A/N: I'm a few chapters ahead so I thought I would sneak in an extra update!

Chapter Eight

Robin hung his head in humiliation as he was helped from the court and sat in the corridor outside. Apart from throwing up, the sight of Evan had made him flash back so severely that he could barely see. Someone helped him into a chair while someone else fetched him some water and suddenly there were faces and voices all around him.

"Robin? Robin, what's happened?

"Oh god, Rob, are you alright?"

"Robin! God, look at you!"

"Yer an interesting shade, batman, what d'you call that? Lime or mint?"

But Robin couldn't answer them; all he could do was shake his head. Evan. Bloody Evan. As though Keats wasn't bad enough.

"He can't talk to any of you right now," a voice began to shoo the crowd away, "He is still under oath. He had a turn in the courtroom and needs to be assessed by the physician to see if he is up to continuing."

"I'm fine," Robin mumbled as a glass of water appeared under his nose.

"Let the doctor be the judge of that."

Robin rubbed his eyes and sipped the water.

"Really," Robin swallowed, "it was the beard. I'm… I'm allergic to beards. That's all."

He shut his eyes tightly and tried to block out the memory of Evan's court case but it was impossible. He and Kim had been taking some time apart and seeing her looking ill and drained in court had worried him terrible, even more so when she was led from the courtroom for doing the exact same thing that he'd just done over the stand.

"Oh god," he groaned, "I'm pregnant again."

That was just what he needed, more morning sickness and beans as well as odd looks from the legal team who considered offering him a pregnancy test to 'humour the poor guy'.

Eventually he was cleared by the doctor to return to the stand and re-entered the court to find Evan now wearing a small hammock of fabric across his beard. Despite himself Robin sniggered, knowing that all too soon things would become deadly serious. He was right.

"Chief Inspector Thomas, are you up to continuing?"

Robin nodded and closed his eyes.

"Yeah." He said quietly, I'm OK."

"Alright," the judge turned to Evan, "the defence may continue."

Evan approached the stand looking highly uncomfortable in his beard-hammock.

"Chief Inspector Thomas," he began, "you look like a pretty fit man."

Robin froze on the spot. Was Evan coming onto him?

"Uh…"

"You look like you work out? Take care of yourself?"

Robin swallowed.

"I go to the gym, yeah…?" he said, confused.

"Regularly?"

Robin had no idea where this was going.

"About four times a week," he said nervously.

"What does your workout entail?"

Robin stared on, his mouth open in confusion but luckily the lawyer for the prosecution raised an objection.

"I don't see what bearing this has on the case whatsoever?"

"If you will bear with me a little longer I am sure you will understand its relevance," Evan told the judge who decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Very well," he said, "you may continue. But please get to the point."

Evan nodded.

"Chief Inspector Thomas, could you please describe the kind of work-out that you usually undertake?"

Robin shrugged awkwardly.

"Weights," he said, "I use some of the machines. Usually some swimming. A little bit of kickboxing."

"So you'd say your stamina and strength are fairly high?"

Robin swallowed and felt like covering up his muscles as much as possible to keep them away from Evan.

"I suppose," he said.

Evan began to look smug.

"So can you explain to me how my client, a man of some ten years your senior with no fitness regime to speak of can overpower you with the apparent ease of which you claim?"

Robin swallowed and began to feel his face flushing.

"Never underestimate the power of anger," he said quietly, "Sometimes physical fitness is no match for pure rage."

"Your history with my client," Evan continued, "You told the court that DCI Keats tried to enlist your help in removing DCI Hunt from duty."

"Yes."

"Exactly how did he attempt to persuade you?"

Robin swallowed.

"He showed me a tape," he began quietly, "of DCI Hunt from many years ago to prove that he was homophobic. But," Robin continued quickly, "I had already spent a couple of days working with Gene and had made up my own mind about him. He'd learnt through the years. Like we all do in different ways.

