What Lies Tangled

Laura was alone in the mortuary. Her mortuary. She's constructed so much of her identity on her career that it was hard to walk away. But Robbie had shown her that there were more important things in life, like being with family. Oh Robbie. She wanted so desperately to go away with him and start a new life together, but here she was embarking on that new adventure alone. No job to tie her down, and no Robbie to share that freedom with. A part of her should hate him for leaving her hanging with complete disregard for their plans. But she knew he was just scared- not cold-feet about their relationship but scared of life post-CID. Yet she knew how attached he was to her and couldn't believe that he was going to let her leave. She hoped that he would come home at a decent hour so that he could help her finish packing and they could make love one last time before the taxi took her away in the morning. She may not do airport goodbyes, but she still wanted to leave Robbie with fond memories.

Robbie was watching Laura through the door frame, gathering his thoughts before he entered. He would miss this, finding excuses to pop in to see her at the mortuary. Being a detective was all he knew; in a fit of self-preservation, he'd declared to her that he'd work until they carry him out. Like Morse, she'd whispered through her tears.

There are worse ways to go, he'd replied. He was thinking of James' dad, lost to dementia and now confined to bed after a series of small strokes. He couldn't bear the thought of lingering in a world where he didn't recognize Lyn or Ken. He wanted to be active, mentally sharp until the end. And if that meant that he'd be blown to bits by the next lunatic to come along, so be it. Yes, Robbie was fatalistic; it was a by-product of losing Val all those years ago. One of the reasons that he loved Laura was that she had spent even more time contemplating death than he had. She didn't find him morbid; it was a natural process to her.

While Laura was right to draw the comparison, Lewis was not Morse. The late detective had died on the job, but not in the line of duty; he'd drank himself to an early grave. Robbie had his kids to think of, and Laura. The lonely years between Val and Laura had already taken their toll on him. He hated to be without Laura so much that he'd even catch up on his reading in the mortuary when she had to work late. He couldn't believe how treated her, like a roommate bailing out on his travel-buddy. Sodding old fool, me. He loved Laura and he needed to woo her back.

Robbie entered Laura's workspace for the last time. She fought back the tears as he approached her with a shopping bag. "Lyn gave me some suggestions for the baby."

Laura smiled haltingly, as he handed her a dodo onesie. It seemed that he and the dodo had something in common; after all that he would go to New Zealand if she'd still have him. She threw her arms around him.

When they broke apart, he reached into the bag and produced the second item. "A sleep sheep. It makes womb noises; quite useless really, but Lyn said that no nursery is complete without one. But her next recommendation I agree with whole-heartedly."

"And what would that be, Robbie?"

"Rings." He said simply.

"Oh, Robbie! Are you sure?" He nodded. She started to cry again, this time out of joy. He handed her another package from the bag. And Laura promptly hit him for the third time in two days.

"Lots o' Links!" She proceeded to read the package. "Your baby or toddler will love these colorful multipurpose rings." She hit him again. "That's for winding me up. Here I was about to admit that my views on marriage were evolving."

He rubbed his sore arm. "Glad to hear it, love. Because I wasn't winding you up. I was testing the waters." He pulled a ring out of his pocket. Laura's eyes widened and she stared at him, speechless. "I'm sorry it's not a tattoo, love."

"I think I rather like this better than a tattoo," she said, still transfixed the simple diamond ring.

He took her left hand in his. "Laura Hobson, I would go to the other side of the Earth for you. Will you do me the honour…" he paused, rethinking how to formulate his question, "…of allowing me to become a proper great-uncle to your niece's baby?"

Laura sniffed with emotion. "I dare say that our grand-niece or nephew won't need a sleep sheep to provide ambient noise with the way that great-uncle Robbie snores!"

"So is that a yes?"

"Yes, Robbie, I will marry you!"

Who would have thought that Laura would be retiring before Robbie? Once upon a time, career-driven Laura hadn't been troubled that their best times together had been spent over a mangled corpse. It was Robbie who had wanted to retire and offer Laura a normal life. Now, after two years of rubbing off on each other, Laura was the one nesting and Robbie was clinging to his job. Even when things got tough and they were at polar opposites, somehow those opposites attracted. In the end, Robbie and Laura will always center each other, for better or worse, as long as they both shall live.