Disclaimer: I do not own Lewis, or any of its characters. This is for fan purposes only.
Robbie and Laura spent the majority of their time, outside of work, together these days. However, on this Friday evening, Robbie decided to stay at his flat, rather than with Laura at her house. She'd had a long week at the lab that had wiped her out, and he was on call. He knew she would want all the sleep she could get, and he didn't want to risk waking her if he got a call from work in the middle of the night.
For this reason, Laura was slightly confused when she felt the bed sink on Robbie's side and his arm wrap around her waist from behind. A quick glance at her alarm clock told her that it was 3am. This only added to her confusion. She didn't give it anymore thought though, as she took hold of his hand, leaned back slightly into his embrace, and drifted back off to sleep. She wasn't going to question him at this hour; and to be honest, she was far happier with him by her side, so wasn't going to complain.
It was an hour or so later that she woke again. She felt Robbie shaking and heard his stifled shouts in his sleep. He too woke, as she turned in his arms. His eyes were haunted. By what, Laura didn't know. She merely rubbed his back and whispered comforting words into his hair, as he silently sobbed into her shoulder.
It took half an hour to finally calm Robbie's sobs. "Sorry, pet." She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him gently on the forehead. "You've got nothing to be sorry about." She squeezed him tightly and, before he could say anymore, added "Get some rest. We can talk in the morning, if you're up to it?" He clung tightly to her, buried his head back into her shoulder. "I love you, Laura." "I love you too." She rocked him gently, before they both fell asleep again. This time, undisturbed.
••••••••
Laura was staring intently out of the kitchen window when Robbie came down stairs the next morning. She didn't notice he was there until he place his hands, gently on her hips and kissed her cheek. He began to worry, when she did nothing except rest her hands on his, and continue to stare out of the window.
"You alright pet?" She turned to him and looked into his eyes. He pressed on. "I'm sorry about last night love. I know you've had a tough week... I just didn't fancy going back to an empty flat." She gave him a sad smile, before leaning up and kissing him. "Like I said last night, Robbie. You've got no need to apologise. I sleep better with you here anyway." Her smile was more genuine this time, and he returned it. "Robbie..." "I know pet." He gave her squeeze. "After breakfast, eh?"
••••••••
They ate in relative silence, throwing fond glances at each other across the table every so often. After a while, Robbie began to merely push his breakfast around the plate. "She was 17..." Laura was suddenly alert once again; trying, but failing to figure out what on earth Robbie was talking about. "Sorry?" He sighed, and gave her an apologetic look, before he started over.
"The Fielding case... Y'know the two brothers from the beginning of the week?" She took hold of his hands, and encouraged him to continue. "Their killer. The first victim's niece, the second was her father." "Oh God... What happened?" "She was raped by the uncle... 12 years old. Her dad knew all about it.. Drove her to the edge... All those years and he'd never done anything about it. She'd been forced to endure endless family occasions, all the time hiding her crippling pain from the rest of the family."
Robbie stood up, picked up the breakfast dishes, and walked to the sink. "Got a call last night. She'd gone missing see; and someone spotted her near that abandoned industrial estate. James was working on something at the station, so I went on me own. Thank God." He was silent for a good few minutes. Laura slipped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Talk to me." she whispered into his back.
He took a deep breath, and continued. "When I got there, I heard her crying. Found her in the back of one of the units. Confessed it all... 5 years she's been living with that weighing over her... Poor lass." The last clause was whispered. Laura felt him tremble, and spun him round in her arms. She saw a look in him. Not quite as empty as when he lost Val; but then nothing could ever induce pain to that extent. Whatever it was that had happened, was eating away at him. Seeing him in such a state made her want to burst into tears herself. She held him close and encouraged him to let it all out.
"2 hours. 2 bloody hours it took to calm her down. I was getting somewhere. Then... Next thing I know I was holding her in me arms. Trying to stop the bleeding. I didn't even see the gun. If I had I could've... talked her round. Done... something..." He crumbled. Laura bundled him into his arms and lead him to the sofa. Robbie buried his face into her stomach and sobbed. "Robbie, sweetheart. You can't blame yourself for this... A girl who'd been through all of that, wouldn't have been psychologically stable. By the sounds of it, only a professional could have talked her out of it. Please... don't beat yourself up about this. I know it's hard, and it'll take a while to see it. But it's not your fault." He looked up at her intently, as she wiped the tears away from his cheeks. "Ah, I know. I'm always telling Jim the same when he's been hit hard by a case, but..." "It's hard to take your own advice?" He sat up, took her face in his hands and kissed her. "You know me too well, love." She murmured her agreement, and kissed him back.
••••••••
Robbie and Laura woke at 6 that evening. Robbie's head was resting, once again, on Laura's stomach, and her fingers were threaded through his hair. "Morning." He said with a chuckle. "Mmm... what do you fancy for 'breakfast'?" "Curry?" They both laughed, and headed off to the kitchen. "Aaah! Bloody hell, that sofa's not good for me back!" "Come here old man!" She said as she closed in and kissed him. "Oh give over! I don't retire for three months yet!" He joked, before returning her kiss. "Good! Dinner's on you then! I'm off for a shower." She kissed him on the cheek and left the room. He grinned from ear-to-ear; thinking about her amazing ability to cheer him up, whatever the situation. "It's a good job I love you y'know! No one else would put up with your cheek!"
••••••••
It was 11 o'clock when Robbie began to doze again. "Come on! I could do without you falling asleep on the sofa, and then manking and moaning about your back for the next week!" Laura said, as she stood up, extending her hand to him. "Charming!" was his response, as he took her hand and pulled her in for a kiss, before he himself stood up.
They plodded around for ten minutes or so; brushing teeth, washing faces, etcetera, etcetera, before slipping into bed. He held her close to him, thinking (and not quite believing) how lucky he was to have her in his life. "I love you, Robbie.", "I love you too, pet.", followed by a long kiss goodnight; and they drifted off to sleep. She knew he'd be alright. Besides, three months isn't long, then he could put it all behind him; and he knew that, as long as she was by his side, he could get through anything.