"And are you yourself a homosexual man?"

Robin knew that this line of questioning wasn't going to lead anywhere good.

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth, "and Hunt's never shown he has a problem with me."

"Well perhaps that's because, despite claiming to be a homosexual, you have been in a serious and steady relationship, you claim, with a woman."

Robin closed his eyes momentarily.

"Believe me, no one is more surprised by that than I am," he began, "and when I met Gene I was in a relationship with Simon."

"DCI Simon Shoebury?" Even asked.

"Yes."

"Who later went on to have a relationship with my client."

Robin threw Keats a glare and saw that smirk on his face,

"It was hardly a relationship," Robin said angrily, "Keats took advantage of Simon when he was drunk one night."

"It seems to be a bit more than one night," Evan continued, "according to my client they were involved in sexual activities on at least two further occasions."

Robin felt his face burning up.

"Simon and I were apart by then," he said, and as much as it hurt him to say it he continued, "it's none of my business what he does with anyone else. No matter how inhuman they might be."

"Don't you think it's strange that, while your brother –"

"Half-brother," Robin spat angrily.

"…was beginning a relationship with your ex-partner, you decided to begin a relationship with his?"

Robin felt sick again.

"What?"

"No sooner had DCI Keats and DCI Shoebury become close –"

"Objection!" Robin cried.

"You are not allowed to raise an objection, Mister Thomas, as you already know," the judge warned.

"But no one becomes 'close' to Keats, not without mutating into some kind of reptilian creature!" Robin cried angrily.

"One more interruption and I will have to hold you in contempt of court," the judge warned and Robin looked down, trying to contain his anger.

"As soon as they became close," Evan continued, "you decided to embark on a relationship with Kimberley Stringer."

"I didn't 'decide' anything," Robin hissed, "love isn't a decision."

"You were aware that DCI Keats was very much in love with her –"

"His version of 'love' involves only one half of the couple being aware that anything is happening!"

"And you were envious of his relationship with your ex-partner…"

"I didn't even know about him sleeping with Simon back then!"

"So you decided tit-for-tat was in order."

"The tits were half the reason you're talking bollocks!" Robin blurted before he could stop himself, "for god's sake, it's not easy to get into a relationship that goes against everything that's natural to you! That goes against every instinct in your body! I wasn't even bi-curious, I'd never liked women, I fell in love with Kim unexpectedly and we both suffered and struggled to make it work, but in the end it did because it was real. Unlike the chemically-induced relationships that he has."

Evan completely ignored Robin's emotional testimony.

"The night of the general election," he began, "the one you claim my client 'abducted' and assaulted you. Could you please tell the court where you were directly before you attended the dog unit?"

Robin frowned.

"We were watching the election coverage," he frowned, "it was a bit like a party…"

"No, directly before."

Robin swallowed.

"What do you mean?"

Evan pulled out a piece of evidence and showed it around the court.

"According to the first aid log for your station, DS Dawson was administering first aid to a number of small gashes and bruises you acquired during a fight," he paused, "with DCI Shoebury."

Robin swallowed, his eyes bolting.

"What has that got to do with –"

"Do you have a violent streak, Mister Thomas?"

"What? No!"

"But there were a number of witnesses to your fight with your ex-partner."

"Just having a one-off fight doesn't give me violent tendencies!" Robin protested, "it had been a stressful day, we'd had a few drinks and we –"

"Are you a drinker, Mister Thomas"

Robin froze.

"I," he swallowed, "I drink occasionally. The same as a lot of people."

"The hospital reports from our admission after your alleged abduction show a rather high blood alcohol level,"

Robin bit his lip.

"Like I said," he whispered, "it was a bit of a party."

"And the hospital records from your admission with a skull fracture on the thirty-first of august also show a highly elevated blood alcohol level."

All the colour drained from Robin's face.

"It was a sad day," he said quietly, "the Princess Diana coverage."

