A/N: This is a story about Robbie, Laura and an interesting question. It's a question I'd love the real deal to address in series 9, but somehow I doubt they will. Most probably too 'soapy' (oh, but I do hope I'm wrong!). This story begins with pizza at the end of The Lions of Nemea (Series 8) but then goes off-piste on the canon front. Having just written a fair amount of fluff, I am intending this to be a bit more angsty than the subject matter might initially suggest. We'll see.

As always, thank you for reading and comments are welcome.

Chapter 1

"So, Lizzie, how long have you been married?" The wine gurgled from the bottle as Laura topped up Maddox's glass. Across the table, Robbie passed Hathaway the salad. It was dark outside, but the kitchen was warm and music drifted in lazily from the record player in the living room.

"Um… almost four years now." Maddox had drunk slightly too much on an empty stomach and needed to think about it. She spread her napkin clumsily on her lap. "How about you and… er… Sir - how long have you two been together?"

Laura threw Robbie a look over table. "Good question!" She took a sip of wine and tilted her head to one side, smiling at him.

"Too long!" Robbie laughed, through a mouthful of pizza, but looked at Laura with an affection that was only too obvious to the two younger members of the informal dinner party.

"It was rather a slow starter." Hathaway interjected by way of explanation. "You will have seen inanimate objects move faster than these two."

Maddox laughed. "So, you two have history?" The alcohol was loosening her customary reserve.

"You could say that." Robbie maintained his easy eye contact with Laura, who rolled her eyes in response.

"That's how it was with me and Tony." Maddox chattered. "An age of will-they-won't-they…"

"That sounds familiar." Hathaway murmured into his salad.

"… and then finally we got together and – bang! – we were married within a year."

"Married within a year?" Hathaway perked up. "How fascinating! Did you hear that, Robbie?" He glanced gleefully between Robbie and Laura, who were suddenly focusing intently on their food.

Robbie opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off again by Hathaway. "So when are we going to see you two tie the knot?" His face was straight but his tone was laced with mischief.

"Oh, I… we…" Laura began, at precisely the same time as Robbie emitted a nervous laugh.

"We… haven't really thought that far ahead." Robbie rescued her.

"Interesting." Hathaway smirked.

"Not really!" Robbie breezed. "Now, who's for another slice of pizza?"

Later on, Laura was tucked up in bed, eagerly devouring a novel on her Kindle, whilst Robbie pottered around in their en-suite bathroom, brushing his teeth.

"Maddox was on good form tonight!" He spluttered, almost incomprehensibly, through a mouthful of toothpaste. Clad only in his boxers and a marl grey t-shirt, he leaned against the bathroom door. Fondly, he regarded Laura in the soft light of the bedside lamp, her reading glasses perched precariously on the end of her nose. It was a sight to which he had grown familiar at this end of the day, but still it never ceased to please him.

"Mmm. I think she'll have a sore head tomorrow." Laura murmured, not looking up from her Kindle.

"And James was his usual morose and provocative self."

"Mmm." Laura was only half listening, too engrossed in her book.

Robbie spat the toothpaste into the sink.

"Do you think we should get married?"

This got Laura's attention. She looked up at him like a startled rabbit. He watched as a quizzical frown spread over her face. "What?"

He tried to hide a smirk. Oh, sometimes it was too easy to wind her up. "Get married. Me and you."

"Is this another canal barge episode?" She removed her glasses and narrowed her eyes at him. Several weeks earlier, Robbie had mooted the idea that they buy a boat for their retirement.

"No, seriously – not that I wasn't serious about the barge, we can talk about that another time – do you think we should?"

"Get married?" The bewilderment on Laura's face was beginning to morph into mild alarm.

"Yeah." He nodded, straight-faced, leaning roguishly against the doorway.

"Er…"

"Haven't you ever thought about it?"

Laura's lips began to form what she hoped was a diplomatic answer, but no sound came out.

Robbie laughed, "Wow, I don't believe it: Laura Hobson, speechless."

He switched off the bathroom light and walked across their bedroom, sliding under the covers beside her. Ignoring the tatty, upturned sports biography that was splayed open on his bedside table so as to save the page, he closed his eyes and pretended to be ready for sleep.

Laura was sitting bolt upright by his side, staring down at him incredulously.

"Robbie." She prodded him. "Robbie?"

Playfully, he opened one eye. "Yeah?"

"Are you being serious?"

He laughed, sliding his hand across her stomach so as to pull her down into bed with him. "No, pet. Don't worry."

Her relief was audible.

She deposited her glasses and Kindle on her bedside table before turning out the lamp.

Curling up against him as he pressed a kiss behind her ear in their usual bedtime routine, Laura settled down to sleep.

"Night." She murmured.

"Goodnight, my little lass." He snuggled in towards her and sighed contentedly.

Two hours later, neither of them had slept a wink.