its characters.
Laura Hobson noticed three things when she woke up that morning. The first thing she noticed, was that she was alive. It's not something she'd usually pay much attention to. Of course she noticed it every day, but today she was actually aware of it. Last night, she'd come so close to death, but she was still here.
That was the second thing she noticed. Her location. The room she was in was bright and white. She was in hospital, not her own familiar bedroom. Laura was surprisingly relieved not to be in her own home. Normally, after such a tragedy, her own bed is the only place she would want to be. But was her home safe anymore? It hadn't kept her safe last night, had it.
The most peculiar thing, the one she should have noticed first, took the longest to register in her mind. It was the warm body that she had her arms wrapped around. Looking up, she saw Robbie Lewis, sat up next to her in her hospital bed, sound asleep, holding her close to him. She couldn't believe her eyes.
He must have felt her staring at him, because he began to stir. "Robbie?" "Aaah, morning." He squeezed her a little tighter, and she let him. "How are you feeling?" "Fine thanks... Have you... Have you been here all night?" "He refused to leave." Neither of them had noticed the nurse that had come in to check the chart at the end of the bed. "And seeing as he was the only one who could stop you tossing and turning, we let it slip this time." She smiled and left them alone again. Laura just stared at him. "I came to see you as soon as I could, but you were asleep. The nurses said they reckoned you were having nightmares, so a came in and you said my name. I sat here and you settled, so I stayed. Hope that's okay?" He looked unsure, as if he thought she might not want him there. When she began to cry, he panicked and wrapped his arms around her, so that her face was buried in his chest. After a few minutes, the sobbing stopped and she spoke. "Thank you, Robbie." "You've got no need to thank me Laura." "Yes I have. I was a cow the other day. I know you were just doing your job. I'm sorry. But you still saved my life, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that." "As long as you can forgive me for starting to doubt you, then that's thanks enough in my view." She laughed slightly. "Deal."
After about an hour, the Doctor stopped by Laura's room. "Hiya Laura. Just to let you know that we have no concerns about any lasting damage. I'll give you a prescription for something to help you sleep, but you needn't collect it if you don't think you need it. Other than that, you're free to go home whenever you want." She smiled politely at the Doctor, but Robbie could sense the panic in her. "We can go and grab you some clothes from yours, go back to my place, and I'll do us something to eat if you want?" She grinned and kissed him on the cheek, before taking his arm and walking out of the room.
••••••••
When they got back to his flat, Robbie went to the kitchen and put the kettle on while Laura put her bag in the living room. "Laura..." he said, as she came to join him. "You are alright, aren't you? I know it'll take time but..." He'd watched her reaction as they pulled up outside her house earlier, and she'd been very distant ever since. "I will be." She gave him a reassuring smile. "As long as you can promise me one thing." "Aye, what's that then?" She looked at the floor and said quietly. "That you'll always be here." He could tell that she was getting upset, and bundled her into his arms. "Of course I will. You know that. Anytime you need me, I'll come running." "I know. It's just... Ellen, Alec, Peter and Ligeia. They've all slipped through the cracks, and your friendship means more to me than all of those put together. I couldn't bare it if we drifted apart." He began to get emotional at her words. He knew their friendship was special, and he definitely thought of her as more than just a friend, but he'd never realised that he meant so much to her. "We won't Laura. I promise." He said into her hair. "I don't think I could live without you Robbie." He hooked his finger under her chin, lifted her head up so that they were nose-to-nose, and kissed her gently. "You don't have to. I'm not going anywhere." Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. They both grinned, impossibly wide grins. After standing in each other's arms for a good twenty minutes, Robbie broke the comfortable silence. "What d'you fancy to eat pet?" "Don't suppose you've got any bacon?" "Laura. This is me you're talking to... Of course I've got bacon!" She burst out laughing, and stood out of the way while he made them both bacon sandwiches.
Once they'd eaten, Robbie sat in the corner of the sofa, and Laura settled next to him. She tucked her legs under her, and rested her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head, and they sighed happily in unison. "I'm so glad to have you back, Laura. I thought I'd cocked everything up with this investigation. I'm so lucky to have you. You are the only woman who cares enough to be as patient as you have been with me. I never would've put up with meself as long as you have." "Yeah well, we put up with a lot from the people we love. Don't we?" The words were out of her mouth before she'd had time to think about them, but there was no going back. "I love you Robbie." He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. "I love you too. And I promise, I will never, ever let anyone hurt you again." A tear rolled down his cheek. She wiped it away with her thumb, and kissed him. He pulled her as close to him as humanly possible, and closed his eyes.
Laura nuzzled her cheek against his chest, and sighed contentedly. Safe in the knowledge that Robbie Lewis loved her as much as she loved him, and that he would keep her safe for the rest of their lives.