"In fact, the level was so high that the hospital had some difficulty safely administering medications to help in your recovery."

Robin didn't know what to say

"I don't drink all the time," he mumbled.

"Were you drinking last night?"

Robin swallowed and grasped the stand tightly.

"I went out last night," he breathed "Yes, I had a drink like a lot of people did."

"Are you fit to answer questions in court today?"

"Yes I'm fit to answer questions in court today!" Robin cried angrily, "I am stone cold sober and stand by every word that I've said."

"But you admit that you've been drinking regularly?"

Robin had no idea what to say.

"I've had a few drinks, I'm not an alcoholic."

"Do you find alcohol affects our judgement?"

For a split second an image of a naked Shaz came back into Robin's head and he blanched.

"It's not like I was drinking before court," he hissed, "I'm not drunk now."

"But you'd been drinking on both occasions that you claim my client assaulted you," Evan pointed out, "how certain can you be of the circumstances surrounding DCI Keats's actions?"

Robin stood firm. He looked Evan right in the eye and said,

"Your client abducted and assaulted me. He kicked and beat me. He punched me. Cracked my skull. Tried to strangle me. He could have killed me." He added silently 'if that was possible'. "I know what happened and even if you don't believe me the hospital reports speak for themselves."

Evan shuffled a little.

"Could you describe a little more about the nature of your relationship with Kimberley Stringer?"

The shift in tone confused Robin immensely. He blinked and cleared his throat, unsure what to say.

"Uh," he began awkwardly, "We… we've been together for about a year and a half…"

"Were together."

"Pardon?"

"You were together. You are no longer a couple."

Robin swallowed.

"Says who?"

"Many witnesses from Fenchurch West can attest to the fact that you have harassed Kimberley –"

"Harassed?" cried Robin.

"With nuisance phone calls…"

"You what?"

"…Emails, faxes and even visiting in person…"

"I just –"

"Even after she told you time and time again that you were over and that she did not wish to see you anymore."

"That's not true! She was trapped there, she didn't mean it –"

"We have tape recordings of more than twenty five calls…"

"What?"

"…that my client felt compelled to record when he realised that Miss Stringer was being harassed…"

"I was doing no such thing to her!"

"and we have cctv footage from the car park depicting a visit you paid Kimberley which clearly shows her being distressed by your arrival…"

"Because she's terrified of him!" Robin aimed a finger angrily in Keats's direction, "and she was trying to protect me… protect all of us… she wanted us to stay away so he wouldn't hurt us…"

"Kimberley was afraid of you."

"No!"

"And DCI Keats attempted to keep you away to protect her."

"That's bullshit!"

"And so you waited until he was away to corner her…"

"Corner her?"

"…In the basement, knowing there was only one exit, which you could easily block…"

"No!"

"…And when you had her cornered you used your strength to overpower her…"

"What the fuck?"

"…and forced her –"

"No!"

"…To have sexual intercourse –"

"Fuck no!"

"…with you which my client interrupted –"

"No!"

"…And stopped you from continuing."

"No!" Robin cried, "I would never… he's the one… he's probably got the gas and air running right now! He used to drug her, over and over! For fuck's sake, get her here! Ask her! Why isn't she giving evidence against him?"

"Because," Evan began, "it was deemed that she had no useful evidence to give."

Robin swallowed.

"What?"

"Beyond a consensual –"

"NO!"

"Romantic and physical relationship with my client –"

"That's bullshit! Bullshit!"

"Mister Thomas…"

"No further questions, " Evan smiled as Robin screamed and felt tears springing to his eyes.

Dragged from the court before he could make more of a scene, Robin felt like his entire world had been torn down around him. Beard or no beard, he was never going to stop retching from the foul lies that Evan had insinuated about him and he was never going to stop crying either. The only person who could ever make it better was as far away as ever and it felt far too late.

He might as well be dead. His heart was so deeply broken he was already halfway there.