Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not for profit, purely for fun, story. I do not own these characters, just borrowing them from Lewis.
James watched as Robbie logged off his computer and turned out the desk lamp. "Are you sure you don't mind going to Newcastle to interview Ian Velten and his gang?"
"No, it would be better coming from myself, another Northerner. They wouldn't have much patience for a smart arse like you."
James spoke softly almost under his breath. "If It takes a few days to locate them you'll be away over the holiday."
Robbie's hearing was not rubbish. "What holiday?"
"The Feast of Saint Valentine, the day to express your love."
Robbie grinned. "I've told you many times how much I love you."
"Ha Ha, I meant to Laura."
"Oh did you now. For your information she knows I love her. She must, I went all the way to New Zealand to prove it."
"Still, it might be nice if you-"
"Mind your own business." Robbie's smile faded.
"If you don't mind yours someone might get in there and quickly whisk her away."
Now Robbie had a face like thunder. "Don't be daft man." He stormed out of the office.
Early on Valentine's Day James stopped in at the morgue to discuss some forensic results with Laura. She had booked the day off and only came in for a few quick meetings with her DIs about current cases.
James walked into the lab and sat down next to Laura as she examined something under a microscope. "Thanks for getting up at the crack of dawn to meet with me."
"No problem. I wanted to get an early start to the day. I have plans."
"Oh?" James pretended to peer intently at her specimen.
Laura could tell that James was curious about her remark and turned to face him. "For starters I have some things to take to the charity shop. I've been trying to get rid of one of Robbie's shirts for some time and he keeps retrieving it from the bin. With him away, I can do as I please." She swiveled the chair over to her computer and pulled up something to show him.
James took two giant steps to position himself behind her as she explained the image on the screen. He listened intently and was grateful for the lead she provided to his latest victim's identity, a rare genetic heart disorder. Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the large glass window to the lab. Laura reacted to the sound immediately.
James turned to see who had prompted the large smile on Laura's face. To his complete surprise, it was DI Alan Peterson, holding up two large coffees and beckoning her to come out of the lab.
"We're through here James, aren't we?" Not waiting for a reply, Laura went to meet Petersen who was holding the door open for her.
James watched as Laura gratefully accepted the coffee and listened attentively to something Peterson was saying. James was suddenly overcome with the need for a cigarette and he quickly exited both the lab and the building. The cigarette helped him regain his composure. Surely there was nothing going on between Laura and Peterson. He was probably bringing her a large coffee because he needed a favor from her to save him from bungling a case. His brain wouldn't change the subject. Who books a day off just to make a trip to the charity shop? Nagging away at James was Laura's comment that she was free to do as she pleased while Robbie was away. He sprang to attention as Peterson exited the building, alone thank goodness, although he did have a rather smug look on his face. James remained where he was until Laura came out of the door a few minutes later. She also looked rather smug.
Keeping out of sight James followed Laura until she got in her own car, not Peterson's, and drove away. He briefly considered tailing her to make sure she wasn't meeting up with Action Man somewhere. If Laura was being wooed on Valentine's Day by someone other than Robbie it wasn't any of his business and he should stay out of it.
James got in his car and found he was not far behind Laura, just a coincidence he assured himself. He managed to find a reason to slow down while she went into the charity shop and then continued on behind her as Laura stopped to pick up some dry cleaning and then headed home. James was about to pull away from the curb across from her house, the one she shared with Robbie, when a familiar and most unwelcome man came ambling down the road. He was checking house numbers along the way until locating the one he wanted and knocking on the door. James stared in horror as Laura cheerfully admitted an unexpectedly well groomed and sober Alec Pickman.
Two minutes later James was peering through the front window. Not seeing anyone he circled around the back of the house to look in the garden. He had no remorse as he watched Alec Pickman recite what must have been a poem and then hand Laura a card. Next Alec unrolled a pen and ink drawing and presented it to her. James couldn't see the whole thing from his hiding spot in the neighbor's rambling thicket but could just make out a woman's head that looked suspiciously like Laura's. Before he could decide on his next move, he got a text from his sergeant. DS Maddox had a suspect waiting to be interviewed and wondered where he was.
James left to go back to the station and conduct the interview. Maddox noticed that her boss was distracted and jumped in to save the day by extracting some vital information from the subject. Back in the office to write up the report Lizzie snacked on some pork scratchings. She knew something was bothering her boss as he absentmindedly came over and picked up the bag and polished off the contents. After realizing what he had done, James crumpled up the bag and tossed it at the bin and missed. Then he muttered something about going out to get them a proper lunch from his favorite Indian takeaway.
"I'll take that as a thank-you for my brilliant interviewing skills, sir", Lizzie spoke to his back as he left. She saw her empty pork scratchings sack near the bin. "And an apology for being rude", she said to the bin.
