Chapter 1

This is the continuation of the brilliant Muffinzelda's story White Horse. If you haven't read those two chapters I strongly recommend that you go do that...go on, I'll wait.

Good to have you back. I'm sure, like me, you are all a flutter at the idea that Malcolm Tucker is Laura Hobson's ex. The possibilities for fun are absolutely endless. I was immediately intrigued by the idea of playing with Mr. Tucker and seeing how he would interact with our foursome. Apparently Muffinzelda felt the same because she graciously gifted me this story (she claims she was inspired by conversation on Tumblr so it is a multi-pronged (faceted (can you do parentheses inside parentheses inside parentheses?))) effort. She claims not to have a mastery of Malcolm's vocabulary. So...I pick up the mantle, proudly, and hope to do Robson, Malcolm Tucker and the incomparable Muffinzelda proud. Once more unto the breach...

Robbie and Laura stayed with Lyn and her family for a week. On the last night Robbie found her sitting in Lyn's small garden. He sat beside her on the bench, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, "What's wrong pet?"

She snuggled into his side and placed her hand on his chest, "I'm fine Robbie."

Kissing the top of her head, he wrapped his other arm around her, "I know better Laura. Tell me what's wrong."

"I don't want this to touch us Robbie."

He laughed, "Laura, it hasn't even made the paper in two days. That journalist was just working an angle. She thought she could drum up a story by interviewing you." Laura was silent, Robbie lifted her chin and kissed her lightly, "This is not going to touch us. I've had James watching. She hasn't been back to the station or the house in days. We can go home and get back to normal."

Laura tried to relax, she tried to tell herself Robbie was right. She smiled and kissed him, "I'm sure you're right."

Robbie frowned. He knew she was still concerned and he wasn't sure what to do to reassure her, "Laura, there is absolutely nothing that Malc…"

She pressed her hand to his mouth stopping him, "Don't say his name Robbie. You can call him whatever you want, but don't say his name."

His laughter made her nervous, "His name holds no power."

She stood, shaking her head and walked away from him. She wrapped her arms around herself as if to ward off a chill, "Robbie, you don't know him. I've spent years putting him behind me."

He watched her stand there, huddled in on herself. If possible, she looked smaller than normal, "He can't be that bad, you did love him enough once to marry him."

She closed her eyes thinking back to those halcyon days when a young Malcolm Tucker had swept her off her feet. He'd been everything she'd ever wanted in a partner. Of course she'd seen glimpses of his cruelty and ruthlessness before they married but like too many women, she'd been certain he would change. Marriage and maybe children would mellow him. He would find what he was missing in her. That's what she'd hoped.

Laura shook her head trying to push the memories away. She'd spent so many years putting him firmly in the past. She knew Robbie was right, he held no power here. But a small part of her was scared. It was easy not to be scared of Malcolm Tucker if you'd never met him. If you'd never witnessed the awesome fury he could unleash, you couldn't fathom the sheer horror and elegant beauty that was Malcolm Tucker.

Robbie had offered her a clean slate. One she had happily grabbed. As a young girl she had dreamed of someone like Malcolm Tucker sweeping her off her feet. That dream had turned into a nightmare very quickly. That nightmare had led her back to Oxford to an all new dream. Robbie Lewis was the light to Malcolm Tucker's darkness. His quiet, unassuming manner had helped her to trust herself again. Trust that she could love unreservedly and be loved in the same manner.

Robbie watched her and knew that she was struggling. He'd never pushed her to tell him more about her marriage and suddenly he felt he might have made a mistake. Without knowledge, how could he help her? Before he even thought about it he was up and across the garden. He turned her to him and kissed her. Overwhelming relief swept through his body as her arms wrapped around him.

Laura was stunned by Robbie, by this kiss. Robbie was a passionate man but kisses like this didn't generally occur where people might see them. She wrapped her arms around him ready to let him kiss her worries away. She loved him, he loved her; it was all that mattered.

They kissed for a long time, lost in each other, actively pushing all of their concerns away. A clearing throat behind them brought them back to the here and now, "I hate to interrupt but your grandson would like you to put him to bed."

Laura and Robbie laughed as they turned to Lyn. Robbie smiled, "Pet, I'll be right there."

Lyn looked at her father somewhat embarrassed, "Actually dad, he wants his nana Laura, not you."

Laura buried her face in Robbie's chest trying to stifle the laughter. Lyn put her hand over her face to hide her smile. Robbie looked back and forth between them and smiled, "The joke's on you two. I rather like that my grandson is a ladies man, just like me." Both ladies exploded with laughter.

Laura rolled her eyes at Robbie, "Lyn I'll be there in just a minute." Lyn nodded at her and turned back into the house

Robbie smiled down and pulled her to him, "Laura, you're part of the family now. Even the lad knows it, Nana Laura." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, "I don't pretend to know what happened in the past but I know what is happening now. I love you, Lyn and the kids love you. Don't let him have any power over us."

Laura looked into his eyes and saw the truth of his words. He was right, the past was the past. Malcolm Tucker was no longer her dream or her nightmare. She had a new dream and it was made of this lovely man and his beautiful family. She shook her head, correcting her thinking, their beautiful family. She pushed up, wrapping her arms around his and kissed him lightly. A playful smile crossed her lips, "Care to help me put our grandson to bed?"

Robbie pulled her closer to him, "Only if you let me do the same for you later tonight?"

Malcolm Tucker stood at the window admiring the view from the lavish hotel suite the studio had rented for him. The television show was one of many lucrative offers that awaited him upon his release from prison. He had his pick of things to do, each potentially more profitable than the next.

For most people being sentenced to prison would have been frightening, mortifying, breaking. But Malcolm Tucker wasn't most people. Malcolm did those things to others he did not have them done to him.

With one, long pull from his glass he drained it of the amber liquid. A few fluid strides and he was at the desk pouring another glass. His eye was drawn to the stack of offers haphazardly piled on the desk. One specifically caught his attention. He pulled it from the pile and quickly read through it as he drank more Scotch.

The TV guys had told him they didn't mind if he took up several of the vast array of opportunities. They wanted him as exposed as possible. Make all of those mindless twats that watch the type of drivel they wanted to produce more apt to turn on the telly and tune into him. He dropped the piece of paper on the desk, this offer probably wasn't exactly what they had in mind, too staid, too conservative. But he wouldn't have passed up this opportunity even if that fucking lout of a PM had called him to run the world.

He ran his hands over the logo at the top of the page, LMH. It was like a beacon, a siren's song, beckoning to him. He abandoned the glass on the desk and headed towards the bathroom stripping clothes as he went. Malcolm was a man accustomed to frightening, mortifying and breaking those around him. It had been his calling card for decades. There was only one person he had never managed to do that to, in fact, that one person had done it to him. Now it was time to find out how. Now it was time to return the favor.