Lewis watched Hathaway make his way through the main floor to his office and stopped his conversation to follow James into the office. Robbie closed the door and folded his arms in disapproval. "You are limping and …Christ man, is that … " He stepped close to Hathaway and inhaled then looked both disappointed and mortified. "Whisky. What the bloody hell is the matter with you? You get caught with that on your breath and you can kiss your whole career off. Jesus…this is… what did you do?"

Hathaway sat down and rubbed his temples, "Needed a little pick me up after the car hit me. You're right, I'd knock off early, but I have a body and need to find the reason it isn't an estate agent any longer. Now, you can help me, or you can sod the hell off."

"You were hit by a car?"

"MMMmm. Just a bump. My fault and I have already had the scathing lecture, thanks. Leg feels a bit like mushy peas." He said hiking his trouser leg up to see the damage. The swelling and bruising were much worse than expected.

Robbie cursed and stuck his head out the door to send Lizzy for a bag of ice. He returned and squatted down to get a closer look.

"Nothing's broken. I just wasn't paying attention for a second. It's fine."

"That's it. I am taking you home and you are going to sleep."

James took a breath to object but Robbie held his hand up, pointing his finger at him like a father to a naughty child, and said very quietly, "Or I will let Innocent close enough to get a whiff of your breath."

James looked down at Robbie with pure betrayal in his eyes. Lizzy brought a bag of ice and took one look at the two of them and made a quick exit. Robbie stood and with a warning look, followed her and returned with his coat, keys and no nonsense on his face. "Come on. You."

The drive sported no conversation, both of them full of anger. Morse appeared in the back seat and Hathaway slumped in his seat and ignored him.

"This is how you make up? No bloody wonder you are single," Morse offered in a friendly tone.

James lowered the visor and glared in the vanity mirror at Morse.

"Fine, then just pretend to apologize and let him pretend to accept it and pout at each other in a more friendly fashion," Morse instructed helpfully.

James snorted and then looked away.

"You are both five years old. What a waste of time." He vanished from the moving car.

Robbie parked in front of the younger man's flat. He leaned his head forward and softly said, "I didn't think I'd ever have to do this again. I won't do it very many times, just so you know. Get it out of your system fast, lad, because I can't watch this again."

"Watch what?"

"Morse. Me for a few years. It's no good."

"I think he had his reasons." James opened his eyes and looked at Robbie.

"We both had the same reason. But you. You don't even date, lad. Unless there is something you aren't telling me? Has someone broken your heart?" Robbie asked.

James turned his face away and opened the car door to get away. He paused and asked low and full of rasping emotion, "Did you like him?"

"Like who?"

"Morse. Was he your friend?"

Robbie sat for a few heartbeats, face full of confusion as if the question was the last thing he'd expected and couldn't wrap his mind around it. "Sometimes."

James sucked in his breath and held it as the weight of that admission skittered through his heart like icy claws. People who were sometimes friends didn't rate very high in the James book of loyalty. It confirmed to him that if Morse was just thought of as a friend some of the time, then he must rate in the pool of words that included colleague or acquaintance. "Thanks for the lift, Detective Inspector."

Robbie bristled and then got out himself and followed James to his door without invitation. James opened his door then spun around, "Did you need anything else, Sir?"

Robbie shoved him to the side and bullied his way into the flat. James took a deep breath as Robbie stopped in his tracks at his incriminating wall decorations. "Shit. This just keeps getting worse!" Robbie cursed.

"Tea?" James asked blandly.

Lol, I very much hope you liked it. This is a tiny chapter so will have another up before the day is out. It will get a bit more haphazard after today. Thank you again for reading.