James entered the crowded restaurant and tapped his foot impatiently while he waited restlessly for two orders of pilau rice, lamb pasanda, and chicken vindaloo, one with extra spices. His stomach began to churn. Perhaps this wasn't the best choice of restaurant today. To prove to himself that lightening doesn't strike twice in the same spot he scanned the restaurant. A knot formed in his stomach and he closed his eyes hoping that his mind was playing tricks on him. He opened his eyes to the unwelcome and familiar sight of Laura enjoying a meal, wine, and the company of a good looking foreign man, a bit older than her, but not much. Not caring if he was spotted James got close enough to their table to spy a large box of German chocolates by Laura's elbow. They did not see him staring at them as they were engaged in an apparently fascinating conversation. He returned to the front of the restaurant in time to hear 'Takeaway for Hathaway'. He paid for the food, left an extravagant tip and turned to go before remembering to say thank-you for the free cucumber raita.
James was in a foul mood as he returned to the office and dropped the bag of food on Lizzie's desk. She began to take the containers out. As she approached his desk with his portion, James stood up, said he wasn't hungry and was going for a long walk.
After an hour with no real destination in mind, James found himself wandering along the river. He couldn't get the quote from J.R.R. Tolkien out of his head, 'not all those who wander are lost'. He couldn't count himself as one of the unlost. Robbie would be calling later in the day to report on his progress in Newcastle. Should he tell him about Laura's dates? He could never get it right, knowing when to mind his own business and when to spill.
He stopped to watch some geese in the river. Three males were vying for the attention of the lone female. Two more males were approaching. Not wanting to see how it ended he kept going and decided he would stop in at the pub just a bit farther down the path. As the riparian tables came into view he froze. Laura was having a drink with a plain but friendly looking man, her age or maybe a little younger. They were so absorbed in animated repartee they did not notice James as he neared their table and then continued on his way down the path, passing Laura's bicycle resting against a tree, a similar vintage model of the male persuasion next to it.
While enjoying her drink by the river, Laura's phone beeped. She was needed back at the morgue for a quick consultation with a junior pathologist. Her pleasant faced companion waved to her as she departed. James was able to get himself out of sight as she mounted her bicycle and headed to the forensic science building. James walked in the same direction considering, then abandoning, several work related reasons for consulting the busy doctor.
He waited outside Laura's office until the recent pathology graduate came out and closed the door. The young man nodded at James and headed back to the lab to complete his assigned task. James waited until the hallway was clear then knocked once on Laura's door and entered without waiting for permission.
Laura was used to Angus Rawbone barging in and expected to see the grizzly old man. Her peripheral vision indicated that it was a much thinner and taller man who abruptly entered her office and her annoyance faded.
"Do you have more questions for me James?"
"Just one. Feeling guilty?"
"I am as a matter of fact. Robbie loves his traveling shirt; perhaps I shouldn't have donated it."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what are you talking about?"
James shifted from one foot to the other. "I didn't tell Robbie about your Valentine's day dates."
Laura tried and failed to assume an innocent tone. "Dates?"
James looked at his phone. "Yes, the early hours coffee, mid morning poetry recital, lunch at your favorite Indian restaurant, drinks by the river."
"Have you been following me around all day?"
James plucked a card off her desk and made a flourish of reading it.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Who is Tris Bel-Woer? Is he the bland looking chap you met for drinks by the river?"
"James, he's harmless, I assure you."
"I know this wasn't your first date with him. Facts don't lie."
"Facts are stupid in the wrong context." She wagged her finger at him. "James, stop acting like a jealous school boy and start thinking like Morse."
"What?" He crossed his arms over his chest, crushing the card.
"You heard me." With surprising strength she pulled the card out from under his arms.
"And what about poetry from Alec Pickman?" James snatched another card off her desk, opened it and recited the inscribed poem.
My canoe is red
Your eyes are blue
A kiwi is sweet
And so are you
"That's the worst poem I've ever read, even below Alec Pickman's standards." He raised his eyebrows much like his old mentor as he got up to speed. "Pickman didn't write it." James waved his hand over the cards on her desk. "These are all from Robbie." One card was leaning against a pen and ink drawing of Laura and Robbie together.
"Uh-huh"
"Delivered by your old boyfriends."
"You are a good detective."
"He confessed his sins of past jealousies of your old boyfriends and said he would make it up to you."
"Something like that." She nodded. "It was a long flight home from New Zealand. The captain's name happened to be Franco. Robbie had a strange look on his face after the pre-flight announcements and it could have been awkward but we decided to behave like adults and take it in stride. We ended up talking about some of my old boyfriends, the ones he knows about."
For just a moment her eyes misted and she spoke softly. "Over the years we have talked about Val and respectfully put her to rest." Laura pointed at her Valentine's Day loot and selected a chocolate from the box. "We decided to give them their 15 minutes. Robbie admitted to being jealous even though he wasn't ready for a relationship with me himself." She popped the candy into her mouth and held the box up for James.
After swallowing his praline James told her something she already knew. "That was rather selfish of him."
