Authour´s note: My second fanfic and far from ready, somehow James and Jean called out to me that they want to be in this one too, so still in progress. But I just thought I start with the first chapter already, reviews welcome.

I wrote and write this just for the fun of it, I don´t own any of the characters or quotations I used nor do I have permission to use them.

Chapter one

Lyn Lewis was on the train from Manchester to Oxford. It was the first time that had she left her little boy and partner for three days, but the offer to take a further education at the hospital in Oxford was a much too good an offer to let it slip. Knowing her two men would be well looked after by her mother-in-law; she went.

It was great that it was Oxford so she could meet and also stay with her Dad. They surely saw not enough of each other. She always said he should retire and move up North to live near her and her family, but until now DI Robert Lewis had worked in Oxford and although he was retiring soon it looked like he would stay in Oxford. He had a new woman in his life now.

Lyn had worried about her Dad for years after her mother died and had wished he would find someone again. Now that he had it was a bit weird she had to confess to herself. Okay, her Dad was more his old normal self again, more happy and joking than he had in years and she was really grateful for that. Now she was curious to meet this woman deliberately for the first time. Dr. Laura Hobson was a colleague of her Dad and Lyn tried to remember what she knew of her: She was a forensic pathologist working with her Dad for years. She started working in Oxford when Val Lewis was still alive and her Dad was still a sergeant. She also thought that she could vaguely remember a pretty blonde at her Mum´s funeral being very sympathetic and saying the right words without sounding hypocritical.

When Robbie Lewis returned from his two years attachment on the Virgin Islands after his wife´s death he and Laura started to meet for the usual drink after work and from his calls Lyn knew that Laura was one of her father´s best and oldest friends there for him whenever he needed someone to talk to. She noticed the change in their relationship when her Dad talked more than usual about Laura and got more relaxed again. After some weeks Lyn knowing he wouldn´t tell her himself just asked him and he simply said "yes"!

Now Lyn would meet Laura tonight as her Dad and Laura would pick her up from the station and go to the Trout for dinner before she would settle in with her Dad. To be honest Lyn was really looking forward to it.

Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent was leaving the office through the mortuary as she sometimes did. She was surprised to see Dr. Laura Hobson still at work. Hadn´t Robbie Lewis just told her this morning that his daughter was coming and that they would have dinner with her tonight? Too curious to just go home, she went in. Laura looked up and when seeing the Chief Super sighed.

"I´m sorry, I´m still not ready with writing down the pm facts for Act….DI Peterson. I know he needs them tonight and I´m fast, but I´m not Superwoman!"

Sensing a bit of anger in the doctors voice and not knowing what she was talking about Jean answered,

"That´s not why I´m here Laura, I´m on my way home and was just wondering why you are still here. Weren´t you supposed to have dinner with Robbie and his daughter tonight? He left over an hour ago."

"Yes, I was and yes he did! But Peterson said he really needed the results today to go on, so I stayed to finish them. Will be off as soon as I´m ready,"

Now it was for Jean to look rather confused, "But Peterson left 15 minutes ago, he said "Goodbye" on his way out." Saying this and seeing Laura´s face Jean knew she got the volcano to a break-out.

"What! That can´t be. He knew I was in a hurry. I never thought he would do something like this. Who does he think he is? He´s a big, dumb….," Laura didn´t finish the sentence, but got up, hit the storage button on the keyboard and shut the computer down. Jean smiled to herself thinking about what would come over Peterson tomorrow. Laura would make him pay for this one.

Together the two women left the building Laura still grumbling to herself what she would do to Peterson. Still feeling amused when they parted at the car park Jean tried to calm Laura down, "Calm down, relax and enjoy the evening with Robbie and Lyn. I´m sure it will be nice and you know where they are, right?"

"Yes, I know! And it´s easy for you to say: calm down and relax. I´m nervous like hell the whole day and being late doesn´t make it easier!" Laura was still steaming. Saying "Goodbye" to each other, the two went to their cars.

Lyn had totally forgotten how nice it was at the Trout, sitting outside in the early summer air. Her father had met her at the station and they drove straight here. Unfortunately Laura had to work longer, but she hoped she would make it not too late so until now they only had a drink.

When Lyn came back from the toilet she took a moment to watch her Dad from the distance of the inn building. He looked good and seemed happy and at ease with himself. It was a huge difference to how he looked when he visited last Christmas. He was gazing at the water and then looking to the side entrance of the pub garden, he started smiling widely. Lyn followed his look and saw a small blonde short-haired woman coming or better say dashing in the garden. Her Dad got up and taking her in his arms gave her a light kiss before listening to her. Lyn had never thought that her father would kiss a woman in public again, but it had looked really sweet and not weird for her at all. She decided it was time to join the two at the table now.

When she approached the table both her Dad and Laura looked at her. Laura decided not to let Peterson spoil her evening and smiled openly at Lyn, "Hi Lyn, how are you? I don't think you remember me but one of the occasions we saw each other was at the BBQ your Dad gave for the colleagues when he made DI?!"

Remembering that evening it came back to Lyn: "Oh yes, I remember now. You played football with my brother most of the evening to avoid this awful sergeant who tried to hit on you!"

Remembering too Laura smirked. "Yep! That was me. DS Miller was really awful."

"Miller tried to hit on you?" Robbie put in," I never noticed that!"

Smiling to Lyn in secret womanly understanding Laura answered, "Why am I not surprised? Val saved me at the time by asking me if I wouldn´t mind help cleaning up when it came to leaving that evening."

Seeing that the two got on quite alright already Robbie felt relieved and starting to relax he said: "Okay Ladies, now how about ordering something to eat? I don´t know about you but I´m starving."

Lyn made herself comfortable in her Dad´s bed. After a really lovely evening with Laura they had parted really late at the Trout. As she had to be at the hospital quite early tomorrow, she and her Dad called it a day when they arrived at his flat. Thinking about the evening Lyn was happy for her Dad, now knowing Laura. She was very different to her Mom which was a relief as otherwise Lyn had thought her Dad just searched for a replacement, but that for sure wasn´t the case. Now she just had to find an opportunity to have some time with Laura alone to drag out all the information she wanted and she wouldn´t get from her Dad. She didn´t know that her wish would already come true the next day. For now she drifted over to sleep with a smile when she heard her Dad talking softly on the phone in the living-room.

Laura was just ready to go to bed when her mobile rag. Seeing it was Robbie made her smile. "Hi you, has Lyn settled in okay?"

"Hello love, yes she has. She is already in bed. I just wanted to check that you got home safe."

"I have. Just on my way to bed and would love to have you here with me now. Isn´t that stupid? Now that you can´t be here, I miss you already."

Robbie was again astonished how often they had the same thoughts at the same time. "It´s the same for me, pet! I also miss you now and sleeping on the sofa doesn´t make it better! But as we also have to start early tomorrow I wish you a good night and sweet dreams, love!"

"Same to you Robbie, see you tomorrow!" Laura ended the call and went straight to bed.