She had accepted that a long time ago and shrugged. "Going along with the theme of the trip of him making things up to me he decided to add that to the mix?" She picked up the drawing from Alec. "Having them be his Valentine's Day proxies must be Robbie's way of showing me how far we have come."
"You didn't know he was going to do that?"
"Not until Alan showed up with the coffee. His cup said 'Robbie'. She could see he was puzzled about something else. "I decided to keep all their gifts at the office for now though, not at our home."
James digested all of this information and had a question she was half expecting. "Why didn't he ask me to deliver one of your Valentines?"
"You have never fancied me."
James suddenly turned around and stalked out of her office and slammed the door but not before Laura caught sight of his blushes.
Laura's phone buzzed. 'He's not as good a detective as you think."
A few minutes later Laura exited the forensic science building only to find James outside having yet another cigarette, obviously waiting for her.
"You can't get enough of me can you?" Laura coughed and waved her hands about.
"It's about time you noticed." James blew some smoke over her head.
"Want to take me out for a drink or issue a restraining order?"
"I have a better idea. Come over to my place for dinner."
It was Laura's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Your place; you mean where you live, shower, sleep, and all that, if in fact you really are human and do those things?"
"Well, it's better than the morgue."
"Possibly." She made a face. "You won't be cooking chicken, will you?"
"Of course not, something much better. Don't bother about the wine, that will be taken care of too."
"It's a date." There was silence between them as they each went their own way.
Laura had a last errand to do on her way home to change for the dinner with James. She put on one of her nicest dresses for the occasion.
Laura was expecting that James was going to surprise her with the guest list for dinner. He did surprise her, but not in the way she expected. James opened the door for her and inside the foyer was an arch of flowers held by Alec, Franco, Peterson, and Tris. She ducked under the falling flowers and turned to face them.
Not wanting to hurt their feelings by showing her disappointment that Robbie wasn't the surprise she smiled and gave each man a kiss on the check. James announced that dinner was ready. Somehow in a few short hours he had managed to prepare Beef Wellington with Asparagus and Red Potatoes.
All throughout the evening the gentlemen took in it turns, escorting her to the table, holding her chair, pouring her wine from the bottles each guest brought. They discussed the lighter side of their dates in the past. Franco, gentleman that he was, and Alec, turning over a new leaf, used discretion in the details they shared. The new sober Alec Pickman made no reference to Laura as a 'Shaggatarius' or any of his other usual lewd comments. He was committed to making amends to persons harmed in his past.
Peterson and Tris both expressed regrets that they had not advanced farther in their relationships with Laura. Even James, once he had drank a lot of wine, shared a few personal recollections of moments with Laura, the times she had shared her food with him, jokes and puns traded. He avoided any mention of their closest encounter, a very dark matter.
For her part Laura tried to be gracious to each of the men although the image of supping with the devil, or devils in this case, kept popping into her head and she had to work hard to control her giggles. She contributed to the table talk with some stories about Morse and hinted at her possible, and brief, attraction to him.
Finally the stories were wrapped up, the dinner was almost finished, and the table was quiet. James broke the silence.
"A toast."
"To Robbie Lewis!" All the men shouted in unison.
Franco spoke first. "For making Laura happy."
"For giving me a chance to make up for my bad behaviour of the past." The new and improved Alec Pickman was almost likable.
"For giving me a chance to finally have dinner with Laura." Peterson should have given credit for that to James.
"For giving me a chance to have a second date by the river with Laura." Tris couldn't get the 'if only' out of his mind.
After dinner they posed for a group photo. Each wanted the photo for themselves and did not plan to share it, except that Laura would show Robbie. All had the same comment on the gathering. 'If I told anyone they'd never believe it.'
They paired off to share cabs home, Franco and Alec, Peterson and Tris, while James put Laura in a cab on her own, not before she was loaded up with all the flowers. As James closed the door he whispered, "You got there and you deserve it."
"Thank-you James for an unforgettable evening." He leaned in to hug her and they kissed briefly.
"If ever he doesn't make you happy, you let me know, not them." In his eyes she briefly saw the secret place where he hid his feelings.
Two cabs pulled up out front of the Lewis-Hobson home at 11:55 PM. Laura, overwhelmed by the mountain of flowers in her arms, struggled to get out. A man from the second cab raced over to assist her.
"How was your Valentine's Day luv?"
"Oh you know, full of flowers, wine, poetry, fabulous meals, rather dull up to now."
"I'll see what I can do about that."
They entered the house at 11:59 PM. Robbie had arrived home in time for Valentine's Day.
When they got upstairs Robbie presented Laura with an exquisitely wrapped package from Guilty Secrets revealing one very sexy nightgown. Laura reciprocated by giving Robbie a charity shop bag containing one very loud shirt.
Alone again, James sat on the sofa with his guitar, idly strumming some minor chords. One thing was certain; he would continue to wander.
A/N: While we raise beef on our farm, I have never had Beef Wellington. I don't know if it's something James would have prepared for Laura and her dates but I liked the sound of it.